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The fledgling label struggled to survive and scored no hits at all in its first two years; their first break came in early 1949 when a New Orleans distributor phoned Ertegun asking if he knew where the distributor could obtain copies of a record by [[Stick McGhee]] called "Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee". Knowing that McGhee's previous label had already folded, Ertgeun offered to provide an exact re-recording and fortunately, he knew Stick's younger brother [[Brownie McGhee]] through his Harlem visits. By luck Stick was staying with Brownie at the time so he cut the new version, released in February 1949<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>, which became Atlantic's first hit, selling 400,000 copies and reaching #3 in the [[Billboard]] R&B chart (although McGhee himself earned just $10 for the session)<ref>Wade & Picardie, p.35</ref>. From this first success Atlantic's fortunes rose steadily -- they recorded 187 songs in 1949 (more than three times the output of the previous two years) and received overtures about a manufacturing and distribution deal with [[Sony Music Entertainment|CBS Records]], who would pay Atlantic a 3% royalty on every copy sold. Ertegun's asking about artists royalties which he paid surprised CBS executives who did not pay artists royalties at the time which scuttled the proposed deal.<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.35-36</ref>
The fledgling label struggled to survive and scored no hits at all in its first two years; their first break came in early 1949 when a New Orleans distributor phoned Ertegun asking if he knew where the distributor could obtain copies of a record by [[Stick McGhee]] called "Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee". Knowing that McGhee's previous label had already folded, Ertgeun offered to provide an exact re-recording and fortunately, he knew Stick's younger brother [[Brownie McGhee]] through his Harlem visits. By luck Stick was staying with Brownie at the time so he cut the new version, released in February 1949<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>, which became Atlantic's first hit, selling 400,000 copies and reaching #3 in the [[Billboard]] R&B chart (although McGhee himself earned just $10 for the session)<ref>Wade & Picardie, p.35</ref>. From this first success Atlantic's fortunes rose steadily -- they recorded 187 songs in 1949 (more than three times the output of the previous two years) and received overtures about a manufacturing and distribution deal with [[Sony Music Entertainment|CBS Records]], who would pay Atlantic a 3% royalty on every copy sold. Ertegun's asking about artists royalties which he paid surprised CBS executives who did not pay artists royalties at the time which scuttled the proposed deal.<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.35-36</ref>


Atlantic's first big discovery was teenage vocalist [[Ruth Brown]], who played a key role in establishing its reputation as a premier R&B label. On the recommendation of broadcaster [[Willis Conover]], Ertegun and Abramson went to see Brown at the Crystal Caverns club in Washington and immediately invited her to record for them. Unfortunately, she was badly injured in a car accident en route to New York and spent nine months in hospital; although not yet signed to the label, Atlantic supported Brown through her recuperation and signed her as soon as she was well enough to come to New York to record. "So Long", a track from her second Atlantic session, cut on 25 May 1949 with the [[Eddie Condon]] band, was her first release for the label.<ref>Peter Grendysa and Robert Pruter, ''Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974'' booklet notes (CD edition), Atlantic Records, 1991</ref> It became a major hit, reaching #6 on the R&B chart and Brown went on to record more than eighty songs for the label, becoming the most prolific and best-selling Atlantic artist of the period.<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.37-38</ref> Her success led to the label being dubbed "The house that Ruth built" (derived from the popular nickname for [[Yankee Stadium]]).
Atlantic's first big discovery was teenage vocalist [[Ruth Brown]], who played a key role in establishing its reputation as a premier R&B label. On the recommendation of broadcaster [[Willis Conover]], Ertegun and Abramson went to see Brown at the Crystal Caverns club in Washington and immediately invited her to record for them. Unfortunately, she was badly injured in a car accident en route to New York and spent nine months in hospital; although not yet signed to the label, Atlantic supported Brown through her recuperation and signed her as soon as she was well enough to come to New York to record. "So Long", a track from her second Atlantic session, cut on 25 May 1949 with the [[Eddie Condon]] band, was her first release for the label<ref>Peter Grendysa and Robert Pruter, ''Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974'' booklet notes (CD edition), Atlantic Records, 1991</ref>. It became a major hit, reaching #6 on the R&B chart and Brown went on to record more than eighty songs for the label, becoming the most prolific and best-selling Atlantic artist of the period.<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.37-38</ref> Her success led to the label being dubbed "The house that Ruth built" (derived from the popular nickname for [[Yankee Stadium]]).


