97-642: Casablanca Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Republic Records . Under its founder Neil Bogart , Casablanca was most successful during the disco era of the mid to late 1970s. The label currently focuses on dance and electronic music under the direction of Brett Alperowitz. Neil Bogart (originally Bogatz until adopting the name of his favorite actor Humphrey Bogart ) founded Casablanca Records after departing of Buddah Records due to clashes with its owners. In 1973 Bogart enticed Warner Bros. Records into financing Casablanca. Due to Warner's ownership of all rights to
194-401: A Billboard article, Mottola said that he chose the name as a homage to the original label but that there was no connection between the old and new labels. Casablanca is currently a dance and electronic label under Republic Records headed by GM, Brett Alperowitz, who on April 13, 2021, was also named EVP of A&R by Republic Records' president of West Coast creative, Wendy Goldstein. Kiss
291-538: A "record group" which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. The constituent companies in a music group or record group are sometimes marketed as being "divisions" of the group. From 1929 to 1998, there were six major record labels, known as the Big Six: PolyGram was merged into Universal Music Group (UMG) in 1999, leaving the remaining record labels to be known as the Big Five. In 2004, Sony and BMG agreed to
388-459: A 19-month period. Summer had 10 gold singles, 2 platinum singles and a gold maxi-single with Casablanca. Summer was called in the American press "The First Lady of Love", a name that she disliked but that Casablanca marketed with great success. She was also called "The Queen of Disco". Her hits included the number ones " MacArthur Park ", " No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) " duet with Barbra Streisand ,
485-405: A 50% profit-share agreement, aka 50–50 deal, not uncommon. In addition, independent labels are often artist-owned (although not always), with a stated intent often being to control the quality of the artist's output. Independent labels usually do not enjoy the resources available to the "big three" and as such will often lag behind them in market shares. However, frequently independent artists manage
582-558: A US Senate committee, that the Byrds never received any of the royalties they had been promised for their biggest hits, " Mr. Tambourine Man " and " Turn! Turn!, Turn! ". A contract either provides for the artist to deliver completed recordings to the label, or for the label to undertake the recording with the artist. For artists without a recording history, the label is often involved in selecting producers, recording studios , additional musicians, and songs to be recorded, and may supervise
679-470: A bigger company. If this is the case it can sometimes give the artist greater freedom than if they were signed directly to the big label. There are many examples of this kind of label, such as Nothing Records , owned by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails ; and Morning Records, owned by the Cooper Temple Clause , who were releasing EPs for years before the company was bought by RCA . If an artist and
776-539: A brand of cigarettes sold in Canada that the band saw during a visit to that country. Prior to this, Blackmon, keyboardist Gregory Johnson, and Gwen Guthrie formed the band East Coast, together with James Wheeler (alto saxophone), Melvin Whay (bass), Michael Harris (percussion), and Haras Fyre (also known as Pat Grant ) on trombone. They released one self-titled album in 1973 on the independent label Encounter. Cameo started with
873-408: A conventional cash advance to sign the artist, who would receive a royalty for sales after expenses were recouped. With the release of the artist's first album, however, the label has an option to pay an additional $ 200,000 in exchange for 30 percent of the net income from all touring, merchandise, endorsements, and fan-club fees. Atlantic would also have the right to approve the act's tour schedule, and
970-514: A deal with a proper label. In 2002, ArtistShare was founded as the Internet's first record label where the releases were directly funded by the artist's fans. Cameo (band) Cameo is an American funk band that formed in 1974. Cameo was initially a 14-member group known as the New York City Players ; this name was later changed to Cameo. As of the first half of 2009, some of
1067-403: A deep, funk sound, but it was obvious from the start their sights were set on the dance floor. Their first album was Cardiac Arrest which featured its first hit single, " Rigor Mortis ". Follow up albums We All Know Who We Are , Ugly Ego and Secret Omen contained dance floor songs such as "I Just Want to Be" and "It's Serious", the latter of which was used for a dance contest scene in
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#17328519660731164-538: A double live album Alive! (1975). It became both Casablanca's and Kiss's first top ten album. Casablanca eventually became one of the most successful American labels of the 1970s, signing and releasing records by such acts as Kiss, Donna Summer , Village People , Cher , Lipps Inc. (with lead vocalist Cynthia Johnson ), and George Clinton 's Parliament . In 1976, the label merged with indie-film company Filmworks, Inc. headed by founder, Peter Guber to form Casablanca Record and FilmWorks, Inc. , which had hits with
1261-609: A joint venture and merged their recorded music division to create the Sony BMG label (which would be renamed Sony Music Entertainment after a 2008 merger); BMG kept its music publishing division separate from Sony BMG and later sold BMG Music Publishing to UMG. In 2007, the remaining record labels—then known as the Big Four—controlled about 70% of the world music market , and about 80% of the United States music market. In 2012,
