LCB Agency and Norco Records

Digitized audio samples from Norco archives: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=norco%20records Other Norco recordings digitized with visuals: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4z3ab276F5iB9JUJdePOCw https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/two-red-shoes-album-2/ with Alex. Sutherland’s jazz band

[collage illustrations – copyright DJ Dills] at  https://djdills.wordpress.com/

Terry Russell bio: https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/terry-russell-scottish-vocalist/ Norco Records [Albert Bonici] under LCB Agency were often produced in Aberdeen though not always. Some were recorded in Albert Bonici’s flat and Windy Miller’s album was recorded in the hallway of the Two Red Shoes Ballroom…

Norco Two Red Shoes Album [1964] 

Bonici who began promoting musicians in 1952,  introduced many Scottish musicians through LCB Agency  and Norco Records [1964-72]. Norco Records Limited was offically established in Elgin Moray, 13 January, 1964, though had already recorded under the Norco label in 1963. Included in the Norco Records catalog were recordings from two beat bands, Johnny and the Copycats https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/my-dear-watsonjohnny-and-the-copycats/ and the Facells, a popular band from Aberdeen.

Recorded in early 1964, this is the first of several recordings of Johnny and the Copycats [aka My Dear Watson] https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2014/06/14/buckies-beat-boys/ https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/my-dear-watsonjohnny-and-the-copycats/ https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/wendy-miller/ https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/the-copycats/ 

According to this article, Norco Records Ltd. was the earliest independent record company in Scotland. However, Grampian Records located in Wick was around at the same though did not offer beat music.

In early 1964, Mr. Bonici paid for studio time for “Johnny and The Copycats to record  a “45” in London which consisted of  I’m a Hog for You / I Can Never See You . However the first full recording was the TWO RED SHOES Album which included the Alex. Sutherland house-band plus Alyson Armstrong and two Aberdeen musicians [24 Oct 64]. https://scotbeat.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/two-red-shoes-album-2/

Norco Records last recording was ON THE RISE with the Windy Miller Band [Kenny MacDonald composer].  “Album was recorded on a 4 track tape machine in the foyer of the Red Shoes. Reason for this was we discovered there was to  much echo in the hall. The Norco label was already stopped when we recorded and Albert decided to resurrect the label just to release the album.” Kenny MacDonald

Johnny and the Copycats/ My Dear Watson:  “As such they made their recording debut [Feb/1964] with an effervescent version of the Coasters’ ‘I’m A Hog For You’. Under the guidance of local impresario Albert Bonici, the Beatles’ agent in Scotland, the Copy Cats – as they were later known – became a leading attraction along the Moray Firth coast. .” [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/my-dear-watson-mn0001010115/biography]  Note: Date of recording unsubstantiated though the song was first recorded by the Drifters in ’59 http://www.leiberstoller.com/Discography.html

Brother-n-law Ugo Ruggeri talked with Albert over coffee at the Park Café on a daily basis. They worked together on various projects and owned a large corner of Elgin’s downtown looking out from the top of the High Street [TWO RED SHOES] and Cooper Park and Cathedral [Park Café side]. There is a little Cross in front of their former offices.  “LCB stood for Little Cross Building which is where our offices were and is now Hanson & Robertson. Afraid I don’t know when he stopped recording on the Norco Label and as far as the agency again can’t give you an exact time but the last recording was with the Windy Miller band in ’72.” Another band Bonici managed and promoted, Johnny and The Copycats, recorded on a couple other labels after their first release with Norco. 

“Scottish Beat/Brian Hogg looks at the collectable Scottish Beat Singles from mid-sixties”                                                                                                                               Start Thinking About Me was published by Cornet Records when The CopyCats were calling themselves “My Dear Watson” though still managed by AA Bonici of Norco Records  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTSIFfAZp_g

The Copycats [aka My Dear Watson] were one of Albert Bonici’s premiere groups. He worked with them as teenagers to get their career on track though their album with Elton John was never released. A notation next to The Copycats recording of “I’m A Hog For You” states (25 Units) and value of £23,525. I am not certain if this was the amount of Norco holdings or that he had an enormous back stock of one record. As with many of the materials used for SCOTBEAT, the following stock list is from the Bonici Archives and represents earliest master recordings.

Gordon Hardie worked with Albert Bonici’s Norco Records LTD beginning in 1963 and owned shares in the company, an arm of LCB Agency.

Gordon Hardie owned 50 shares in Norco Records Ltd and worked with Albert to have vinyl records produced from reel to reel tapes

Norco Records Ltd was set up in Aberdeen where vinyl discs were distributed from through share owner Gordon Hardie who worked for Albert Bonici of LCB Agency, Elgin, Scotland.

There were several dozen excellent Scottish musicians and vocalists recorded by Norco Records Limited between 1963-66 on ’45’s [single tune on each side]. They were promoted in Scotland through offices in Aberdeen though parent company LCB Agency was operated in Moray’s capital city of Elgin.

Norco Records inventory  ABonici Archives

Gae Gordons were among several Scottish folk style musicians who were recorded under Albert Bonici’s Norco label. They were amongst many traditional groups who regularly performed in Scotland in the 1960s.

Part of the norco recordings

The Smiling Voice album featuring Dave McIntosh with The Jack Sinclair Scottish Dance Band [Norco]

Dave McIntosh [Norco]

Here’s a Norco Records order sheet from 1965. The Copycats, Facells, and Windy Miller band, were pop groups recorded by Norco Records Ltd though most 45s [7 inch vinyls] featured jazz and Scottish folk music.

About scotbeat

SCOTBEAT and http://bonici.wordpress.com includes photos and documents from the Bonici Archives with permission from the Bonici family [PC Holding Co]. You may contact me at dillsdavid@yahoo.co.uk for consent in using images for media projects. Am currently updating http://djdills.wordpress.com with original new collages. #collageart #beatmusic #popmusic #1960smusic

‹ Bonici promotional flyers

Fallon/Bonici correspondence ›

Tagged with: #Alan McKenzie, #Dave McIntosh, #Hebbie Gray, Albert Bonici, Billy Henderson, Bobby Henderson, Gordon Hardie, John Stewart, Johnny and the Copycats, LCB, Little Cross Buildings, Norco Records, Norco Records inventory, The Copycats, Two Red Shoes Album, Windy Miller
Posted in 1960's pop music