[[Joe Morris]] scored Atlantic's first #1 hit on the R&B chart with his October 1950 release "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere"; the second was by [[The Clovers]]' 1951 hit "Don't You Know I Love You" (composed by Ertegun) and the third was Ruth Brown's 1952 hit "[[5-10-15 Hours]]"<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>.
[[Joe Morris]] scored Atlantic's first #1 hit on the R&B chart with his October 1950 release "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere"; the second was by [[The Clovers]]' 1951 hit "Don't You Know I Love You" (composed by Ertegun) and the third was Ruth Brown's 1952 hit "[[5-10-15 Hours]]"<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>.


In the early fifties Atlantic moved from the Hotel Jefferson to offices at 301 West 54th St and then to West 56th St. In 1952 they signed rising star [[Ray Charles]], who provided a string of hugely influential hits including "[[I Got A Woman]]", "[[What'd I Say]]" and "[[Hallelujah I Love Her So]]". In 1953, after learning that [[Clyde McPhatter]] had been fired from leading vocal group [[Billy Ward and His Dominoes]] and was forming his own group, [[The Drifters]], Ahmet Ertegun tracked McPhatter down to a Harlem rehearsal room and signed them to Atlantic and their first release "[[Money Honey (Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters song)|Money Honey]]" became the biggest R&B hit of the year<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.38-39</ref>. However their subsequent records created some controversy - the suggestive "[[Such A Night]]" was banned by radio station WXYZ in Detroit and the follow-up "Honey Love" was similarly banned in Memphis<ref>Wade & Picardie, p.39</ref>
In the early fifties Atlantic moved from the Hotel Jefferson to offices at 301 West 54th St and then to West 56th St. In 1952 they signed rising star [[Ray Charles]], who provided a string of hugely influential hits including "[[I Got A Woman]]", "[[What'd I Say]]" and "[[Hallelujah I Love Her So]]". In 1953, after learning that [[Clyde McPhatter]] had been fired from leading vocal group [[Billy Ward and His Dominoes]] and was forming his own group, [[The Drifters]], Ahmet Ertegun tracked McPhatter down to a Harlem rehearsal room and signed them to Atlantic and their first release "[[Money Honey (Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters song)|Money Honey]]" became the biggest R&B hit of the year<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.38-39</ref>. Although their subsequent records created some controversy -- the suggestive "[[Such A Night]]" was banned by radio station WXYZ in Detroit and the follow-up "Honey Love" was similarly banned in Memphis<ref>Wade & Picardie, p.39</ref> -- both records reached #1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart<ref>Peter Grendysa and Robert Pruter, ''Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974'' booklet notes (CD edition), Atlantic Records, 1991</ref>.


In 1953 Herb Abramson was drafted into the US Army, where he served as a dentist<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.40</ref>, although he retained his post as President of Atlantic, on full pay<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>. To replace him during his two years' military service, Ertegun recruited ''Billboard'' reporter [[Jerry Wexler]], who is credited with coining the term "[[rhythm & blues]]" to replace the earlier usage "[[race music]]"<ref name=wexlernyt>{{cite news|title=The Soul of Jerry Wexler | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7D7163BF93AA1575BC0A965958260 | date=1993-08-29|page=1|publisher=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=2007-05-28|first=Leo|last=Sacks}}</ref>. Wexler was appointed as vice-president and purchased 13% of the company's stock for $2,063.25<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>. Wexler and Ertegun soon formed a close partnership and their studio collaborations with Tom Dowd produced thirty R&B hits.
In 1953 Herb Abramson was drafted into the US Army, where he served as a dentist<ref>Wade & Picardie, pp.40</ref>, although he retained his post as President of Atlantic, on full pay<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>. To replace him during his two years' military service, Ertegun recruited ''Billboard'' reporter [[Jerry Wexler]], who is credited with coining the term "[[rhythm & blues]]" to replace the earlier usage "[[race music]]"<ref name=wexlernyt>{{cite news|title=The Soul of Jerry Wexler | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7D7163BF93AA1575BC0A965958260 | date=1993-08-29|page=1|publisher=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=2007-05-28|first=Leo|last=Sacks}}</ref>. Wexler was appointed as vice-president and purchased 13% of the company's stock for $2,063.25<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, ''The Atlantic Records Story'']</ref>. Wexler and Ertegun soon formed a close partnership and their studio collaborations with Tom Dowd produced thirty R&B hits.

