David Balfe - Food Records

Food Records

Food, initially funded by Balfe alone, signed Voice of the Beehive, Zodiac Mindwarp (both of whom moved on to major labels, while Balfe continued to manage them for many years), Crazyhead, and Diesel Park West, before signing a deal with EMI to fund and distribute the label worldwide while retaining creative independence.

They then signed Jesus Jones who went on to have a number one album in the UK and multi-million sales internationally with their second album, 'Doubt', and a number one single in the USA with 'Right Here Right Now'. A year after Jesus Jones they signed Blur.

It was Balfe, and later label partner Andy Ross, that convinced the band to change their name from Seymour to Blur, on signing in 1989.

Balfe also directed Blur's first two music videos, "She's So High" and "There's No Other Way".

Disenchanted with the alternative scene in the years of "Grunge", Balfe decided to sell the Food label to EMI in 1994, and semi-retire with his young family to the country - inspiring Damon Albarn to pen Blur's first No.1 hit, "Country House"., about a "professional cynic" tired of "living life to the limit" escaping to a "very big house in the country".