It would have to be The Famous Charisma Label.

Hmmm... or maybe Harvest.

Or, coming up to date somewhat, Ninja Tunes, perhaps.

Not everyone's cup of tea tunes wise I know, but those sleeves are lovely things to behold, (Factory stand up well on that score too, but that would mean I'd have to listen to Northside in Heaven - and they just wouldn't allow it).

For the quality in diversity.

Pre Oasis .

1) Rough Trade
2) Stiff

But which is better?

Lost Highway

Robert Earl Keen, Ryan Adams, Hayes Carll, Elvis Costello, Jayhawks, Mary Gauthier, Lyle Lovett and Lucinda Williams...

....and

New West

John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Delbert McClinton, Buddy Miller and Gary Louris.

But I'd have to pick

Just one?

Right now I think it might be Soul Jazz.

But so many bubbling under: Honest Jons, Soundway, ECM... great shout above for Blue Note, too.

(PS: My CAPTCHA maths question to post this was '1+0'. I'm wondering whether to feel affronted...)

All the music a man could ever need

Second choice would be EG

closely followed by Impulse and ECM.

rest of the music world - nil

But I always go back to Studio One.

I think mine would be a choice of Demon or Rough Trade. If I'm going to be sent new releases then I'll probably plump for Rough Trade.

Domino

James yorkston; bonnie prince billy and loads more - not least magnetic fields 69 love songs

And no-one has mentioned Tamla Motown?

For shame.

dylan and miles davis

tempted by world circuit

.. Stax

finger clicking good !

I just love the way that little man walks around on the record.

A great record label and a great story in many ways. Because there were hundreds of similar set-ups that never took off. This one did. A happy accident as much as anything. Tamla Motown managed to harness, nurture and, above all, sell so many great singers, writers, producers etc. but it could easily have been a flop.

(Re original post: what's that label Vulpes? i don't recognise it? Am I being really stupid? I'll admit to plenty of gaps in the old musical education. But for the trip to Valhalla just shove in the Motown. Plenty of Junior Walker. That'll do me.)

although Asylum in the mid/late 70s was pretty hot

For nostalgic reasons I'll mention "if it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a fuck" which made me titter when I was 10.

I must admit I thought this being solid Beatles Band Land - we'd have had a few plumping for Parlophone and/or Apple by now.

Trojan were very consistent back in the day.

I know it has been subsumed, but I always felt Hannibal were something special.
Even into the CD era I felt their green tinted CD covers were quite worthy of remark. having the Mcgarrigles, RT and Bruce Cockburn, amongst many others, dis no harm.
And how about the HELP imprint of Island, for their "budget" LPs, HELP 1 being Pictures at an Exhibition (and nominally held to be named after the projected nearly supergroup of Hendrix,Emerson,Lake and Palmer, no doubt more urban myth than reality.) Also produced the belated Albion Country Bands "Battle of the Field"
Cooking Vinyl were amazingly diverse and still plough an obtuse furrow of world and wacky. I used to belong to their record club, which gave a discount if you bought enough of them.

...this one would probably fulfill all of my needs

...then I'd have to choose this:-

(Pretty obvious, considering my avatar...)

Rough Trade.

This label covers lots of the music I love and there's still loads to discover.

Great article in The Culture section of The Sunday Times last weekend.

Still independent after 40 years.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article700...

still Island

no Factory?