1358-471: A label want to work together, whether an artist has contacted a label directly, usually by sending their team a demo, or the Artists & Repertoire team of the label has scouted the artist and reached out directly, they will usually enter in to a contractual relationship. A label typically enters into an exclusive recording contract with an artist to market the artist's recordings in return for royalties on
1455-462: A large international media group , or somewhere in between. The Association of Independent Music (AIM) defines a 'major' as "a multinational company which (together with the companies in its group) has more than 5% of the world market(s) for the sale of records or music videos." As of 2012 , there are only three labels that can be referred to as "major labels": Universal Music Group , Sony Music , and Warner Music Group . In 2014, AIM estimated that
1552-605: A return by recording for a much smaller production cost of a typical big label release. Sometimes they are able to recoup their initial advance even with much lower sales numbers. On occasion, established artists, once their record contract has finished, move to an independent label. This often gives the combined advantage of name recognition and more control over one's music along with a larger portion of royalty profits. Artists such as Dolly Parton , Aimee Mann , Prince , Public Enemy , among others, have done this. Historically, companies started in this manner have been re-absorbed into
1649-784: A year-long Las Vegas residency show at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino . In 2019, their single "Candy" was interpolated by Beyoncé for her cover of fellow R&B group Maze 's song " Before I Let Go ", featured in her film and accompanying live album Homecoming . Kevin Kendrick, Jeff Nelson, Willie Morris, Anthony Lockett and Aaron Mills continue to tour with Cameo as well as other artists. Kevin Kendrick and Aaron Mills have both worked with Outkast , playing on their singles " Ms. Jackson " (2000) and " Prototype " (2003), among other tracks. Ex-Cameo vocalist John Kellogg became an entertainment lawyer, representing such artists as
1746-544: Is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos , or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture , distribution , marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos, while also conducting talent scouting and development of new artists , artist financing and maintaining contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from
1843-454: Is often marketed as a "unit" or "division" of the parent label, though in most cases, they operate as pseudonym for it and do not exist as a distinct business operation or separate business structure (although trademarks are sometimes registered). A record label may give a musical act an imprint as part of their branding, while other imprints serve to house other activities, such as side ventures of that label. Music collectors often use
1940-684: Is owned by Sony Group Corporation ). Record labels and music publishers that are not under the control of the big three are generally considered to be independent ( indie ), even if they are large corporations with complex structures. The term indie label is sometimes used to refer to only those independent labels that adhere to independent criteria of corporate structure and size, and some consider an indie label to be almost any label that releases non-mainstream music, regardless of its corporate structure. Independent labels are often considered more artist-friendly. Though they may have less sales power, indie labels typically offer larger artist royalty with
2037-519: The Billboard 200 and eventually earning Platinum certification . Speak spawned Lohan's first single, " Rumors ". Detailing Lohan's complaints with the paparazzi , "Rumors" eventually earned gold certification , as well as a nomination for Best Pop Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards . Lohan released her second album, A Little More Personal (Raw) in December 2005. The album peaked at number 20 on
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#17328519660732134-659: The Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts in the United States. The 7" single sold over two million copies within a few months and was awarded a platinum record within the same year of its release. It reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom and was a hit throughout the world. Lindsay Lohan signed on to the label in 2004, under the management of Tommy Mottola . She released her debut studio album, Speak in December 2004, peaking at number 4 on
2231-591: The Billboard Hot 100 . 1985's album Single Life , featuring the title track and " Attack Me with Your Love ", hit number 2 on the Top R&;B chart and continued the band's momentum, paving the way for what was to come the following year. The single " Word Up! " was released in 1986 and reached number 1 on the Billboard R&;B chart, plus number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's biggest single on
2328-520: The Billboard 200, gaining gold certification in early 2006. The first and only single from the album, " Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father) ", peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 , making it Lohan's first single to debut on the chart. The song documents the problems Lohan has had in her family life, and the music video, which Lohan herself directed, features her younger sister Aliana . Mika 's debut single, " Relax, Take It Easy ",
