Constellation Records was an American

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...

SOLAR Records SOLAR (acronym for Sound of Los Angeles Records) was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with '' Soul Train'' television show host and creator Don ...

, and then

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...

History

In 1981, Constellation was founded by

Dick Griffey Richard Gilbert Griffey (November 16, 1938 – September 24, 2010) was an American record producer and music promoter who founded SOLAR Records, a RAS acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records". The label played a major role in developing a ...

, as an attempt to introduce more contemporary acts to Griffey's more traditionally "urban" establishment which was already being distributed through Elektra/Asylum Records. In 1984, Dick Griffey moved the Constellation label over to

for distribution, deciding to abandon contemporary music and continue the SOLAR tradition. It was a move that finally brought recognition to the label. Among the acts who shifted to the label were veteran ''Soul Train''/SOLAR first lady

Carrie Lucas Carrie Lucas (born November 5, 1945) is an American R&B singer, born in Carmel, California. In 1976, she was signed to Soul Train Records. Lucas released six studio albums over seven years, with Soul Train and Solar Records. Lucas was marrie ...

(who eventually married Griffey) and

Klymaxx Klymaxx is an American all-female pop/ R&B band from Los Angeles, California. The band's classic lineup consisted of Bernadette Cooper, Lorena Porter Shelby, Cheryl Cooley, Robbin Grider, Lynn Malsby, and Joyce "Fenderella" Irby. History Klyma ...

. In 1987, Constellation was folded into MCA, when the artists (including Klymaxx) were transferred to MCA.

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 its ...

owned all of its post-1984 back catalog. On the other hand,

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

(which acquired SOLAR's back catalog after its closure in 1995) owned all of its pre-1984 back catalog.

Unidisc Music Unidisc Music is a Canadian independent record label. The label is known for releasing rare music, that was made between the mid-1960s and late 1980s. Genres include rock, electronic, funk, soul, hip hop, jazz, reggae, Latin, disco and a cappel ...

currently owns most of SOLAR's (including Constellation) back catalog.

Notable Artists

* Jon Gibson *

*Bill Wolfer * Collage

References

External links

Official Web SiteOfficial MySpace Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constellation Records Record labels established in 1981 Defunct record labels of the United States Soul music record labels Soul Train Post-disco record labels