Richard Branson

So the magazine was the powerhouse. We started selling nearly 100,000 copies an issue of the magazine. Young people all over the country, I mean, university students, even more than school students were buying it. And we arranged massive demonstrations against the Vietnamese war. That was one war that Britain wasn't involved in. It was primarily America and Australia to an extent.

So the magazine was the powerhouse. We started selling nearly 100,000 copies an issue of the magazine. Young people all over the country, I mean, university students, even more than school students were buying it. And we arranged massive demonstrations against the Vietnamese war. That was one war that Britain wasn't involved in. It was primarily America and Australia to an extent.

So big marches on the American embassy, I hate to say it, because we felt it was a really, really unjust war. Most wars are, but that war was palpably unjust. And I began to realize that the only place that sold music was these horrible sort of news agents, horrible from a music point of view, WH Smiths and Menges.

So big marches on the American embassy, I hate to say it, because we felt it was a really, really unjust war. Most wars are, but that war was palpably unjust. And I began to realize that the only place that sold music was these horrible sort of news agents, horrible from a music point of view, WH Smiths and Menges.

And so we thought, let's create a hip way where people can buy their music and let's sell it cheaper than these stores are selling it at. And so we started, first of all, a little mail order company from the magazine and we would sell Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart and not Andy Williams. You know, we put our taste in music into the adverts and young people flopped and bought their music

And so we thought, let's create a hip way where people can buy their music and let's sell it cheaper than these stores are selling it at. And so we started, first of all, a little mail order company from the magazine and we would sell Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart and not Andy Williams. You know, we put our taste in music into the adverts and young people flopped and bought their music

by post-promise. And we would stand outside concert halls handing out leaflets. And a young man came along with a tape and said, Richard, he was only 15 himself, would you consider putting this out? And I said, well, we don't have a record company. So I went to seven record companies and tried to get them to put his music out. They all said no. So I thought, screw it, let's do it.

by post-promise. And we would stand outside concert halls handing out leaflets. And a young man came along with a tape and said, Richard, he was only 15 himself, would you consider putting this out? And I said, well, we don't have a record company. So I went to seven record companies and tried to get them to put his music out. They all said no. So I thought, screw it, let's do it.

We'll start a record company. I had no idea how to start a record company, but I borrowed a a recording contract from a friend called Sandy Denny, who had a recording career with Island Records. We typed up her recording contract, we crossed out her name, we put Mike Oldfield's name instead, and Mike Oldfield had his first contract and we had our first artist.

We'll start a record company. I had no idea how to start a record company, but I borrowed a a recording contract from a friend called Sandy Denny, who had a recording career with Island Records. We typed up her recording contract, we crossed out her name, we put Mike Oldfield's name instead, and Mike Oldfield had his first contract and we had our first artist.

Then we set about working out how to distribute the records and John Peel, who was the most influential disc jockey in England from Radio One, I invited him over to my houseboat and I played him Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. And he sat there and tranced for 45 minutes. And it was just deathly hush when the album finished.

Then we set about working out how to distribute the records and John Peel, who was the most influential disc jockey in England from Radio One, I invited him over to my houseboat and I played him Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. And he sat there and tranced for 45 minutes. And it was just deathly hush when the album finished.

And he said, Richard, I've never done this before, but I'm going to play the whole album on my show tonight. And he played the whole album and Tubular Bells went to number one. And It became the biggest selling album, knocked Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd into number two place. And Virgin Records was born. And Mike Oldfield became a sensational hit artist.

And he said, Richard, I've never done this before, but I'm going to play the whole album on my show tonight. And he played the whole album and Tubular Bells went to number one. And It became the biggest selling album, knocked Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd into number two place. And Virgin Records was born. And Mike Oldfield became a sensational hit artist.

Some people, you know, sadly, in some ways, The Exorcist picked up on bits of its music. And so a lot of people associate it with the film The Exorcist. But people should just listen to this beautiful, haunting music. And then his third album, Omadorn, is gorgeous as well. But anyway, that was the start of our record company.

Some people, you know, sadly, in some ways, The Exorcist picked up on bits of its music. And so a lot of people associate it with the film The Exorcist. But people should just listen to this beautiful, haunting music. And then his third album, Omadorn, is gorgeous as well. But anyway, that was the start of our record company.

And we went on, you know, I think because we were willing to take risks, we signed the Sex Pistols, Boy George Culture Club, Human League, XTC, a lot of very credible bands, Peter Gabriel, Genesis.

And we went on, you know, I think because we were willing to take risks, we signed the Sex Pistols, Boy George Culture Club, Human League, XTC, a lot of very credible bands, Peter Gabriel, Genesis.

Then we attracted the Janet Jacksons and the Rolling Stones and David Bowie and a lot of formidable artists who then came and signed with us as well and became the biggest independent record label in the world and Lenny Kravitz in America and so on. So it was a very exciting time.

Then we attracted the Janet Jacksons and the Rolling Stones and David Bowie and a lot of formidable artists who then came and signed with us as well and became the biggest independent record label in the world and Lenny Kravitz in America and so on. So it was a very exciting time.