2425-629: The Grammy -winning " Bad Girls ", the Oscar , Golden Globe and Grammy -winning " Last Dance ", the Grammy-winning number one " Hot Stuff ", and the hit single, " I Feel Love ", co-written and produced by Giorgio Moroder . Her album Bad Girls achieved triple-platinum status. The label followed it with a greatest hits collection entitled On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II , which
2522-539: The Motor Booty Affair underwater tour of 1979. Parliament and its sister band Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . In 1975, Casablanca signed Donna Summer and released her album Love to Love You Baby which was certified gold. Summer had several gold and platinum albums on Casablanca in 1975–1979 and was the label's most successful act on the singles chart. She recorded eight Top 5 singles in
2619-549: The UK Singles Chart in 2016. He has since released the single " Don't You Know " featuring Jamie N Commons and "I Feel So Bad" featuring Ephemerals. Kungs' three 2016 singles were released on his debut album Layers , which was released on 4 November. On March 23, 2018 Kungs played a live set at the Miami Ultra Music Festival. He followed acts from fellow artists Raiden and Ksuke to perform his individual set on
2716-459: The free software and open source movements and the success of Linux . In the mid-2000s, some music publishing companies began undertaking the work traditionally done by labels. The publisher Sony/ATV Music, for example, leveraged its connections within the Sony family to produce, record, distribute, and promote Elliott Yamin 's debut album under a dormant Sony-owned imprint , rather than waiting for
2813-505: The "parent" of any sublabels. Vanity labels are labels that bear an imprint that gives the impression of an artist's ownership or control, but in fact represent a standard artist/label relationship. In such an arrangement, the artist will control nothing more than the usage of the name on the label, but may enjoy a greater say in the packaging of their work. An example of such a label is the Neutron label owned by ABC while at Phonogram Inc. in
2910-570: The 1970s. The label was eventually shut down by PolyGram with some of the artist roster and catalog absorbed into sister label, Mercury Records . In 1999, PolyGram (including its subsidiaries) was purchased by Seagram and then merged with Seagram's MCA Music Entertainment Group to form the Universal Music Group . In 2000, the Casablanca Records name was revived for a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Tommy Mottola . In
3007-690: The 1978 film Thank God It's Friday . The band's debut single "Find My Way" was a disco song that was also used in the film, and was included on the Thank God It's Friday soundtrack. ("Find My Way" was their cover of a 1972 Three Degrees and a 1969 Tymes tune.) Bassist Aaron Mills joined the band in 1978, after a stint in Donald Byrd 's jazz-funk collective N.C.C.U., which toured with Cameo. Mills impressed Blackmon with his bass playing, and Blackmon invited him to join Cameo. The 1979 single "I Just Want to Be"
Casablanca Records - Misplaced Pages Continue
3104-503: The 1980s rolled in. The label was known to spend lavish amounts of money on parties, events, and promotion. Although this resulted in hit albums and singles, the profit margin suffered due to the carefree spending by the label. Casablanca spent lavish amounts of money on promoting its releases, which made its artists happy, but not necessarily PolyGram, which now owned a 50% stake in the label. When Casablanca's lavish spending habits were realized by PolyGram, it quickly made an offer to purchase
3201-505: The 1990s, partnered to launch a new record label that would be headed by Mottola and be part of the Universal Records Group . Mottola chose the name Casablanca, in homage to the Casablanca Records once run by Bogart. The label's first release was to be a girl-group first known as "iNK", but which later changed its name to "NSS (Not So Sweet) 16". The group, however, disbanded due to internal problems. NSS16's only single OopDeeWopDee
3298-479: The 2011 DJ Mag . He has collaborated with Dragonette , Kele of Bloc Party , and Madonna . Britain's SG Lewis is an in-demand producer, songwriter, and DJ with an emotive, atmospheric approach to dance-oriented, electronic-based music. Initially known for his remixes of artists like Jessie Ware , he released his debut EP, Shivers , in 2015. Collaborations with vocalists such as Gallant (singer) , Ray BLK , and Bishop Nehru followed, and Lewis released Dusk,
3395-579: The 2018 Ultra Main Stage. Martin Picandet ( French pronunciation: [maʁtɛ̃ pikɑ̃dɛ] ; born September 22, 1976), better known by his stage name Martin Solveig , is a French DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer. He hosts a weekly radio show called C'est La Vie on radio stations worldwide, including Radio FG in his homeland. His label is called Mixture Stereophonic. Solveig had been ranked number 29 in
3492-794: The Day We Met" on The Mike Douglas Show . In 1979 Cher embarked on her first solo tour, the Take Me Home Tour , which was highly successful with two dates of the show recorded for broadcast, in Monte Carlo and at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas . For the latter performance, Cher was awarded "Best Actress in a Variety Program" at the 1983 CableACE Awards. Parliament was signed to Casablanca in 1973 due to Bogart's long-standing relationship with group leader George Clinton . Their relationship dated to Bogart's period at Buddah Records . Their first release for
