After making the shop into a success, they turned their business into a fully fledged record label. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. So Virgin became the name of the company Branson started in 1970 to sell discounted and import records via mail-order. 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. Virgin Records was sold by Branson to Thorn EMI in June 1992 for a reported US$1 billion (around £560 million), [13] [14] with a special non-competition clause that would prevent Branson from founding another recording company during the five years following the agreement (see the final paragraph in EU Merger Decision IV/M202 of 27.04.1992). The Virgin label was distributed in the US by Atlantic from 1973 to 1975. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Record company, mostly used in the label ring of records manufactured in Germany by the Ariola company but can also be mentioned as a company on other Virgin releases. Virgin Records America's releases were distributed through WEA again by Atlantic Records until 1992. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Rolling Stones Records was the record label formed by the Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. Columbia was unwilling to release all Virgin artists, and so many were licensed to other labels: Epic (the sister company of Columbia) (Mike Oldfield [1980s releases], Culture Club, Holly and the Italians, some XTC [1982] and Shooting Star), Atlantic (Julian Lennon), A&M (UB40, Human League, Simple Minds, Breathe, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and The Blue Nile), Warner Bros. (Sex Pistols, Scritti Politti, Devo), Geffen (XTC - 1983 on), MCA (Tangerine Dream, Belinda Carlisle), RCA (the soundtrack of 1984 ) and Arista (Heaven 17, Jermaine Stewart). Branson and Powell had initially run a small record shop called Virgin Records and Tapes on Notting Hill Gate, London, specializing in krautrock imports, and offering bean bags and free vegetarian food for the benefit of customers listening to the music on offer. [10]. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the center of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information. Virgin Atlantic wins a libel case against competitor British Airways. Branson’s firm is awarded $945,000. MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger Universal Music Group. Branson launches The Virgin Airship and Balloon Company, which later becomes Virgin Balloon Flights. Dropped by EMI and A&M, the punk rockers were running out of labels until Virgin came to the rescue and issued their epochal 'God Save The Queen', the alternative Jubilee anthem, in May 1977. It was established in 1986 as an … Virgin Records America was founded by the executive team of Jordan Harris, Jeff Ayeroff and Phil Quartararo. The Faust Tapes album retailed for 49p (the price of a 7" single) and as a result allowed this relatively unknown band to reach number 12 in the album charts[ citation needed ]. The second part of the statement would come true a few years later. Other early albums include Gong's Flying Teapot (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 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. Virgin Records Italia, Milan, Italy. On April 1, 1971, the band signed a distribution deal for five albums with Ahmet Ertegun, acting on behalf of Atlantic Records. Virgin Records Ltd is a British record label founded by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman in 1972. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. on June 30, 2007, after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. 1), Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, "Virgin EMI rebrands as EMI, Rebecca Allen appointed as label president", "Forty years of Virgin: How Richard Branson's eccentric record label", "Simon Draper: Virgin Records – timeline", "EUROPA – Competition – Cases from 200 to 249", "Virgin Nashville to be folded into Capitol", "Sold! Virgin Direct Personal Financial Service launches and is later renamed Virgin Money. Branson chartered a private plane, and as what he called a “joke,” wrote “Virgin Atlantic” on a chalkboard and sold tickets aboard the flight to other stranded travelers. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records Nashville. [12] The current Virgin logo (known informally as "the scrawl") was created in 1978, commissioned by Simon Draper, then managing director of Virgin Records Limited. On June 16, 2020, Universal rebranded Virgin EMI Records as EMI Records and named Rebbeca Allen (former president of UMG's Decca label) as the label's president, [4] bringing back the EMI brand. It grew to be a worldwide phenomenon over time, with the success of platinum performers such as Aaliyah, George Michael, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Roy Virgin Trains, a British rail operator, unveils its first 140-mph Pendolino train. It packages post-Branson signings like Massive Attack, the Spice Girls, Daft Punk and Emelie Sandé together with the label's first two decades, and promises an exhibition, a coffee-table book, a documentary as well as compilations and live events. Music and records were cool, Virgin stocked records and magazines you couldn’t