@Orthomead: I first learned about Swirl due to Sabbath and have them as UK Swirls, but then descended into the vortex:
Gracious!, the Cressida albums, Patto, May Blitz, etc.
I think I have roughly 50, some duplicates, not all the super rare ones but not all of the catalog was equal in terms of music quality. Pressing quality in the era was good though and the engineering was straightforward.
Interestingly, the guy who was really responsible for launching the imprint-- Olav Wyper-- left Philips after a year or so to go to RCA. That is why I recommend the 1970 Annual as a Vertigo starter kit- 2 LPs from some of the more recherché acts. Affinity and a few others, the names of which escape me right now, were part of the catalog. And it doesn't command the price of some of the Swirls, it's almost reasonable!
One curiosity is that King Crimson’s In the Court was released as a Swirl back in the day in NZ or AUS. Never saw one in the wild. (UK release was Island Pink Label).
Gracious!, the Cressida albums, Patto, May Blitz, etc.
I think I have roughly 50, some duplicates, not all the super rare ones but not all of the catalog was equal in terms of music quality. Pressing quality in the era was good though and the engineering was straightforward.
Interestingly, the guy who was really responsible for launching the imprint-- Olav Wyper-- left Philips after a year or so to go to RCA. That is why I recommend the 1970 Annual as a Vertigo starter kit- 2 LPs from some of the more recherché acts. Affinity and a few others, the names of which escape me right now, were part of the catalog. And it doesn't command the price of some of the Swirls, it's almost reasonable!
One curiosity is that King Crimson’s In the Court was released as a Swirl back in the day in NZ or AUS. Never saw one in the wild. (UK release was Island Pink Label).