3589-544: The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) ", " Flash Light " (Casablanca's first R&B number one hit) and " Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop) ". The success of Parliament allowed George Clinton to develop another P-Funk spin-off act known as Parlet . Casablanca bankrolled the extravagant P-Funk stage shows, including the "Mothership Connection/ P-Funk Earth Tour " of 1976–77 and
3686-524: The New York City Players the band was signed by Casablanca Records to its Chocolate City imprint in 1975 as the Players. However, according to original band member Nathan Leftenant, the group soon changed its name after the threat of legal action by Mercury Records due to the name "the Players" being too similar to Ohio Players , who recorded for Mercury at the time. The name Cameo was derived from
3783-556: The O'Jays , Gerald Levert and LSG . He also pursued a career in music industry higher education, becoming Assistant Chair of the Music Business/Management department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts . Gregory B. Johnson has released two CDs on his own label, Allspice Record Co.—in 2007 A New Hip , which is a smooth Jazz CD, and in 2012 Funk Funk (Just for a Little Time) , an urban funk CD. Cameo began as
3880-464: The Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Billboard 200 charts respectively. Cameo then followed up with 1990's Real Men... Wear Black and 1992's Emotional Violence . The previous release was followed by two compilation albums in between the time of their next recording. In 1994, In the Face of Funk was released on the band's independent label and hit 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This album
3977-501: The UK. At one point artist Lizzie Tear (under contract with ABC themselves) appeared on the imprint, but it was devoted almost entirely to ABC's offerings and is still used for their re-releases (though Phonogram owns the masters of all the work issued on the label). However, not all labels dedicated to particular artists are completely superficial in origin. Many artists, early in their careers, create their own labels which are later bought out by
Casablanca Records - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-546: The United States would typically bear a 4th & B'way logo and would state in the fine print, "4th & B'way™, an Island Records, Inc. company". Collectors discussing labels as brands would say that 4th & B'way is a sublabel or imprint of just "Island" or "Island Records". Similarly, collectors who choose to treat corporations and trademarks as equivalent might say 4th & B'way is an imprint and/or sublabel of both Island Records, Ltd. and that company's sublabel, Island Records, Inc. However, such definitions are complicated by
4171-639: The United States. Other successful late 1970s Kiss albums on Casablanca were Alive II , Double Platinum , the band's four solo albums and Dynasty . Their less successful early 1980s works here were Unmasked and Music from "The Elder" . The band's last studio album on Casablanca was Creatures of the Night in 1982. Cher had two records signed for Casablanca, Take Me Home and Prisoner . Both records were hit records, especially in Europe. The main single Take Me Home debuted at #25 on Billboard 200 , although
4268-1042: The Universal family. In the fall of 2009, Casablanca became active again (albeit in name only) with the releases of Mika's second album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much , and Ryan Leslie 's second album, Transition . In January 2012, Casablanca Records was relaunched as an electronic music imprint under Republic Records, as a reflection to the original label. Working with an international roster of both established and emerging artists, Casablanca has released music from Crystal Castles, C2C, Kavinsky, The Presets , Scissor Sisters, Chase & Status, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Ladyhawke, Elton John vs. Pnau and Kindness, Sub Focus, The Aston Shuffle, Martin Garrix , Avicii , Seven Lions, and Dawin . Artists currently signed with Casablanca Records are as follows: Record label [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company
4365-407: The album will sell better if the artist complies with the label's desired requests or changes. At times, the record label's decisions are prudent ones from a commercial perspective, but these decisions may frustrate artists who feel that their art is being diminished or misrepresented by such actions. In other instances, record labels have shelved artists' albums with no intention of any promotion for
4462-522: The album, " We Are Golden ", made its debut at number four in the UK. " Rain " and " Blame It on the Girls " were released as the second and third UK singles with both peaking at number seventy-two. His third studio album, The Origin of Love , was released in France on September 17, 2012, and in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2012. The album was preceded by an alternate lead single in each region. " Elle me dit "
4559-563: The albums were not critically acclaimed for running out of Cher's music style, it were well received by the public. The album Take Me Home received Gold certification in the USA and is considered one of Cher's best albums, as it was her first Disco record. To promote the album, Cher recorded a music video for "Take Me Home" which was used as part of an exclusive TV special called Cher... and Other Fantasies . She also performed "Take Me Home" along with other two album tracks "Love & Pain" and "Happy Was
4656-411: The artist from their contract, leaving the artist in a state of limbo. Artists who have had disputes with their labels over ownership and control of their music have included Taylor Swift , Tinashe , Megan Thee Stallion , Kelly Clarkson , Thirty Seconds to Mars , Clipse , Ciara , JoJo , Michelle Branch , Kesha , Kanye West , Lupe Fiasco , Paul McCartney , and Johnny Cash . In
