[2] It released some of the earliest records recorded by The Hammersmith Gorillas, The Count Bishops, Motörhead,[3] Joe Strummer’s The 101ers, The Damned, Skrewdriver, Billy Bragg, Kirsty MacColl, and Shane MacGowan.
The label was started by Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong in 1975 as a subsidiary of Rock On Records.
Shortly after Trevor Churchill joined, it was incorporated into Swift Records Ltd. Two years later it entered into a licensing deal with EMI.
Subsidiary Ace Records was started in 1978, and Chiswick Records closed in 1983; its back catalogue is still owned by Ace Records Ltd.[4] The label released a number of sampler compilation albums showcasing their bands.
These included Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One) (1977) and Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two) (1978).