American Recordings (formerly Def American Recordings) is an American

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

headed by producer Rick Rubin. The label has featured artists such as

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical s ...

, the Black Crowes, ZZ Top, Danzig, Trouble, Tom Petty,

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

, The Mother Hips, and System of a Down.

Company history

The label Def American Recordings was founded after Rick Rubin left

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. Th ...

in 1988. Among the first acts to be signed were

(which followed Rubin from Def Jam), Danzig, The Four Horsemen, Masters of Reality, and Wolfsbane, as well as indie rockers

the Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they re ...

and controversial stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Rubin continued his association with hip-hop music as well by signing artists such as the Geto Boys and

Sir Mix-a-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...

. Def American had its first major success with The Black Crowes' 1990 debut album, '' Shake Your Money Maker'', which was eventually certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA. The group's 1992 follow-up, '' The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion'', gave the label its first No.1 album. Rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot obtained a number-one hit with the song " Baby Got Back" as well as a platinum-selling album entitled '' Mack Daddy''. Heavy metal acts Slayer and Danzig also enjoyed notable commercial success, with Slayer in particular having several gold certified albums. Rubin produced many of the recordings on the label, as well as directing other related ventures. Rubin changed the name of the company from Def American Recordings to American Recordings in 1993 after reportedly seeing the word "def" in the dictionary. The company was reportedly renamed because he believed that finding the word in a notable source was against the anti-establishment image that he was trying to project.
mock funeral
was held for the word "Def" on August 27, 1993. The guest list included Black Panthers with prop shotguns, The Amazing Kreskin, Tom Petty and Rosanna Arquette, The Red Hot Chili Peppers'

Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...

, Sir Mix-a-Lot and Warner Bros. Records chairman (and pallbearer) Mo Ostin, with Reverend Al Sharpton presiding. Before Def was lowered to its final resting place, some of the 1,500+ mourners placed flowers and various musical and personal memorabilia in the open casket. Afterwards, mourners followed a 19th-century-style horse-drawn hearse and a six-piece brass band playing "

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...

" to the after party—named Ciao Def—at a bowling alley. The new birth certificate was obtained and the company name changed to American Recordings. American had several sub-labels over the years, including Onion Records, Ill Labels, Wild West, Whte Lbls, and Infinite Zero. The last was a partnership with Henry Rollins that specialized in reissues of obscure albums. None of these labels made the distribution transition after American Recordings left Warner Bros. Records in 1997, and their recordings were deleted.

Distribution

The first Def American release was ''

Reign in Blood ''Reign in Blood'' is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings."Touring Blood", ''Decibel Magazine'', April 2008, p. 57. The album was the band's first collaboration with pro ...

'' by Slayer, which had a

logo on its first pressing. Fans of heavy metal music consider it one of the most critically acclaimed and important albums in the genre's history, and it continues to obtain much high praise from fans and critics. A Def Jam Recordings logo was also present on its follow-up album. However, because

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons ...

felt that Slayer's music was not in line with Def Jam, and because Def Jam's then-distributor

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

refused to release it, it was released through Geffen Records, and Rubin took the rights of the release to the new label with him after the split. Danzig's 1988 debut album was the first release to bear the Def American logo. Initially, the label was distributed by Geffen through Warner Bros. Records (now known as Warner Records), but when Geffen refused to distribute the self-titled album by the Geto Boys and the controversy it caused, distribution was absorbed by Warner Bros. proper, which released all subsequent Def American titles. American's distribution has been handled through several labels over the years. American's first incarnation was distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records from 1988 to 1990. After a falling-out with Geffen over the content of the Geto Boys' only Def American release, Warner Bros. itself took over distribution duties from 1990 to 1997 in the United States, while the international distribution was handled by BMG. However, sub-label Ill Labels was distributed by hip-hop specialist and former Warner Bros. subsidiary Tommy Boy Records as part of its deal. For a brief time during the 1990s, the label also distributed Too Pure Records in the US. Rubin signed a distribution deal with Columbia Records in 1997, which distributed the label's titles until 2001. That year,

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and it ...

, through its Island Def Jam Music Group division, took over distribution. In 2005, with the exception of the recordings of Johnny Cash, the label returned to the aegis of Warner Bros. Records. Non-US distribution was handled by

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...

until the deal with Columbia expired. In 2007, Warner Bros. Records, which was American's home from 1990 to 1997, acquired the rights to the extensive American Recordings catalog, which included

, The Black Crowes,

The Jayhawks The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, their country rock sound was influential ...

