Factory History > Rob's Records Discography < FAC 511: And You Forgotten - A Memorial Event for Rob Gretton

CD ROB 9 Sub Sub featuring Melanie Williams: 'Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)'; front cover detail
CD ROB 9 Sub Sub featuring Melanie Williams: 'Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)'; front cover detail
12ROB28 Strange Brew; generic record label for Robsrecords A side
12ROB28 Strange Brew; generic record label for Robsrecords A side
Generic record label for Robsrecords B side using Mark Farrow designed logotype
Generic record label for Robsrecords B side using Mark Farrow designed logotype
Generic record label for Pleasure Records A side
Generic record label for Pleasure Records A side
CDROB20 Up In Downsville; front cover detail
CDROB20 Up In Downsville; front cover detail
CD ROB 1 Beat Club 'Security'; front cover detail
CD ROB 1 Beat Club 'Security'; front cover detail

Robs Records was the dance-tinged record label side project of the late Rob Gretton, the ex-manager of Joy Division and then New Order. It was run out of an address right next to Fac 51 The Hacienda, the club Rob had been instrumental in establishing. New artists such as the Beat Club, Mr Scruff and Sub Sub (who would later become Doves) were quickly signed up.

Rob Gretton [photo by Kevin Cummins]

Robs also became the home for ex-Factory label industrial funksters A Certain Ratio (who released some of their best work during this time). In later years the subsidiary labels Pleasure Records and Manchester Records were established. Sadly Rob died in May 1999 and there were very few releases after this time.

Mr Scruff (now a DJ of some international reknown), Doves and A Certain Ratio are on the bill for the Rob Gretton Memorial Event 'And You Forgotten' on Sunday 23 May at The Ritz in Manchester. This event has been assigned the Factory catalogue number Fac 511 because, had he lived, Rob would have been 51 in May 2004.

Early history from Beautiful 2000 flyer

Issue #11 of the fanzine from the Beautiful 2000 night at Fac 51 The Hacienda featured an early history of the label. Read it in its entirety here.

Discography

12ROB1 Beat Club - 'Security' (12')
CDROB1 Beat Club - 'Security' (CD5')

12ROB2 A Certain Ratio - 'Loosen Up Your Mind / The Planet' (12')
CDROB2 A Certain Ratio - 'Loosen Up Your Mind / The Planet' (CD5')

12ROB3 Beat Club - 'Dreams Were Made To Be Broken' (12")
CDROB3 Beat Club - 'Dreams Were Made To Be Broken' (CD5")

12ROB4 Anambi - 'Our Love Climbs Higher' (12")

12ROB5 A Certain Ratio - '27 Forever' (12")
12ROB5R A Certain Ratio - '27 Forever Remixes' (remix 12")
CDROB5 A Certain Ratio - '27 Forever' (CD5")

12ROB6 A Certain Ratio - 'Mello' (12")
12ROB6R A Certain Ratio - 'Mello / 27 Forever (Remixes)' (remix 12")
CDROB6 - 'Mello' (M-People Mixes)
7ROB6 A Certain Ratio - 'Mello - Radio Promo' (7")

12ROB7 Sub Sub - 'Coast EP' (12")

12ROB8 Flamingos - 'Reason For Living' (12")
CDROB8 Flamingos - 'Reason For Living' (CD5")

12ROB9 Sub Sub - 'Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)' (12")
12ROB9R Sub Sub - 'Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) On Remixes' (remix 12")
7ROB9 Sub Sub - 'Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)' (7")
CDROB9 Sub Sub Feat. Melanie Williams - 'Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)' (CD5")

12ROB11 A Certain Ratio - 'Turn Me On' (12")
CDROB11 A Certain Ratio - 'Turn Me On' (CD5")

12ROB12 Beat Club - 'X' (12")

12ROB13 Robbie - 'Let Your Body Move' (12")

12ROB15 Search - 'Holding Out' (12")

12ROB16 Hallelujah - 'Gun EP' (12")

12ROB17 Flamingos - 'Original Colour' (12")

12ROB18 A Certain Ratio - 'Tekno' (12")

12ROB19 Sub Sub - 'Respect' (12")
7ROB19 Sub Sub - 'Respect' (7")

CDROB20 A Certain Ratio - 'Up In Downsville' (CD)

12ROB21 Dan Man & General - 'Livestock Rock' (12")

12ROB22 Gold Coast - 'Cherry' (12")

12ROB23 Mantech - 'England's Dreaming' (12")

12ROB24 Strange Brew - 'Hashhashin's Groove' (12")

12ROB25 Red Seal - 'Space 1999' (12")

12ROB26 Gold Coast - 'Havana Lick' (12")

12ROB27 FR' Mystery - 'Somebody's Gonna Get Hurt' (12")

12ROB28 Strange Brew - 'Dubble Agent' (12")

12ROB29 Sub Sub - 'Angel' (12")
12ROB29X Sub Sub - 'Angel' (12")

CDROB29 Sub Sub - 'Angel' (CD5")

CDROB30 Sub Sub - 'Full Fathom Five' (CD)

12ROB31 Digital Justice - 'It's All Gone Pear Shaped' (12")

12ROB32 Sound Source - 'For Real' (12")

12ROB33 Dan Man & General - 'Bass Power" (12")

12ROB34 [possibly 12ROB34 BI] Gold Coast - 'Better Vibes' / 'Havana Link' (12") [Fons Moers comments: "I got my white label straight from Mr Gretton in 1992. The catalogue number 12ROB34 BI was etched in the vinyl. I really don't know if this record ever got a full release but I think you'd better drop the 'BI' from the cat#".]

12ROB35 Neil Alexander - 'Deliverance (I Found Release)' (12")

12ROB36 Robbie - 'Get Back to Ya' (12")

12ROB37 Mr. Scruff - 'Hocus Pocus EP' (12")

12ROB39 Sub Sub - 'Southern Trees' (12")
CDROB39 Sub Sub - 'Southern Trees' (CD5")

LPROB40 Strange Brew - 'Earth Out' (2x12")
CDROB40 Strange Brew - 'Earth Out' (CD)

12ROB41 Gold Coast - 'The Rink' (12")

12ROB42 Red Seal - "Upturn' (12")

12ROB43 Rack-it! - Have You Had It? EP (12")

12ROB46 Strange Brew - 'Children Of The Rain' (12")

12ROB47 Kilowatt - 'The Last EP' (12")

12ROB48 A Certain Ratio - 'Soundstation Volume 1' (12")
CDROB48 A Certain Ratio - 'Soundstation Volume 1' (CD5")

12ROB49 Red Seal - 'Spinning Top' (12")

CDROB50 A Certain Ratio - 'Change The Station' (CD)

12ROB51 Sub Sub - 'Smoking Beagles' (12")

12ROB52 A Certain Ratio - 'Soundstation Volume 2' (12")

12ROB53 Sub Sub - 'This Time I'm Not Wrong' (12")
CDROB53 Sub Sub - 'This Time I'm Not Wrong' (CD5")

12ROB54 Koolaid - 'Untitled' (12" {test pressing only?})

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Thanks to OMNY and Dec Hickey for invaluable Robs Records discographical information and Matthew R for logotypology. Thanks to the Fons too.

Rob's Records address detail
Rob's Records address detail; Rob's Records, 11 Whitworth St. West, Manchester, M1 5WG. Tel: 0161 237 5957. Fax: 0161 237 5958