Phonogram Inc.: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American record company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2011}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2011}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = Phonogram (U.K. Ltd.)
| name = Phonogram Inc.
| logo = [[File:phonogramlogo300.jpg|150px|Phonogram]]
| logo = [[File:phonogramlogo300.jpg|150px|Phonogram]]
| parent = [[PolyGram|PolyGram N.V.]]
| parent = [[PolyGram]]
| foundation = 1970
| foundation = 1970
| founder = [[Philips Records]] and [[Deutsche Grammophon]]
| founder = [[Philips Records]] and [[Deutsche Grammophon]]
| successor = [[Mercury Records]]
| successor = [[PolyGram]] / [[Polydor]] / [[Fontana Records]]
| location = [[Netherlands]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[United States]], [[United Kingdom]].
| location = [[Netherlands]]


}}
}}
'''Phonogram Incorporated''' was started in 1970 as a successor to '''Philips Phonographic Industries''', a unit of the Grammophon-Philips Group (GPG), a joint venture of [[Philips]] N.V. of the Netherlands and [[Siemens]] A.G. of Germany.
'''Phonogram Incorporated''' was started in 1970 as a successor to '''Philips Phonographic Industries''', a unit of the Grammophon-Philips Group (GPG), a joint venture of [[Philips]] N.V. of the Netherlands and [[Siemens]] A.G. of Germany.


Phonogram was the name of a [[parent company]] that owned and or distributed many different [[record labels]]. Phonogram was never a record label as such, but a [[holding company]] for labels which included [[Philips Records|Phillips]], [[Fontana Records|Fontana]], [[Vertigo Records|Vertigo]] and [[Mercury Records|Mercury]] and many other licensed labels.
Phonogram was the name of a [[parent company]] that owned and or distributed many different [[record labels]]. Phonogram was never a record label as such, but a [[holding company]] for labels which included [[Philips Records|Philips]], [[Fontana Records|Fontana]], [[Vertigo Records|Vertigo]] and [[Mercury Records|Mercury]] and many other licensed labels.


==History==
==History==
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In 1972 Grammophon-Philips Group was reorganized as The [[PolyGram]] Group. Following PolyGram's acquisition of [[Mercury Records|Mercury]] in the [[United States]], the corporate name was changed from Mercury Record Productions, Inc., to Phonogram, Inc. In the U.S. Phonogram artists were generally released on [[Mercury Records]], but the label is independent from its U.K. counterpart. By 1982, Mercury and all other PolyGram owned labels including, RSO, Polydor, Total Experience and Casablanca carried the following wording "Manufactured And Marketed by PolyGram Records" with the PolyGram Records logo.
In 1972 Grammophon-Philips Group was reorganized as The [[PolyGram]] Group. Following PolyGram's acquisition of [[Mercury Records|Mercury]] in the [[United States]], the corporate name was changed from Mercury Record Productions, Inc., to Phonogram, Inc. In the U.S. Phonogram artists were generally released on [[Mercury Records]], but the label is independent from its U.K. counterpart. By 1982, Mercury and all other PolyGram owned labels including, RSO, Polydor, Total Experience and Casablanca carried the following wording "Manufactured And Marketed by PolyGram Records" with the PolyGram Records logo.


