But with the return of the vinyl album as a popular medium for listeners and collectors alike, the humble 45 single has made something of a comeback. Helped along by scrappy indie labels, the 45 r.p.m. is once again taking a place on the musical landscape. Pressed in limited runs and housed in attractive picture sleeves, 45s of both obscure oldies and new music are finding their way into the hands of intrepid collectors.<\/p>\n
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Roger Houdaille heads Think Like a Key Music, an enterprise he proudly characterizes as a boutique label. \u201cI\u2019m passionate about the music we release,\u201d he says, \u201cSo I find a way to do it.\u201d While TLAK is a nominally for-profit business, Houdaille asserts that he runs the label \u201cnot for profit, but out of love\u201d for the music.<\/p>\n
Houdaille first used the Think Like a Key imprint for a self-released CD album by his psych-meets-power pop group, Ex Norwegian, in 2012. And when he launched a label-proper in 2021, he retained the Think Like a Key name. From the start, the label\u2019s roster reflected Houdaille\u2019s eclectic personal musical tastes, featuring archival releases from progressive\/psych band Nektar and underrated British guitarist Ollie Hallsall as well as current-day pop acts like The Poppermost and Novelty Island.<\/p>\n
Those and other TLAK releases were made available on CD and high-quality digital, with select titles pressed onto vinyl LPs. But Houdaille believed there was demand for a curated series of 7\u201d singles as well. \u201cI\u2019ve wanted to do a seven-inch series since I started the label,\u201d he says. \u201cSo it was just a matter of finding the right projects and the right manufacturer.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the surge in demand for vinyl LPs overwhelmed the industry\u2019s capacity to keep up. Not even factoring in the logistical challenges brought on by the worldwide pandemic, vinyl pressing plants simply couldn\u2019t keep pace with label\u2019s orders for records. New plant construction is underway in various locations, but production bottlenecks often meant that lead times on vinyl titles was far longer than quick-turnaround of CD manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Though it\u2019s not as serious a concern as it was during the heyday of vinyl records, quality control remains a challenge. And with so many labels wanting to make their artists\u2019 titles available on vinyl, short-run projects like the ones Houdaille had in mind were met with disinterest by some manufacturers. \u201cNot every [plant] is dealing with seven-inch records,\u201d Houdaille explains. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to find one who will do short runs, and do them in a good-quality package.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says he considered some 20 companies before settling on a final choice. (Houdaille doesn\u2019t name the plant, perhaps not wanting to encourage other labels to use them and cause his own orders to be filled in a less timely fashion.) \u201cI did test pressings with six different manufacturers,\u201d he says. Most didn\u2019t meet his standards. \u201cIt\u2019s always something,\u201d he shrugs. But Houdaille finally settled on a plant that could give him the quality he required, and with fast turnaround. So he commenced production of Think Like a Key\u2019s seven-inch series in September. \u201cI ran with it,\u201d Houdaille says. \u201cI was like, \u2018This is the chance; it might not be like this six months from now.\u2019 You just don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Houdaille had several artists in mind, and he had already begun the process of coordinating licensing for the release of selected titles. \u201cThat was pretty straightforward,\u201d he says, though he admits that he would occasionally hit a snag, with an artist not wishing their music to be reissued on a single. \u201cSo if it became too much of a challenge\u201d in that regard, Houdaille says, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t follow up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The singles are pressed in very limited runs \u2013 no more than a few hundred units per title \u2013 and distribution is limited as well. \u201cOur singles are available on thinklikeakey.com and from independent retailers,\u201d Houdaille says, \u201cBut not through Amazon.\u201d The first brace of titles features six singles.<\/p>\n
Houdaille is optimistic that these single releases will bring attention to the featured artists, whether they\u2019re titles from the \u201860s or current-day recordings. \u201cHopefully these records will bring awareness of music that\u2019s a little more obscure,\u201d he says. \u201cSure, it\u2019s a niche market, but I want to offer really nice product.\u201d<\/p>\n