The company logo was based on ''Evening, Fall of Day'' (1869) by painter William Rimmer , featuring a picture of the Greek Mythology figure Apollo , although often it is misinterpreted as Icarus or Lucifer .
A lavish media party was held at Chislehurst Caves in Kent , England on October 31 , 1974 , to celebrate the label’s first release by the Pretty Things , ''Silk Torpedo''. By March 1975 , Swan Song had four albums (''Bad Company'', ''Silk Torpedo'', ''Physical Graffiti'', and ''Suicide Sal'') in the ''Billboard'' Top 200 chart. The recording label also partly funded film projects such as Monty Python And The Holy Grail in 1975 .
Artists who signed with the label but did not produce any releases included , which later became The Kentucky Headhunters . Both Iron Maiden and The Q Tips featuring Paul Young were considered but not signed. Artists that Swan Song Records wanted to sign but bowed out to other labels were Roy Harper and blues guitarist Bobby Parker .
Swan Song ceased operations in October 1983 due to the break-up of Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant’s health problems. A rescue attempt to save the label by Atlantic Records executive Phil Carson proved fruitless. Robert Plant started his own label Es Paranza Records in the wake of Swan Song’s closing, while Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones returned to Atlantic Records .
- ''UK Address'': 484 Kings Road, London, SW10 U.K.
- ''US Address'': 444 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10022 U.S.A.
The following is a list of Swan Song Records’ commercially-released records, with release dates, catalogue numbers, title, and artists.
- June 15 , 1974 - SS-8410 - '' Bad Company '' - Bad Company
- November 1 , 1974 - SS-8411 - ''Silk Torpedo'' - Pretty Things
- November, 1974 – SSK-19401 – "Is It Only Love/Joey" – Pretty Things
- February 24 , 1975 - SS-2-200 - '' Physical Graffiti '' - Led Zeppelin
- April 2 , 1975 – SS-70102 – "Trampled Underfoot/Black Country Woman" (US only) – Led Zeppelin
- April, 1975 - SS-8412 - ''Suicide Sal'' - Maggie Bell
- April 12 , 1975 - SS-8413 - '' Straight Shooter '' - Bad Company
- May, 1975 – SSK-19403 – "I’m Keeping…/Atlanta" – Pretty Things
- July, 1975 – SSK-19401 – "Joey/Bridge of God" – Pretty Things
- November, 1975 - SD-18144 - "MIRABAI" - Mirabai
- December, 1975 - SS-8414 - ''Savage Eye'' - Pretty Things
- January, 1976 – SSK-19405 – "Sad Eye/Remember the Boy" – Pretty Things
- February 21 , 1976 - SS-8415 - '' Run With The Pack '' - Bad Company
- March 31 , 1976 - SS-8416 - '' Presence '' - Led Zeppelin
- May, 1976 – SSK-19406 – "Tonight/It Isn’t Rock 'n' Roll" – Pretty Things
- June 18 , 1976 – SS-70110 – "Candy Store Rock/Royal Orleans" (US only) – Led Zeppelin
- July, 1976 – SSK-19408 – "Here Comes the Weekend/As Lovers Do" – Dave Edmunds
- September 28 , 1976 - SS-2-201 - '' The Song Remains The Same '' (soundtrack) - Led Zeppelin
- October, 1976 – SSK-19409 – "When or Where/New York’s a Lonely Town" – Dave Edmunds
- March, 1977 - SS-8500 - '' Burnin' Sky '' - Bad Company
- April, 1977 - SS-8417 - ''Detective'' - Detective
- April, 1977 – SSK-19410 – "Ju Ju Man/What Did I Do Last Night" – Dave Edmunds
- April, 1977 - SS-8418 - ''Get It'' - Dave Edmunds
