BEING thrown out of a Star competion for being under age has not done Doncaster music producer Frank Wilkes too much harm!
Frank still remembers how he was disqualified from our Rock and Pop competition at Sheffield's Top Rank Club in 1980 because he had to be 18. At the time he was only a 14 year old, the bass player in a band called Asylum.
He bounced back and afte
r working in studios across South Yorkshire is now running Doncaster's Circuit Records - a download only organisation set up by the borough's Nether Hall Road based Higher Rhythm community recording studio.
And he hopes he will be able to pass on his experience to the bands he is helping at Circuit.
The not-for-profit label has been set up specially to provide a platform for the borough's musicians and has just marked its first releases this month.
The band Hopper Ward have an EP on the label, while The Carousels have published an album on the Circuit.
Click here to hear the Hopper Ward's track Get on Your Horse
Click here to hear The Carousels' track How Come You're Here Tonight?More releases are soon set to follow, with solo artist Darren Bell's first single out on September 1. After that, there are tracks planned by The Beaus, The Incomplete, M101, and The Alyscamps, whose former members include Eric Clapton's daughter Ruth.
Frank, from Gleadless, Sheffield, said: "The idea of us running a record label for Doncaster bands has been running for 18 months to two years, and since we first thought of it the market has changed, and become more and more localised.
"The days of big A and E departments at record labels and lots of talent scouts have gone. We are a platform for people to hear how good Doncaster bands are and to give them a spring board to more audiences.
"We want to see the bands recognised and making a bit of a name for themselves.
"We night not have been able to do this even three years ago - at that time you would have had to have been pressing you own CDs and selling them at gigs.
"But with what we're doing now you an just buy a track on your mobile phone. And we've got ethical contracts which see the money split 50-50 between us and the bands. Hopefully we will become we'll established as a lable for good quality.
"Also, it will be a lot of fun for us and the bands."
Frank is pleased with the response to the site so far. Darren Bell has already 50 pre-orders for his track when it becomes available next month.
The bands that have already been released had around 200 pre-orders each when they went on the site.
Once the tracks are on the site they remain there, so sales could potially continue indefinitely.
Frank hopes to be able to pass his experience on through the label so no-one makes the mistakes he made in the past.
He used to be manager of Sheffield's Red Tape Studios before taking his current post. He played his first gig aged 14 at what was then the Top Rank in Sheffield, which is now the Carling Academy.
But he's got no plans to go back to performing.
"I consider myself to old for the stage now. I just want to be on this side of things to help people learn from what I've done in the past."
In the meantime the label is looking for artists. Send your demo and biography to Circuit Records c/o Higher Rhythm, 53 - 57 Netherhall Road, Doncaster, DN1 2PG.
Tracks can be bought at www.circuitrecords.co.uk.
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