Last Great Single On A Great Label

[lazyhour]

What, in your opinion, was the last truly great single released on a cherished record label? Maybe the label went out on a high, or maybe it limped on into irrelevance. Could be a huge corporation or a bedroom indie...

I'll go first:

Shanice - I Love Your Smile (Motown, 1991)
- obviously this has little in common with the great Motown records of the past, but it's a proper pop classic with a killer hook that stands the test of time amazingly well. I'm not sure they really hit this height again as the 90s trundled on.

[smudge1971]

Revolutionary Spirit - Wild Swans on Zoo! Records

[lazyhour]

Guided By Voices - Teenage FBI (Creation, 1999)

It's hilarious how shit Creation went from their giddy early heights. Hurricane #1, One Lady Owner, 3 Colours Red, Bernard Butler, Heavy Stereo... :(

[buzby]

The Other Two - Tasty Fish
The debut single from the half of New Order that wasn't Electronic or Revenge. It featured Gillian's first go at lead vocals (they did approach Kim Wilde to sing it, but when that fell through Gillian was persuaded to have a go). Released in November 1991 as Factory was circling the plughole. it got to #41 with very little promotion. Steve & Gillian were working on their album (which had already been issued a FAC catalogue number), but The Other Two would have to be put on hiatus as Tony Wilson begged New Order to reform and record an album in an attempt to boost the label's dire finances.

The enforced nature of the reunion led to glacial progress and consequent massive studio costs, and together with the costs from the disastrous recording sessions for The Happy Mondays' Yes Please and the Hacienda haemorrhaging money the label went bankrupt in November 1992. London Records had been in talks to buy the label, but they fell through when the nature of Factory's contracts with it's bands became clear (the bands owned their own back catalogue, so the label was effectively worthless).

The follow-up single Selfish and their album The Other Two And You would eventually be sneaked out by London almost 2 years later, after the promotion for Republic was over.

[Fr.Bigley]

Destiny Music Ltd/BMG- Mr Blobby.

[lazyhour]

Buzby, brilliant contribution!

[Famous Mortimer]

SST, who were still releasing things as recently as 2014 I see, was probably Negativland's "Guns" from 1992. Although I've not heard any of Roger Miller's later stuff, that might be good (all their big names had left the label or split up by the early 90s, it looks like).

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Creation went out on a high with Accelerator, by Primal Scream. One of band's last great singles as well.