- June, 1977 – SSK-19411 – "I Knew the Bride/Back to Schooldays" – Dave Edmunds
- March, 1978 – SSK-19412 – "Hazell/Night Flighting" – Maggie Bell
- April, 1978 - SS-8504 - ''It Takes One to Know One'' - Detective
- 1978 – LAAS-002 – "Live from the Atlantic Studios" (promo disc) – Detective
- September, 1978 – SSK-19413 – "Deborah/What Looks Best on You" – Dave Edmunds
- September 8 , 1978 - SS-8505 - ''Tracks on 4 Wax'' - Dave Edmunds
- November, 1978 – SSK-19414 – "Television/Never Been in Love" – Dave Edmunds
- 1978 – PR-230 – "College Radio Presents Dave Edmunds" (promo disc) – Dave Edmunds
- March, 1979 – SSK-19416 – "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy/Crazy Circles" – Bad Company
- March 17 , 1979 - SS-8506 - '' Desolation Angels '' - Bad Company
- April, 1979 – SSK-19417 – "A1 On the Juke Box/It’s My Own Business" – Dave Edmunds
- May, 1979 – SSK-19412P – "Hazell/Night Flighting" (picture disc reissue) – Maggie Bell
- July 5 , 1979 - SS-8507 - Repeat When Necessary - Dave Edmunds
- August 8 , 1979 – SSK-19418 – "Girls Talk/Bad is Bad" (clear vinyl issue) – Dave Edmunds
- August 15 , 1979 - SS-16002 - '' In Through The Out Door '' - Led Zeppelin
- September, 1979 – SSK-19419 – "Queen of Hearts/Creature from the Black Lagoon" – Dave Edmunds
- October 10 , 1979 – SSK-19420 – "Crawling from the Wreckage/As Lovers Do" – Dave Edmunds
- December 7 , 1979 – SS-71003 - "Fool In the Rain/Hot Dog" (US Only) – Led Zeppelin
- January, 1980 – SSK-19422 – “Singing the Blues/Boys Talk” – Dave Edmunds
- February, 1981 - SS-8509 - ''Midnight Flyer'' - Midnight Flyer
- March, 1981 – SSK-19423 – "Rough Trade/Midnight Love" – Midnight Flyer
- April 10 , 1981 – SSK-19424 – "Almost Saturday Night/You’ll Never Get Me Up" – Dave Edmunds
- April 20 , 1981 - SS-16034 - ''Twangin’...'' - Dave Edmunds
- June, 1981 – SSK-19425 – "The Race is On/(I’m Gonna Start) Living If It Kills Me" – Dave Edmunds with The Stray Cats
- August, 1981 - SS-16048 - ''Sad Café'' - Sad Café
- October, 1981 – BAM-1 – "Hold Me/Spring Greens" – B.A. Robertson and Maggie Bell
- November, 1981 - SS-8510 - ''Best of Dave Edmunds'' - Dave Edmunds
- February, 1982 - SS-11002 - ''Rock 'n' Roll Party'' (mini lp) - Midnight Flyer
- February 15 , 1982 - SS-8511 - '' Death Wish II '' (soundtrack) - Jimmy Page
- April, 1982 – SSK-19426 – "Waiting for You/Rock 'n' Roll Party" – Midnight Flyer
- June 28 , 1982 - SS-8512 - ''Pictures at Eleven'' - Robert Plant
- July, 1982 – SAM-154 – "Pictures at Eleven – Interview with Alan Freeman" (promo disc) – Robert Plant
- August, 1982 - 790001-1 - '' Rough Diamonds '' - Bad Company
- September, 1982 – SSK-19428 – "Goosebumps/Key to Your Heart" – Maggie Bell
- September, 1982 – SSK-19429 – "Burning Down One Side/Moonlight in Samosa" – Robert Plant
- September, 1982 – SSK-19429T – "Burning Down One Side/Moonlight in Samosa/Far Post" (12 inch) – Robert Plant
- November 19 , 1982 - 790051-1 - '' Coda '' - Led Zeppelin
- January, 1983 – MB-1 – "Crazy/All I Have to Do Is Dream" – Maggie Bell
- April, 1983 - 790078-1 - ''Wildlife'' - Wildlife
- September, 1983 – B-9842 – "Somewhere in the Night/Sun Don’t Shine" – Wildlife
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