WIRL

WIRL (West Indies Records Limited) was a label based in Jamaica and Barbados founded in 1958 by Edward Seaga. Specialising in all forms of Caribbean music and even some W.I. pressings of American soul and r&b hits. For the manufacturing & distribution company please use West Indies Records Ltd. or West Indies Recording Co. for Jamaica and West Indies Records (Barbados) Ltd. for Barbados. For the studio recordings please use WIRL Studio. For unofficial releases please use WIRL (2). West Indies Records Limited (B’DOS) Ltd, started manufacturing phonograph records during the month of October 1964. This project was the brainchild of Mr. Colin Wilkie, who was the manager of Manning’s Electrical Showroom and Mr. Colin Thomas, director of Manning, Wilkinson & Challenor Ltd. As was expected, the availability of pressing plant in Barbados encouraged many local artistes to have their work recorded and put on wax. Since at that time there were no professional recording studios on the island, local recordings were successfully accomplished using one-track studios at Barbados Redifussion Services Ltd. on River Road and CBC (Caribbean Broadcast Corp) located at Black Rock, St. Michael. Much credit must be giving to the engineers and the Disc Jockies of that era who successfully recorded these artistes with the limited technology available. The first album to be manufactured in Barbados was “Treasure Chest” by the Merrymen of Barbados.