"new to business – like ""virgins"". The first release on the label was the progressive rock album ""Tubular Bells"" by multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield in 1973. Virgin's first formal store opened on London's Oxford Street in January or February 1971 (exact date uncertain). In 1979 the company opened their first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Marble Arch. Virgin Megastores and Virgin Records operate as entirely separate entities, like many of the other Virgin companies. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Virgin Megastores opened over 100 stores in the UK, and many others around the world, including expansion into Asia"
"The Venue (Victoria Street, London) The Venue was a live music club at 160–162 Victoria Street, London, England, owned by Virgin Records. It opened its doors on 1 November 1978 and operated until 1984. The first act to play there was Graham Parker and The Rumour, followed by the last live performances by Alex Harvey before his death. Todd Rundgren played some dates there just before Christmas in 1978, as part of the tour to back up the ""Back to the Bars"" album; released for the Christmas market, at the time. Two shows were sometimes played per night, and the"
"2013 as part of a major redevelopment of the area. Magazine The Venue (Victoria Street, London) The Venue was a live music club at 160–162 Victoria Street, London, England, owned by Virgin Records. It opened its doors on 1 November 1978 and operated until 1984. The first act to play there was Graham Parker and The Rumour, followed by the last live performances by Alex Harvey before his death. Todd Rundgren played some dates there just before Christmas in 1978, as part of the tour to back up the ""Back to the Bars"" album; released for the Christmas market, at"
"Street, the second-largest department store in the UK and flagship of the Selfridges chain, has been in Oxford Street since 1909. Marks & Spencer has two stores on Oxford Street. The first, Marks & Spencer Marble Arch, is at the junction with Orchard Street. A second branch between Regent Street and Tottenham Court Road stands on the former site of the Pantheon. The music retailer HMV opened at No. 363 Oxford Street in 1921 by Sir Edward Elgar. The Beatles made their first recording in London in 1962, when they cut a 78rpm demo disc in the store. A larger"
"Africa, consisting of approximately 40 stores. Richard Branson and Nik Powell had initially run a small record shop called ""Virgin Records and Tapes"" on Notting Hill Gate, London, specialising particularly in ""krautrock"" imports, and offering bean bags and free vegetarian food for the benefit of customers listening to the music on offer. After making the shop into a success, they turned their business into a fully fledged record label, Virgin Records. The name Virgin, according to Branson (in his autobiography), arose from a colleague of his when they were brainstorming business ideas. She suggested Virgin – as they were all"
"Oxford Music Hall Oxford Music Hall was a music hall located in Westminster, London at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. It was established on the site of a former public house, the Boar and Castle, by Charles Morton, in 1861. In 1917 the music hall was converted into a legitimate theatre, and in 1921 it was renamed the New Oxford Theatre. In May 1926 it closed and was demolished. The site was occupied by the first Virgin Megastore from 1979 and closed in 2009. In September 2012 a branch of the budget fashion retailer Primark opened"
"Virgin Records Virgin Records Ltd. was a British record label founded by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman in 1972. It grew to be a worldwide phenomenon over time, with the success of platinum performers such as George Michael, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Roy Orbison, Devo, Tangerine Dream, Genesis, Keith Richards, the Human League, Culture Club, Simple Minds, Lenny Kravitz, dc Talk, the Smashing Pumpkins, Mike Oldfield, Gorillaz, and Spice Girls, among others. After its acquisition by Universal Music Group through its purchase of EMI in 2012, UMG absorbed Virgin's British operations to create Virgin"
"was never brought before a court because Branson agreed to repay any unpaid VAT of 33% and a £70,000 fine. His parents re-mortgaged the family home in order to help pay the settlement. Earning enough money from his record store, Branson in 1972 launched the record label Virgin Records with Nik Powell. The name ""Virgin"" was suggested by one of Branson's early employees because they were all new at business. Branson bought a country estate north of Oxford in which he installed a residential recording studio, The Manor Studio. He leased studio time to fledgling artists, including multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield,"