Revision as of 01:56, 5 July 2011

Atlantic Records
File:Atlanticrecordslogo.jpg
Parent companyWarner Music Group
Founded1947
FounderAhmet Ertegün
Herb Abramson
Distributor(s)WEA Corp.
(In the US)
Warner Music International
(Outside of the US)
GenreVarious
Country of originUnited States
Official websiteAtlantic Records.com

Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz.[1] Over its first 20 years of operation Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most important American independent recording labels, specializing in jazz, R&B and soul recordings by African-American artists (a position which was greatly enhanced by its distribution deal with Stax Records), but after its 1967 acquisition by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Atlantic expanded into rock and pop music, signing many significant rock acts including Cream, Led Zeppelin, Yes and Foreigner. Since the 1967 takeover Atlantic has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of what is now the Warner Music Group. In 2004 WMG consolidated Atlantic Records and its sister label Elektra Records into an umbrella group titled Atlantic Records Group.[2] Craig Kallman is currently Chairman of Atlantic Records. Label co-founder Ahmet Ertegün served as "Founding Chairman" until his death on December 14, 2006 at age 83.[3] The label also has a number of deals with previously independent labels such as Must Destroy (which brought Goldie Lookin Chain and The Darkness into the label)[4] and VP Records in Jamaica, home to reggae artists such as Sean Paul.[5]

History

Early Years

Following the death of Munir Ertegun (the first Turkish Ambasador to the United States), his wife and daughter returned to Turkey, but his two sons Nesuhi and Ahmet elected to remain in the USA. The Ertegun brothers had become passionate fans of American jazz and rhythm & blues music in their teens, amassing a collection of over 15,000 78rpm records[6], and although Ahmet ostensibly stayed on in Washington to undertake postgraduate study at Georgetown University, he was in fact immersing himself in the thriving Washington music scene. He decided to enter the record business, which was then enjoying a major resurgence, following the lifting of wartime restrictions on the supply of shellac, a key component in 78rpm record manufacture[7]. After convincing the Ertegun family dentist Dr Vahdi Sabit to invest $10,000 in his as-yet-unnamed label, Ertgeun then recruited a fellow music enthusiast with solid experience in production. Herb Abramson was a dentistry student and jazz lover who began working part-time as an A&R manager/producer for the jazz label National Records, where he signed artists including Big Joe Turner and Billy Eckstine. By the time he was approached by Ertegun, Abramson had left National and joined Jubilee Records, but he was not interested in Jubilee's successful diversion into Jewish comedy recordings and was looking for new opportunities; he agreed to join Ertegun's new label and invested a further $2500 of his own capital.

Atlantic Records was incorporated in October 1947, with Abramson as president and Ertegun as vice-president; its original office was a room in the Ritz Hotel in Manhattan but when this proved too expensive they relocated to an $85 per month room in the Hotel Jefferson[8][9][10]. In its early years Atlantic was principally a jazz and rhythm and blues label,[9] although it also released some country and western and even spoken word recordings. One of the company's earliest and most important recruits was recording engineer and producer Tom Dowd, who played a crucial role in shaping the label's sound and who, through his work with the Atlantic and Stax roster, exerted a major influence on the history of late 20th century popular music.[11] In the late 1940s and early 1950s period Ertegun and Abramson spent much of their time in Harlem or travelling to other cities, scouring nightclubs in search of new talent. To supply material to record, Ertegun composed many songs under the alias "A. Nugetre", including Big Joe Turner's hit "Chains of Love". Because he could not write music, Ertegun composed his original songs in his head and then recorded himself singing them in the 25c recording booths in Times Square; he would then either give the recording to an arranger to transcribe or simply play them for the to the musicians before the session[12].