4753-415: The artist in question. Reasons for shelving can include the label deciding to focus its resources on other artists on its roster, or the label undergoing a restructure where the person that signed the artist and supports the artist's vision is no longer present to advocate for the artist. In extreme cases, record labels can prevent the release of an artist's music for years, while also declining to release
4850-425: The artist is established and has a loyal fan base. For that reason, labels now have to be more relaxed with the development of artists because longevity is the key to these types of pact. Several artists such as Paramore , Maino , and even Madonna have signed such types of deals. A look at an actual 360 deal offered by Atlantic Records to an artist shows a variation of the structure. Atlantic's document offers
4947-484: The artists may be downloaded free of charge or for a fee that is paid via PayPal or other online payment system. Some of these labels also offer hard copy CDs in addition to direct download. Digital Labels are the latest version of a 'net' label. Whereas 'net' labels were started as a free site, digital labels represent more competition for the major record labels. The new century brought the phenomenon of open-source or open-content record labels. These are inspired by
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#17328519660735044-475: The band playing up their eclectic style. Band members Aaron Mills, Thomas "TC" Campbell and Jeryl Bright briefly left the band in 1983 to form a spinoff group called MCB. The band released She's Strange in 1984, which performed well and hit number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and 26 on the Billboard 200. The album's title track, eponymous single became the band's first number 1 R&B hit, as well as their first charting pop single; reaching number 47 on
5141-650: The circular label in the center of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information. Within the mainstream music industry , recording artists have traditionally been reliant upon record labels to broaden their consumer base, market their albums, and promote their singles on streaming services, radio, and television. Record labels also provide publicists , who assist performers in gaining positive media coverage, and arrange for their merchandise to be available via stores and other media outlets. Record labels may be small, localized and " independent " ("indie"), or they may be part of
5238-485: The company for two years. In 1977, PolyGram acquired a 50% stake in the independent Casablanca, which had been quite successful for several years. Casablanca remained very successful throughout the rest of the 1970s. But the label's rise and fall would both be dramatic instances. The rise came with the success of several acts such as Donna Summer, Kiss, Parliament, and Village People , as well as some success from its subsidiary label and its film division. The fall began when
5335-403: The company. Some independent labels become successful enough that major record companies negotiate contracts to either distribute music for the label or in some cases, purchase the label completely, to the point where it functions as an imprint or sublabel. A label used as a trademark or brand and not a company is called an imprint , a term used for a similar concept in publishing . An imprint
5432-400: The corporate mergers that occurred in 1989 (when Island was sold to PolyGram) and 1998 (when PolyGram merged with Universal). PolyGram held sublabels including Mercury, Island and Motown. Island remained registered as corporations in both the United States and UK , but control of its brands changed hands multiple times as new companies were formed, diminishing the corporation's distinction as
5529-416: The early days of the recording industry, recording labels were absolutely necessary for the success of any artist. The first goal of any new artist or band was to get signed to a contract as soon as possible. In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, many artists were so desperate to sign a contract with a record company that they sometimes ended up signing agreements in which they sold the rights to their recordings to
5626-512: The end of their contract with EMI when their album In Rainbows was released as a " pay what you want " sales model as an online download, but they also returned to a label for a conventional release. Research shows that record labels still control most access to distribution. Computers and internet technology led to an increase in file sharing and direct-to-fan digital distribution, causing music sales to plummet in recent years. Labels and organizations have had to change their strategies and
5723-544: The film Casablanca , Bogart’s adoption of the movie’s name and title look for its records label logo went without legal objection. The label’s first signing was Kiss but its first single release was Bill Amesbury 's "Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do)", a minor hit on the US Hot 100. "Butter Boy" by Fanny and The Hudson Brothers ' "So You Are a Star" proved to be Casablanca's first Billboard Top 40 hits. Warner Bros. developed doubts about Casablanca’s viability, in particular with
5820-529: The first EP in a three-part series dedicated to club culture, in 2018. Casablanca started a subsidiary label in 1975 called Chocolate City Records . It was mainly overseen by Bogart's partner Cecil Holmes. The label focused on R&B, funk, and disco releases. Chocolate City's signings included the then-new act Cameo and veteran act Brenda & the Tabulations . From 1976 to 1979, Casablanca also had another subsidiary label called Parachute Records. The label
