United Artists Records was an American record label founded by

Max E. Youngstein Max E. Youngstein (March 21, 1913, New York City – July 8, 1997) was an American film producer who worked for United Artists, where he formed United Artists Music and United Artists Records. He later became an independent film produc ...

of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.

History

Genres

In 1959, United Artists released ''Forest of the Amazons,'' a cantata by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos adapted from the music he composed for MGM's '' Green Mansions'', with the composer conducting the Symphony of the Air. Brazilian soprano Bidu Sayão was the featured soloist on the unusual recording, which was released on both LP and reel-to-reel tape. United Artists releases included soundtracks and

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

s from the James Bond movies, '' It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963), '' A Hard Day's Night'' starring

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

(1964), '' The Greatest Story Ever Told'' (1965), '' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1966), '' Fiddler on the Roof'' (1971), and '' Man of La Mancha'' (1972). The soundtrack album of United Artists's '' West Side Story'' (1961) was released 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 ...

, which had also released the Broadway cast album. Also, the American version of the soundtrack album of United Artists's '' Help!'' (1965), also starring the Beatles, was released on

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. As Henry Mancini was signed to RCA Victor, that company handled the soundtracks of the United Artists films that he composed the music for, most notably '' The Pink Panther''; exceptions include '' Gaily, Gaily'', '' The Hawaiians'', '' The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' and '' Revenge of the Pink Panther''. Many of these soundtracks have reverted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, whose MGM Music unit licensed them to other labels for reissue, first Rykodisc, then Universal Music and EMI. As owner of Columbia and RCA Victor, Sony released the ''West Side Story'' original cast album and film soundtrack on CD. Sony has owned most of Mancini's soundtrack albums since its music division's merger with

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

in 2004.

The label produced rock and roll and R&B hits from 1959 and into the 1960s by the Clovers, Marv Johnson, the Falcons, the Exciters, Patty Duke,

the Delicates The Delicates, were an American three-girl singing group, made up of members Denise Ferri, Arleen Lanzotti, and Peggy Santiglia. The group was formed in 1958 while all three members were attending Elementary School No. Eight, in Belleville, New ...

Bobby Goldsboro Robert Charles Goldsboro (born January 18, 1941) is an American pop and country singer and songwriter. He had a string of pop and country hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including his signature No. 1 hit "Honey", which sold over 1 million copies in ...

, Jay and the Americans, and later Manfred Mann and the Easybeats. Berry Gordy placed a number of early Motown acts with United Artists, including Marv Johnson and Eddie Holland in 1959. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were hired to produce artists signed to the label after they left Atlantic. These included the Exciters,

, Jay and the Americans, the Clovers, and Mike Clifford. United Artists covered folk music when it added Gordon Lightfoot to its roster and easy listening with the addition of piano duo Ferrante & Teicher. United Artists' involvement with jazz was significant. The company hired Alan Douglas in 1960 to run its jazz division. Other producers were George Wein, Jack Lewis, and Tom Wilson. United Artists released jazz albums by

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and th ...

, Art Blakey, Ruby Braff,

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative int ...

, Teddy Charles, Kenny Dorham, Mose Allison,

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

, Art Farmer, Bud Freeman,

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz Trombone, trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December ...

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/ hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launc ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

, Milt Jackson, Dave Lambert, Booker Little, Howard McGhee, Gerry Mulligan, Oliver Nelson, Herb Pomeroy, Bill Potts, Zoot Sims, Rex Stewart, Billy Strayhorn, and the Modern Jazz Quartet. In 1966, the

Solid State Solid state, or solid matter, is one of the four fundamental states of matter. Solid state may also refer to: Electronics * Solid-state electronics, circuits built of solid materials * Solid state ionics, study of ionic conductors and their u ...

division was begun, recording several albums by

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis in New York in 1965.Lisik/Allen. 50 Years at the Village Vanguard:Thad Jone, Mel Lewis and the Village Vanguard Orchestra. Sky Dec ...

