GRT Records

Last updated
GRT Records
Company type Thereto
Industry Record label
Founded1969
Canada
United States
Founder General Recorded Tape
FateActive
Tax Dormitory[ citation needed ]
Headquarters California, United States
Ontario, Canada
Total assets US$6.6million
Parent Elektra Records (1985-1989)
Hollywood Records (1989-2001)
Interscope Records (2001-present)

GRT Records was the name of both a U.S. and a Canadian record label, both created by General Recorded Tape, a California-based company that existed from 1965 to 1979. [1] Their demise was concurrent with the bankruptcy of their owner, General Recorded Tape. [2]

Contents

U.S. label

The American branch of GRT Records was founded in 1970. [3]

Artists who released material on GRT Records in the United States included The Mojo Men, Sam Taylor, Lighthouse, Bobby Jameson, Edwards Hand, Terry Bush, Ronnie Hawkins, Colosseum, Mainline, Minnie Riperton, Flower Travellin' Band, Rastus, String Driven Thing, Lotti Golden, Van der Graaf Generator, Meri Wilson and Steve Hackett. [2] Contrary to original expectations, the label was not a major component of the operations of parent General Recorded Tape. Instead of its record releases being referenced to the GRT label, as originally announced, General Recorded Tape referred to its Chess/Janus record operations. [4] The GRT label had more success with their Nashville operations, but the Nashville office was shut down in 1978. [5]

In 1976, GRT Records established a subsidiary, Sunnyvale Records, [6] which concentrated on releases of interest to an older audience, including releases of Dixieland, organ, harmonica and accordion music. [7]

Canadian label

In contrast to the U.S. label, the Canadian subsidiary became a major source of original releases by Canadian artists. GRT Records, legally known as GRT of Canada Ltd., was established as the Canadian subsidiary of General Recorded Tape. It was initially based in London, Ontario, as a Canadian distributor of 4-track and 8-track tapes produced in the United States. [1] The company was specifically established to produce records of Canadian artists. [8] Its founding president was Ross Reynolds, who later was the president of MCA Records Canada. [9]

The company was relocated to Toronto, Ontario in 1969, and commenced distributing foreign label records and tapes, as well as recording its own artists. By 1976, the foreign labels distributed by GRT in Canada included GRT-owned Chess Records and Janus Records, as well as other labels such as ABC Records, Dunhill Records, Island Records, Festival Records, Westminster Records, America Records, Impulse Records, Musidisc Records, [1] 20th Century Fox Records and Sire Records. [10] In addition to releasing records under the GRT label, other Canadian labels distributed included Axe Records and Daffodil Records. [1] Notable Canadian artists whose records were released by GRT included Dan Hill, Ian Thomas, Downchild Blues Band, Lighthouse, Prism [1] and FM. [11]

GRT Records went bankrupt in 1979, [11] with significant effects on the career progress of certain Canadian artists. The second album release of FM had been scheduled for release one week subsequent to the GRT Records bankruptcy. [12] The Canadian band Prism had sold in excess of 200,000 copies of their album Armageddon , which was released the same year as the GRT bankruptcy. Both 8-track tapes and records by The Ramones were remaindered as a result of the GRT bankruptcy. Paradoxically, the remaindering of Ramones music in Canada is regarded as having contributed to the band's popularity in that country, [10] since their music was discovered by persons who would not otherwise have purchased the music at full price. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chess Records</span> American record label (1950–1975)

Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll, and jazz and comedy recordings, released on the Chess and its subsidiary labels Checker and Argo/Cadet. The Chess catalogue is owned by Universal Music Group and managed by Geffen Records and Universal Music Enterprises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sire Records</span> American record label

Sire Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pye Records</span> British record label

Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhood of Man (1975–1979). The label changed its name to PRT Records in 1980, before being briefly reactivated as Pye Records in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariola</span> German record label

Ariola is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment.

Cadet Records was an American record label that began as Argo Records in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet to avoid confusion with the similarly named label in the UK. Cadet stopped releasing records around 1974, when its artists were moved to Chess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charisma Records</span> British record label

Charisma Records was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton Smith. He had previously acted as manager for rock bands such as The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator. Gail Colson was label manager and joint managing director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rounder Records</span> American record label

Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Alison Krauss and Union Station, George Thorogood, Tony Rice, and Béla Fleck, in addition to re-releases of seminal albums by artists such as the Carter Family, Jelly Roll Morton, Lead Belly, and Woody Guthrie. "Championing and preserving the music of artists whose music falls outside of the mainstream," Rounder releases have won 54 Grammy Awards representing diverse genres, from bluegrass, folk, reggae, and gospel to pop, rock, Americana, polka and world music. Acquired by Concord in 2010, Rounder is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janus Records</span> American record label

Janus Records was a record label owned by GRT Records, also known as General Recorded Tape. The label was in operation from 1969 to 1979.