Early signings to Atlantic included an eclectic range of jazz and R&B artists such as Art Pepper, Shelly Manne, Pete Rugolo, Tiny Grimes, The Delta Rhythm Boys, The Clovers, The Cardinals, Big Joe Turner, Erroll Garner, Mal Waldron, Howard McGhee, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Jackie & Roy, Sarah Vaughan, Leadbelly, Sonny Terry, Professor Longhair, Mabel Mercer, Sylvia Syms and Bobby Short[13].

The fledgling label struggled to survive and scored no hits at all in its first two years; their first break came in early 1949 when a New Orleans distributor phoned Ertegun asking if he knew where the distributor could obtain copies of a record by Stick McGhee called "Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee". Knowing that McGhee's previous label had already folded, Ertgeun offered to provide an exact re-recording and fortunately, he knew Stick's younger brother Brownie McGhee through his Harlem visits. By luck Stick was staying with Brownie at the time so he cut the new version, released in February 1949[14], which became Atlantic's first hit, selling 400,000 copies and reaching #3 in the Billboard R&B chart (although McGhee himself earned just $10 for the session)[15]. From this first success Atlantic's fortunes rose steadily -- they recorded 187 songs in 1949 (more than three times the output of the previous two years) and received overtures about a manufacturing and distribution deal with CBS Records, who would pay Atlantic a 3% royalty on every copy sold. Ertegun's asking about artists royalties which he paid surprised CBS executives who did not pay artists royalties at the time which scuttled the proposed deal.[16]

Atlantic's first big discovery was teenage vocalist Ruth Brown, who played a key role in establishing its reputation as a premier R&B label. On the recommendation of broadcaster Willis Conover, Ertegun and Abramson went to see Brown at the Crystal Caverns club in Washington and immediately invited her to record for them. Unfortunately, she was badly injured in a car accident en route to New York and spent nine months in hospital; although not yet signed to the label, Atlantic supported Brown through her recuperation and signed her as soon as she was well enough to come to New York to record. "So Long", a track from her second Atlantic session, cut on 25 May 1949 with the Eddie Condon band, was her first release for the label[17]. It became a major hit, reaching #6 on the R&B chart and Brown went on to record more than eighty songs for the label, becoming the most prolific and best-selling Atlantic artist of the period.[18] Her success led to the label being dubbed "The house that Ruth built" (derived from the popular nickname for Yankee Stadium).

Joe Morris scored Atlantic's first #1 hit on the R&B chart with his October 1950 release "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere"; the second was by The Clovers' 1951 hit "Don't You Know I Love You" (composed by Ertegun) and the third was Ruth Brown's 1952 hit "5-10-15 Hours"[19].

In the early fifties Atlantic moved from the Hotel Jefferson to offices at 301 West 54th St and then to West 56th St. In 1952 they signed rising star Ray Charles, who provided a string of hugely influential hits including "I Got A Woman", "What'd I Say" and "Hallelujah I Love Her So". In 1953, after learning that Clyde McPhatter had been fired from leading vocal group Billy Ward and His Dominoes and was forming his own group, The Drifters, Ahmet Ertegun tracked McPhatter down to a Harlem rehearsal room and signed them to Atlantic and their first release "Money Honey" became the biggest R&B hit of the year[20]. Although their subsequent records created some controversy -- the suggestive "Such A Night" was banned by radio station WXYZ in Detroit and the follow-up "Honey Love" was similarly banned in Memphis[21] -- both records reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart[22].

