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Phonogram Inc.
Phonogram Incorporated was started in 1970 as a successor to Philips Phonographic Industries, a unit of the Grammophon-Philips Group (GPG), a joint venture of Philips N.V. of the Netherlands and Siemens AG of Germany. It was a holding company for labels which owned record labels such as Philips, Fontana, Vertigo and Mercury and distributed many other licensed labels. History In 1972, Grammophon-Philips Group was reorganized as The PolyGram Group. Following PolyGram's acquisition of Mercury in the United States, the corporate name was changed from Mercury Record Productions, Inc., to Phonogram, Inc. In the U.S. Phonogram artists were generally released on Mercury Records, but the label is independent from its U.K. counterpart. By 1982, Mercury and all other PolyGram owned labels including, RSO, Polydor, Total Experience and Casablanca carried the following wording "Manufactured And Marketed by PolyGram Records" with the PolyGram Records logo. In the United Kingdom, Phonogra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Woolworths (United Kingdom)
Woolworths was a British High Street, high-street Variety store, variety retail chain and conglomerate. At its height, it operated as Woolworths Group PLC, which included other companies such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK, and book and resource distributor Bertram Books. In 2009, all UK stores shut down, and in 2015, so did the website, rendering it fully defunct. The Woolworths chain was originally a division of the American F. W. Woolworth Company until its sale in 1982. It had more than 800 shops in the UK prior to closure. Woolworths sold many goods and had its own Ladybird (clothing), Ladybird children's clothing range, WorthIt! value range and Chad Valley (toy brand), Chad Valley toys. They were also well known for selling pick 'n' mix sweets. It was sometimes referred to as ''Woolies'' by the UK media, the general public, and occasionally in its own television adverts. The British company also owned and operated divisions in the F. W. Woolworth Irelan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll, and jazz and comedy recordings, released on the Chess and its subsidiary labels Checker and Argo/ Cadet. The Chess catalogue is owned by Universal Music Group and managed by Geffen Records and Universal Music Enterprises. Established and run by two Jewish immigrant brothers from what was then Poland, Leonard and Phil Chess, the company produced and released many singles and albums regarded as central to the rock music canon. The musician and critic Cub Koda described Chess as "America's greatest blues label". Chess was based at several locations on the south side of Chicago, initially at 4750 South Cottage Grove Ave. The most famous was 2120 S. Michigan Avenue, from May 1957 to 1967 immortalized by the Rolling Stones in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
All Platinum Records
All Platinum Records was a record company started in 1967 by singer/writer/producer Sylvia Robinson and her husband, businessman Joe Robinson, who had previously worked in the recording industry. All Platinum and its subsidiary labels, including Stang, Vibration, Turbo and Astroscope, specialized in soul and R&B music. Many of the company's releases were recorded at its Soul Sound Studios, using the company's in-house musicians, at its Englewood, New Jersey base. The company released four singles that reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart but failed to top the Hot 100 pop chart. Background The label started as Platinum Records but the prefix of 'All' was added to avoid confusion with a Miami label. The company, with Sylvia helming the creative operations as well as producing or co-producing many releases, racked up a series of R&B and Pop hits during the 70s, despite being only a small independent concern. The company's mainstay act was the all-male group, The Moments ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westbound Records
Westbound Records was a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1968. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to 1979. The label's most successful and influential act was Funkadelic, including the classic “Maggot Brain”. Its biggest hit was "The Americans" recorded by local news reporter Byron MacGregor in 1974. Westbound was also home to the Ohio Players before they went to Mercury Records and the label had a top 15 hit with " Funky Worm." Former Ric-Tic and Motown group The Fantastic Four also found moderate success during the disco era under the label. The Detroit Emeralds, who had also recorded briefly for Ric-Tic in the late 1960s, signed with Westbound in 1970 and enjoyed a string of hit singles, most notably 1972's "Feel The Need In Me". The record company's last national hit was 1983's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janus Records
Janus Records was a record label owned by GRT Records, also known as General Recorded Tape. The label was in operation from 1969 to 1979. History Janus was founded in July 1969, as a joint venture of GRT and British label Pye Records. In its early years of operation the bulk of Janus' acts were U.S. issues of Pye product. Its first major hit was "Baby Take Me in Your Arms" by Jefferson, in late 1969. Other acts in Janus' early years included Pye artists Status Quo, Pickettywitch and Sounds Orchestral. Up to the middle 1970s, the label's president was Marv Schlachter, who later ran the ill-fated U.S. Pye label, which by 1977 had evolved into Prelude Records. GRT assumed sole ownership of Janus in 1971, after Pye pulled out of the venture. Ed Dejoy of Baltimore, MD followed Schlachter as president. Allan Mason was vice president in charge of A&R. Artists who had hits on Janus included Potliquor, Mungo Jerry, The Whispers, Cymande, Charlie, Al Stewart, Ian Thomas, Dicki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sire Records
Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases, in 1968, were distributed in the US by London Records. From the beginning, Sire introduced underground, progressive British bands to the American market. Early releases included the Climax Blues Band, Barclay James Harvest, Tomorrow, Matthews Southern Comfort and proto-punks The Deviants. When distribution by London ended after two years, US distribution was handled by various companies: Polydor Records in 1970 and 1971, during which time Sire's famous logo was introduced; by Famous Music from 1972 to 1974, during which time the progressive rock band Focus charted with their 1972 hit " Hocus Pocus"; and by ABC Records, which inherited Sire's distri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avco Records
Avco Records was a record label started by music producers/composers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore together with film and TV producer Joseph E. Levine in 1968 as Avco Embassy Records. History Hugo and Luigi had previously worked together from the late 1950s for a number of labels, including Mercury, Roulette, and RCA Victor, where they were involved with acts such as Elvis Presley, the Tokens, and Sam Cooke. Levine was the head of Avco Embassy Pictures following a long career in the film industry. Avco's best-known artists were the R&B/soul groups the Stylistics, who had a series of major hits in the pop and R&B charts mainly produced by Thom Bell, and Little Anthony & the Imperials. One of the most memorable albums recorded for Avco was 1975's ''Disco Baby'' by top producer/arranger/writer Van McCoy. This featured the classic disco hit "The Hustle", a million-seller that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B chart, as well as charts worldwide (#3 in the UK). T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I Don't Wanna Get Drafted
"I Don't Wanna Get Drafted" is a 1980 single by American musician Frank Zappa. The song peaked at #103 US '' Billboard'' Bubbling Under Hot 100 and #68 on the ''Cash Box'' charts, but more successfully reached #3 in Sweden. The original single version has never been reissued on LP or CD. A slightly different version of the single recording was later included in the 1996 posthumous Zappa album '' The Lost Episodes''. The song was later completely rerecorded at a faster tempo for the 1981 album '' You Are What You Is'' and released under the title "Drafted Again". The B-side of the single "Ancient Armaments" is an edited live instrumental from the New York City Palladium on October 31, 1978. A more complete recording of this track was included in a different mix on the 2003 album ''Halloween''. History Zappa and his label Zappa Records had signed a distribution agreement with Phonogram in 1977 for releases in the United States and Canada. Though Phonogram did release the sing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Läther
''Läther'' (, or "''Leather''") is the sixty-fifth official album by Frank Zappa. It was released posthumously as a three-CD set on Rykodisc in 1996. The album's title is derived from bits of comic dialog that link the songs. Zappa also explained that the name is a joke, based on "common bastardized pronunciation of Germanic syllables by the Swiss." ''Läther'' integrates many aspects of Zappa's musical oeuvre — heavy rock, orchestral works, and complex jazz flavored instrumentals, along with Zappa's distinctive electric guitar solos and satirical lyrics, all edited together in a seemingly random way. The ''Läther'' album was intended for release in 1977 as a four-LP box set, but it never appeared officially in this format. A variety of bootleg recordings of this material were widely distributed. One of these was a four-LP box on the "Edison Record" label and appeared to be professionally packaged. Some may have believed this was authorized, despite the fact Zappa's na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warner Bros
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Founded on April 4, 1923, by four brothers, Harry Warner, Harry, Albert Warner, Albert, Sam Warner, Sam and Jack L. Warner, Jack Warner, the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry before diversifying into animation, television, and video games. It is one of the "Major film studios, Big Five" major American film studios and a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). The company is known for its film studio division, the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Castle Rock Entertainment and the Warner Bros. Television Group. Bugs Bunny, a character created for the ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zappa Records
Zappa Records is an American record label based in Los Angeles which was founded by Frank Zappa in 1977. It was mostly inactive during the 1980s and 1990s, but was revived in 2006 by the Zappa Family Trust. History In May 1976, Zappa ended his relationship with manager and business partner Herb Cohen. The pair had co-owned DiscReet Records which was distributed by Warner Bros. Records. In March 1977 Zappa delivered four albums (five full length LPs) to Warner to complete his recording contract. Warner failed to pay Zappa upon the delivery of the recordings, in violation of their contractual agreement. Upon completion of the contract Zappa and Warner parted ways, while initiating a series of lawsuits. Around mid 1977, Zappa founded Zappa Records, and negotiated a deal with Phonogram Inc., to distribute the label's releases in the United States and Canada. Under this agreement Zappa planned to release a four-LP box set titled ''Läther'' (pronounced ''"Leather"''.) The album was s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
