Epic Records
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| Epic Records | |
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| Parent company | Sony BMG |
| Founded | 1953 |
| Distributing label | Epic Records (In the US) |
| Genre(s) | Various |
| Country of origin | US |
| Official Website | http://www.epicrecords.com/ |
Epic Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Sony BMG.
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[edit] History
Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. This has included such notables as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Juilliard String Quartet, Antal Doráti conducting the Hague Philharmonic and George Szell conducting the Cleveland Orchestra.
Ten years later, Epic earned its first gold records and developed into a formidable hit-making force in rock and roll, R&B and country music. Among its many acts, it included Bobby Vinton, The Dave Clark Five, The Hollies, Tammy Wynette, Donovan, The Yardbirds, Lulu, and Jeff Beck. Several of the British artists on the Epic roster in the 1960s were the result of Epic's distribution deal with EMI in which Epic recordings were issued by EMI on the Columbia label before the contract with EMI expired at which point CBS Records formed a British Epic Records branch to market Epic label material.
During the 1970s, its success extended to include ABBA (in the UK only), Sailor, The Clash, Sly & the Family Stone, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Johnny Nash, Heart (on sister label Portrait Records), The Isley Brothers, Edgar Winter and Charlie Rich.
The likes of The Stranglers, Meat Loaf, The Jacksons, Michael Jackson, Electric Light Orchestra, Ozzy Osbourne, Sade, Luther Vandross, Gloria Estefan, George Michael and Cyndi Lauper paved the way for Epic's multiplatinum 1980s and 1990s successes. Cyndi Lauper was released via sister label Portrait Records.
Other artists signed to Epic include Modest Mouse, Good Charlotte, Live, AC/DC, Bad Religion, KISS,Duran Duran, Rage Against the Machine, Prong, Pearl Jam, Suicidal Tendencies, Macy Gray, B*Witched (via Glowworm Records), Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (via Ruthless Records), Jennifer Lopez (from the WORK label), Tori Amos, Nicole Bennett, Céline Dion (on the 550 imprint) and Melanie Thornton.
It is currently part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Sony Corporation bought all of CBS's labels in 1988, and created a joint venture between its music division and BMG in 2004.
Legacy Recordings continues to reissue the label's classic and historical albums.
 Original Epic Records "radial sound" logo. |
 Classic Epic Records "radial sound" sunburst logo used in the 1960s and the early 2000s. |
 Epic Records logo used in the 1970s. (1980s Epic script logo was recently revived as the current logo shown above in Infobox.) |
 Epic Records logo used following the creation of Sony Music Entertainment in 1991 |
[edit] Imprint labels
Past and present imprint labels of Epic Records include:
- 550 Music (defunct)
- MJJ Music (defunct)
- Epic Street – Formed for hip-hop artists.
- Daylight Records
- DC Flag Records
- Glowworm Records
- Hidden Beach Records – Specializing in R&B and Soul
- Okeh Records - For reissues of Okeh label material.
- Portrait Records (defunct)
- Ruthless Records (defunct) – Hip-hop label formed in 1987 by Eazy-E and Jerry Heller
- Work Records (defunct) – also known as '"WORK" and "The WORK Group". Formerly operated as Chaos Recordings.
[edit] Epic Artists
Artists who have recorded for Epic Records include (listed alphabetically):
[edit] Epic Records Executives
- Charlie Walk - Epic Record's President
- Nick Raphael - Epic UK Managing Director
- Jo Charrington - Epic UK Head of A&R
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Sony Music, Parent Company of Epic
