Believe in Magic

Believe in Magic 30 Years of Heavenly Recordings

Robin Turner2021
Believe in Magic is a fully illustrated history of one of the most colourful and exciting independent British record labels, Heavenly. Set up by Jeff Barrett in 1990 as the acid house revolution was in full swing (he being one of the architects), Heavenly's early releases set the tone and tempo for the mood of the decade to come - their first release was by perhaps the most revered acid house dj of them all, Andrew Weatherall; and this was quickly followed by singles from St Etienne and Manic Street Preachers. Heavenly was always more than a label though, more of a 'club' and in 1994 Jeff and Robin set up The Heavenly Social, alongside the Hacienda perhaps the most famous club in recent British history, where the Chemical Brothers made their name. Over nearly 180 releases in thirty years, Heavenly have consistently produced some of the most exciting music across all genres - dance, acid house, singer-songwriter, psych-garage - and this book collects rare photographs, ephemera, artwork into a celebration of a label that is, alongside Rough Trade and Factory, one of the most beloved institutions on the independent landscape. Running though the book will be a ridiculously entertaining 50,000 word oral history of the chaos and bad behaviour and general party spirit that is the presiding personality of the label, its bands and the people associated with its success.
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