"Nik Powell Nik Powell (born 4 November 1950) is a British businessman and one of the co-founders of the Virgin Group with Richard Branson. After operating a mail-order company, a small record shop, and a recording studio, the partners established Virgin Records in 1972. It became one of the UK's major recording labels until it was sold to EMI in 1992. Born in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England, Powell was educated first at Longacre School, Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey, moving when he was seven to a small Catholic preparatory school, St. Richard's in Little Malvern, outside Malvern. From there he went"
"Sex (boutique) Sex was a boutique run by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood at 430 King's Road, London between 1974 and 1976. It specialised in clothing that defined the look of the punk movement. From 1969 to 1970, No. 430 was the premises of ""Mr Freedom"". In October 1971, Malcolm McLaren and a friend from art school, Patrick Casey, opened a stall in the back of the ""Paradise Garage"" boutique at 430 King's Road in London's Chelsea district. On sale were items collected by McLaren over the previous year, including rock & roll records, magazines, clothing and memorabilia from the"
"Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate, investor, author and philanthropist. He founded the Virgin Group, which controls more than 400 companies. Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. His first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called ""Student"". In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business. He opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records—later known as Virgin Megastores—in 1972. Branson's Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he set up Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records"
"Virgin Megastores UK Virgin Megastores was a retail chain that operated in the United Kingdom from 1971 to 2007. The company was established by Richard Branson, originally as a small record shop, and became a national chain. In 2007, the company was sold to management, and was rebranded as Zavvi. Zavvi entered administration in 2008 and subsequently closed. Richard Branson & Nik Powell had initially run a small record shop called ""Virgin Records and Tapes"" on Notting Hill Gate, London, specialising particularly in ""krautrock"" imports, and offering bean bags and free vegetarian food for the benefit of customers listening to"
"Merrill Tomassi, the sister of Richard Branson's first wife, ended in divorce. He then married singer Sandie Shaw and helped relaunch her career. They had two children, Amie and Jack, before divorcing in the early 1990s. Nik Powell Nik Powell (born 4 November 1950) is a British businessman and one of the co-founders of the Virgin Group with Richard Branson. After operating a mail-order company, a small record shop, and a recording studio, the partners established Virgin Records in 1972. It became one of the UK's major recording labels until it was sold to EMI in 1992. Born in Great"
"all of which eventually closed in early 2009 after less than a year of trading. On 2 March 2009, The Hut Group purchased the rights to the Zavvi brand online, and relaunched the Zavvi website with an increased range. Richard Branson started his first Virgin store on London's Oxford Street in 1971. The company opened its first Megastore in 1979, at the end of Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road. The chain grew throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most notably through its merger with the Our Price chain whilst under the ownership of WH Smith. Virgin Megastores became an international"
"first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Marble Arch. Virgin Megastores and Virgin Records operate as entirely separate entities, like many of the other Virgin companies. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Virgin Megastores opened over 100 stores in the UK, and many others around the world. Simon Wright – Chief Executive of the Virgin Entertainment Group from 1999 to 2009 was very instrumental in the worldwide growth of the stores in particular developing the stores in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and North America before their eventual disposals under license detailed under Ownership. In 2007 the Virgin Group"
"HMV by owners Thorn EMI in the late 1980s established a chain of newer, larger stores, which threatened and eventually overtook Our Price in popularity. In 1984, Our Price was the first specialist music store to float on the London Stock Exchange. Two years later, it was acquired by WH Smith for £43 million, with Smith's Sound FX immediately absorbed into Our Price. Several members of senior management left the company in 1989 to create the rival MVC, which itself would eventually be bought by Woolworths. In March 1994, WH Smith also bought a majority interest in Richard Branson's Virgin"
