Launched circa 1980 by Claddagh Records, the well-known Irish folk label. The
singles were issued in pink die-cut sleeves (though SPIN 7 was also issued in a
stamped white sleeve) while the label (on which the Irish spelling "Faetain" is
used) was customised with a band logo.
7" Singles
SPIN 1 The Spies - Thinking About The Sun / Hippy Hangover 7" (1980)
SPIN 2 The Banditz - JCB / Bad For Your Health 7" (1980)
SPIN 3 Major Thinkers - Back in the 80s / Farewell To The Coast 7" (1980)
SPIN 4 Cal Batchelor - 7" unreleased
SPIN 5 Norman Teeling - Nag Nag Nag / Better Listen to Me 7" (1981) B-side features Eric Bell
SPIN 6 The Establishment - Tonight Shes Miles Away / Al Hiat Fi Al Emirat (Life In The Emirates) 7" (1980)
SPIN 7 Metropolis - Skyways / Avril 7" (1981)
LP Releases
SPIN 991 Major Thinkers - s/t LP (1981)
SPIN 992 The Establishment - Bad Catholics LP (1981)
SPIN 993 Norman Teeling - Guitar Dimensions LP (1984)
SPIN 994 Frank Harte - And Listen to My Song LP/CD (1986) folk
SPIN 995 Frank Harte - Daybreak And A Candle-End LP/CD (12/1987) folk
SPIN 996 The Voice Squad - Many's the Foolish Youth LP (1987) folk
SPIN 997 Norman Teeling - Downtown City Blues LP (1987?)
SPIN 998 and beyond are traditional music releases
CCF4 Metropolis - Morning Shadows LP (1981) [a Claddagh release bearing the Phaeton logo]
CCF7 Jimi Slevin - Freeflight LP (1982) [possibly intended for Phaeton]
The Spies, Banditz and Major Thinkers are all listed in the main band pages. The
Spies single is a gem and is especially recommended.
Cal Batchelor is a Canadian musician who lived in the UK during the 70s and 80s
and was a founding member of Quiver. He recorded with Kevin Ayers, Cochise and
Matthews Southern Comfort to name but a few. In the late 70s he recorded a solo
album which came to the attention of Phaeton Records. Phaeton announced a single
but it never came out and the deal fell through.
Norman Teeling (b.1944) is now best known as a fine arts painter. He was active
in the music scene in Dublin in the 1960s playing with The Difference among
others; he graduated from NCAD in 1975 and became a full-time painter in the
1980s; he is credited with composing both sides of the Jim Power & Taurus
single from 1978 and released his first solo single on Phaeton in 1981, the live
B-side of which features Eric Bell (ex Thin Lizzy) and is now hard to find, as
are his two solo LPs for the label. Both are blues rock.
The Establishment were the ex Cromwell duo of Micheal Kiely & Patrick Brady who
had an earlier LP on Irish EMI ("The Unfree Child", 1978). Cromwell's "At The
Gallop" LP is a major rarity but is neither the bludgeoning heavy rock nor the
Stones-meet-Lizzy mix it's usually claimed to be by dealers.
By 1981/82 the roster was new wave free! Metropolis were a jazz rock outfit
featuring ex Peggy's Leg drummer Don Harris who had designed the Phaeton label
logo. Their single came out on Phaeton but their album came out on the parent
Claddagh label (though it bore the Phaeton logo). Ex Peggy's Leg guitarist Jimmy
Slevin was also listed as a Phaeton artist at this time but his solo LP of the
era "Freeflight" also came out on Claddagh.
Launched circa 1980 by Claddagh Records, the well-known Irish folk label. The singles were issued in pink die-cut sleeves (though SPIN 7 was also issued in a stamped white sleeve) while the label (on which the Irish spelling "Faetain" is used) was customised with a band logo. 7" Singles SPIN 1 The Spies - Thinking About The Sun / Hippy Hangover 7" (1980) SPIN 2 The Banditz - JCB / Bad For Your Health 7" (1980) SPIN 3 Major Thinkers - Back in the 80s / Farewell To The Coast 7" (1980) SPIN 4 Cal Batchelor - 7" unreleased SPIN 5 Norman Teeling - Nag Nag Nag / Better Listen to Me 7" (1981) B-side features Eric Bell SPIN 6 The Establishment - Tonight Shes Miles Away / Al Hiat Fi Al Emirat (Life In The Emirates) 7" (1980) SPIN 7 Metropolis - Skyways / Avril 7" (1981)
LP Releases SPIN 991 Major Thinkers - s/t LP (1981) SPIN 992 The Establishment - Bad Catholics LP (1981) SPIN 993 Norman Teeling - Guitar Dimensions LP (1984) SPIN 994 Frank Harte - And Listen to My Song LP/CD (1986) folk SPIN 995 Frank Harte - Daybreak And A Candle-End LP/CD (12/1987) folk SPIN 996 The Voice Squad - Many's the Foolish Youth LP (1987) folk SPIN 997 Norman Teeling - Downtown City Blues LP (1987?) SPIN 998 and beyond are traditional music releases CCF4 Metropolis - Morning Shadows LP (1981) [a Claddagh release bearing the Phaeton logo] CCF7 Jimi Slevin - Freeflight LP (1982) [possibly intended for Phaeton]
The Spies, Banditz and Major Thinkers are all listed in the main band pages. The Spies single is a gem and is especially recommended. Cal Batchelor is a Canadian musician who lived in the UK during the 70s and 80s and was a founding member of Quiver. He recorded with Kevin Ayers, Cochise and Matthews Southern Comfort to name but a few. In the late 70s he recorded a solo album which came to the attention of Phaeton Records. Phaeton announced a single but it never came out and the deal fell through. Norman Teeling (b.1944) is now best known as a fine arts painter. He was active in the music scene in Dublin in the 1960s playing with The Difference among others; he graduated from NCAD in 1975 and became a full-time painter in the 1980s; he is credited with composing both sides of the Jim Power & Taurus single from 1978 and released his first solo single on Phaeton in 1981, the live B-side of which features Eric Bell (ex Thin Lizzy) and is now hard to find, as are his two solo LPs for the label. Both are blues rock. The Establishment were the ex Cromwell duo of Micheal Kiely & Patrick Brady who had an earlier LP on Irish EMI ("The Unfree Child", 1978). Cromwell's "At The Gallop" LP is a major rarity but is neither the bludgeoning heavy rock nor the Stones-meet-Lizzy mix it's usually claimed to be by dealers.
By 1981/82 the roster was new wave free! Metropolis were a jazz rock outfit featuring ex Peggy's Leg drummer Don Harris who had designed the Phaeton label logo. Their single came out on Phaeton but their album came out on the parent Claddagh label (though it bore the Phaeton logo). Ex Peggy's Leg guitarist Jimmy Slevin was also listed as a Phaeton artist at this time but his solo LP of the era "Freeflight" also came out on Claddagh.