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Alternative Records
Founded1989 (1989)
FounderRandy Layton
StatusActive
GenreChristian, rock
Country of originU.S.
LocationEugene, Oregon

Alternative Records is an independent record label based in Eugene, Oregon. The label started in 1989.

Formed from its previous incarnation as a mail order record company starting in 1979, Randy Layton started the label as an outlet for former Exit Records artists Steve Scott and The 77s to release back catalogue and unreleased works. The label took on other artists over time, and after distribution deals with BMG and Word Canada ended, the company would begin to focus more on fan club releases and reissues.

Since 1998, Alternative Records has been known for its many collector's versions of its albums. More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be by The 77s was issued as a box set with a 7" single, a 3-track CD single, and a 4-track cassette as a numbered, signed edition of 1,000 before being reconfigured for CD with a different track listing.

A successful fundraising campaign allowed Layton to reissue the 1977 Pantano-Salsbury Hit The Switch album on CD in the early 2020s.[1] Despite poor health issues, Randy would also continue record sales through online sales forums. His speaking engagements would include TrueTunes podcasts[2] and others.[3]

Along with continued fundraising campaigns for reissue projects, Randy Layton announced in 2024 via social media that his son Matthias would be taking over direction of the label in the future.[4] Plans would include a future release of the previously unavailable Steve Scott LP Emotional Tourist (not the artist's retrospective by the same name.) Randy Layton passed away from Multiple Myeloma on June 28, 2024.[5]

Artists

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Discography

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  • Steve Scott - Lost Horizon (ES 4001) (1989)[15]
  • 7&7iS; The 77s - More Miserable Than You'll Ever Be (ES 4002) (1989 box set, 1990, 1992, 2014 reissues)[16]
  • Various Artists - The Summer Sampler (ES PR-4006) (1990) [citation needed]
  • Steve Scott - Magnificent Obsession (ES 4007) (1991)[17][18]
  • Robert Vaughn & The Shadows - Songs From The Riverhouse (ES 4009) (1991)[19][20]
  • Two Pound Planet - Songs From The Hydrogen Jukebox (ES 4010) (1992)[21]
  • Robert Vaughn & the Shadows - White Trash Supper Club (ES 4011) (1992, 2024 reissue as bonus CD with Riverhouse album package)[22]
  • Various Artists - No Sense of History/Shirley, Goodness, & Misery (ES 4013 A/B) (1992, released with Stunt Records)[23]
  • Various Artists - Bootlevel (ES 4014) (LP version, 1992)[24]
  • Two Pound Planet - Whispering Delicious (ES 4015) (1993)[25]
  • Various Artists - Bootlevel (ES 4017) (1994, cd version; aka "Bootlevel 2")
  • Robert Vaughn - Decayed (ES 4018) (1994)[26]
  • Skeleton Closet - Skeleton Closet (ES 4019;SW 9501) (1996)[27]
  • Lightweight - Lightweight (ES 4020) (1996)[citation needed]
  • Eagle Park Slim - Northwest Blues (ES 4029) (1998) [28]
  • Robert Vaughn & The Shadows - Love And War (ES-4023) (2000 reissue, Special Edition)[29]
  • Au Go-Go's - All Over Town - Rare & Unreleased (AR PRO AU-66) (2005 compilation reissue)[30]
  • Roy Cordell - The Melody Lingers On: The Roy Cordell Archive Project (RC 001) (2014 archival compilation)[31]
  • Robert Vaughn - Decayed: 1979-1992 (AR RV4001-4003) (2014 archival compilation)[32]
  • Sonny Richter - Sonny Sings! Standards & Practices (AltNote 84152) (2018 reissue)[33]
  • The Commodores (1950s) - Unfinished Dream: The Complete Commodores, Cutups, & Harper Valley P.T.A. Sessions (AR ES-01) (2018 compilation)[34]
  • Sam White - Sweet Dreams: The Sam White Anthology (SW 4001 PRO) (2018 compilation)[35]
  • Sonny Richter - Sonny Richter's Guitar Lounge Volume Two: 1958-1992 (SS-1929) (2020 live compilation)[36]
  • The Western Gentlemen - Live At The Cowboy Bar, 1958 (AR WG 4002-RM) (2020 live release)[37]
  • Robert Vaughn & The Shadows - Love And War (ES-4030) (2022 reissue, 35th Anniversary Edition)[38]
  • Josh Rude - A Rock So Big I Cain't (PR 101, not AR) (2023, Randy Layton guest appearances)[39]
  • Pantano-Salsbury - Hit The Switch (ARSRA-2008) (2023, CD reissue of 1977 Solid Rock release)[40]
  • Josh Rude - Australia EP (2023 EP) (PR-103, not AR) (2023, Randy Layton guest appearance)[41]
  • Josh Rude - Workin' For A Livin' (PRS-04, not AR) (2024 digital single) (2024, Randy Layton guest appearance)[42]
  • Josh Rude - Gotta Go To Church! (Josh Rude Vs. The Churchgoers) (PRS-06, not AR) (2024 digital single, remix) (2024, collaborative work and Layton family benefit single)[43]
  • Robert Vaughn & The Shadows - Songs From The Riverhouse (ESLP 4010) (2024 vinyl/digital reissue of 1991 AR release)[44]
  • Josh Rude - Painted Eyelids (PRS-08, not AR) (2024 digital single) (2024, Randy Layton guest appearance)[45]