In 1953 Herb Abramson was drafted into the US Army, where he served as a dentist[23], although he retained his post as President of Atlantic, on full pay[24]. To replace him during his two years' military service, Ertegun recruited Billboard reporter Jerry Wexler, who is credited with coining the term "rhythm & blues" to replace the earlier usage "race music"[25]. Wexler was appointed as vice-president and purchased 13% of the company's stock for $2,063.25[26]. Wexler and Ertegun soon formed a close partnership and their studio collaborations with Tom Dowd produced thirty R&B hits.

By the mid-1950s Atlantic recordings were being successfully covered by white performers[27] - Atlantic artist LaVern Baker had a #4 R&B hit with "Tweedlee Dee," but a rival version by white singer Georgia Gibbs went to #2 on the pop charts. The same thing happened with several other Atlantic recordings: "Sh-Boom" by The Chords was a hit on the R&B charts, but a version by Canadian group The Crew-Cuts reached #1 on the pop chart; Big Joe Turner's April 1954 release "Shake, Rattle and Roll" was a #1 R&B hit but only made it to #22 on the pop chart; however, when Bill Haley & His Comets's cleaned-up version was released in July, it reached #7, selling over 1 million copies and becoming Decca Records biggest-selling song of the year. This phenomenon soon led Ertegun and Wexler to realise that they could record material that could cross over into the pop market.

Unfortunately Atlantic missed out on what could have been an epoch-making acquisition when, in 1955 Sun Records owner Sam Phillips decided to sell Elvis Presley's contract, sparking a bidding war between record labels. Jerry Wexler was determined to sign Presley to Atlantic, offering $25,000 for his contract (Ertegun later noted: "It was all the money we had then."[28]) but they were outbid by RCA Records, who paid $45,000. Commenting on the missed opportunity in 1990, Ertegun pointedly remarked:

"The president of RCA at the time had been extensively quoted in Variety damning R&B music as immoral. He soon stopped when RCA signed Elvis Presley."[29]

When Herb Abramson returned from his army service in 1955 he found that had been effectively replaced as Ertegun's partner by Wexler; he was further distanced by the arrival of Ahmet's older brother Nesuhi, who was recruited to the label soon after.[30][31][32] Nesuhi had been living in Los Angeles for the previous ten years and had only irregular contact with his younger brother, but when Ahmet learned that Nesuhi had been offered a partnership in Atlantic's rival Imperial Records, he and Wexler went to California to talk Nesuhi out of taking up Imperial's offer and joining Atlantic instead. This further alienated Abramson, who did not get on well with either Wexler or Nesuhi and the situation was made even more complicated by Abramson's divorce from his wife Miriam, who was a minority shareholder and Atlantic's business manager.

In an effort to keep him involved, Abramson was put in charge of a new subsidiary, Atco Records. Its roster included The Coasters and Bobby Darin, but Darin's early releases were not successful and Abramson decided to drop him; however, Ahmet decided to have one more go at recording Darin and among the three sides he produced at that session was "Splish Splash" (a song Darin had written in just 12 minutes) which sold 100,000 copies in the first month and went on to become a million-seller, establishing Darin as a major star. Soon after, Abramson asked to be bought out and left the company; his stock was split between Nesuhi and Miriam[33] and Ahmet Ertegun took over as President of the label.

Nesuhi headed the label's jazz division, where he was responsible for major signings such as Charles Mingus and John Coltrane;[30]; later, Joel Dorn became Nesuhi's full-time assistant following his successful production on the album The Laws of Jazz by flutist Hubert Laws[34][35]. Nesuhi was also put in charge of the company's LP album production; although Atlantic's R&B main output of R&B was still issued on 78rpm record at this time, LPs were an important new market that was rapidly expanding. Nesuhi championed the Modern Jazz Quartet, who became a mainstay of the Atlantic's jazz roster, releasing twenty albums for Atlantic, all of which he produced. Among the many other significant artists Nesuhi brought to Atlantic were 'West Coast' acts he had seen during his stay in California, including Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Herbie Mann and Les McCann[36]. Soon after Nesuhi took over the album catalog, he deleted the old '100' and '400' series of 10-inch long-playing albums and the earlier 12-inch albums in Atlantic's catalog and launched the new '1200' series, which sold for $4.98. It was inaugurated with Shorty Rogers' The Swingin' Mr Rogers (Atlantic 1212)[37]. The 1200 series originally featured both jazz and R&B albums but in 1956 Nesuhi started a new '8000' popular series (selling for $3.98), so the few R&B albums in the 1200 series were reissued under the 8000 series, and from this point the 1200 album series was exclusively dedicated to jazz[38].

