Label Guide: NEMS

NEMS Records has its origins in a famous 1960s Liverpool record shop, owned by the family of Brian Epstein, best known for managing The Beatles. The shop was named "NEMS" for "North End Music Stores" and it was part of NEMS Enterprises, the parent business that included artists management and also started the first incarnation on NEMS Records in 1968.

This 1960s version of NEMS Records was active from 1968 to 1970 and most of its releases were 7"-singles by artists that were managed by Epstein. A few years after it folded, NEMS was acquired by the management of Black Sabbath, who relaunched the label in 1975 when WWA Records closed down, merely to re-release most of the Black Sabbath back catalogue. NEMS started with original releases one year later, but the numbers were small when compared to their output of reissues. Distribution was handled briefly by PhonoGram, then CBS Records and Pye Records/RCA. The label was discontinued in 1983.