Universal Records | |
---|---|
Founded | 1988 |
Founder | Jimmy Bowen |
Defunct | 1989 |
Status | Defunct |
Distributor(s) | MCA Nashville |
Genre | Country |
Country of origin | United States |
Location | Nashville, Tennessee |
Universal Records was an American country music record label. Established in 1988 by Jimmy Bowen, it was merged into Capitol Records Nashville in 1989.
Record producer Jimmy Bowen established the Universal label in December 1988. It was distributed by MCA Nashville, and featured its own team of producers, promotion, and artists and repertoire (A&R). The label's roster at foundation consisted of Joe Barnhill, Lacy J. Dalton, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Joni Harms, Tim Malchak, Scott McQuaig, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Carl Perkins, Eddie Rabbitt, Eddy Raven, and Roger Whittaker. Dalton's Survivor was issued in January 1989 as the label's inaugural album. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band also issued Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two through the label. [1]
In July 1989, Bowen announced that Universal would be the first Nashville label not to issue phonograph records. [2] A September 1989 article in Billboard described the label as "fledgling" and noted that projects by John Anderson, Wild Rose, and other artists had been delayed. [3]
Bowen dissolved the Universal label in December 1989, and its entire roster was merged into Capitol Records Nashville when Bowen assumed presidency of that division. [4] [5] [6]
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. Capitol is well known as the U.S. record label of the Beatles, especially during the years of Beatlemania in America from 1964 to 1967.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. The band's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band.
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.
Edward Garvin Futch, known professionally as Eddy Raven, is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1962, Raven has recorded for several record labels, including ABC, Dimension, Elektra, RCA, Universal, and Capitol Records. After multiple albums which yielded few hit songs, his greatest commercial success came between 1984 and 1990, during which time Raven achieved six number-one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. These were "I Got Mexico", "Shine, Shine, Shine", "I'm Gonna Get You", "Joe Knows How to Live", "In a Letter to You", and "Bayou Boys". Raven has a total of eighteen top-ten hits on that chart. Although his chart success diminished in the 1990s, Raven continued to record throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. In addition to his own work, he has written singles for Don Gibson, Randy Cornor, Jeannie C. Riley, Connie Smith, and The Oak Ridge Boys among others. Raven's music is defined by mainstream country, country pop, Cajun music, and reggae, and he wrote a large number of his singles by himself or with Frank J. Myers.
Show Dog Nashville is an American independent record label specializing in country music artists. It was founded in 2005 by singer Toby Keith. It was later merged with Universal South Records into Show Dog-Universal Music in December 2009 until it was re-activated in late 2015. Currently, it is distributed by Thirty Tigers.
Capitol Records Nashville is a major United States-based record label located in Nashville, Tennessee operating as part of the Universal Music Group Nashville. From 1991 to 1995, Capitol Nashville was known as Liberty Records, before returning to the Capitol Nashville name in 1995. While under the Liberty name, the label operated short-lived sister label Patriot Records from 1994 to 1995. In 1999, EMI launched Virgin Records Nashville but by 2001, Capitol absorbed the short-lived label. In 2010, the label launched sister label EMI Nashville. On March 23, 2011, Alan Jackson signed with Capitol's EMI Nashville division in conjunction with his own ACR Records label.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two is a 1989 album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The album follows the same concept as the band's 1972 album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which featured guest performances from many notable country music stars.
Paul Worley is an American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Records' Nashville division as chief creative officer. Since leaving Warner in the early 2000s, Worley has worked mainly as a record producer for other acts, such as Big & Rich, as well as an occasional session guitarist. He is most widely known as the co- producer of the self-titled debut album of Lady Antebellum (2008) and as one of the producers of their second album, Need You Now (2010). He also discovered the Dixie Chicks and, with Blake Chancey, co-produced their first two albums.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California, in 1966. The band’s membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. The band is often cited as instrumental to the progression of contemporary country and roots music.
Walkin' in the Sun is the forty-sixth album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1990. It includes the single "She's Gone Gone Gone", Campbell's last Top 10 hit on the country music charts. The single itself was released via Universal Records, a short-lived label founded by Jimmy Bowen, instead. This album, however, marked his return to Capitol Records.
"Oh What a Love" is a song written by Jimmy Ibbotson, and recorded by American country music group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It was released in November 1987 as the third single from the album Hold On. They reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The b-side of this single is America, My Sweetheart. The label says "B Side not available on any album".
"I've Been Lookin'" is a song written by Jeff Hanna and Jimmy Ibbotson, and recorded by American country music group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It was released in August 1988 as the second single from the album Workin' Band. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Down That Road Tonight" is a song recorded by American country music group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It was released on December 24, 1988 as the third single from the album Workin' Band. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was written by Jeff Hanna, Josh Leo and Wendy Waldman.
Plain Dirt Fashion is the fifteenth album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, released in 1984 by the record label Warner Bros. Records. This album went to #8 on the US Country charts. The three singles from this album all charted in the top 3. "Long Hard Road " went to 1, "I Love Only You" went to 3, and "High Horse" went to 2. The album is noteworthy for covers of both Meat Loaf's 1978 hit Two Out of Three Ain't Bad and Bruce Springsteen's 1981 single Cadillac Ranch.
"An American Dream" is a song written by Rodney Crowell. He recorded it under the title "Voilá, An American Dream" on his 1978 album Ain't Living Long Like This, and released it as the B-side to that album's single "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I".
"And So It Goes" is a song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist John Denver and American music group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It was released in May 1989 as the second single from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's album Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two. The song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and reached number 29 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.
Verlon Thompson is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and troubadour from Binger, Oklahoma. He has long partnered with Guy Clark as a producer, guitarist, and song co-writer.
Jeffrey R. Hanna is an American singer-songwriter and performance musician, best known for his association with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His professional music career has spanned six decades.