5917-484: The funk classic " Shake Your Pants ", the mid-tempo single "We're Goin' Out Tonight", and the ballad "Why Have I Lost You" (a re-recording of a song from their 1978 album We All Know Who We Are ). It reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart. Their second album of 1980, Feel Me , 1981's Knights of the Sound Table and 1982's Alligator Woman also went gold and saw
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#17328519660736014-606: The label was in 1974 with the album Up for the Down Stroke . The title song from the album gave Parliament its first top ten R&B hit. Their next album, Chocolate City , sold approximately 150,000 albums in the Washington, D.C. area alone. But it was their next release, Mothership Connection , that gave the group its first gold and platinum album. Parliament achieved either gold or platinum status with each album release from 1975 to 1979. The group's hit singles included " Give Up
6111-550: The label with a book entitled And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records . In 1998, Seagram purchased PolyGram and merged it with MCA Inc. to create the Universal Music Group . Upon the merger, the original (pre-2000) Casablanca Records music catalog became a part of The Island Def Jam Music Group , which folded in 2014. Reissues from the catalog became the responsibility of Island Records . In 2000, Universal and Tommy Mottola , who had served as CEO of Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Records throughout
6208-609: The label's mounting internal problems. The most successful act on the label during the 1980s was R&B singer Stephanie Mills , who came to the label after PolyGram bought the 20th Century Fox Records label and absorbed its artists and back catalog into Casablanca. The last album released by the label was Animotion 's Strange Behavior in 1986, which was a modest seller. By that time, PolyGram had folded Casablanca Records, moving some of its acts to Mercury Records and dropping others. In 2009, Casablanca co-founder Larry Harris released an insider's history, written with Curt Gooch, of
6305-424: The label's overspending and accounting irregularities. The film division was separated from the label and renamed PolyGram Pictures . In the early 1980s, with Bogart no longer heading the label, Casablanca had hits with acts Lipps Inc., Stephanie Mills , Cameo (on sister label Chocolate City Records ), The Four Tops , Mac Davis and Irene Cara but it did not achieve the same level of success it had enjoyed in
6402-511: The label, including the hit singles " Macho Man ", " In the Navy ", " Go West " and their biggest hit, " Y.M.C.A. " In 1979 Lipps Inc. , with Steven Greenberg as writer, producer, and musician, and Cynthia Johnson on lead vocals, signed with Casablanca. The single "Rock It" was released, followed by the album Mouth to Mouth . The album included the No. 1 hit " Funkytown ", which spent four weeks atop both
6499-725: The major divisions of EMI were sold off separately by owner Citigroup : most of EMI's recorded music division was absorbed into UMG; EMI Music Publishing was absorbed into Sony/ATV Music Publishing; finally, EMI's Parlophone and Virgin Classics labels were absorbed into Warner Music Group (WMG) in July 2013. This left the so-called Big Three labels. In 2020 and 2021, both WMG and UMG had their IPO with WMG starting trading at Nasdaq and UMG starting trading at Euronext Amsterdam and leaving only Sony Music as wholly-owned subsidiary of an international conglomerate ( Sony Entertainment which in turn
6596-433: The major labels (two examples are American singer Frank Sinatra 's Reprise Records , which has been owned by Warner Music Group for some time now, and musician Herb Alpert 's A&M Records , now owned by Universal Music Group). Similarly, Madonna 's Maverick Records (started by Madonna with her manager and another partner) was to come under control of Warner Music when Madonna divested herself of controlling shares in
6693-537: The majors had a collective global market share of some 65–70%. Record labels are often under the control of a corporate umbrella organization called a "music group ". A music group is usually affiliated to an international conglomerate " holding company ", which often has non-music divisions as well. A music group controls and consists of music-publishing companies, record (sound recording) manufacturers, record distributors, and record labels. Record companies (manufacturers, distributors, and labels) may also constitute
6790-461: The movie set of the film of the same name. Later, the record company merged with an indie production company called Filmworks, Inc., which was founded by former Columbia Pictures executive Peter Guber . The new company became known as Casablanca Record and Filmworks , with Bogart still at its helm as president, while Guber became Chairman of the Board and head of its film division. Guber would remain with
6887-479: The movies The Deep and Midnight Express . In 1977, PolyGram acquired a 50% stake in Casablanca for $ 15 million then it purchased the remaining half in 1980. Also that year, one of the label's biggest acts, Donna Summer, departed to Geffen Records as she and Casablanca failed to agree on her musical direction for the future. That same year, PolyGram pushed Bogart out of Casablanca due to what it viewed as
6984-452: The original members continued to perform together. Two other original members were hired by the hip hop group Outkast . In 2015, Cameo announced a new residency show at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino , opening in March 2016. On February 20, 2019, Larry Blackmon of Cameo announced "El Passo", the first new single from the band in 19 years. Formed by Larry Blackmon in 1974 as