. Other subsidiary labels were Unart, Ascot, United Artists Jazz, Musicor (United Artists was half owner of the company from 1960 to 1964 before selling in 1965 Ultra Audio (an audiophile label), and Veep. Unart was created in 1958 and was in operation until 1959, producing singles by vocal groups, then was recreated in 1967 for budget albums. In 1966 United Artists acquired the masters of Sue Records, an R&B and soul record label in New York City which produced Ike & Tina Turner, Baby Washington, and jazz organist Jimmy McGriff. Some material produced by Sue was reissued on Unart. United Artists produced a series of children's records under the " Tale Spinners for Children" name throughout the 1960s. These were album-length adaptations of classic fairy tales and children's stories done in an audio drama format.

Other UA labels

United Artists Special Projects United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two ...

were budget records designed for product and movie tie-ins. Examples are '' The Incredible World of James Bond'', an album sold by Pepsi Cola and Frito Lay of cover version themes and original soundtrack music of the first three James Bond films, and ''Music from Marlboro Country'', various cover versions of the theme to ''

The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay by William Roberts is a remake – in an Old West–style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself initially ...

'' and original soundtrack music from Elmer Bernstein's '' Return of the Seven'' that was sold by

Philip Morris Phil(l)ip or Phil Morris may refer to: Companies *Altria, a conglomerate company previously known as Philip Morris Companies Inc., named after the tobacconist **Philip Morris USA, a tobacco company wholly owned by Altria Group **Philip Morris Inter ...

as a tie-in to its Marlboro cigarette brand.

Merger

In 1969, United Artists merged with co-owned Liberty Records and its subsidiary, Imperial Records. In 1971, Liberty/UA Records dropped the Liberty name in favor of United Artists. Mainstream pop acts were signed to the label, among them Traffic, the Spencer Davis Group, Peter Sarstedt, Shirley Bassey, and War. The label attempted to update the style of 1950s rock group Bill Haley & His Comets with a 1968 single. After UA bought Mediarts Records, the roster grew to include Don McLean, Merrilee Rush, Paul Anka, Chris Rea, Dusty Springfield, Bill Conti, Northern Calloway, Johnny Rivers, Ike & Tina Turner, Gerry Rafferty, and Crystal Gayle. Later, through a distribution deal with Jet Records, Electric Light Orchestra was signed. UA also distributed the otherwise-independent

Grateful Dead Records In 1973, the Grateful Dead established their own record label, Grateful Dead Records. The band released four vinyl LPs on the label in the mid-1970s: '' Wake of the Flood'' in 1973, '' From the Mars Hotel'' in 1974, '' Blues for Allah'' in 197 ...

in the early-to-mid 1970s. In England, Andrew Lauder, who had been head of A&R at the UK branch of Liberty Records, transferred to UA when Liberty was shut down in 1971. His signings included the Groundhogs, Aynsley Dunbar (only in the UK), Hawkwind, Bonzo Dog Band, Brinsley Schwarz, Man (all originally Liberty artists), High Tide, Help Yourself, Dr. Feelgood, the Buzzcocks, the Stranglers and 999. He also licensed UK releases for several influential German bands during the early 70s, the best known of which were Can, Neu! and Amon Düül II. Lauder left UA in late 1977 to help found Radar Records. The label's most commercially successful artist was country artist

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted m ...

who signed to UA in the mid-1970s, enjoying a long string of hit singles and albums. In the mid-to-late 1970s the company was known as United Artists Music and Records Group (UAMARG).

