Universal Classics and Jazz

Last updated

Universal Classics and Jazz (UCJ) is the name of two record label divisions of the Universal Music Group record company.

Contents

Current divisions

UCJ Germany

Universal Music Classics & Jazz (Germany) is a division of Universal Music Germany and is marketed under websites called Klassik Akzente and Jazz Echo.

UCJ Japan (a.k.a. UM-CLJZ)

This Universal Music Japan subsidiary formerly operated as two separate labels: Universal Classics [1] and Universal Jazz. [2]

On 2013, Universal Music Japan merged the two labels into one. The label name is now Universal Classics and Jazz (UM-CLJZ).

Defunct divisions

UCJ (UK)

UCJ Music logo UCJ Music.png
UCJ Music logo

Universal Classics and Jazz was a division of the Universal Music Group based in London, United Kingdom. [3] The UCJ roster included Jamie Cullum, Aled Jones, Nicola Benedetti and Katherine Jenkins. [4]

At the time that Katherine Jenkins was signed to the label in 2003, she had signed the then-largest record deal in United Kingdom classical recording history, reportedly worth £1 million. [5]

The label group was dismantled in 2011 with the restructuring of Universal Music UK's classical operations, as well Universal Music Group International's greater restructuring of its classical labels. The dismantling of UCJ ensued the revival of Decca Records in the UK, under the instigation of Max Hole, the newly appointed Chief operating officer (COO) of Universal Music Group International.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parlophone</span> German–British record label

Parlophone Records Limited is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parlophone Company Limited, which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a jazz record label. On 5 October 1926, the Columbia Graphophone Company acquired Parlophone's business, name, logo, and release library, and merged with the Gramophone Company on 31 March 1931 to become Electric & Musical Industries Limited (EMI). George Martin joined Parlophone in 1950 as assistant to Oscar Preuss, the label manager, taking over as manager in 1955. Martin produced and released a mix of recordings, including by comedian Peter Sellers, pianist Mrs Mills, and teen idol Adam Faith.

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

Virgin Records was 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMI</span> British music recording and publishing company

EMI Group Limited was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 2012, it was the fourth largest business group and record label conglomerate in the music industry, and was one of the "Big Four" record companies. Its labels included EMI Records, Parlophone, Virgin Records, and Capitol Records, which are now owned by other companies.

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

Capitol Records, LLC is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note in the United States in 1942 by Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva, and Glenn E. Wallichs. Capitol was acquired by British music conglomerate EMI as its North American subsidiary in 1955. EMI was acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012, and was merged with the company a year later, making Capitol and the Capitol Music Group both distributed by UMG. The label's circular headquarters building is a recognized landmark of Hollywood, California.

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

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Music Group</span> Dutch–American music corporation

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.

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

Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released rock, funk, R&B, doo wop, soul music, blues, pop, rock and roll, and jazz records. In the United States, it is operated through Republic Records; in the United Kingdom and Japan, it is distributed by EMI Records.

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

Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, and Oscar Peterson, among others. It absorbed the catalogues of Granz's earlier label, Clef Records, founded in 1946; Norgran Records, founded in 1953; and material which was previously licensed to Mercury Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMI Classics</span> Record label founded by EMI in 1990

EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded music division became the EMI Group. Following the European Commission's approval of the takeover of EMI Group by Universal Music in September 2012, EMI Classics was listed for divestment. The label was sold to Warner Music Group, which absorbed EMI Classics into Warner Classics in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V2 Records</span> British record label

V2 Records is a record label that was purchased by Universal Music Group in 2007 and sold to [PIAS] in 2013. In the Benelux, V2 operates separately from PIAS, as the label bought itself out from Universal in 2007.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Music</span> American multinational music company

Sony Music Entertainment (SME), simply known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Sony Entertainment and managed by the American umbrella division of Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony. It is the recording division half of the Sony Music Group, with the other half being the publishing division, Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philips Records</span> Dutch record label

Philips Records is a record label founded by the Dutch electronics company Philips and the Dutch-American largest record label company Universal Music Group. It was founded as Philips Phonographische Industrie in 1950. In 1946, Philips acquired the company which pressed records for British Decca's Dutch outlet in Amsterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Masterworks</span> America record label

Sony Music Masterworks is a record label, the result of a restructuring of Sony Music's classical music division. Before the acquisition of Bertelsmann's shares in the former Sony BMG, the label was known as Sony BMG Masterworks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Jenkins</span> Welsh classical crossover singer

Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh singer. She is a mezzo-soprano and performs operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre, and hymns.

All Angels were a British classical crossover group formed in 2006, consisting of Daisy Chute, Laura Wright, Rachel Fabri, Melanie Nakhla and actress Charlotte Ritchie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nippon Columbia</span> Japanese record label

Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd., often pronounced Korombia, operating internationally as Nipponophone Co., Ltd., is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK Columbia trademarks in 1931. The company changed its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. It used the Nippon Columbia name until October 1, 2002, when it became Columbia Music Entertainment, Inc.. On October 1, 2010, the company returned to its current name. Outside Japan, the company operated formerly as the Savoy Label Group, which releases recordings on the SLG, Savoy Jazz, and continues to operate as Denon. It also manufactured electronic products under the Denon brand name until 2001. In 2017, Concord Music acquired Savoy Label Group. Nippon Columbia also licensed Hanna-Barbera properties in Japan until those rights were transferred to Turner Japan sometime in 1997. Currently, these rights are owned by Warner Bros. Japan LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juliette Pochin</span>

Juliette Louise B. Pochin is a Welsh classically trained mezzo-soprano singer, composer/arranger, and record producer. She is known not only for her performances in operas and as a classical recitalist as well as for her recordings of operatically styled crossover music. Morgan Pochin, the partnership which she formed with her husband James Morgan is known for their record productions for artists such as Katherine Jenkins and Alfie Boe, as well as their arrangements for film and television scores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz</span> Musical artist

The Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz is the artistic name of the Choralschola of Cistercian monks from the Lower Austrian abbey Heiligenkreuz who have so far recorded six CDs of Gregorian chant that have attracted the attention of European and world music public. The names of individual singers have never been specifically published because monks see themselves primarily as people dedicated to God who sing for religious and non-professional reasons.

References

  1. "Universal Classics Japan Official Website". Universal Music Japan . Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  2. "Universal Jazz". Universal Music Japan . Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  3. "UCJ Eyes Brand, Synch Opportunities". Billboard. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
  4. "UCJ Music". Classics and Jazz.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
  5. "The rise of Katherine Jenkins". BBC News. 25 May 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2008.