ABKCO Records

Last updated
ABKCO Music & Records Inc
PredecessorAllen Klein & Co.
Founded1961 [1]
Founder Allen Klein
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Revenue$26,000,000
Number of employees
43 [1]
Footnotes /references
distributed by Universal Music Group

ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. (Allen & Betty Klein Company) is an American independent record label, music publisher, and film and video production company. It owns and/or administers the rights to music by Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, Dishwalla, the Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway label, which includes recordings by such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, the Orlons, the Dovells, Question Mark & the Mysterians, the Tymes and Dee Dee Sharp. Until 2009, ABKCO administered Philles Records and its master recordings, including hits by the Righteous Brothers, the Ronettes, the Crystals and others (via a licensing deal with EMI Music Publishing, which owned the Philles catalog since the mid-1990s). The label is infamous for its management contracts and lawsuits by its founder Allen Klein, the latter of which persisted until his death.

Contents

ABKCO Records is currently distributed by Universal Music Distribution, which also controls distribution of the Rolling Stones' post-ABKCO catalog through Polydor Records and Interscope Records. [2]

In addition to music, ABKCO controls the rights to Alejandro Jodorowsky's early films, including Fando y Lis , El Topo , and The Holy Mountain . Additionally, they served as a production company on Regina King’s 2020 film One Night in Miami , in which Sam Cooke is a central character.

Soundtrack releases include the critically acclaimed Big Little Lies: Music From The HBO Original Series, David O Russell’s Golden Globe® nominated Joy, Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, the 2015 Academy Award, Grammy and BAFTA winning soundtrack to his Golden Globe winner®The Grand Budapest Hotel, the 2013 Academy Award® nominated Moonrise Kingdom, The Darjeeling Limited and the 2010 Academy Award® nominated Fantastic Mr. Fox, Safety Not Guaranteed, Our Idiot Brother, the international blockbuster Fast Five, Edgar Wright’s The Worlds End and Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Boardwalk Empire Volume 2: music from the HBO® original series, and soundtrack to the first season of the hit Showtime® series, Californication.

History

ABKCO is the successor company to a business that was founded in 1961 as Allen Klein & Co. Allen Klein (1931–2009) was then a business manager specializing in music clients including Bobby Darin and Sam Cooke and, later, managed the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. ABKCO Industries was founded in 1968 as an umbrella company involved in management, music publishing, film, TV and theatrical production. (The acronym stood for "Allen & Betty Klein and COmpany," although Klein would often joke that it stood for "A Better Kind of COmpany"). Later that year, ABKCO acquired the Cameo-Parkway Records catalog along with a manufacturing facility which the company later used to produce records by several of its artists, including the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

The label had been heavily criticized by many fans for keeping the Cameo-Parkway material unavailable until 2005. ABKCO's licensing policy prevented releasing the original version of songs for compilations. [3] ABKCO sat on the entire catalog of music from artists such as Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker. Some original artists had to re-record their hits for inclusion on bargain-basement oldies LP's. [4] Checker was forced to re-record his hits such as "The Twist". [5]

ABKCO is active in the release of compilations and reissues from its catalogs, film and commercial placement of its master recordings and music publishing properties. Jody Klein, president of ABKCO, [6] has been credited in the liner notes of the recordings in not only getting the Cameo-Parkway recordings (which he partially owns) finally released, but also overseeing an extensive remastering of the Rolling Stones, the Animals, Herman’s Hermits, and Sam Cooke's 1960s recordings. Allen Klein died in 2009.

Lawsuits

In January 1970, the Beatles signed a music publishing management contract with ABKCO Industries. [7] At some point after the contract was terminated, ABKCO sued the group, a suit resolved in 1977 when the Beatles paid ABKCO $4.2 million; other ABKCO Beatles-related lawsuits continued for at least a decade. [8]

One such case would include ABKCO Music, Inc. v. Harrisongs Music, Ltd. Former Beatle George Harrison (under Harrison Interests) was sued by Bright Tunes Music Corporation over the similarities between Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and "He's So Fine" (by the Chiffons), the rights of which were owned by Bright Tunes. At the time, ABKCO was managing work released by Harrison, as well as other material by the Beatles, which meant that they were defendants in the case; that is, until ABKCO made a successful motion to acquire Bright Tunes and all of their copyrights, after years of negotiation. Another lawsuit was then initiated by ABKCO against Harrison Interests over the similarities between "My Sweet Lord" and "He's So Fine". Eventually, the case was ruled as copyright infringement on the part of Harrison, which resulted in him paying damages for the infringement; however, ABKCO was also found guilty of breaching their fiduciary duty by purchasing Bright Tunes with intimate knowledge of the defendant's defense in the case, indicating that ABKCO was withholding the earnings from their acquisition, which was to be paid to Harrison Interests with interest. The decision was appealed by both parties, but the district court's decision was upheld by the appellate court. [9] [10]

ABKCO sued the Verve over their song "Bitter Sweet Symphony", which samples the Andrew Oldham Orchestra recording of "The Last Time" by the Rolling Stones. [11] In May 2019, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones handed back the rights to all future royalties of the songs to the Verve (having split ties with ABKCO Records). [12]

In July 2008, ABKCO filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne for copyright infringement and unfair competition, specifically referring to the track "Playing with Fire" on his album Tha Carter III . [13] In the lawsuit, ABKCO claims that the song was obviously derived from the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire", a song for which ABKCO owns the rights. [13] [14] As a result, "Playing with Fire" was removed from the online music track listings of Tha Carter III album.

Pop culture references

"Beware of Darkness" is a song by George Harrison that featured on his first post-Beatles album All Things Must Pass . When he was demo-ing this song for Phil Spector during 1970 he jokingly changed one line of the lyrics to "Beware of ABKCO". [15] This became the name of a 1994 bootleg album containing the recordings from that session.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chubby Checker</span> American singer and dancer

Chubby Checker is an American singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including the Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighters' R&B song "The Twist", and the pony dance style with the 1961 cover of the song "Pony Time". His biggest UK hit, "Let's Twist Again", was released one year later ; that year, he also popularized the song "Limbo Rock", originally a previous-year instrumental hit by the Champs to which he added lyrics, and its trademark Limbo dance, as well as other dance styles such as The Fly. In September 2008, "The Twist" topped Billboard's list of the most popular singles to have appeared in the Hot 100 since its debut in 1960, an honor it maintained for an August 2013 update of the list.

<i>96 Tears</i> (album) 1966 album by ? and the Mysterians

96 Tears is the debut studio album by the American garage rock band? and the Mysterians, released in 1966. It peaked at number 66 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart. The single "96 Tears" reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 29, prior to release of the album. The album and the single "96 Tears" were both on the charts for fifteen weeks, while the single "I Need Somebody" was on the charts for ten weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Loog Oldham</span> English record producer, talent manager, impresario and author

Andrew Loog Oldham is an English record producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 to 1967, and was noted for his flamboyant style.

Cameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 and 1958 to 1967. Among the types of music released were doo-wop, dance hits, popular/rock, rockabilly, big band, garage rock, soul and novelty records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Sweet Lord</span> 1970 song by George Harrison

"My Sweet Lord" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released in November 1970 on his triple album All Things Must Pass. It was also released as a single, Harrison's first as a solo artist, and topped charts worldwide; it was the biggest-selling single of 1971 in the UK. In America and Britain, the song was the first number-one single by an ex-Beatle. Harrison originally gave the song to his fellow Apple Records artist Billy Preston to record; this version, which Harrison co-produced, appeared on Preston's Encouraging Words album in September 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Klein</span> American businessman (1931 – 2009)

Allen Klein was an American businessman whose aggressive negotiation tactics affected industry standards for compensating recording artists. He founded ABKCO Music & Records Incorporated. Klein increased profits for his musician clients by negotiating new record company contracts. He first scored monetary and contractual gains for Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen, one-hit rockabillies of the late 1950s, then parlayed his early successes into a position managing Sam Cooke, and eventually managed the Beatles and the Rolling Stones simultaneously, along with many other artists, becoming one of the most powerful individuals in the music industry during his era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitter Sweet Symphony</span> 1997 single by the Verve

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song by the English rock band the Verve, from their third studio album, Urban Hymns (1997). It was produced by Youth and released on 16 June 1997 by Hut Recordings and Virgin Records as the album's lead single.

The Beatles were an English rock band, active from 1960 until 1970. From 1962 onwards, the band's members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Their break-up is attributed to numerous factors, including: the strain of the Beatlemania phenomenon, the 1967 death of manager Brian Epstein, bandmates' resentment of McCartney's perceived domineering, Lennon's heroin use and his relationship with Yoko Ono, Harrison's increasingly prolific songwriting, the floundering of Apple Corps, the Get Back project, and managerial disputes.

The Andrew Oldham Orchestra was a musical side project in the mid-1960s created by Andrew Loog Oldham, the original manager and record producer of the Rolling Stones. There was no actual orchestra per se. The name was applied to recordings made by Loog Oldham using a multitude of session musicians, including members of the Rolling Stones.

"Sweet Virginia" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and was the sixth song on the Rolling Stones' 1972 double album Exile on Main St. The song is a slow country-inspired composition with a saxophone solo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Last Time (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1965 single by the Rolling Stones

"The Last Time" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones featuring the Andrew Oldham Orchestra, and the band's first original song released as an A-single in the UK. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California in January 1965, "The Last Time" was the band's third UK single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top in March and early April 1965. It reached number two in the Irish Singles Chart in March 1965, and was released on the US version of the album Out of Our Heads on 30 July 1965.

Peter Bennett was a popular music promoter who worked with several prominent artists including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra and the Jackson 5.

"Sue Me, Sue You Blues" is a song written by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1973 album Living in the Material World. Harrison initially let American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis record it for the latter's Ululu album (1972), in gratitude to Davis for his participation in the Concert for Bangladesh. When writing the song, Harrison drew inspiration from the legal issues surrounding the Beatles during the early months of 1971, particularly the lawsuit that Paul McCartney initiated in an effort to dissolve the band's business partnership, Apple Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stop Breaking Down</span> Song first recorded by Robert Johnson in 1937

"Stop Breaking Down" or "Stop Breakin' Down Blues" is a Delta blues song recorded by Robert Johnson in 1937. An "upbeat boogie with a strong chorus line", the lyrics are partly based on Johnson's experience with certain women:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Down the Line</span> 1972 single by the Rolling Stones

"All Down the Line" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, which is included on their 1972 album Exile on Main St.. Although at one point slated to be the lead single from the album, it was ultimately released as a single as the B-side of "Happy".

<i>Hairspray</i> (1988 soundtrack) 1988 soundtrack album by Various Artists

Hairspray: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack of the 1988 John Waters film, Hairspray.

"Loving Cup" is a song by the Rolling Stones, which appears on their 1972 album Exile on Main St.

"Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by George Harrison, Starr's former bandmate in the Beatles, and was one of several contributions Harrison made to Ringo. Recording for the song took place in Los Angeles in March 1973, with Richard Perry as producer. In addition to Starr and Harrison, the musicians on the track include Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson of the Band, and multi-instrumentalist David Bromberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Schneider</span> Musical artist

Ronald Schneider is best known for being the business presence at the center of pivotal 1960s events including the Altamont Free Concert, the dissolution of The Beatles and the reorganization of their business arm, Apple Corps. Schneider managed the early US tours of The Rolling Stones while simultaneously dealing with the financial affairs of some of the biggest names in Rock and Roll history including the Stones, The Beatles, Neil Sedaka, Sam Cooke, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Vinton, Herman’s Hermits and The Shirelles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Gochanour</span> American director, producer and composer

Michael "Mick" Gochanour is a Grammy Award-winning American film director, producer, composer, and entertainment executive. He is best known for his filmmaking and film restoration with The Rolling Stones, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Sam Cooke. As a sound designer, composer, and music supervisor, he specialized in nature videos for Turner Broadcast, World Wildlife Organization and the Discovery Channel. He has toured with such acts as Peter Gabriel and David Bowie, among others.

References

  1. 1 2 Abkco Music & Records Inc. "Abkco Music & Records Inc - New York, New York (NY) | Company Profile". Manta.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  2. ↑ "Soumya Sriraman Appointed Vice President Of Marketing and Operations, Universal Music and Video Distribution/Visual Entertainment - Mentions That Abkco is One of the Labels Distributed by UMG". New.umusic.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  3. ↑ Charles Hill (January 15, 2000). "Mostly disinKleined - ABKCO Records - Epinions.com". Archived from the original on 2011-06-28.
  4. ↑ "StereOldie Shop - Cameo Parkway". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16.
  5. ↑ "K-Tel Greatest Hits - Chubby Checker". AllMusic.
  6. ↑ "The Rolling Stones You Can't Always Get What You Want Soulwax Remix". Iorr.org. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "The Beatles: The ABKCO Contract: Rockmine On-Line". Rockmine.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  8. ↑ [ dead link ]
  9. ↑ "ABKCO Music Inc. vs Harrisongs Music, Ltd". Digital Law Online. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  10. ↑ "944 F. 2d 971 - Abkco Music Inc v. Harrisongs Music Ltd". Open Jurist. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ↑ "Horror stories of sampling", Web.archive.org (archived 2009)
  12. ↑ "Bittersweet no more: Rolling Stones pass Verve royalties to Richard Ashcroft". Theguardian.com. 23 May 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Lil Wayne sued for using Rolling Stones track". NME . Los Angeles. July 24, 2008. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  14. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (July 25, 2008). "Lil Wayne Sued By Rolling Stones Publisher Over 'Playing With Fire'". MTV. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  15. ↑ George Harrison (2001). All Things Must Pass (Album & CD). EMI.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.