Television made their vinyl debut with “Little Johnny Jewel”, a 7-inch single on the independent label Ork Records in 1975. Ork Records was owned by their manager, Terry Ork. The song was split into two parts, one on each side of the single. Richard Lloyd apparently disagreed with the selection of this song, preferring the never-released “O Mi Amore” for their debut, to the extent that he seriously considered leaving the band. Reportedly Pere Ubu guitarist Peter Laughner auditioned for his spot during this time. ROIR (pronounced “roar”), or Reach Out International Records, is a New York City-based record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label exclusively distributed its releases in cassette format. ROIR released early recordings by Bad Brains, Flipper and Television.
[via Ivan Aga in Madrid]