In the [[United Kingdom]], Phonogram was the holding company for [[Philips Records]], which was established in 1953 and also launched the Fontana label in 1958. As well as producing their own recordings many of which became U.K. hits, Philips/Fontana licensed the rights from [[Columbia Records]] (U.S.) to release and distribute their product from 1953 until the end of 1964. After that time, Columbia U.S. set up their own marketing and production unit in the UK in Theobalds Road, London, having acquired [[Oriole Records (UK)|Oriole Records]] and its record-pressing plant that had prospered in manufacturing discs for U.K. budget labels including [[Embassy Records|Embassy]], sold through [[Woolworths Group|Woolworths]]. U.S. Columbia was unable to use the "Columbia" trademark outside the United States and [[Canada]] as it had already been copyrighted overseas by [[EMI]]. Therefore U.S. Columbia product was released in most territories on the [[CBS Records International|CBS]] record label.
In the [[United Kingdom]], Phonogram was the holding company for [[Philips Records]], which was established in 1953 and also launched the Fontana label in 1958. As well as producing their own recordings many of which became U.K. hits, Philips/Fontana licensed the rights from [[Columbia Records]] (U.S.) to release and distribute their product from 1953 until the end of 1964. After that time, Columbia U.S. set up their own marketing and production unit in the UK in Theobalds Road, London, having acquired [[Oriole Records (UK)|Oriole Records]] and its record-pressing plant that had prospered in manufacturing discs for U.K. budget labels including [[Embassy Records|Embassy]], sold through [[Woolworths Group (United Kingdom)|Woolworths]]. U.S. Columbia was unable to use the "Columbia" trademark outside the United States and [[Canada]] as it had already been copyrighted overseas by [[EMI]]. Therefore, U.S. Columbia product was released in most territories on the [[CBS Records International|CBS]] record label.

In 1977 [[Frank Zappa]] negotiated a distribution agreement with Phonogram for his [[Zappa Records]] label. Due to legal pressure from Zappa's previous distributor [[Warner Bros. Records]], Zappa and Phonogram were forced to shelve a planned 4-LP box set called ''[[Läther]]'' (pronounced "Leather".) Phonogram did distribute 3 Zappa albums in the US and Canada, but the agreement ended in 1980. According to Zappa, this was because a Phonogram executive objected to the lyrics of a Zappa single titled ''[[I Don't Wanna Get Drafted]]''. Phonogram president Robert Sherwood disputed Zappa's version of the story, insisting that they did not want to release a single without the support of a full-length album.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afka.net/Articles/1980-07_Enlisted_Times_1.htm|title = 1980-07 Record company zaps draft song}}</ref>


Releases in [[Europe]] were issued by [[Vertigo Records|Vertigo]] and Philips and carried the "Marketed by Phonogram" wording with the Phonogram logo. Phonogram also licensed recordings from small U.S. record labels for European release. Among these were [[Avco Records|Avco]], [[Sire Records|Sire]], [[Janus Records|Janus]], [[Westbound Records|Westbound]], [[All Platinum Records|All Platinum]], and [[Chess Records|Chess]].
Releases in [[Europe]] were issued by [[Vertigo Records|Vertigo]] and Philips and carried the "Marketed by Phonogram" wording with the Phonogram logo. Phonogram also licensed recordings from small U.S. record labels for European release. Among these were [[Avco Records|Avco]], [[Sire Records|Sire]], [[Janus Records|Janus]], [[Westbound Records|Westbound]], [[All Platinum Records|All Platinum]], and [[Chess Records|Chess]].
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==De-establishment==
==De-establishment==


In 1997, all PolyGram units still using the Phonogram name were renamed Mercury Records.<ref>{{cite book |title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Performance and Production: Volume 2 |date=2003 |publisher=A&C Black |location=London |isbn=978-0826463227 |page=634 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0tz5YpijuksC&pg=PA634&lpg=PA634&dq=phonogram+%2B+mercury+%2B+renamed&source=bl&ots=KX4524-NFS&sig=J8yiTnQodWkkYIFlu7CZNptCnpw&hl=en&ei=GSocS_r3PNKonQehg7DiAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCUQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=phonogram%20%2B%20mercury%20%2B%20renamed&f=false}}</ref> By that time, Mercury had become PolyGram's flagship label. PolyGram continued until 1998, when the company was purchased by [[Seagram]] and merged with [[Universal Music Group]], now owned by [[Vivendi]]. Philips Records UK and Phonogram UK still have their own websites.
In 1997, all PolyGram units still using the Phonogram name were renamed Mercury Records.<ref>{{cite book |title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Performance and Production: Volume 2 |date=2003 |publisher=A&C Black |location=London |isbn=978-0826463227 |page=634 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0tz5YpijuksC&q=phonogram+%2B+mercury+%2B+renamed&pg=PA634}}</ref> By that time, Mercury had become PolyGram's flagship label. PolyGram continued until 1998, when the company was purchased by [[Seagram]] and merged with [[Universal Music Group]]. Philips Records UK and Phonogram UK still have their own websites at WIX.