References

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  1. ^ "Help Re-Issues Pantano-Salsbury's "Hit the Switch" on CD". Down The Line Magazine. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  2. ^ Thompson, John (2023-03-30). "More "Alternative" Than You'll Ever Be (Randy Layton's Long Strange Trip)". www.truetunes.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  3. ^ "A Rock So Big I Cain't, by Josh Rude". Josh Rude. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  4. ^ "Facebook Update: RV Riverhouse Campaign". Facebook.
  5. ^ "Here is something to look forward from Alternative Records in the near future! Per Randy Layton, "This was a classic thread on Steve Scott's classic, legendary (insert any effusive praise) Emotional Tourist. Unreleased at the time, it maintains legendary status. Hopefully comments and pics turn up on this thread. Matthias Layton will, along with Buttons, will be the face of Alternative Records, but quite happy to share you'll have the chance to experience the exact replica on limited edition vinyl, perhaps with a side of rice, this year. While many of the songs would find homes on other projects myself and my late, lamented poodle oversaw, these will be the original mixes with the original artwork as submitted to A&M." Stay tuned for more developments on a revisit of Emotional Tourist (the album- not to be confused with Emotional Tourist the retrospective!)". Facebook. 2024-05-04.
  6. ^ "Au Go-Go's – All Over Town-Rare and Unreleased (2005 version) (2005, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  7. ^ "The Commodores – Unfinished Dream: The Complete Commodores, Cutups, & Harper Valley P.T.A. Sessions (2018, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-20.
  8. ^ "Roy Cordell – The Melody Lingers On-The Roy Cordell Archive Project (2014, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-17.
  9. ^ "Help Re-Issues Pantano-Salsbury's "Hit the Switch" on CD". Down The Line Magazine. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  10. ^ "Sonny Richter – Sonny Sings! Standards & Practices (2018, CD) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  11. ^ "Two Pound Planet | Christian Music Archive". www.christianmusicarchive.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  12. ^ "Love & War-The Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Deluxe by Robert Vaughn & The Shadows, by Robert Vaughn & The Shadows". Alternative Records. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  13. ^ "The Western Gentlemen – Live At The Cowboy Bar, 1958 (2020, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  14. ^ "Sam White – Sweet Dreams: The Sam White Anthology (2018, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  15. ^ "Steve Scott Music 1". alivingdog.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  16. ^ "77s.com - Summer 1996: Michael Recycles". www.77s.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  17. ^ "Phileas Phogg: Review - Steve Scott, Magnificent Obsession". Archived from the original on 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  18. ^ "Phileas Phogg: Review - Steve Scott, Magnificent Obsession". Archived from the original on 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  19. ^ "CMT.com : Robert Vaughn & The Shadows : Songs from the Riverhouse". www.cmt.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06.
  20. ^ "Songs from the Riverhouse by Robert Vaughan on MSN Music". music.msn.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-15.
  21. ^ "Two Pound Planet on MSN Music". music.msn.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14.
  22. ^ "Robert Vaughn & the Shadows - White Trash Supper Club CD". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  23. ^ "MichaelRoe.com - Michael Roe Discography". www.michaelroe.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  24. ^ "Daniel Amos : TimeLine 1993". www.danielamos.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  25. ^ MusicMatch: Whispering Delicious
  26. ^ "Decayed Volume One, by Robert Vaughn". Robert Vaughn. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  27. ^ "Skeleton Closet – Skeleton Closet (1995, CD) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  28. ^ "Eagle Park Slim – Northwest Blues (1998, CD) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-13.
  29. ^ "Robert Vaughn And The Shadows – Love And War: Special Edition (2000, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  30. ^ "Au Go-Go's – All Over Town-Rare and Unreleased (2005 version) (2005, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  31. ^ "Roy Cordell – The Melody Lingers On-The Roy Cordell Archive Project (2014, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-17.
  32. ^ Decayed: 1979-1992
  33. ^ "Sonny Richter – Sonny Sings! Standards & Practices (2018, CD) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  34. ^ "The Commodores – Unfinished Dream: The Complete Commodores, Cutups, & Harper Valley P.T.A. Sessions (2018, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-20.
  35. ^ "Sam White – Sweet Dreams: The Sam White Anthology (2018, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  36. ^ "Sonny Richter – Sonny Richter's Guitar Lounge Volume Two:1958-1992 (2020, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  37. ^ "The Western Gentlemen – Live At The Cowboy Bar, 1958 (2020, CDr) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  38. ^ "Robert Vaughn And The Shadows – Love And War Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Edition (2022, CD) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21.
  39. ^ "Josh Rude – A Rock So Big I Cain't (2023, File) - Discogs". www.discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12.
  40. ^ "Help Re-Issues Pantano-Salsbury's "Hit the Switch" on CD". Down The Line Magazine. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  41. ^ "Australia EP, by Josh Rude". P-ROO Records Official. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  42. ^ "Workin' For A Livin' (Single), by Josh Rude". P-ROO Records Official. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  43. ^ "Gotta Go To Church! (Josh Rude Vs. The Churchgoers) (Single), by Josh Rude". P-ROO Records Official. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  44. ^ "Robert Vaughn & The Shadows Love & War Fan Page". Facebook.
  45. ^ "Painted Eyelids (Single), by Josh Rude". Discogs. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
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See also

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