VIRGINIA ASTLEY

The longest running Indie label is that of Virginia Astley,who is my favorite English singer and who I have 3 websites for.
The label HAPPY VALLEY was distributed by Rough Trade and reactivated in the 90s when Japan discovered her.
Towrads the end of the decade Virginia more or less followed the idea of her late father Edwin Astley.to make 3 of the CDs available in the States,who never got her instrumental album of 1983 first time round.
Though more known as a singer her instrumentals linked again to her father's influence as FROM GARDENS WHERE WE FEEL SECURE was a series of classical sounding pieces that seemed to owe as much to the Palm Court as the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
Her Dad was closer to jazz and would have known muscians like John Schroeder who covered the Guaraldi hit via Sounds Orchestral.
Virginia is on a massive Indiepop Directory which used to be called TweeNet and her sites can be reached via my own High School Pop on Yahoo



Richard Astley-Clemas

To clear up a few points Rick is no relation,nor is Steven Astley though he was born in the same area of Lancashire that Edwin Astley was (Warrington).
The patriarch of the Astley family produced 5 children with Karen the first born...in Alice In Wonderland country as well...who married Pete Townshend in 1968.Thus the Astley/Townshend Dynasty.
Jon Astley is today the official Who Archaelogist and cut 2 albums which spawned 2 U S hit singles (Top 60).
Virginia was the only one with a chart record in England and went on to become the Ultimate Cult Artiste.
Her Dad Edwin became the oldest name to make the top 10 via as composer of the Theme from the Saint when it was revived by Orbital in 1997,the year before he passed away



Richard Astley-Clemas