Sale to EMI

In 1978, UA executives Artie Mogull and Jerry Rubinstein bought the record company from Transamerica with a loan from EMI, which took over distribution of the label. The official name of the company was changed to Liberty/United Records, but the United Artists Records name was retained under license. The deal led to an immediate setback, as the change of ownership allowed Jet Records to end its relationship with UA and switch its distribution to CBS Records, with the Jet back catalog transferring to CBS distribution as well. UA dumped many ELO albums into the cutout market, which CBS was unable to prevent. However, CBS reissues of early ELO albums through ''

Out of the Blue Out of the Blue may refer to: Film and television Film * ''Out of the Blue'' (1931 film), a British musical by Gene Gerrard * ''Out of the Blue'' (1947 film), an American comedy directed by Leigh Jason *'' Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley'', a ...

'' (1977) contained copyright notices for United Artists Music and Records Group. Unable to generate enough income to cover the loan, Liberty/United Records was sold to EMI in 1979 for $3 million and assumed liabilities of $32 million. EMI dropped the United Artists name in 1980 and revived the Liberty label for releases by artists who had been signed to UA. This incarnation of Liberty Records operated between 1980 and about 1986, when it was deactivated and its artists assigned to other EMI labels. Many albums from the United Artists Records catalog were reissued on Liberty during these years. Two significant exceptions were a couple of Beatles albums not previously controlled by EMI in the United States: the '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) soundtrack album, and '' Let It Be'' (1970). The ''Let It Be'' album was actually released by Apple Records in both the UK and the US but because the movie had been distributed by United Artists Pictures, in America the album was distributed by United Artists rather than EMI. Both previously non-EMI Beatles albums were reissued on the Capitol label, which already controlled the rest of the Beatles' catalog in the United States.

UAR today

When producer Jerry Weintraub was enlisted to revive the United Artists movie studio in 1986, he attempted to revive the United Artists Records label as well. However, only one album was released: the soundtrack for '' The Karate Kid Part II'', a film Weintraub had produced for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

before being hired at UA. A single from the movie's soundtrack, Mancrab's "Fish for Life," was also released on United Artists Records. The United Artists catalog is controlled by Capitol Records, now part of

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 ...

(who also owns the non-soundtrack catalog of MGM Records, once owned by UA's current parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). Capitol Records also has the rights to soundtrack albums UA Records released under license from MGM Music. The catalog of most British acts who were signed to the British branch of UA Records is today controlled by the

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 19 ...

unit of

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. (trade name, d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York C ...

, with North American distribution by Rhino Entertainment. One exception is the band The Vapors, whose rights to their UA/Liberty recordings are owned by RT Industries, which acquired them from WMG in 2018. However, Warner's services division Alternative Distribution Alliance serves as RT's distributor.

Roster

* 999 *

A Band Called O A Band Called O were a band from Jersey, Channel Islands. Originally known as The Parlour Band, playing progressive rock, they renamed to A Band Called O for two albums on CBS/Epic and later to The O Band for further albums with UA. Despite ...

* Morris Albert * American Flyer * American Spring * Amon Düül II * The Animals (Jet) * The Angels (Ascot) * Paul Anka * B. J. Arnau * Shirley Bassey *

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

(US and Canada) *

Black Widow Black widow may refer to: Spiders * Black widow spider, a common name for some species of spiders in the genus ''Latrodectus'' American species * ''Latrodectus apicalis'', the Galapagos black widow * ''Latrodectus curacaviensis'', the South Amer ...

(US) * Brass Construction * Brinsley Schwarz * Buzzcocks * Can *

Al Caiola Alexander Emil Caiola (September 7, 1920 – November 9, 2016) was an American guitarist, composer and arranger, who spanned a variety of music genres including jazz, country, rock, and pop. He recorded over fifty albums and worked with some of ...

(Ultra Audio & United Artists) * Canned Heat *

Anita Carter Ina Anita Carter (March 31, 1933 – July 29, 1999) was an American singer who played upright bass, guitar, and autoharp. She performed with her sisters, Helen and June, and her mother, Maybelle, initially under the name The Carter Sisters and ...

* The Clovers * Odia Coates * Bill Conti *

Pat Cooper Pat Cooper (born Pasquale Caputo; July 31, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. Life and career His father Michael Caputo was a bricklayer from Mola di Bari, Italy and his mother, Louise Gargiulo was born in Brooklyn, New York, where Coop ...

