Oscar Records (4)

Norway's oldest indie label started off as a toy label by Askeröi back in 1974. He made 6 lacquer acetat records before the drummer of their band, New Unisect, joined forces to make a 6-track 7-inch 'real' pressed record in spring 1976. Shortly after they officially registered a company called 'Mathisen & Askeröi Plateselskap' (Plateselskap = Record Company) planning to release more records by New Unisect. Several more lacquer acetats were made, but due to one serious hitch (lack of money...) no more 'real' pressed records were made. And New Unisect vanished into obscurity. In spring 1980 Askeröi bought out Tor Mathisen and rechristened the company after the label, Oscar Records. It's been a one-man-company ever since. Shortly after the take-over he released a single by friend and collegue LARS GRANDE. This time a standard single with the catalogue number OS 4501. It didn't sell much - in fact you can still buy copies of that first 500 that was made. In 1981 OS 4502 and OS 4503 was planned. The first was to be 'Sweet Little Sixteen' / 'Shimmy Shake' by The Beatles leased from Lingasong and the latter a single by friend Tiger Joe. Recording of this began in Fra Lippo Lippi's studio at the peninsula Nesodden outside Oslo. One track, 'Shout Out Loud', was finished and one minute put on a promo cassette. The Beatles project stranded on an untrue manager of Lingasong, and the Tiger Joe project stranded on Tiger Joe being drafted without finishing the A-side of his record! The following years Oscar Records spent his money on studio equipment and no records were released. But in autumn 1986 there was time for a 'come-back'. The first single by The Tomfools himself was released. Since then the world how heard from Oscar Records more frequently. See the COLLECTORS' chapter...