Slash Records

Last updated

Slash Records
Parent companyIndependent (1978–1996)
PolyGram (1996–2000)
Warner Music Group (2000-present)
Founded1978
FounderBob Biggs
Defunct2000
StatusDormant
Distributor(s) Reprise/Warner Records (United States/Canada)
London Records (1986–2000; international)
Rhino Entertainment Company (reissues)
Genre
Country of originUnited States
Location Los Angeles, California

Slash Records was an American record label originally specializing in local punk rock bands, active from 1978 to 2000. It was notable as one of the first and most successful independent record labels in alternative music, [1] before its eventual acquisition by Warner Music Group.

Contents

History

The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from the Germs in 1978. A full album from that band was released the next year, and X's Los Angeles followed in 1980. The label was distributed through Jem until 1981 when that company went bankrupt. Slash then entered into a distribution deal with Warner Bros., a move that was among the first collaborations between a self-started indie and a major label. During the time of this arrangement, the label released albums by prominent Los Angeles punk and rock and roll bands, including Fear, The Blasters, L7 and Los Lobos, as well as comparable punk and garage rock bands such as Austin's Rank and File and Boston's Del Fuegos.

The label flourished even after the magazine stopped in 1980. A subsidiary, Ruby Records, was started in 1981; Ruby released albums by Misfits, Dream Syndicate, and The Gun Club. By the mid-1980s, Slash had branched out beyond Southern California, releasing albums by Robyn Hitchcock and Burning Spear. From 1982 until 1996, releases from Slash Records were distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Records and Reprise Records, and elsewhere by PolyGram.

The label was sold to London Records in 1996. [2] Universal Music Group (the owner of American Decca) was formed through the merger of the MCA and PolyGram Records families, the latter of which owned London Records, in 2000 and closed Slash as an active label. When London Records president Roger Ames moved to Warner Music Group, he retained the rights to London and Slash, and the back catalogue of Slash was acquired by Warner (excluding Rammstein and Harvey Danger). In 2003, Ames relicensed the use of the name Slash back to Bob Biggs, who then relaunched the label. [3] [4] The revived label only released one album, the eponymous debut album by Shiner Massive, before it was closed again due to "high losses". [5]

As of 2018, Slash solely exists as a reissue label. Between 2016 and 2017, Warner Music, the parent company of Slash, sold off the rights to several former Slash artists; this included the sale of Violent Femmes to Concord Music, Failure to PIAS Recordings, Soul Coughing to Swedish indie Woah Dad!, and Grant Lee Buffalo to Chrysalis Records.

Biggs died in October 2020. [6]

Notable artists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germs (band)</span> American punk rock band

The Germs were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1976 to 1980. The band's "classic" lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom and drummer Don Bolles. They released only one album, 1979's (GI), produced by Joan Jett, and were featured in Penelope Spheeris' seminal documentary film The Decline of Western Civilization, which chronicled the Los Angeles punk movement. The Germs disbanded following Crash's suicide in 1980. Their music was influential to many later rock acts, and Smear went on to achieve greater fame performing with Nirvana and Foo Fighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misfits (band)</span> American horror punk band

The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. The group was founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig. Over the next six years, Danzig and bassist Jerry Only were the group's main members through numerous personnel changes. During this period, they released several EPs and singles, and with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the only constant member in the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Lobos</span> American Chicano rock band

Los Lobos is an Mexican-American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños. The band rose to international stardom in 1987, when their version of "La Bamba" peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and also topped the charts in the United Kingdom, and several other countries. Songs by Los Lobos have been recorded by Elvis Costello, Waylon Jennings, Frankie Yankovic, and Robert Plant. In 2015, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2018, they were inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. They are also known for performing the theme song for Handy Manny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Recordings</span> Record label headquartered in the UK

London Recordings is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London name – as London American Recordings, often shortened to London American – was also used by British Decca in the UK market, for releases taken from American labels, which British Decca licensed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cough/Cool</span> 1977 single by the Misfits

"Cough/Cool" is the first single released by the horror punk band the Misfits. It was released in August 1977 on singer Glenn Danzig's label Blank Records. 500 copies were produced on black 7" vinyl. Both songs from the single were re-recorded and re-released in various versions over the following twenty years.

<i>Walk Among Us</i> 1982 studio album by the Misfits

Walk Among Us is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Misfits, released in March 1982 by Ruby Records and its parent label Slash Records. It was the first full-length album to be released by the band, although it was the third to be recorded, after Static Age and 12 Hits from Hell. The recording sessions for Walk Among Us took place at multiple studios between June 1981 and January 1982, and the album also includes the track "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?", which was recorded live at the Ritz in New York City. The album features a re-recording of the single "Night of the Living Dead", which was released on October 31, 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robyn Hitchcock</span> English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the influential Underwater Moonlight, Hitchcock launched a prolific solo career. His musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Syd Barrett, Captain Beefheart, Martin Carthy, Lou Reed, Roger McGuinn and Bryan Ferry.

