Temple Records (1978 UK label)
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- For other uses see Temple Records.
Temple Records is a record label founded in 1978 by Robin Morton, previously a member of The Boys of the Lough.
It is located in a village called Temple, 12 miles south of Edinburgh. Although Robin himself is from Ulster, the label is devoted almost purely to acoustic Scottish traditional music.
Robin tells the story of the founding of the label. He worked as a producer for Topic Records. This label was not interested in recording the brilliant clarsach player Alison Kinnaird, as they did not think the record would sell. He formed Temple Records to release her first LP, "The Harp Key" (1978), which became a best selling traditional music record. Robin married Alison Kinnaird.
One of the earliest signings was The Battlefield Band, who rapidly rose to international fame. Robin Morton became their manager in 1980. All their albums are on the Temple label. The success of the Battlefield Band in America prompted Robin to set up Temple US Records in the mid 1980s. As well as recordings by current folk artists, the label has released historic recordings by James Scott Skinner. The label has some of the best recordings by living harpists and bagpipers.
