Fiction Records is a British

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 ...

founded by Chris Parry in 1978, owned by

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 ...

and based in the United Kingdom. It is best known for being the home of

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...

for over 20 years. It was originally a part of

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

, but in January 2014, Universal restructured Fiction as a standalone label, removing it from Polydor's corporate affiliation. Fiction repertoire is now released internationally through

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

(ex-North America).

History

Fiction Records was founded by Radio X (then XFM London) co-founder and longtime

manager Chris Parry, alongside music publisher Fiction Songs Ltd; both were based in London at 97 Charlotte Street and maintained a satellite office in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

at 850 7th Ave. Fiction was also home to UK

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

label Desire, re-launched in 1988 as Fiction's

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

subdivision, and Non Fiction Records, Fiction's specialty label for

special edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...

s. Fiction was best known for The Cure's releases and achieved its first UK No. 1 album in 1992 with The Cure's ''

Wish A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. In fiction In fictio ...

''; the album's

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

Friday I'm In Love "Friday I'm in Love" is a song by British rock band the Cure. Released as the second single from their ninth studio album, '' Wish'' (1992), in May 1992, the song was a worldwide hit, reaching number six in the UK and number 18 in the United Sta ...

" also topped ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

s Modern Rock chart. Additionally, Fiction was home to other artists who signed to the publishing company as well as the record label and released a number of acclaimed albums including Eat's '' Sell Me a God'' (Fiction/Polydor) in 1989, The God Machine's ''

Scenes from the Second Storey ''Scenes from the Second Storey'' is the debut album by American rock band the God Machine, released in 1993 by Fiction Records and Polydor. It peaked at number 55 on the UK Albums Chart. The album opens with a sample from the film adaptation o ...

'' (Fiction/Polydor) in 1993 and

Die Warzau Die Warzau (originally Die Warzau Synfony) was an American industrial music band formed in 1987 by Jim Marcus and Van Christie. History In the late 80s, Jim Marcus and Van Christie were working individually as performance artists. Christie ha ...

's ''Engine'' (Fiction/

Wax Trax! Wax Trax! Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago. It began as a record shop in Denver, Colorado, opened by life partners Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher, who sold the store in 1978 and moved to Chicago. In November of that ...

) in 1995. Other artists who were part of the Fiction roster and publishing catalog during this time included Billy Mackenzie & The Associates, Candyland, The Purple Hearts,

Cult Hero In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

and The Passions. Starting in 1995, Fiction became dormant as a label, apart from the occasional Cure release, and focused exclusively on Fiction Songs, who partnered with

Bertelsmann Music Group Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music com ...

to form a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...

publishing company and moved their New York offices to the Bertelsmann Building at 1540 Broadway in Times Square in 1994; Fiction's headquarters were unchanged. However, BMG eventually acquired Fiction Songs and its catalog in 2001. Besides being the publisher for the Cure and other Fiction artists, Fiction Songs was also home to hip hop/

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

artist Stereo MCs, producer and songwriter

Cameron McVey Cameron Andrew McVey (born 11 March 1957) is an English singer, songwriter and music producer. He worked with the bands Massive Attack, Portishead, All Saints, Sugababes/Mutya Keisha Siobhan and his wife Neneh Cherry. He is the father of Ma ...

, the

Jungle Brothers Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop trio composed of Michael Small (Mike Gee), Nathaniel Hall ( Afrika Baby Bam), and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B). Known as the pioneers of the fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and house music, they were the first hi ...

Primitive Radio Gods Primitive Radio Gods is an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Current members consist of frontman Chris O'Connor, who performs vocals and bass; percussionist Tim Lauterio; and Luke McAuliffe, who contributes various addit ...

, and NY Loose. In 1992, the Fiction headquarters at Charlotte Street served as the first home to XFM London co founded by Parry. A benefit concert called 'Great Xpectations' was held in support of the station on 13 June 1993 at

Finsbury Park Finsbury Park is a public park in the London neighbourhood of Harringay. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal Borough of Hornsey. It was one of the first of the great London parks ...

in London. A live album of the concert titled ''Great Xpectations Live'' was released in July 1993 on Fiction and included performances by The Cure,

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (; born 23 March 1968) is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer, best known as the frontman and primary lyricist of the rock band Blur and as the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual ...

Graham Coxon Graham Leslie Coxon (born 12 March 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Cox ...

Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cen ...

and

Catherine Wheel Catherine wheel may refer to: * wheel or breaking wheel, an instrument of torturous execution originally associated with Saint Catherine of Alexandria * Catherine wheel (firework), a firework that rotates when lit Arts and entertainment * Cather ...

. In January 2004, Joe Munns, Paul Smernicki and Beastman revived Fiction to "give Polydor a bit more of a guitar stronghold", as their roster then consisted mostly of pop acts. The first release on the "new" Fiction was the

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...

single " Run", which entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

at No. 5. The subsequent Snow Patrol album, ''

Final Straw ''Final Straw'' is the third studio album and major-label debut by Scottish-Northern Irish rock band Snow Patrol, released on 4 August 2003 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and in 2004 in the United States. The album is notable for bringing the ...

'', went on to sell over two million copies worldwide. In January 2014,

restructured Fiction as a standalone label, removing it from Polydor's corporate affiliation.

Artists

The current Fiction stable includes

Crystal Castles Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, formed by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass, who later left and was replaced by Edith Frances. Crystal Castles were know ...

Tame Impala Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring act, Tame Impala consists of Parke ...

The Mysterines The Mysterines are a British alternative rock band from Liverpool and the Wirral comprising Lia Metcalfe (vocals and guitar), George Favager (bass guitar), Callum Thompson (guitar and backing vocals) and Paul Crilly (drums and backing vocals). T ...

Death From Above 1979 Death from Above 1979 (also known as Death from Above) is a Canadian rock duo consisting of bassist Jesse F. Keeler and drummer and vocalist Sebastien Grainger from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band released their debut album, '' You're ...

, The Maccabees,

Spector Spector is a guitar manufacturing company. It has been based in Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders ...

, HEALTH,

Mini Mansions Mini Mansions are an American band founded by Zach Dawes, Tyler Parkford, and Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman. Mini Mansions' style has been compared to The Beatles, Elliott Smith, and Fountains of Wayne (though this comparison ha ...

Fryars Benjamin Garrett, better known by his stage name Fryars (sometimes stylised frYars), is an English art pop musician from London. Career Fryars released his debut EP, ''The Ides'', in September 2007, and was profiled as ''The Guardian''s "New b ...

Kate Boy Kate Boy are a Swedish synthpop duo from Stockholm. The group was founded by Kate Akhurst, from Australia, and Markus Dextegen, from Sweden, together with former swedish members Hampus Nordgren Hemlin and Oskar Sikow. All members have particip ...

, Meanwhile, Palace, The Amazons, Another Sky,

The Big Moon The Big Moon is an English indie rock band, formed in 2014 in London by frontwoman Juliette Jackson. Their debut album, ''Love in the 4th Dimension'', was released on 6 April 2017, containing a number of singles previously released on their EP, ...

and

Kaiser Chiefs Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 2000 as Parva, releasing one studio album, ''22'', in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation the band h ...

. Fiction has also released records by

The Naked And Famous The Naked and Famous are a New Zealand indie electronic band from Auckland, formed in 2007. The band currently consists of Alisa Xayalith (vocals, keyboards) and Thom Powers (vocals, guitars). The band has released four studio albums: ''Passi ...

Kate Nash Kate Marie Nash (born 6 July 1987) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. Nash launched her music career in 2005. Her 2007 single " Foundations" became a hit and brought her to public attention in the UK. Her debut album, '' Made of Bricks ...

Athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

Elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the media ...

, White Lies, Yuksek, Stephen Fretwell, Ian Brown,

Jacknife Lee Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including the Cars, U2, R.E.M., the Killers, Robbie Williams, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Two Door Cinema Club, AFI, the Hives, Weezer, One Dir ...

Delays Delays are an English indie band formed in Southampton, which consisted of brothers Greg and Aaron Gilbert, Colin Fox and Rowly until Greg Gilbert's death in 2021. The band's sound combines guitar and synths and featured Greg Gilbert's distinc ...

, Alberta Cross, Guillemots and

Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complem ...

References

External links

Fiction Records Official Website

Shop Fiction Records

Fiction Records Discography

Desire Records Discography

Non Fiction Discography

Fiction Records in Music Week - May 2015

* ttp://www.exacteditions.com/read/musicweek/08-05-2015-42694 Fiction Records in Music Week - May 2015
Interview with Fiction A&R Jim Chancellor, HitQuarters Oct 2005
{{Authority control British record labels Record labels established in 1978 Labels distributed by Universal Music Group The Cure

History

Artists

See also

References

External links