VC Recordings trading as Hut Records was a British record label brand which was started in 1990 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Records. Despite being wholly owned by a major label, it was classed as an independent label for the purposes of the

UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rel ...

due to the independent distribution, which was used by Virgin as a means of gaining exposure for new acts. The label was managed by former Virgin retail assistant and Rough Trade label manager Dave Boyd, and it was originally set up as means of obtaining independent distribution for Moose and Revolver.Paveley, John (1993) "Hut-terly Amazing - Hut Label Story", Indiecator, No. 3, Vol. 2, March 1993, p.14-15, Rockteam Publishing & Production Ltd. Boyd persuaded the Virgin management to give the label complete creative control. Hut expanded by licensing Smashing Pumpkins from

Caroline Records Caroline Records is a record label originally founded in 1973. Initially founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976, and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986. ...

, with Boyd convincing Caroline that Hut could do a better job of promoting their ''

Gish ''Gish'' is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released in May 1991 through Caroline Records. Frontman Billy Corgan has variously described ''Gish'' as a "very spiritual album" and "an album about spir ...

'' album than Caroline's UK arm. The next band to be signed were Verve, whose "She's a Superstar" reached number one on the indie chart. Boyd's approach was to sign "quality bands and artists with attitude" like

These Animal Men These Animal Men were an English band active in the 1990s, as part of the New Wave of New Wave, and released two albums before splitting up in 1998. History These Animal Men These Animal Men formed in Brighton in 1989, signing to Hut Records ...

, Smash and

The Auteurs The Auteurs were a British alternative rock band of the 1990s, and a vehicle for songwriter Luke Haines (guitar, piano and vocals). Several bands influenced by the Auteurs have taken their names from the band's songs. The Polish band Lenny ...

. Hut Records lost its way and was discontinued by Virgin Records in mid-2004 due to an overhaul of the group, 20% of the artists on Hut were dropped whilst the rest were moved to other labels within the

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

Group.

Groups or musicians associated with Hut

This is a list of musicians who have at one time been signed to Hut. *

Acetone Acetone (2-propanone or dimethyl ketone), is an organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest and smallest ketone (). It is a colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odour. Acetone is miscible wi ...

* The Burn * Crackout * The Crescent *

Daryll-Ann Daryll-Ann was a Dutch rock band stemming from Ermelo, Netherlands. Between 1992 and 2004 the band released six studio albums, plus one live album. Daryll-Ann was the first signing of Dutch label Excelsior Recordings. History Early days (1988 ...

* David Gray *

David McAlmont David Irving McAlmont (born 2 May 1967) is a British vocalist, essayist and art historian. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a singer, particularly through his collaboration with Bernard Butler. In the 2010s he returned to academia, working ...

McAlmont & Butler McAlmont & Butler are an English rock/soul music duo, comprising singer David McAlmont and guitarist Bernard Butler. History Formed in 1994, David McAlmont and Bernard Butler had already experienced individual success: Butler as the guitar ...

(with

Bernard Butler Bernard Joseph Butler (born 1 May 1970) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the first guitarist with Suede, until his departure in 1994. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his ...

Chrysalis A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

) **

Thieves Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

Drop Nineteens Drop Nineteens is an American, Boston-based shoegaze band active from 1991 to 1995. They were one of the few U.S.-based bands who styled themselves on England's distinctive shoegaze sound, taking their inspiration from bands such as My Bloody V ...

* Embrace (from Hut to

Independiente Records Independiente is a British independent record label formed in 1997 after Andy Macdonald sold his first label Go! Discs to PolyGram in 1996 for a reported £30 million. The label, which is currently dormant, is a division of Concord Music. The ...

) * Gomez (from Hut to Independiente) *

Heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...

Hobotalk Hobotalk were a Scottish alternative rock band, playing the songs of the singer-songwriter Marc Pilley. Having started as a drummer, Pilley started songwriting in 1989. Together with guitar-player Ross Edmond, Al Denholm (bass) and Iain Bruce ...

* James Iha *

Jepp Samuel Richard Jepp (22 February 1885 – 1968) was an English professional footballer who played in various defence positions for Southampton and Swansea Town in the early twentieth century. Football career Jepp was born in Northtown, Aldersh ...

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was an American three-piece rock band from New York City, formed in 1991. The group consisted of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spe ...

Luke Haines Luke Michael Haines (born 7 October 1967) is an English musician, songwriter and author. He has recorded music under various names and with various bands, including The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder. Career ''New Wave'' Hain ...

Baader Meinhof The Red Army Faction (RAF, ; , ),See the section "Name" also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (, , active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970. The ...

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single "As Tears Go By (song), As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artist ...

* Moose *

The Music The Music are an English alternative rock band, formed in Kippax, Leeds in 1999. Comprising Robert Harvey (vocals, guitar), Adam Nutter (lead guitar), Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums), the band came to prominence with the relea ...

* Neneh Cherry (from Virgin to Hut) *

One Inch Punch The one-inch punch is a punching exercise from Chinese martial arts performed at a range of . The one-inch punch was popularized by actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. It is purported to improve punching power and technique. History The one- ...

* The Origin * Placebo (from Hut to Virgin) * Revolver *

Richard Ashcroft Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their original split in 1999. So ...

(from Hut to

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1 ...

and then Righteous Phonographic Association Label) *

Royal Trux Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, reuniting in 2015 but disbanded once again in 2019. It was founded by Neil Hagerty (vocals, guitar) and Jennifer Herrema (vocals). History While still a teenager, Hager ...

* The Smashing Pumpkins * Stephanie Kirkham *

Toiling Midgets Toiling Midgets is a rock band from San Francisco, California formed in 1979 by members of San Francisco punk bands Sleepers and Negative Trend. They have been active on-and-off since 1979, with their early 1990s lineup getting most attention du ...

Urban Dance Squad Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch rap rock band formed after what was originally intended as a one-time jam-session at a festival in Utrecht on December 20, 1986. The band consisted of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, rapper, and DJ. Urban Dance Squ ...

* The Verve (from Hut to

) * Whale * μ-ziq

References

{{Authority control 1990 establishments in the United Kingdom 2004 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Alternative rock record labels British record labels Indie rock record labels Record labels disestablished in 2004 Record labels established in 1990 Virgin Records