Dark Horse Records: A Book Review

 

George with Dark Horse artists Splinter

George with Dark Horse artists Stairstep

If you ever wanted to learn about George Harrison's Dark Horse label, then the book  Dark Horse Records: The Story of George Harrison's Post Beatles Record Label by Aaron Badgley is the book for you. 

This book is all about George's solo years and the history behind his Dark Horse Record label, which he started in 1974. George wanted a small record label to highlight different styles of music.  His focus was not on record sales or chart success but on exposing the world to music.  He signed artists such as Splinter and Stairstep.  Really, none of the groups he signed onto his label with had huge success.  While the music might have been good, Dark Horse didn't promote it well, or it was just not the right style of music for the popular disco-loving audience of the 1970s.   George might not have been concerned about record sales, but the record company associated with Dark Horse did.  Badgley goes through all the ups and downs of Dark Horse with A&M and Warner Bros.   

He also examines in depth each of the artists signed to the label, the singles released, and all of George's solo albums from 1974 to today.  

I found the book to be very well-researched and interesting.  I admittedly did not know a whole lot about Dark Horse Records, so this book filled a void in my knowledge. I also learned quite a bit about how record companies in the 1970s worked and how George ran the label.   I found myself most interested in the information about George Harrison's solo albums from 1974 on because I am familiar with the music.  While the parts about Splinter and the other groups were interesting to a point, I found my mind wandering while I read it because I did not know those songs and had no connection to them.  I did like reading about Henry McCullough signing with Dark Horse right after leaving Wings.  I knew his solo album was on the label, but I didn't know the story behind it.  

If you are a George Harrison fan, this is a must-read book. If you are interested in how the record business worked in the 1970s, you'd be interested in it as well. If you are a casual George fan, you might want to skip this one. This is the only book about Dark Horse, and it is well-researched, so if you want a book on this topic, don't pass it up. 

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