In 1999, after the PolyGram merger into UMG which created the Interscope Geffen A&M unit,[1][2] DGC was absorbed into Geffen Records, but was later revived in 2007 before being merged into Geffen again in September 2021 following eight years of inactivity.[3]
History
DGC Records (The 'DGC' portion of the name was then known as the David Geffen Company) was launched in 1990 by David Geffen as a subsidiary label of Geffen Records and was distributed by Warner Bros. Records until 1991, when it was acquired by MCA Music Entertainment Group, a division of MCA Inc.[4][5][6] The label was created as a response to the success Geffen had with the harder rock acts on its roster. Though it initially focused on more progressive rock and heavy metal, as the decade progressed it also embraced the emergence of (and become a seminal label of) alternative rock, with influential acts like Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Hole, Weezer and Beck. The label also released early titles by Philadelphiaalternativehip hop band The Roots.
In 1996, a year after Matsushita Corporation (now Panasonic) sold off 80% of MCA Inc. To Canadian distillery and media conglomerate Seagram,[7] the company name was reincorporated as Universal Studios, Inc. (later doing business as Universal Pictures).[8] Even so, MCA Music Entertainment also rebranded as Universal Music Group.[9] DGC, and its sister labels, Geffen, Interscope Records, DreamWorks Records, MCA Records, Universal Records and Republic Records, would now operate under the new music company name. However, despite the parent company name changing, chances of DGC performing as a label proved less fruitful as its record sales started to see a small 19% decrease in the first quarter of 1997.[10]
On December 10, 1998, Seagram completed its seven-month $10.6 billion plan to acquire PolyGram, merging its music division's operations into Universal Music.[2][11] Following so, on time for New Year's Day 1999, UMG combined the operations of Interscope, Geffen and now-inactive sister label A&M Records into Interscope Geffen A&M Records, a newly formed one out of the four label groups under UMG (the other three being the Verve Label Group, Universal Motown Republic Group and the Island Def Jam Music Group).[1] DGC would have been a sister label to newly acquired A&M, Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, Mercury Records and Motown (which had previously been a part of UMG during its preceding MCA era from 1988–91), but later in 1999, the label's operations were folded into Geffen Records, as was A&M (which itself would be absorbed into Geffen's parenting label, Interscope).[12] The retained acts went on to record for the main Geffen imprint. However, Beck and Sonic Youth would remain recording for DGC until August 2003, during a reorganization at IGA, which finally fulfilled both acts' involvement with the imprint when they altogether would finally be drafted into Geffen, effectively ending the label name,[citation needed] at the same time as MCA and DreamWorks Records being absorbed into the label as well,[13][14] expanding Geffen's artist roster.
In the years to follow, the DGC title and logo occasionally appeared on reissues of its past catalog items, maintained by UMG's catalogue remaster label Universal Music Enterprises.
In 2007, the label was revived as a brand for both Geffen and Interscope Records, inheriting many alternative acts signed to Interscope Geffen A&M (including acts that previously recorded for either Geffen, MCA or DreamWorks Records).[citation needed] Throughout its revival, it released albums by Weezer, Beck, Counting Crows, Papa Roach, AFI and Rise Against. In 2008, DGC, in partnership with MySpace Records, signed Los Angeles-based artist Meiko (through indie label Lucky Ear Music) and alternative indie singer-songwriterKate Voegele.[citation needed]
In December 2010, Luke Wood stepped down as president of the label.[19][20] After five years under Geffen, Compton rapper The Game resigned with Interscope through DGC. On August 22, 2011, his fourth studio album, The R.E.D. Album, was released under the imprint. Despite mixed reception, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.[21] After releasing his fifth follow-up, Jesus Piece, in December 2012, Game parted ways with DGC and ended his relationship with Interscope.[22] As a result, and without an artist on its own roster, the label went inactive in 2013. However, DGC as an imprint and name managed to hold copyrights for reissues of catalogue releases under UMe for the time being.[citation needed].