Expansion

From 1954 onwards Atlantic created or acquired several important subsidiary labels. The first was the short-lived but significant Cat Records, established in 1954. Atco Records was started in 1955 for Herb Abramson. In November that year Atlantic bought the Los Angeles-based Spark Records, founded by the famous songwriting and production duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller; its catalog was taken over by Atco and Lieber and Stoller relocated to New York. Two of the members of L.A. vocal group The Robins, Carl Gardner and Bobby Nunn, came east with Leiber and Stoller to join Atlantic as the foundation of a new group. Originally called The West Coasters, but soon shortened to The Coasters, they scored a string of classic R&B hits from 1956 to 1961 with songs written and produced by Lieber and Stoller, including "Young Blood", "Searchin'", "Yakety Yak", "Charlie Brown", "Along Came Jones", "Poison Ivy" and "Little Egypt". Many of the classic Coasters recordings featured the distinctive saxophone of King Curtis.

Others including Lava Records[39] and 143 Records became part of the Atlantic group. In 1958, Atlantic changed its catalogue numbering system for singles after issuing record number 1199 to the 2000 series because the 1200 series was reserved for Jazz LPs.[40][41] Also in 1958, founding president Abramson left the company and fellow co-founder Ahmet Ertegun became Atlantic's new president.[42] In 1960, Wexler began a distribution relationship between Atlantic and Memphis-based Stax Records.[10][43][44] The association with Stax ended in 1968.

During the 1960's, Atlantic distributed selected titles from scores of little regional labels including Vault, Class, Shirley, Tomorrow, Instant, Dade, Moonglow, Correct-Tone, Moonglow, Lu-Pine, Keetch, Royo, Rosemart, T-Neck, Heidi, Sims, and others, using the small independent label's design and separate catalog numbers.

Acquisition by Warner Bros.

Atlantic Records Logo from 1966 to 2005 (US). Still used outside North America

Atlantic was acquired by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1967. Initially, it and Atco were to be run entirely separate from WB-SA's other labels, Warner Bros. and Reprise Records.[45] One of Atlantic's major signings around this time was British rock band Led Zeppelin. The band had a deal with Atlantic Records directly from 1968 to 1973. After this contract ran out, they started their own vanity label, Swan Song Records. It signed a distribution deal with Atlantic after being turned down by other labels.

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts was taken over in 1969 by the Kinney National Company, which later became Warner Communications. After buying Elektra Records and its sister label Nonesuch Records the following year, Kinney combined the operations of all of its record labels under a new holding company, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, or WEA for short, and also known as Warner Music Group. WEA was also used as a label for distributing the company's artists outside North America. Atlantic Records was able to successfully maintain autonomy through the parent company reorganizations and continue to do their own marketing while WEA handled distribution.

In May 1988, the label held a 40th Anniversary concert, broadcast on HBO. This concert, which was almost 13 hours in length, featured performances by a large number of their artists and included reunions of some rock legends like Led Zeppelin and Crosby, Stills, and Nash (being David Crosby's first full band performance since being released from prison).[46]

Merger with Time Inc.

Warner Communications merged with Time Inc. (owners of the aforementioned HBO) in 1990, forming Time Warner. That same year, Jimmy Iovine founded Interscope Records, which Atlantic owned a 50% stake in. Interscope released notable gangsta rap titles — many in conjunction with Death Row Records. Pressure from activist groups opposed to gangsta rap, however, later led to parent company Time Warner's decision to sell Atlantic's stake in the label to MCA in 1995.[47]

Closure of Nashville division

A country music division, which was founded in the 1980s, was closed in 2001.[48] This branch included acts such as Neal McCoy, Tracy Lawrence and John Michael Montgomery, all of whom were transferred to Warner Bros. Records' Nashville division. The Atlantic Nashville division was revived in 2008 with Zac Brown Band and Jesse Lee being signed to it.

