Spark

Also appears as "Spark Records" on the Replay Series. Spark Records was a British record label started 1967 by Bob Kingston of publisher Southern Music in London. Spark relied heavily on the musicians, writers and studio technicians already employed by Southern: John Carter, Ken Lewis, Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, Eric Woolfson (Alan Parsons Project) and others. The brand "Spark" was copyrighted outside the UK in 1971 ("© 1971" appears under the Spark logo). The record company Spark Records (5) was founded by Peer-Southern Organization/Peer-Southern Productions, Inc. for distribution in US and Sweden. EMI and Spark Italiana Srl. were in charge of the distribution in Italy. Many of Spark's 1960s releases are now fetching high prices as original sales were usually very low due to poor promotion and an underserved distribution deal with Pye Records. Spark did become more successful in the mid-1970s with UK Top Ten hits from The Peppers, The Band Of The Black Watch and Wigan's Ovation. Bob Kingston left Spark after 11 years in 1977.