Beserkley Records
| Beserkley Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Matthew King Kaufman |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Genre | Rock and roll, power pop |
| Country of origin |
 US
|
| Location | Berkeley, California |
Beserkley Records was an American independent record label based in Berkeley, California, from 1973 to 1984. Beserkley is usually regarded as a power pop and rock and roll label. During the 1970s, the label released albums by Earth Quake, Greg Kihn, Jonathan Richman, and The Modern Lovers, the Rubinoos, and the Tyla Gang. Several other artists appeared on singles, or on compilation albums. From 1980 to its dissolution in 1984, Beserkley was a one-artist label, the artist being Greg Kihn.
The label was founded by Matthew King Kaufman along with members of the Bay Area band Earth Quake. Kaufman was a law graduate who became co-manager of Earth Quake, and helped them sign with A&M Records in 1970. After experiencing frustration at what he saw as A&M's incompetence in handling the band, and winning some compensation for the unauthorized use of Earth Quake's music in the movie The Getaway, he set up Beserkley Records, in 1973. Kaufman produced virtually all of Beserkley's output throughout its existence, often in association with Glenn Kolotkin, less frequently with Kenny Laguna.
For the first two years of its existence, Beserkley only put out singles. The first release (in late 1973) was Earth Quake's version of the Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind".
Initially none of the Beserkley singles were especially successful, but in 1975 some were assembled, together with newly recorded tracks, into the album Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1. As well as tracks by Earth Quake, this included tracks by power-pop group the Rubinoos, Jonathan Richman and Greg Kihn. Richman's recordings were his first as a solo performer (after the disbanding of the original Modern Lovers) and included the first released version of "Roadrunner", by Jonathan Richman backed by Earth Quake.
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