In collaboration with Transatlantic staff producer Bill Leader, Joseph established a label respected for its eclectic yet judicious taste as well as its commercial acumen. Projects like Songs of Love, Lust and Loose Living, which paired folksinger Isla Cameron with actor Tony Britton, proved a surprise hit, and poetry records headlined by Christopher Logue and Adrian Mitchell both sold respectably. British RB pioneer Alexis Korner and jazz chanteuse Annie Ross called Transatlantic home as well, but the imprint was most renowned for its British folk signings, beginning with the Ian Campbell Folk Group and quickly followed by the Dubliners, Bert Jansch, and John Renbourn. By 1967, when Jansch and Renbourn teamed to form the groundbreaking contemporary folk band Pentangle, Transatlantic billed itself "the label where trends begin," and indeed, the company seemed to remain one step ahead of its rivals throughout the decade, even expanding into global music by releasing efforts from Indian raga legend Ravi Shankar and Chilean singer Victor Jara.
In addition to its own vast catalog, Transatlantic virtually outlined the U.K. indie model later followed by Rough Trade, Southern, and others by implementing an innovative distribution network that guaranteed British release for records leased from overseas labels such as Blue Note, Prestige, Nonesuch, Milestone, and Black Lion. Joseph further solidified his stature with a next generation of signings including folkie Ralph McTell, comedian Billy Connolly, and bluesman Stefan Grossman. He nevertheless sold his controlling interest in Transatlantic to Granada in 1975, retiring from the music business two years later to launch a new career as a theatrical producer and agent. In addition to representing the career of the noted playwright Arnold Wesker, Joseph's NJ Enterprises was home to a number of up-and-coming stage directors and designers, and in 1984 he produced Alec McCowan's hit +Kipling, followed two years later by Brian Clark's +The Petition. The 2004 release of the three-disc retrospective The Transatlantic Folk Box Set, complete with a resurgence of interest in Jansch and other British folkies, sparked a renewed wave of attention in Joseph's past efforts. Sadly, he died on August 30, 2005, at the age of 66. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi