 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(February 2019) |
Chameleon was a record label formed by producer, music entrepreneur and former Capitol Records A&R executive Stephen Powers, in association with Bob Marin, Managing Director of alternative rock importer Sounds Good, and Richard Foos, co-founder of Rhino Records.
An experienced indie label chief who previously founded Mountain Railroad Records and later Drive Entertainment, Powers quickly signed a distribution agreement with Capitol/EMI, bought out Marin and Foos, and brought in Hyatt Hotel heir, Daniel Pritzker, as a financial partner.
Pritzker was also a musician and songwriter, whose band Sonia Dada, later scored a #1 pop hit in Australia titled "You Don't Treat Me No Good," on the Chameleon label through Festival Records. Powers staffed Chameleon Music Group with industry veterans like Andy Frances, Bill Meehan, and the company grew quickly with 2-tiered, major-label distribution for its flagship Chameleon label and independent distribution for its many alternative imprints.
In 1991, Chameleon was named Independent Label of the Year by National Association of Independent Distributors (NAIRD), and Powers was named Independent Music Executive of the Year.
Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz was an employee, and Chameleon distributed his early Epitaph releases, such as L7's self-titled debut and T.S.O.L. Chameleon also distributed Minneapolis-based Twin/Tone Records and released the first albums by The Replacements, Soul Asylum and Hüsker Dü; punk label Posh Boy Records (Black Flag, Agent Orange, Redd Kross, Rodney on the ROQ) and had a subsidiary of their own called Dali Records. [1] Chameleon also acquired and relaunched the legendary Chicago Blues Soul label, Vee-Jay Records.
The label won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Blues Recording for "I'm In The Mood," a duet by John Lee Hooker and Bonnie Raitt from its 1990 release of Hooker's best-selling album, The Healer , also featuring Carlos Santana, Robert Cray, Canned Heat, Los Lobos, Charlie Musslewhite, and others.
In the first years of the label's existence, Chameleon was distributed by Capitol/EMI in the USA, A&M Records of Canada, Festival Records in Australia, BMG in Europe, and various independent distributors. In the last years of the label's existence, Chameleon was distributed worldwide by Elektra Records.
Overall artists included the following: John Lee Hooker, Kyuss, Dramarama, Lowen & Navarro, New Marines, Mary's Danish, Way Moves, Spooner (w/ Butch Vig, Duke Erikson), Sigmund Snopek III, Ecotour, Lucinda Williams, Ferron, Ethyl Meatplow, Bel Canto, and Black Cat Bone.
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was 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 worldwide success over time, with the success of platinum performers Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Devo, Tangerine Dream, Genesis, Phil Collins, OMD, the Human League, Culture Club, Simple Minds, Lenny Kravitz, the Sex Pistols, and Mike Oldfield among others, meaning that by the time it was sold, it was regarded as a major label, alongside other large international independents such as A&M and Island Records.
Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of motor and town, has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered.
Harvest Records is a British-American record label belonging to Capitol Music Group, originally created by EMI in 1969.
Chrysalis Records is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright Agency.
Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll.
Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group.
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus.
Blue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow and former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Blue Thumb's last record was released in 1978. In 1995, the label was revived and remained active until 2005.
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.
EMI Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia and Parlophone record labels. The label was later launched worldwide. It has a branch in India called EMI Records India, run by director Mohit Suri. In 2014, Universal Music Japan revived the label in Japan as the successor to EMI Records Japan. In June 2020, Universal revived the label as the successor to Virgin EMI, with Virgin Records now operating as an imprint of EMI Records.
United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.
Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice-T, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Big L, Silkk the Shocker and Westside Connection. It also distributed hip hop record labels including Death Row Records, Hoo-Bangin' Records, No Limit Records, Posthuman Records, Rap-A-Lot Records, Rawkus Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, Ruthless Records Duck Down Records, and Wu-Tang Records. According to Billboard, "few record labels were as important to the rise of West Coast hip hop as Priority Records."
Philadelphia International Records (PIR) was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. It was known for showcasing the Philadelphia soul music genre that was founded on the gospel, doo-wop and soul music of the time. This sound later marked a prominent and distinct era within the R&B genre. During the 1970s, the label released a string of worldwide hits that emphasized lavish orchestral instrumentation, heavy bass and driving percussion.
Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary was officially opened on New Year's Day 1945 as MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville which on New Year's Day 1950 as Capitol Nashville. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records Nashville. UMG Nashville not only handles these imprints, but also manages the country music catalogues of record labels Universal Music and predecessor companies acquired over the years including ABC Records, Decca Records, Dot Records, DreamWorks Records, Kapp Records, MGM Records and Polydor Records.
Frontiers Music – formerly Frontiers Records – is an Italian record label, predominantly producing hard rock. It was founded in 1996 by Serafino Perugino and is based in Naples.
Etcetc Music is an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia. It is the label of alternative and electronic bands and artists Pnau, George Maple, Kilter, Paces, San Mei, Luke Million, CLYPSO, Luboku, and the Australian releases of Jax Jones, Fisher, Duke Dumont and Fever Ray.
An independent record label is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented by trade associations in their country or region, which in turn are represented by the international trade body, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN).
Bernard Besman was a Russian-born American record producer and distributor who established Sensation Records, an early independent record label in Detroit, Michigan. He was the first to record John Lee Hooker, and is credited with co-writing some of Hooker's songs
 | This article about a United States record label is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
