Everything about Island Records totally explained
Island Records is a
record label that was founded by British record producers in
Jamaica. It was based in England for many years, but is now owned by
Universal Music Group of the United States, and is operated through
The Island Def Jam Music Group.
History
Rise of the Island brand
Island Records was founded in
Jamaica in 1959 by
Chris Blackwell and
Graeme Goodall, taking its name from the 1955
Alec Waugh novel, subsequent film and
Harry Belafonte hit song '
Island in the Sun'. The company relocated to the
UK in May 1962. Until Blackwell sold the label to
PolyGram in 1989, Island was the largest
indie record label in history. In the mid-1970s, Island operated its own record pressing plant, but had problems with quality control; many records were defective and had to be returned. Except for this brief period, Island manufactured and released most of its titles in the UK with the assistance of
EMI, and in other territories via licensing agreements with other record companies.
Island's overseas licensing arrangements were often such that Island was marketed as the primary label, with Island Records credited on sleeve spines, and Island's label designs appearing prominently on the discs themselves, even when a different company was responsible for the records' manufacture, distribution and marketing. Sometimes the fine print on these releases would mention the other company, sometimes not. Island did incorporate and operate business offices in the U.S. and Canada in the 1970s and 1980s, but even in those territories, Island-branded records were actually released by companies such as
Asylum Records (U.S., 1970),
Capitol Records (U.S., early 1970s),
Warner Bros. Records (U.S., 1975–1982),
WEA Records (Canada, et al.),
Atlantic Records (U.S., 1982–1989),
Phonogram Records (Germany, 1970s),
Ariola Records (Germany & Netherlands, late 1970s–1989),
Dacapo (Portugal), and others. The first multinational distribution deal for the then-independent label in North America was with RCA Records in Canada, developing the label and for almost a decade under label manager Cathy Hahn, prior to its move to Warner. The RCA deal yielded Bob Marley's first gold album for North American record sales with the release of "Exodus", and also marked Island's first gold album certification for North American Record sales. One anomaly is that Rupert Murdoch's
Festival Records (Australia & New Zealand) (now owned by Warner Music) got to promote its brand more prominently than most.
Although this strategy of the Island brand dominating releases helped prevent the brand from becoming marginalized, Island struggled as a business in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Bob Marley had died, Irish rock band
U2, which had signed to Island in March 1980, were growing in popularity, but hadn't reached the international superstar status that was to come, and a joint arrangement with
Trevor Horn's fledgling
ZTT label had diminishing returns. Blackwell had also used the label to finance a new film production and distribution company,
Island Alive, in 1983. In the mid-1980s,
U2 helped keep the label afloat with a loan that Blackwell repaid by expanding U2's royalties and giving the band control of its master recordings.
Island's acquisition by PolyGram
In July 1989, Blackwell sold Island Records and Island Music to
PolyGram UK Group for
£272 million. From this point on, Island was no longer an independent company. Although PolyGram continued to market the brand, Blackwell stayed on as
CEO of PolyGram's Island Entertainment division.
PolyGram immediately began reissuing much of the Island back catalogue on
compact disc and expanded Island's reach through its global manufacture and distribution network, but the label was relatively unfocused in the 1990s. Its
4th & Broadway division, operating since the mid-1980s, achieved some success marketing alternative
hip hop and dance-pop music. In November 1997, Blackwell resigned from Island Entertainment (some sources say he was fired) and went on to form
Palm Pictures the following year. In December 1998,
Seagram purchased PolyGram and merged it into
Universal Music Group.
Island under Universal Music Group
The Universal years have, thus far, resulted in tremendous dilution of brands; releases are inconsistently marketed as being "on" any number of labels which range from historic brands like Island to conglomerate holding companies, music groups, label groups, and miscellaneous divisions of Universal Music that formed from numerous mergers and acquisitions in the 1990s and 2000s:
- In December 1998 and the first three months of 1999, Universal Music Group put the Island brand in the control of three divisions: one in the UK, one in the U.S., and one in Germany. In each territory, these companies were merged under umbrella groups:
- In March 1999, in the UK, Island Records Ltd. (the Island half of Island Mercury Group) was renamed Universal-Island Records Ltd., and Mercury took over the marketing of Island's roster of U.S. artists in that territory. Thus, Island and Universal-Island became synonymous with primarily UK and European artists. Island Mercury is sometimes used as a brand, as well.
- Releases bearing the Island brand are also sometimes issued via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and UM3 (UM3), umbrella organizations formed in October 1999 to handle special-market releases and catalogue reissue compilations for the U.S. and the rest of the world, respectively. UMe and UM3 releases are coordinated by a constituent label company like Hip-O Records and bear its logo, but also typically promote a confusing array of other Universal-owned brands, including Island, with varying degrees of prominence.
- Around 2002, Island Mercury Group became Island Records Group.
- Some early 2000s releases by U2 are credited to "Interscope/Island Records". This isn't a separate company, but rather just a co-branded alias for Interscope Records, much the way "Manhattan Island Records" was used for a handful of Grace Jones releases on Manhattan Records (a division of Capitol Records) in the mid-1980s.
- In January 2003, four divisions of Universal Music Germany merged into two: Motor Music and Urban/Def Jam become Motor Urban Def Jam, and Polydor Records merged with Island Mercury Labelgroup to form Polydor Island Group. In 2004, these divisions merged again, and Universal Music Germany restructured to have only two divisions: Universal Music Domestic Division and Universal Music International Division. Any of these divisions, or even Universal Music Germany itself, may be credited as the label on a given release, alongside or in place of Island.
- Island Records Australia was launched in 2007 by Universal Music Australia.
Artists
Recordings
This article deals mostly with the commercial history of the label, and over the years its output has been prolific. For a comprehensive list of releases, see the
Discography.
Subsidiaries & Labels
This list is probably incomplete, and some of the dates are uncertain.
Al's Records (1996–1997)
Aladdin Records (UK) (mid-1960s)
Antilles Records (1972–1998)
Apparent Records (2007-Present)
Apollo Recordings (2006–2007)
Black Swan Records (1963-1965 and mid-1970s)
Blue (1999–2001)
Blunted (1993–1996)
Brown Brigade (2003-present)
Europa Recordings (2006–2007)
Fallout Records (UK division)
4th & Broadway (1982–1997)
Gee Street Records (1990-1997)
Great Jones (1988–1994)
Island Black Music (1995–1998)
Island Jamaica (1995–1996)
Island Jamaica Jazz (1996)
Island Masters (1980s–1990s; reissues)
Island Records Australia (2007-Present)
Island Reggae Greats (1985, compilation series; re-issued in several forms)
Island Trading Company (importer; 1982–mid-1990s; still exists)
Island Urban Music (2007)
Island Visual Arts (1985)
Manga Entertainment (1991-1997, moved to Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures, then was sold to Starz Media)
Mango Records (1972–1997)
Mango Street (1989–1992)
MonarC Entertainment (2002)
Sense ("Sense of Island"; 1990–1991)
Stiff Records (1984–1986 only)
Stolen Transmission Records
Sue Records (UK division)
Surprise Records (mid-1970s)
Trade 2 (1996–1997)
Trojan Records (1967–1968 only)
Tuff Gong (UK division)
Witchseason Productions (Joe Boyd)Further Information
Get more info on 'Island Records'.
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