"the flagship UK store for Tower Records. In 2003 it was bought by Richard Branson of the Virgin Group and became a Virgin Megastore. The Virgin name disappeared in 2007 and was replaced by Zavvi but Zavvi went into receivership in 2009. The Sting, a fashion department store with branches in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, opened in the building in July 2010. The Feathers public house at 43 Linhope Street, Marylebone was renamed the ""Swan & Edgar"" in honour of this former department store. Swan & Edgar Swan & Edgar Ltd was a department store, located at Piccadilly Circus"
"the Virgin seal of approval. The original logo was a completely different design intended to be used for the record company that was founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell. According to Richard Branson in interviews and on the Virgin website, the more recent signature logo was based on one that a designer scribbled on a napkin after a design meeting. After signing the Sex Pistols to the label it was clear that there would need to be a rethink on the design. Virgin Group has its headquarters at The Battleship Building in the Paddington district of the City of"
"serves as Chelsea's high street and has a reputation for being one of London's most fashionable shopping streets. Other celebrated boutiques included Granny Takes a Trip, The Sweet Shop in Blantyre Street just off King's Road at World's End and Stop The Shop, a fashion boutique with a revolving floor. 484 King's Road was the headquarters of Swan Song Records, owned by Led Zeppelin. They left following closure of the company in 1983. King's Road was site of the first UK branch of Starbucks which opened in 1999. 535 King's Road was the headquarters of Cube Records, a late 1960s"
"for. The first single release for the label was Kevin Coyne's ""Marlene"" (b/w ""Everybody Says""), taken from his album ""Marjory Razorblade"" and released in August 1973. Coyne was the second artist signed to the label after Oldfield. Although Virgin was initially one of the key labels of English and European progressive rock, the 1977 signing of the Sex Pistols (who had already been signed and then dropped by both EMI and A&M) reinvented the label as a new-wave outpost, a move that plunged the record company into the mainstream of the punk rock era. Under the guidance of Tessa Watts,"
"commercial purposes in the 19th century. At first, metalwork was a popular trade but it became most famous as Britain's ""Tin Pan Alley"" housing numerous music publishers' offices. This market declined in the 1960s to be replaced by music shops and independent recording studios. The Rolling Stones recorded at Regent Sound Studio at No. 4 and popular musicians, including David Bowie and the Small Faces, often socialised in the Gioconda café at No. 9. Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote songs at offices on the street in the 1960s, while the Sex Pistols lived above No. 6, and recorded their"
"size, and in six years became the country's leading specialist music retailers. It faced new competition, however, from Virgin Megastores, established in 1976, and Our Price, established in 1972. Subsequently, HMV overtook Our Price in popularity and threatened their existence, having established a chain of newer, larger stores. The company opened its flagship store at a new location on Oxford Street in 1986, announcing it was the largest record store in the world at the time, and the official opening was attended by Bob Geldof and Michael Hutchence. Growth continued for a third decade into the 1990s, with the company"
"Abbey Road, London Abbey Road is a thoroughfare in the borough of Camden and the City of Westminster in London, running roughly northwest to southeast through St. John's Wood, near Lord's Cricket Ground. It is part of the B507 road. This road is best known for the Abbey Road Studios and the 1969 album, ""Abbey Road"", by The Beatles. The north-western end of Abbey Road begins in Kilburn, at the junction with Quex Road and West End Lane. The road was once a track leading to Kilburn Priory and its associated Abbey Farm, and was developed in the early 19th"
"the corner from The Zanzibar on Seel Street, where it stayed until 2010 before moving to Bluecoat Chambers on School Lane in the centre of the city. Probe Records (shop) Probe Records is a small independent record shop in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1971 by Geoff Davies, the shop was originally located on Clarence Street, off Brownlow Hill with a second location soon opened in the basement of Silly Billies clothes shop. The shop relocated in 1976 to Button Street around the corner from Eric's Club on Mathew Street and found itself at the centre of the city's emerging punk"
"co-founded with Richard Grant, which was located at 530 W. 27th St in the Chelsea district. Major record labels began soliciting Vasquez to produce club-friendly remixes for their top singers using his personal beat-driven house style. Due to a rise in demand from these labels, many singer and musicians like C+C Music Factory, David Morales, Björk, Marilyn Manson, and Madonna were known to frequent his Sunday morning events. Working with many popular artists allowed Vasquez to create his own repertoire of exclusive ""Private Collection"" of authorized remixes (along with several unofficial remixes) which were not released to the market and"