On September 27, 2021, following its eight years of hibernation, DGC Records was permanently merged into Geffen Records, once again ending the label's operations and name.[3] The remains of DGC's artist roster and catalogue releases were to be transferred to Geffen following its merger and later closure.[3] The last of what was the imprint is now under the corporate control of Universal Music's Interscope Geffen A&M division.
To date, the best-selling album in the DGC catalog is Nevermind, the 1991 album by Nirvana, reaching international sales of 25 million copies worldwide, with ten million copies sold in the United States, and was one of the first albums on the label to be RIAA-certified diamond.[23]
Artists prior to 2021 closure
The following artists have recorded for DGC Records:
Geffen Records is an American record label, founded in 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the now-defunct Geffen Pictures, it is owned by the Interscope Geffen A&M faction of Universal Music Group.
MCA Inc. (originally an initialism for Music Corporation of America) was an American media conglomerate founded in 1924. Originally a talent agency with artists in the music business as clients, the company became a major force in the film industry, and later expanded into television production. MCA published music, booked acts, ran a record company, represented film, television, and radio stars, and eventually produced and sold television programs to the three major television networks, especially NBC.
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. In turn, Polydor distributes Interscope releases in the United Kingdom. Polydor Records Ltd. was established in London in 1954 as a British subsidiary of German company Deutsche Grammophon/Schallplatte Grammophon GmbH. It was renamed Polydor Ltd. in 1972. The company is usually mentioned as "Polydor Ltd. (UK)", or a similar form, for holding copyrights.
Universal Music Group N.V. is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its operational headquarters are located in Santa Monica, California. The biggest music company in the world, it is one of the "Big Three" record labels, along with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. Tencent acquired ten percent of Universal Music Group in March 2020 for €3 billion and acquired an additional ten percent stake in January 2021. Pershing Square Holdings later acquired ten percent of UMG prior to its IPO on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. The company went public on September 21, 2021, at a valuation of €46 billion.
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Music Group and Interscope Communications, it differed from most record labels by letting A&R staff control decisions and allowing artists and producers full creative control. Interscope's first hit records arrived in under a year, and it achieved profitability in 1993. Chair and CEO until May 2014, Iovine was succeeded by John Janick.
James Iovine is an American entrepreneur, former record executive, and media proprietor. He is best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. He became chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M, an umbrella music unit formed by Universal Music Group in 1999.
The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American recording music unit, formed on New Year's Eve 1998 by Universal Music Group. It consists of labels created under the basic operations of Island Records and Def Jam Recordings. On April 1, 2014, Universal Music Group publicly announced the disbandment of the Island Def Jam Music Group, leaving IDJMG and its affiliated subsidiaries as separate sister labels.
Universal Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group. The label has been dormant since 2006, due to Universal Motown and Universal Republic Records being formed and taking all of the artists from it. Those labels were eventually combined to form the latest iteration of Republic Records.
DreamWorks Records was an American record label founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. The label operated until 2003 when it was sold to Universal Music Group. The label itself also featured a Nashville, Tennessee-based subsidiary, DreamWorks Nashville, which specialized in country music and was shut down in 2006 then moved to MCA Nashville. The company's logo was designed by Roy Lichtenstein and was his last commission before his death in 1997.
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.
Frederick Woodruff "Ted" Field is an American media mogul, record executive, entrepreneur and film producer.
Flip Records is a Californian record label, started by Jordan Schur in April 1994. The label is known for the signing of popular nu metal bands such as Limp Bizkit, Dope and Cold. The label has sold 70 million albums worldwide.
Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA) is an American umbrella label owned by Universal Music Group. It currently consists record labels Interscope Records and Geffen Records.
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distributing releases from Polydor Ltd. from the UK.
Suretone Records is an American record label established in 2006 as a joint venture by Jordan Schur, former CEO of Geffen Records, and Interscope Records, to release alternative rock music. Several high-profile bands such as Weezer, The Cure, Rooney, New Found Glory and Angels and Airwaves remained on Geffen and carried the Suretone imprint.
Luke Wood is an American music executive and musician, known as being the president of both Beats Electronics from 2012 to 2020 and DGC Records from 2007 to 2010. He was also a guitarist for the 1990s alt-rock bands Sammy and Girls Against Boys.
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