7081-494: The other 50% of Casablanca in 1980. Bogart accepted; however, he soon found out he would not be allowed to stay with Casablanca, and PolyGram released him from his post. He used the money he acquired from the sale to start Boardwalk Records and he signed then-new rocker Joan Jett , who had experienced some success in Japan as a member of the group The Runaways . Bogart died from cancer in 1982 and Boardwalk Records folded. Casablanca
7178-507: The output of recording sessions. For established artists, a label is usually less involved in the recording process. The relationship between record labels and artists can be a difficult one. Many artists have had conflicts with their labels over the type of sound or songs they want to make, which can result in the artist's artwork or titles being changed before release. Other artists have had their music prevented from release, or shelved. Record labels generally do this because they believe that
7275-451: The pop chart. The follow-up single " Candy " reached number 1 R&B and 21 pop, while their next release, " Back and Forth ", went to number 3 R&B and number 50 pop. Meanwhile, the accompanying album also hit numbers 8 and 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B charts respectively, becoming their highest-charting album. Two years later, Cameo released Machismo to mixed critical reviews and dropped to chart at numbers 10 and 56 on
7372-438: The promotional copies were returned, initiating the joke that it shipped Gold and went back to the label Platinum . Casablanca had realized that even though The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was immensely popular, the show did not carry over well to recordings. By mid-1975, Casablanca was almost bankrupt, and desperately needed a commercial breakthrough if they were to survive. That breakthrough came in an unlikely form:
7469-543: The record label in perpetuity. Entertainment lawyers are usually employed by artists to discuss contract terms. Due to advancing technology such as the Internet , the role of labels is rapidly changing, as artists are able to freely distribute their own material through online radio , peer-to-peer file sharing such as BitTorrent , and other services, at little to no cost, but with correspondingly low financial returns. Established artists, such as Nine Inch Nails , whose career
7566-405: The release of the 1977 debut album, Village People , which targeted disco's gay audience. The group's name refers to New York City's Greenwich Village , at the time known for its large gay population, The characters were a symbolic group of gay and macho fantasy personas. The group quickly became popular and moved into the mainstream, scoring several disco and dance hits internationally under
7663-418: The salaries of certain tour and merchandise sales employees hired by the artist. In addition, the label also offers the artist a 30 percent cut of the label's album profits—if any—which represents an improvement from the typical industry royalty of 15 percent. With the Internet now being the dominant source for obtaining music, netlabels have emerged. Depending on the ideals of the net label, music files from
7760-419: The selling price of the recordings. Contracts may extend over short or long durations, and may or may not refer to specific recordings. Established, successful artists tend to be able to renegotiate their contracts to get terms more favorable to them, but Prince 's much-publicized 1994–1996 feud with Warner Bros. Records provides a strong counterexample, as does Roger McGuinn 's claim, made in July 2000 before
7857-405: The signing of Kiss. Bogart's brashness also did not help relations or gain much support for his acts and releases which had only modest success. Warner head Mo Ostin ceded Bogart full ownership of the label. The now-independent Casablanca Records was suddenly put in a tenuous financial situation as it still had yet to score a major hit album and no longer had the backing of Warner Bros. Casablanca
7954-400: The term sublabel to refer to either an imprint or a subordinate label company (such as those within a group). For example, in the 1980s and 1990s, 4th & B'way Records (pronounced as "Broadway") was a trademarked brand owned by Island Records Ltd. in the UK and by a subordinate branch, Island Records, Inc., in the United States. The center label on a 4th & Broadway record marketed in
8051-716: The top 10 in Australia , Denmark , Norway and Sweden . " Wasted " was released as the second single from the album on April 25, 2014. The song peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, and reached the top 10 in Sweden. "Light Years Away" was released as the album's third single on November 28, 2014. Kungs released his first extended play This Girl in 2016 following his remix of Cookin' on 3 Burners " This Girl ", which reached number 1 in France, Germany and Switzerland and number 2 on
8148-433: The way they work with artists. New types of deals called "multiple rights" or "360" deals are being made with artists, where labels are given rights and percentages to artist's touring, merchandising, and endorsements . In exchange for these rights, labels usually give higher advance payments to artists, have more patience with artist development, and pay higher percentages of CD sales. These 360 deals are most effective when
8245-420: Was Cameo's breakthrough hit. It reached number 3 on the Billboard magazine Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and along with the follow-up single, the top 10 R&B ballad "Sparkle", pushed the album Secret Omen to gold status with sales of over 500,000 copies, the band's first album to achieve this status. Their next album, Cameosis , came out in 1980 and also achieved gold status thanks in large part to