"Rough Trade (shops) Rough Trade is a group of independent record shops in the UK and the US with headquarters in London, UK. The first Rough Trade shop was opened in 1976 by Geoff Travis in the Ladbroke Grove district of west London. In 1978, the shop spawned Rough Trade Records, which became the label of bands from The Smiths to The Libertines. In 1982, the two separated and the shop remains an independent entity from the label, although links between the two are strong. At the same time, the shop moved from its original location on Kensington Park Road"
"label, and later a tape called 'First from Last Exit' featuring nine original songs. In 1976, Carol Wilson, Head of Richard Branson's music publishing company, saw Last Exit play in the Gosforth Hotel in Newcastle and signed them. Virgin financed the recording of a demo in the Pathway Studios in London. Wilson organised a number of gigs, including Dingwalls, and a double page feature in Sounds and played the demo to every major record label. Most A&R men liked it but could not see an obvious category to market the band, so no record deal materialised. In 1977, Last Exit"
"the Virgin Records album """"), with a bill that included Joy Division, The Fall, Steel Pulse, and John Cooper Clarke, he closed proceedings by performing ""Louie Louie"" backed by Buzzcocks, with an introduction from Pete Shelley: ""That's it from us, but the favourite of all Manchester, the one guy who never appears on the bill but is always there – Jon the Postman"". He released two albums, ""Jon the Postman's Puerile"" (which was the first record to feature Mark E. Smith, who introduced ""Louie Louie""; A version of the song by The Fall with Jon on vocals appears on The"
"known for its connections with British popular music, and is nicknamed the British Tin Pan Alley due to its large concentration of shops selling musical instruments. The Sex Pistols lived beneath No. 6 and recorded their first demos there. Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie have all recorded at studios on Denmark Street and Elton John wrote his hit ""Your Song"" in the street. Led Zeppelin's first rehearsal in 1968 was in a basement studio on Gerrard Street. The Soho area has been at the heart of London's sex industry for more than 200 years; between 1778 and"
"London, and suffered financially as a result of its major losses in the early 1990s. This prompted extensive legal battles with many of the artists they were involved with, most famously with Robert Fripp. E.G. was sold to Virgin Records in 1992, which continued operating E.G. In 1996, after Virgin was sold to EMI, it was absorbed into Virgin. Enthoven was born on 5 July 1944. He continued in music management until his death on 11 August 2016. E.G. Records E.G. Records was a British artist management company and independent record label, mostly active during the 1970s and 1980s. The"
"Probe Records (shop) Probe Records is a small independent record shop in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1971 by Geoff Davies, the shop was originally located on Clarence Street, off Brownlow Hill with a second location soon opened in the basement of Silly Billies clothes shop. The shop relocated in 1976 to Button Street around the corner from Eric's Club on Mathew Street and found itself at the centre of the city's emerging punk and new wave music scene, acting as a supporter of local independent bands and musicians. Davies admitted that he was far more a music enthusiast than he"
"Vernon Yard Recordings Vernon Yard Recordings was an independent label owned by Virgin Records. Vernon Yard is a small mews off the Portobello Road in Notting Hill. Although Virgin owned a controlling interest in the label, they let Vernon Yard operate as a traditional indie (much like Virgin's relationship with Caroline Records), and therefore very few Vernon Yard releases were distributed by Virgin. In fact, Vernon Yard used many different distributors throughout its run, primarily the aforementioned Caroline, but also competing major label Capitol Records and other willing distributors. The label had a strong relationship with Virgin's British indie, Hut"
"record shop, opened by Geoff Travis on Kensington Park Road, West London, in February 1976. It was inspired by what Travis has described as the ""community-based environment"" of the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, and specialised in garage rock and reggae. Steve Montgomery, initially a customer of the shop, was offered a job soon after it opened and became its effective co-manager. Travis and Montgomery were joined by a further employee, Richard Scott, in June 1977. Rough Trade produced its own record for the first time after French punk band Métal Urbain came into the shop asking for assistance"