Founded in the late 1980s, Strange Fruit Records operated as a U.S. imprint connected to the U.K. label of the same name, and was distributed via the Long Island‑based independent company Dutch East India Trading (associated mailing address: P.O. Box 800, Rockville Centre, NY 11571‑0800). The U.K. Strange Fruit label had been established in 1986 by Clive Selwood and the radio DJ John Peel, primarily to release the influential “Peel Sessions” recorded for the BBC. The U.S. iteration via Dutch East India appears in mail‑order vendor listings as carrying U.K. Strange Fruit material for American distribution from Rockville Centre.
Strange Fruit Records’ significance lies in how the Rockville Centre‑based distribution infrastructure made available these BBC‑recorded sessions and other U.K. independent releases to the U.S. market without the involvement of major label channels. For example, releases such as the Peel Sessions by Billy Bragg were earmarked in industry bulletins as coming via Strange Fruit / Dutch East India at Rockville Centre.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on November 5, 2025.