buy anywhere else and, particularly in a smaller store, and in a smaller town like Swansea, Virgin became the place for like-minded and young, impressionable souls to meet. Virgin Records. One of Virgin's and Epic's biggest acts of the 1980s was Culture Club. The acquisition company plans to list its stake on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1986, Virgin Records opened up another American division, Virgin Records America. It's four decades since Richard Branson set up the mail-order business that became a hippie haven, a punk paradise, and then a big-money label. Branson wears a nude-colored bodysuit and rides into New York’s Times Square on a giant cell phone to announce its debut. Virgin EMI Records will accept song demo’s in the Electronica, Dance, House music genre at the moment. The spellbinding album went on to eerily soundtrack 'The Exorcist' and sell more than 15 million copies. Branson opened the first Virgin Records store in 1971 and the accompanying recording studio in 1972.. Fronted by the flamboyant Boy George, a former cloakroom attendant at London's New Romantic haunt The Blitz, the quartet took three singles to catch fire until the light reggae of 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?' UMG revived the label in June 2020, as the successor to Virgin EMI. Initially founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976 and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986 to release the work of American punk, post-punk, and alternative rock bands. The endeavor eventually breaks off to form sister company Virgin Orbit. Soul II Soul and the Human League appear at next weekend's Wychwood Festival (wychwoodfestival.com). The precocious multi-instrumentalist wasn't even 17 when he began working with Kevin Ayers in 1970. At the same time, Virgin releases distributed by Columbia continued, distribution returning to Atlantic (later WEA) in 1980, at which time Virgin International ceased operations. They're still going. Brian Cooke of Cooke Key Associates commissioned a graphic designer to produce a stylised signature. The label was founded in 1993 and, in its early years, featured prominent acts like The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim. Virgin became the punk and post-punk label of choice for X-Ray Spex, Penetration, XTC, Magazine, Devo, The Skids, the Members, Ruts and Public Image Ltd. He opened his first Virgin Records shop at the cheaper end of London's Oxford Street, then another one in Liverpool. Virgin Group announces Virgin Galactic, a space tourism venture, inspired by the technology that powered the first privately funded, crewed trips to space. Executives say commercial flights are months away. It was discontinued in 1992 when the band signed to Virgin Records, but the tongue and lips logo remains on all post-1970 Rolling Stones releases. Virgin Records Ltd is a British record label founded by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman in 1972. In December 2012, BMG Rights Management acquired the Virgin and Famous publishers, [20] and concluded the deal in May 2013. [16]. Voiced by Caron Wheeler, 'Keep On Movin' and 'Back To Life' sound-tracked the summer of 1989 and topped the US R&B charts. Some Caroline records bore the label name Caroline Blue Plate. It oversees handling of record labels assigned to UMG's Capitol Records division and was inherited from its acquisition of EMI's catalog [with the exception of Parlophone, which was sold to Warner Music Group (WMG) in 2013]. The label was later launched worldwide. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Indeed, Universal has just launched a Virgin40 campaign entitled "40 Years Of Disruption". The Sex Pistols, the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, The Smashing Pumpkins and Spice Girls would all eventually appear on Branson’s label. He describes it as the “fastest-growing Virgin company of all time.” Virgin Mobile also debuts down under, with Branson driving a tank over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to announce its arrival. Branson launches airline Virgin Blue, which later becomes Virgin Australia. Charisma Records was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith. In 1997, Virgin absorbed the remainder of EMI Records US, which earlier consolidated EMI America Records and Manhattan Records, with Capitol Records acquiring EMI's other American operations, and in 1998, opened a country music division called Virgin Records Nashville, of which record producer Scott Hendricks was president. EMI Group Limited was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. Ten percent of Universal Music Group was acquired by Tencent in March 2020 for US$3 billion. Capitol Records and Virgin Records America merged in 2007 to form Capitol Music Group after a massive restructuring of EMI Group Ltd. [17] Stepping down as chief executive of Capitol Records was Andy Slater, with Jason Flom, former executive of Virgin, taking the reins as chairman and CEO of the newly created company. So please check carefully if you demo do fit the genre(s) where Virgin EMI Records is active. V2 Records is a record label that was purchased by Universal Music Group in 2007 and sold to [PIAS] in 2013.