Mitchell Froom is an American musician and record producer. He was a member of the bands Gamma and Latin Playboys, and is currently the keyboardist for Crowded House. He has produced albums for several artists, including Richard Thompson, Los Lobos, Suzanne Vega, and Vonda Shepard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bags (Los Angeles band)</span> American punk rock band

Bags were an American punk rock band formed in 1977, one of the first generation of punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles, California.

<i>3</i> (Violent Femmes album) 1989 studio album by Violent Femmes

3 is the fourth studio album by U.S. punk-folk band Violent Femmes.

Slash was a punk rock-related fanzine published by Steve Samiof and Melanie Nissen in the United States from 1977 to 1980. The magazine was a large-format tabloid focused on the Los Angeles punk scene. The fanzine also gave birth to Slash Records, an important punk record label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Gano</span> Musical artist

Gordon James Gano is an American musician who is the singer, guitarist and songwriter of American folk punk band Violent Femmes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flesh Eaters</span> American punk band

The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins, best known as Chris D. While Desjardins is the group's only continual member, the Flesh Eaters' lineup has drawn from some of the most famous bands of the L.A. punk scene, such as the Plugz, X, the Blasters, and Los Lobos.

<i>GI</i> (album) 1979 studio album by the Germs

GI, stylized as (GI), is the only studio album by American punk rock band the Germs. Often considered the first full-length hardcore punk album, it was released in the United States in October 1979 on Slash Records with catalog number SR 103. The album was later released in Italy in 1982 by Expanded Music with the catalog EX 11. The album's title is an acronym for "Germs Incognito", an alternate name the band used to obtain bookings when their early reputation kept them out of Los Angeles-area clubs. After (GI)'s release, the band would only undertake one more recording session, for the soundtrack album to Al Pacino's 1980 film Cruising. On December 7, 1980, a year after the release of (GI), vocalist Darby Crash died by suicide.

<i>Lexicon Devil</i> 1978 EP by the Germs

Lexicon Devil is a three-song EP and the second release by American punk rock band the Germs. It was also the debut output of Slash Records, and of Geza X both as a producer and as a recording engineer. The record was named after its leadoff song.

<i>Slap-Happy</i> 1999 studio album by L7

Slap-Happy is the sixth studio album by the American rock band L7. It was released on August 24, 1999, by Bong Load Records in collaboration with Wax Tadpole Records, an independent record label that the band formed after being dropped by Reprise Records in 1997. L7 recorded the album as a trio formed by founding members Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner, and longtime drummer Demetra Plakas, following the departure of bassist Gail Greenwood. It was made with a low budget and produced by the band and their friend Brian Haught.

Chris D. is an American punk poet, singer, writer, rock critic, producer, and filmmaker. He is best known as the lead singer and founder of the early and long-running Los Angeles punk/death rock band the Flesh Eaters.

<i>The Misfits</i> (album) 1996 box set by the Misfits

The Misfits is a boxed set of material by the horror punk band the Misfits, released in 1996 by Caroline Records. Packaged in a coffin-shaped, velvet-lined box, the set includes four compact discs covering most of the band's recorded material from the years when Glenn Danzig was their singer and songwriter. It also includes a "Fiend Club" pin and a booklet containing photographs, song lyrics, a discography, and a history of the band written by their photographer and associate Eerie Von. The exterior cover of the booklet was illustrated by artist Dave McKean.

<i>Queen Elvis</i> 1989 studio album by Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians

Queen Elvis is the seventh studio album by English musician Robyn Hitchcock, released on A&M Records in 1989. It is his fourth studio album to be released with his band The Egyptians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misfits discography</span>

The discography of Misfits, a horror punk band formed in Lodi, New Jersey, in 1977, consists of seven studio albums, three live albums, four compilation albums, four EPs, nineteen singles, one video album, five music videos, one box set, one demo, and one cancelled album.

References

  1. "SLASH RECORDS : After the Punk Revolution". Los Angeles Times . June 21, 1987.
  2. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (February 22, 2003). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. "Slash Records revived in LA and NY" Archived November 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine , The DIY Reporter, June 20, 2003.
  4. "Bigg News! The Return Of Bob Biggs and the Rebirth of Slash Records" Archived April 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine interview with Bob Briggs by Shaun Dale, Cosmik Debris Magazine #98, September 2003.
  5. Morris, Chris (October 18, 2020). "Slash Records Leader Bob Biggs Dies at 74; Label Brought Los Lobos, X, Violent Femmes to Fame". Variety . Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  6. Hussey, Allison (October 18, 2020). "Bob Biggs, Founder of Slash Records, Dead at 74". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 18, 2020.