FM is a Canadian progressive rock music group formed in 1976 in Toronto, by Cameron Hawkins and Jeff Plewman. The band existed from 1976 to 1989, 1994–1996, 2006, and 2011–present. They have had periods of inactivity during their existence. Their music has been categorized as space rock, and lyrics are dominated by science fiction themes. In November 2011, Hawkins reformed the band with two new players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moe Koffman</span> Canadian jazz musician (1928–2001)

Morris "Moe" Koffman, OC was a Canadian jazz saxophonist and flautist, as well as composer and arranger. During a career spanning from the 1950s to the 2000s, Koffman was one of Canada's most prolific musicians, working variously in clubs and sessions and releasing 30 albums. With his 1957 record Cool and Hot Sax on the New York–based Jubilee label, Koffman became one of the first Canadian jazz musicians to record a full-length album. Koffman was also a long-time member of Rob McConnell's Boss Brass.

Bellaphon Records is an independent German record label of Bellaphon records GmbH. The label produces its own artists and distributes those of other labels.

Polo Grounds Music is a hip hop and R&B record label, distributed by Sony Music's RCA Records. Founded in 2006 by Bryan Leach, Polo Grounds Music is a full-service entertainment company with a focus in publishing, management, marketing and promotions.

<i>Armageddon</i> (Prism album) 1979 studio album by Prism

Armageddon is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Prism, released in June 1979 by Capitol Records. It achieved double platinum status in Canada.

Cargo Records was a Canadian independent record label and distributor, active in the 1980s and 1990s. Based in Montreal, the company both released albums directly as a label, and distributed albums on behalf of many other small independent labels, making it one of the largest and most influential Canadian record companies of the alternative rock era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Recorded Tape</span> Defunct American tape manufacturer

General Recorded Tape was an American manufacturer of reel to reel, 8-track and cassette tapes that existed between 1965 and 1979. The company grew to become the owner of several prominent U.S. record labels, including Chess Records and Janus Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MapleCore Ltd.</span> Canadian music company

Cadence Music Group, formerly MapleCore Ltd., is a music company founded in 1999 and located in Toronto, Canada. Cadence Music Group has multiple divisions, five record labels Cadence Recordings, Open Road Recordings, Pheromone Recordings, Physical Presents, and Known Accomplice. They also jointly own distribution arm Fontana North with Universal Music Group, a live ticket services TicketBreak and Fan Experience, and their licensing division called Cadence Songs.

Daffodil Records was a Canadian record label that existed from 1971 to 1978.

Axe Records is a Canadian record label founded by Greg Hambleton in 1972. After a number of years of inactivity, the label was revived in 2013. It is particularly notable as the original recording label of the Canadian duo Gary and Dave.

Passport Records was a U.S.-based independent record label that existed between 1973 and 1988. It was notable for popularizing such artists as Larry Fast, FM, Richard Barone, and Wendy O. Williams. It was distributed by Jem Records in the United States and by GRT Records in Canada.

Marvin Schlachter is a former American record company music executive and record label owner. Schlachter was the founder and owner of Scepter Records, Wand Records, Prelude Records, and helmed a number of high ranking roles at others such as GRT Records, Janus Records, Chess Records and Pye Records US.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Richard Green, GRT of Canada, Ltd.; The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2013-02-26.
  2. 1 2 Uncredited, Overview of GRT Records; Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
  3. ↑ "Billboard". 1970-08-29.
  4. ↑ Uncredited, GRT Profit Pace Holds. Billboard, November 25, 1972, p. 8. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  5. ↑ "Billboard". 1978-02-18.
  6. ↑ Uncredited, Grass Roots Labels; Billboard, March 19, 1977, p. 12. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  7. ↑ Uncredited, Sunnyvale Records releases; Discogs. Retrieved 2013-04-14.
  8. ↑ Uncredited, GRT, Canada, Go Into Disks, Distribute Five More Labels. Billboard, August 9, 1969, p. 94. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  9. ↑ National Music Centre, Profile of Ross Reynolds Archived 2012-05-24 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  10. 1 2 Ramones on Vinyl! Ramones and GRT: The Final Chapter. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  11. 1 2 Paul Wentworth, Interview With Cameron Hawkins; The FM Archive. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  12. ↑ Canadian Pop Encyclopedia, Biography of FM [usurped] . Retrieved 2013-03-03
  13. ↑ Kaushik, Sarthak (2021-04-10). "The Ramones and punk rock". BusinessLine. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
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.