8342-563: Was banking on the success of an upcoming album it was planning: a two-record set of audio highlights from television's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . The album was entitled Here's Johnny: Magic Moments from The Tonight Show and was released in November 1974. Although the album was certified gold by the RIAA for shipments to stores of over 500,000 copies, the album did not sell well, and returns from retailers of unsold copies were high. Even
8439-415: Was certified double platinum and was Summer's last album on Casablanca. She recorded three double-albums that reached the top of the charts in a 14-month period. Village People is an American disco group best known for their on-stage costumes , catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali , Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following
8536-455: Was developed with major label backing, announced an end to their major label contracts, citing that the uncooperative nature of the recording industry with these new trends is hurting musicians, fans and the industry as a whole. However, Nine Inch Nails later returned to working with a major label, admitting that they needed the international marketing and promotional reach that a major label can provide. Radiohead also cited similar motives with
8633-449: Was first released in France , whereas " Celebrate " served as the first official single for the United Kingdom . Tiësto 's fifth studio album A Town Called Paradise was released on June 13, 2014. " Red Lights " was released as the lead single from the album on December 13, 2013. It was his first number one in Scotland , and peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart . The song reached
8730-506: Was given a co-songwriting credit. These years saw a great period of inactivity and unofficial hiatus, in which time six compilation albums were released. The compilation albums released in this period were, in chronological order: The Hits Collection (2000), 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Cameo (2001), Anthology (2002), Classic Cameo (2003), The Best of Cameo (2004), Gold (2005) and The Definitive Collection (2006). In March 2016, Cameo began
8827-516: Was not as successful without Bogart running the company. Its only notable releases from 1980 onward were the Robin Williams debut comedy LP Reality, What A Concept! (1981), the soundtrack to the movie Flashdance (1983), and the final three Kiss LP's on Casablanca: Unmasked , Music from "The Elder" , and Creatures of the Night . Dusty Springfield 's sole release on Casablanca, 1982's White Heat , came and went with little notice due to
8924-603: Was on the verge of bankruptcy when Bogart decided to release a live album by Kiss. Although the band's studio albums had not been strong sellers, the band had a reputation for performing exciting shows. Casablanca decided to try to capitalize on that reputation by releasing the double-live Alive! (1975) album. It became both Casablanca's and Kiss's first top ten album and was certified gold. Kiss's follow-up studio albums to Alive! were better sellers than its previous studio albums. Destroyer (1976), Rock and Roll Over (1976), and Love Gun (1977) were all certified platinum in
9021-402: Was produced by hit music producer and Grammy award winner Greg Lawson and directed by Hakeem Khaaliq . Some of Casablanca's releases included albums by Lindsay Lohan in 2004, albums by Lohan and Brie Larson in 2005, and music by Mika in 2007, who scored a hit with the song " Relax, Take It Easy ". Mottola's label once again become inactive when Lohan and Larson moved to other labels within
9118-724: Was released in 2006. His second single, " Grace Kelly ", was released in January 2007 and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart , followed by his debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion , in February 2007. The single reached number 57 in the US. Other singles released were " Love Today ", " Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) ", " Happy Ending " and " Lollipop ". Mika's second album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much , followed in September 2009. The first single from
9215-511: Was run by former Motown Records promoter and Uni Records CEO Russ Regan . Artists signed to the label included singer Randy Brown , the heavily sampled disco group 7th Wonder, and songwriter-author-poet Shel Silverstein , who recorded one album for the label—1978's Songs and Stories . The offices of Casablanca moved into the former A&M Records offices on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Casablanca's new offices were soon remodeled after
9312-417: Was the first band to sign to Casablanca. The label had released three albums by Kiss : Kiss (1974), Hotter Than Hell (1974), and Dressed to Kill (1975), but all had failed to make a big impact on the charts. The label also did not experience heavy sales with albums by Angel , who was introduced to the label by Gene Simmons of Kiss, although that glam rock band did amass a cult following. The label
9409-456: Was then followed by a six-year unofficial hiatus with several compilation releases, until the next album Sexy Sweet Thing in 2000. The album hit 64 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and is their most recent charting release. In 2001, a sample from the band's single "Candy" was used in the Mariah Carey single " Loverboy ". The song hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Blackmon
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