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of record labels]]
* [[Lists of record labels]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:American record labels]]
[[Category:American record labels]]
[[Category:British record labels]]
[[Category:British record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1970]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1970]]
[[Category:Joint ventures]]
[[Category:Former joint ventures]]
[[Category:Philips]]
[[Category:Pop record labels]]
[[Category:Pop record labels]]

{{UK-record-label-stub}}

Latest revision as of 16:07, 3 November 2023

Phonogram Inc.
Founded1970
FounderPhilips Records and Deutsche Grammophon
SuccessorPolyGram / Polydor / Fontana Records
HeadquartersNetherlands
ParentPolyGram

Phonogram Incorporated was started in 1970 as a successor to Philips Phonographic Industries, a unit of the Grammophon-Philips Group (GPG), a joint venture of Philips N.V. of the Netherlands and Siemens A.G. of Germany.

Phonogram was the name of a parent company that owned and or distributed many different record labels. Phonogram was never a record label as such, but a holding company for labels which included Philips, Fontana, Vertigo and Mercury and many other licensed labels.

History[edit]

In 1972 Grammophon-Philips Group was reorganized as The PolyGram Group. Following PolyGram's acquisition of Mercury in the United States, the corporate name was changed from Mercury Record Productions, Inc., to Phonogram, Inc. In the U.S. Phonogram artists were generally released on Mercury Records, but the label is independent from its U.K. counterpart. By 1982, Mercury and all other PolyGram owned labels including, RSO, Polydor, Total Experience and Casablanca carried the following wording "Manufactured And Marketed by PolyGram Records" with the PolyGram Records logo.

In the United Kingdom, Phonogram was the holding company for Philips Records, which was established in 1953 and also launched the Fontana label in 1958. As well as producing their own recordings many of which became U.K. hits, Philips/Fontana licensed the rights from Columbia Records (U.S.) to release and distribute their product from 1953 until the end of 1964. After that time, Columbia U.S. set up their own marketing and production unit in the UK in Theobalds Road, London, having acquired Oriole Records and its record-pressing plant that had prospered in manufacturing discs for U.K. budget labels including Embassy, sold through Woolworths. U.S. Columbia was unable to use the "Columbia" trademark outside the United States and Canada as it had already been copyrighted overseas by EMI. Therefore, U.S. Columbia product was released in most territories on the CBS record label.

In 1977 Frank Zappa negotiated a distribution agreement with Phonogram for his Zappa Records label. Due to legal pressure from Zappa's previous distributor Warner Bros. Records, Zappa and Phonogram were forced to shelve a planned 4-LP box set called Läther (pronounced "Leather".) Phonogram did distribute 3 Zappa albums in the US and Canada, but the agreement ended in 1980. According to Zappa, this was because a Phonogram executive objected to the lyrics of a Zappa single titled I Don't Wanna Get Drafted. Phonogram president Robert Sherwood disputed Zappa's version of the story, insisting that they did not want to release a single without the support of a full-length album.[1]

Releases in Europe were issued by Vertigo and Philips and carried the "Marketed by Phonogram" wording with the Phonogram logo. Phonogram also licensed recordings from small U.S. record labels for European release. Among these were Avco, Sire, Janus, Westbound, All Platinum, and Chess.

De-establishment[edit]

In 1997, all PolyGram units still using the Phonogram name were renamed Mercury Records.[2] By that time, Mercury had become PolyGram's flagship label. PolyGram continued until 1998, when the company was purchased by Seagram and merged with Universal Music Group. Philips Records UK and Phonogram UK still have their own websites at WIX.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1980-07 Record company zaps draft song".
  2. ^ Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Performance and Production: Volume 2. London: A&C Black. 2003. p. 634. ISBN 978-0826463227.
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