Hip-O Records is a
record label that specializes in
reissue
In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or Single (music), single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions.
Reasons for reissue
New aud ...
s and
compilations. It is part of
Universal Music Group. Established in 1996, the label has distributed releases from 'out of style' genres such as
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
and early
hip-hop music as well as publishing
film soundtracks. The label's name is a pun on the name '
hippo'.
History
The name "Hip-O Records" is a play on the word "hip" and the already-existing
Rhino Records. The formation of Hip-O Records has its roots in
Universal Music Group Chairman & CEO
Doug Morris' relationship with Rhino. As co-Chairman of
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
during the early 1990s and then President & C.O.O. of
Warner Music Group (U.S.), Morris observed Rhino's great financial success at cross country rivals
Capitol/EMI.
EMI had taken an equity position in
Rhino Records as an ideal two way relationship. Rhino provided invaluable assistance in the packaging and marketing of EMI's catalog, and EMI provided Rhino with increasingly difficult to access master recordings. Their association had been extremely prestigious and profitable for both. During a 1992 renegotiation, Morris took a 50% stake in Rhino, which only energized the profitability and success of both.
Morris left Warner Music Group in 1995 during an internal shake-up and immediately landed at what was then called
MCA Music Entertainment Group
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 ...
. He recognized the history of the group's labels provided a parallel opportunity to market the vintage catalog of masters, but Rhino's magical executive team was tied up tight in the deal he signed with them at Atlantic. Morris launched his own catalog label that shadowed
Rhino Records in every way, down to the company's name.
Today, as part of Universal Music Group, Hip-O reissues many albums from UMG's huge back catalogue - including such labels as
Decca,
Interscope
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Musi ...
,
Geffen,
A&M,
Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
,
Polydor,
MCA
MCA may refer to:
Astronomy
* Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars
Aviation
* Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways
* Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gene ...
,
Island and others.
Hip-O Select
Hip-O Select, Hip-O's limited edition reissue label, was co-founded by UMe VP Pat Lawrence and former Rhino Records exec Thane Tierney.
It released remastered classics by artists including
The Supremes,
Chuck Berry,
Rupert Holmes,
Bo Diddley,
Ken Nordine,
Etta James
Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...
,
Dobie Gray,
The Miracles,
Burt Bacharach
Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...
,
Tammi Terrell,
Doug Sahm, and
Muddy Waters, among others. It released the ''Complete Motown Singles'', a series of fourteen
box sets
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
which include both sides of every
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
from
Motown Records
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...
and its subsidiaries during that company's
Detroit era. Their catalog includes a number of previously unreleased albums and compilations from the Motown, Mercury, Polydor, MCA, ABC, A&M, Dot, Decca, and 20th Century Records vaults. Hip-O Select also released a multi-volume set of
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
's complete singles.
Unlike limited releases made by competitor Rhino Handmade, Hip-O Select has its catalog available for purchase on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
.
In 2015, Vivendi pulled the plug on Hip-O Select and all of the Hip-O Select titles are now out of print.
See also
*
List of record labels
References
External links
Official site (Archive from 2008)Hip-O Select, Hip-O's limited edition online reissue label (Archive from 2008)
{{Universal Music Group
American record labels
Record labels established in 1996
Labels distributed by Universal Music Group
Reissue record labels
Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
Companies based in Santa Monica, California