Sony S2 Records, formerly named as S2 Records and Sony Soho Square (typeset as Sony Soho
2), was a subsidiary of
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), which operated as a
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 ...
in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Sony Soho Square was named after its location after its location at London's
Soho Square
Soho Square is a garden square in Soho, London, hosting since 1954 a ''de facto'' public park let by the Soho Square Garden Committee to Westminster City Council. It was originally called King Square after Charles II, and a much weathered s ...
, with Lincoln Elias (who went on to become the Managing Director of
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
in 2006 and now works with PMR Records) being the founder of the label. It was later headed by
Muff Winwood
Mervyn "Muff" Winwood (born 15 June 1943, Erdington, Birmingham, England) is a British songwriter and record producer, and the older brother of Steve Winwood. Both were members of the Spencer Davis Group in the 1960s, in which Muff Winwood pla ...
, brother of musician
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his disti ...
, who had worked at CBS Records/Sony Music Entertainment since the later 1970s.
Sony S2 featured bands and singers such as
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai () are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in the ...
,
Des'ree
Desirée Annette Weekes (born 30 November 1968), known by her stage name Des'ree (), is an English pop recording artist who rose to popularity during the 1990s. She is best known for her hits "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be", "Life", and " Kissi ...
,
Reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...
,
Jimmy Ray
James Ray (born 3 October 1970), known professionally by his stage name Jimmy Ray, is an English singer, songwriter and musician.
Career
In press interviews and promotional materials, Ray cited his influence by the music of Elvis Presley and o ...
and others.
In 2004 after
SME
SME may refer to:
Economics
* Small and medium-sized enterprises
* Socialist market economy, an economic system of China
Organizations Music
* SME Limited, UK audio turntable manufacturer
* Sony Music Entertainment, US
* Spontaneous Music Ensembl ...
and BMG (the original major label
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 ...
) merged, Sony S2 was dissolved into
Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK. At this point many of the bands on Sony S2 were dropped, with Jamiroquai's records going on to be released on the Sony BMG label, with marketing taken on by
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
.
See also
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, b ...
References
British record labels
Pop record labels
Rock record labels
Soho Square
Sony Music
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