Retrospect Records - Overview

Overview

Retrospect Records was founded in 1998 by former touring and recording musician Joe Dolan. Created as, quoted in an online interview - a "hoot", Joe formed the concept to promote the re-release of demo material by guitarist Stephen Shaw and his former band Bittersweet.

The label featured up and coming artists such as Tommy Dempsey, formerly of Sunshine Jive, and OK Panic, featuring members of the former 80's rock act Flesh. Dolan was responsible for the globally recognized and long anticipated CD release of the NYC/Boston band The Blackjacks. The band had opened for The Clash in 1983 and during their reunion brought former New England Radio DJs out of the closet for the rare and well organized performance; the sales of the re-released Blackjacks material topped nearly 500 copies in hand at the now defunct Boston nightclub The Abbey Lounge.

Working with area radio stations such as WAAF and WBRU, Retrospect Records supported the performing schedules of artists such as Kevin DuBrow, publicity of bands that toured throughout New England, including the Unzipped Tour, featuring Vince Neil, Slaughter and Ratt, as well as the WBRU Rock Rumble.

The well respected name of Retrospect Records attracted bands from around the globe including Sweden's Cowboy Prostitutes, which would ultimately be the first band to lose a contact with the label. Due to committing unethical sales practices overseas of their material the band was subsequently released from the label and cut off their tour schedule throughout Italy and Sweden.

The name of Joe's Retrospect Records reached the airwaves of Los Angeles in 2002 when Joe Dolan was called for an interview (unaired) from radio station KROQ. Renowned for his love of the 80s Sunset Strip era rock and roll, he was asked when his artists would appear on the Sunset Strip. His response was, "As soon as they'll have me."

Dolan offered and received distribution rights to former Warner Bros. Records recording artist Charlie Farren, distributing his post label catalog to a global market and achieving sales in Germany, Italy, the U.K. and across the United States. As the label reached its peak from the Northeast, Dolan faced a divorce and was forced to sell the name of Retrospect Records. Former touring associate and friend Adrian "Sam" McCaslin came to the rescue with his shared support of the music they both felt made the hard rock era a viable and salable entity in the global music market. McCaslin's take-over of the label proved positive.

Sale of the label to Adrian McCaslin took place in 2005. Using the good name created under Retrospect Records, Joe Dolan moved on to found and sell the label Instant Replay Records within the next two years to an independent Japanese entrepreneur, who drove the label into the ground within six months.

Dolan currently lives in Los Angeles and on Christmas 2012, launched the digital download and promotions label All Hard Rock. Focusing on the development of the rock and roll lifestyle and working with current mainstream media, his theory is that with good promotion, hard rock music can find a new place in FM radio alongside the current pop trends. The promotional website has reissued the CD catalog of UK/Wales based artists Tigertailz, along with other bands from the hard rock genre.

Retrospect Records, no longer having no affiliation with Joe Dolan now functions out of Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the first three years of McCaslin's ownership of the label, Retrospect Records released and re-released over 250 hard selling albums; topping the sales market with more immediate sales than any former indie label in the world. The name Retrospect Records continues to dominate the eighties hard rock re-issue industry.

Retrospect Records solidified its place in the hard rock market by bringing 30 former hard rock artists together again for the largest rock festival in America, Rocklahoma, in July 2008. Despite the weather issues that caused havoc during the festival, sales continued climb from promotion of the event and Retrospect's inclusion in the festival.

As of June 2009, Retrospect has reached another milestone by purchasing its own FM Radio Station based out of St. George, Utah and is once again heavily involved in the country's premier 80s Rock Festival Rocklahoma which is held from July 9–12 in Pryor, OK. By the end of 2009, Retrospect released over 500 albums - a feat no other label in the world has attained within such a short amount of time.

In 2010, Retrospect Records hosted a stage for the third consecutive year at the fourth annual Rocklahoma festival. Retrospect was also involved at the M3 festival in Baltimore and Rock n America fest in Oklahoma City.

By April 2011, Retrospect secured distribution in many different countries including Germany, Japan, Greece, Italy and France. The label hosts over 500 artists and has secured another stage at Rocklahoma 2011 which features 18 Retrospect Artists and runs from May 26-29. This will be the 4th consecutive year for Retrospect at one of USA's top rock festivals.