In 1989 Nimbus turned the opera world upside down when it launched the historic reissue series Prima Voce. Taking mint condition 78s they presented recordings made by the great singers between 1902 and 1958.

Adrian Farmer, Music Director for Nimbus, commented, "We decided right at the beginning to dedicate Prima Voce to Opera singers, which meant that a great many of the more popular performers were passed by. We now feel that the time is right to revisit the period and showcase some of the popular artists who made the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s the golden age of music."

The label will launch in October with 25 releases including 2 CD sets by George Formby, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Lyttelton, Nat King Cole, Paul Robeson and Tony Martin, and single discs by Alma Cogan, Andre Previn, Eartha

Kitt, Louis Armstrong, Perez Prado and Sammy Davis Jr. From January the label will release ten discs per month covering both Nostalgia and Vintage Jazz.

The new label will be managed by veteran nostalgia specialist Ray Crick, who is tasked with sourcing the highest quality transfers, plus detailed biographies and informative notes for the booklets. "I am delighted to be involved with RETROSPECTIVE because it gives me the chance to create CD programmes that will bring alive the finest recordings by those wonderful vintage entertainers of yesteryear, both popular and jazz, for people to enjoy here and now. The first 25 sets out our stall, with music stretching from the music hall to jugbands to rock 'n' roll! We anticipate that the entire project will total more than 400 releases, each with a smart series design, making for a highly collectable range."

RETROSPECTIVE is a joint venture between Wyastone Estate Limited and Retrospective Recordings Limited. All sets will be manufactured in the UK and the USA using the Nimbus disc and print 'on demand' production services and distributed world-wide by Wyastone Estate Limited. The in-house production facility ensures that titles are never overstocked or out of stock and that we can respond immediately to market demand.