Bruton Music (sometimes known by its full name, the Bruton Music Library), was founded in 1977 by Robin Phillips, who was at the time employed by ATV Music chief Lou Grade. The name of the company comes from its address at the time of founding; namely, 12 Bruton street in London. The label was started as a subsidiary of ATV music, but at this time is owned by the BMG/Zomba company.
The label features the work of composers including Francis Monkman, Brian Bennett and others. The music released by the label has found something of a cult following, with tracks from the label being a favorite among many, particularly in electronic formats for downloads. In more recent years, Bruton tracks have also found a following with hip hop and electronic music DJs, who sample the works for use in their own compositions.
Much of the releases of the Bruton Music label fall into what many like to call "copsploitation"; that is, music which would sound not at all out of place in the context of a 1970's police drama film or television program. The music, especially the works by composer Brian Bennett bring to mind filmic chase scenes and other action sequences.
The label has also released music specifically composed for television and radio use, in the form of jingles. These not quite a minute long compositions are a special favorite with fans of the label and are frequently downloaded for enjoyment at home or on the go (in the interests of full disclosure, there are some of these tracks on the author's iPod at the moment).
Another interesting fact about the label is that none other than the self-proclaimed "King of Pop" himself, Michael Jackson is a fan of the releases on the label and was in fact for a time the owner of the company! Jackson purchased the company in 1982, but resold the firm in 1985 to the Zomba group (now a part of BMG).
The Bruton Music Library is a functioning label to this day and with its releases enjoying more popularity than ever before, it is a certainty that people will continue to listen to and enjoy the music they have released over the past three decades for some time to come. Whether as downloads, CDs or even the collectible vinyl releases, these records are something which are treasured by many all over the world.
