Aerco Records

(c'78-81) Woking-based Aerco Records started in 1978 as a custom-recording firm, making records for people who paid. Older Wokonian's will recall the Aerco record and hi-fi store on Chobham Road, Woking. Steve Smith worked in the classical department and was into recording. Reportedly he started Aerco Productions Ltd as a legal entity on contracts with bands, such as Ribs. Over the next 2 years they produced a number of now rare but influential singles [AERS-100s], EPs [AERE-1100s] and LPs [AERL 80s]. These included New Wave Heavy Metalers Anniversary's "Give Me A Smile" single and Prog Rockers Hieronymus Bosch who tried to infuse their sound with Punk themes, to produce New-Wave'ish "Rockin' Rachmaninov" single [AERS-103]. Schoolgirl Bitch's "Abusing The Rules" single while on the band's own Garage label was recorded by Aerco and carries one of the label's catalogue numbers. This was also true for the Photographs, the Record Players and Noit Otni and The Pits. There was no recording studio at the Aerco store and various studios and venues in the area were used, including the University of Surrey studios; where Smith attended the Music and Sound Recording (Tonmeister) course. The records were then sold in the Aerco shop. The label stopped producing in late '81. The Aerco store had been sold to Bartlett's Hi-Fi in 1980, shortly after it had moved to the Broadway, Woking where it remained until it's demise in the late '90s. Smith went on to Gimell Records.