Manifesto Records History
Manifesto Records has released music from a celebrated list of artists. Although it was founded in 1993, Manifesto is the successor to indie labels dating back to 1968, beginning as Bizarre Records (and its companion label, Straight Records). Over the next several years, Bizarre signed artists such as Alice Cooper, Tim Buckley, Captain Beefheart, Ted Nugent, Wild Man Fischer, and others. Later, a third label, Discreet, was added, and the labels released albums until 1975. In 1988, the reactivated Bizarre/Straight reissued albums by Tim Buckley, Alice Cooper, The GTOs, Lord Buckley, Captain Beefheart, and others.
In 1994, in addition to the core albums by Tom Waits (his earliest recordings, released as The Early Years Volumes 1 and 2), and six albums from Tim Buckley, Manifesto began to release a solid line of new releases and re-issues, including albums by The Wedding Present, and, later, Cinerama, and other British bands like Sing-Sing and ballboy, tribute albums to Tom Waits and Tim Buckley, and the reunion album of Concrete Blonde. Recent releases have included albums by Lilys and Cranes. In 2005, The Wedding Present re-formed and Manifesto released the well-received Take Fountain.
In 2001, Manifesto entered into a deal to re-issue one of the most important catalogues in punk rock history -- five albums by Dead Kennedys. Later, another live album was released, and in 2005 Manifesto also released Dead Kennedys' first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, in both an original version and a new package with a new documentary DVD entitled Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs. With these last releases, the entire Dead Kennedys catalogue is now on Manifesto.
Manifesto refuses to release records simply for the sake of numbers on a release schedule.