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose was an American family soul singing group, from Dania Beach, Florida, United States. It was formed in 1970 and gained popularity in the early 1970s. It was composed of siblings Carter, Eddie, and Rose Cornelius, w ...

* Don Costa * Country Gazette * Curfew *

The D-Men The Fifth Estate, formerly known as The D-Men, is an American rock band formed in 1963 in Stamford, Connecticut. Early years (as The D-Men) The band began in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1963, as ''The D-Men''. Early on, as The D-Men, the band ...

(Veep & United Artists) * Chris Darrow * The Spencer Davis Group (US) *

The Delicates The Delicates, were an American three-girl singing group, made up of members Denise Ferri, Arleen Lanzotti, and Peggy Santiglia. The group was formed in 1958 while all three members were attending Elementary School No. Eight, in Belleville, New ...

(Unart) * Dr. Feelgood (UK) * Patty Duke * The Easybeats *

The Electric Indian The Electric Indian was a studio group assembled and produced by the Dovells lead singer Len Barry which included Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates fame. Barry had an interest in Native American history, possibly inspired by watching ''The Lone Ranger'' T ...

* Electric Light Orchestra (United Artists & Jet) * Enchantment (Roadshow Records and United Artists) * The Exciters * The Falcons *

Family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

(US & Canada) * Ferrante & Teicher (Ultra Audio & United Artists) * Fischer-Z * Sergio Franchi *

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...

* Crystal Gayle *

* The Groundhogs * Bill Haley & His Comets * The Hassles * Hawkwind * Roy Head & the Traits (Ascot) * Help Yourself * LeRoy Holmes * The Highwaymen * Dee D. Jackson * Jan and Dean * Jay and the Americans * Marv Johnson * George Jones *

Artie Kaplan Artie Kaplan is an American recording artist, songwriter and a session musician. He has also been a music contractor where he was hired to musicians for sessions. In the 1960s, he was casting musicians for sessions for Aldon Music. When musicia ...

* Deke Leonard's Iceberg * Gordon Lightfoot * Little Anthony and the Imperials (DCP, Veep & UA) * Don McLean * Sylvia McNeill * Man * Manfred Mann (Ascot & United Artists) * Country Johnny Mathis * Nathaniel Mayer * Bobbi Martin * George Martin * Garnet Mimms * Melba Montgomery * Ennio Morricone * Mouth & MacNeal * The Move * Neu! (UK) * Maxine Nightingale * Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Liberty & United Artists) * Passengers * Joyce Paul * Gene Pitney (Musicor) * The Platters (Musicor) * Popol Vuh (rest of the world) * Mark Radice * Gerry Rafferty * Chris Rea * Sharon Redd * Del Reeves * Waldo de los Rios * Johnny Rivers * Tito Rodríguez (United Artists Latino) *

* Jimmy Roselli * Merrilee Rush * Jean Shepard * Dusty Springfield (US) * The Stranglers (except in US) *

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular m ...

* The Tammys * Traffic (US) * Ike & Tina Turner * The Vapors * The Ventures * War (Far Out Productions) * Doc Watson * Wess and the Airedales * Dottie West * Whitesnake * David Wiffen * Bobby Womack * Roy Wood *

Wynder K. Frog Mick Weaver (born 16 June 1944, Bolton, Lancashire, England) is an English session musician, best known for his playing of the Hammond B3 organ, and as an exponent of the blues and funk. Career Weaver's band performed as Wynder K. Frog and beca ...

* Frank Zappa ( ''200 Motels'' soundtrack only)

References

{{Authority control Jazz record labels Pop record labels Soundtrack record labels Record labels based in California Defunct record labels of the United States Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles EMI Record labels established in 1957 Record labels disestablished in 1980 1957 establishments in California 1980 disestablishments in California United Artists