JOHN REED LONDON 4TH NOVEMBER 2025

John Reed is a prominent figure in the UK music industry, best known as the *Director of Catalogue* at Cherry Red Records, a leading independent label founded in 1978 and renowned for its extensive reissues, box sets, and archival releases spanning punk, post-punk, indie, and beyond.

Background and Career
Reed began his career in music journalism, serving as the research editor for Record Collector magazine from 1989 to 1998. During this time, he honed his expertise in music history, discographies, and archival research, often contributing freelance articles on artists like U2.

From 1998 to 2006, he worked at Sanctuary Records Group, focusing on catalogue management. He later held positions at 359 Music Ltd. (2013–2015) and freelanced as an author and writer.

Since 2008, Reed has been with Cherry Red, rising to Director of Catalogue. Based in Manchester (while the label operates from West London), he oversees the curation, marketing, and release of back-catalogue material. His role involves deep dives into label vaults to compile thematic collections that "collectively define an era," as he described in a 2018 company video.

Key Contributions
Reed is celebrated for his meticulous compilations, particularly box sets that celebrate regional music scenes and overlooked genres. Notable projects include:
*Manchester North of England* (2017, 7-CD box set): A comprehensive anthology of Manchester's indie and alternative scene from the late 1980s to early 1990s, featuring acts like James, The Membranes, and The Railway Children. Reed curated it as a love letter to the city's vibrant, cassette-tape-fueled underground, drawing from his personal experiences watching local bands evolve.
Other releases under his guidance include multi-artist retrospectives for Cherry Red's imprints like Esoteric Recordings (e.g., remastered Popol Vuh albums) and broader punk/indie vaults.

He's also a regular on Cherry Red's platforms, hosting episodes of Cherry Red RADIO (e.g., Episode 8 in 2020) and appearing in promotional content to discuss the label's ethos of unearthing "lost" tracks and rarities.

For licensing or catalogue inquiries, Reed can be reached at johnreed@cherryred.co.uk. Cherry Red continues to thrive under such stewardship, with recent 2025 releases like box sets from The Fall and Thea Gilmore reflecting his ongoing impact.