, Slayer, and Danzig. However, American's current roster (except Tom Petty) was transferred to BMG successor Sony BMG (now known as Sony Music Entertainment) in mid-2007 after a legal battle between Warner and Rubin over the details of their former arrangement, in which American Recordings would sign and provide creative services for artists, while Warner Bros. was only to handle promotion, sales, marketing, and distribution because Rubin was prompted to move his label with his appointment to co-chairman of Columbia Records in the spring of 2007. In 2012, Rick Rubin, upon his exit from Sony Music Entertainment, signed a new deal with

Universal Republic Records Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...

(now Republic Records) for a new incarnation of American Recordings. The first albums to be released under this new deal were ZZ Top's '' La Futura'' and The Avett Brothers' '' The Carpenter''. During this period, American moved all of its catalog to Universal Music Group, the exceptions being System of a Down, which remained with Columbia Records & Sony Music Entertainment, plus Chino XL's '' Here To Save You All'' and Tom Petty's '' Highway Companion'', which remained with

Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of t ...

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

Current artists

* The Avett Brothers * Band of Horses * Denny Weston Jr. * Kae Tempest * System of a Down * ZZ Top

Former artists

* American Head Charge * Dan Baird * Barkmarket * Frank Black * The Black Crowes * Blackeyed Susans *

* Chino XL * Andrew "Dice" Clay * Julian Cope * Danzig * Deconstruction * Digital Orgasm (Whte Lbls/American) *

DJ Kool John W. Bowman Jr. (born March 20, 1958), better known by his stage name DJ Kool, is an American DJ and rapper who produced several popular rap singles in the late 1980s. Career Raised in Washington, D.C., his influence from years of working th ...

* Donovan * Pete Droge * Electric Company (Onion/American) * Fireside * Flipper * The Four Horsemen * The Freewheelers *

John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...

* Geto Boys * God Dethroned * God Lives Underwater * Gogol Bordello *

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they re ...

* Kwest Tha Madd Lad *

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( pa, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997) was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. He was primarily a singer of qawwali — a form of Sufi devotional music. Sometimes c ...

* Laika * Lords of Acid (Whte Lbls/American) *

Lordz of Brooklyn Lordz of Brooklyn (short L.O.B.), also known as The Lordz is an American crossover hip hop/ rock group composed of brothers and childhood friends of mostly Irish American and Italian American descent from the Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst neighbo ...

(Ventrue/American) * Loudermilk * Love and Rockets * Luna Halo * Manmade God * Masters of Reality * MC 900 Ft. Jesus *

Medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, and Health promotion ...

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach' ...

(Whte Lbls/American) *

Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...

* The Mother Hips * Mouse on Mars (Too Pure/American) * Noise Ratchet * The Nonce (Wild West/American) * Ours * Paloalto * Tom Petty * Jonny Polonsky * Pram *

Psychotica Psychotica are an American industrial band, formed in 1994 by Pat Briggs and Tommy Salmorin with a band consisting of Paul Kostabi, cellist Enrique Tiru Velez, backing vocalist Reeka, and drummer Buz. They have released three albums. Psychot ...

* Raging Slab * The Red Devils * The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow * Ruth Ruth *

(Rhyme Cartel/American) * Skinny Puppy *

* Stiffs, Inc. * Supreme Love Gods * Survival Research Laboratories * Swell * Thee Hypnotics * Th' Faith Healers * Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments * Trouble * Unida * Saul Williams *

Wesley Willis Wesley Lawrence Willis (May 31, 1963 – August 21, 2003) was an American musician and visual artist. Diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1989, Willis began a career as an underground singer-songwriter in the outsider music tradition. Wil ...

* Wolfsbane

Soundtracks

* '' Big Daddy'' * '' Chef Aid: The South Park Album'' * '' The Doom Generation'' * '' Jackass: The Movie''

Infinite Zero Reissue Artists

* James Chance And The Contortions * Devo * Flipper * Gang of Four * Louise Huebner * Iceberg Slim * Mississippi Fred McDowell * The Monks * Matthew Shipp * Trouble Funk * Alan Vega *

Tom Verlaine Tom Verlaine (born Thomas Miller, December 13, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television. Biography Verlaine was born Thomas Miller in Denville, New Jersey and ...

Alan Watts Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was an English writer, speaker and self-styled "philosophical entertainer", known for interpreting and popularising Japanese, Chinese and Indian traditions of Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu ...

* James White and the Blacks

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Record labels established in 1988 American record labels Alternative rock record labels Rock record labels Hip hop record labels Heavy metal record labels Thrash metal record labels Warner Records Columbia Records Universal Music Group Rick Rubin