Elektra absorption

Time Warner sold Warner Music Group to a group of investors for $2.6 billion in late 2003. The deal closed in early 2004, consolidating Elektra Records and Atlantic into one label operated in the eastern United States.[2]

"You're Pitiful" scandal

In 2006, the label denied "Weird Al" Yankovic permission to release "You're Pitiful", a parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful", despite Blunt's own approval of the song. Atlantic claimed that it was "too early" in Blunt's career, and that they didn't want Blunt to become a one-hit wonder.[49] Although Yankovic could have legally gone ahead with the parody anyway, his record label, Volcano Entertainment, thought that it was best not to "go to war" with Atlantic.[50] The parody was released onto the Internet as a free download, and can be legally accessed and downloaded from Yankovic's official website. Later he recorded two more parodies, "White & Nerdy", and "Do I Creep You Out", to replace "You're Pitiful". The music video for "White & Nerdy" depicts Weird Al vandalizing the Wikipedia article for Atlantic Records, replacing the whole page with "YOU SUCK!" in excessively large type (which spawned copycat vandalism of the article).[51]

60 Years

In 2007, the label celebrated its 60th anniversary with the May 2 PBS broadcast of the American Masters documentary Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built and the simultaneous Starbucks CD release of Atlantic 60th Anniversary: R&B Classics Chosen By Ahmet Ertegun.[52]

That year also saw Atlantic reach a milestone for major record labels: "More than half of its music sales in the United States are now from digital products, like downloads on iTunes and ring tones for cellphones", doing so "without seeing as steep of a decline in Compact Disc sales as the rest of the industry."[53]

Notable Sublabels

Artists

Main articles: List of current Atlantic Records artists and List of former Atlantic Records artists

Atlantic Records Group labels

Main article: Atlantic Records Group

See also

References

  1. ^ Atlantic Records :: Our History
  2. ^ a b Veiga, Alex. Warner group's new chief gets right to work. Associated Press: March 3, 2004
  3. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (2006-12-14). "Industry Icon Ahmet Ertegun Dies At 83". Billboard.
  4. ^ The Darkness :: Discography
  5. ^ Atlantic Records :: Sean Paul
  6. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  7. ^ Dorothy Wade & Justine Picardie, Music Man: Ahmet Ertegen, Atlantic Records and the Triumph of Rock & Roll, (W. W. Norton, New York, 1990, ISBN 0 393 02635 3), pp.31-32)
  8. ^ Wade & Picardie, pp.32-33
  9. ^ a b "Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun dies". MSNBC. 2006-12-14. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  10. ^ a b Sullivan, James (2006-12-14). "Rock & Roll Founding Father Ahmet Ertegun Dies at 83". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  11. ^ Dan Dailey, "The Engineers Who Changed Recording", Sound on Sound, October 2004
  12. ^ Wade & Picardie, p.34
  13. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  14. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  15. ^ Wade & Picardie, p.35
  16. ^ Wade & Picardie, pp.35-36
  17. ^ Peter Grendysa and Robert Pruter, Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974 booklet notes (CD edition), Atlantic Records, 1991
  18. ^ Wade & Picardie, pp.37-38
  19. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  20. ^ Wade & Picardie, pp.38-39
  21. ^ Wade & Picardie, p.39
  22. ^ Peter Grendysa and Robert Pruter, Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974 booklet notes (CD edition), Atlantic Records, 1991
  23. ^ Wade & Picardie, pp.40
  24. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  25. ^ Sacks, Leo (1993-08-29). "The Soul of Jerry Wexler". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  26. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  27. ^ Wade & Picardie, p.43-44
  28. ^ Wade & Picardie, 1990, p.99
  29. ^ Wade & Picardie, 1990, p.99
  30. ^ a b Jones, Steve (2006-12-15). "Atlantic Records founder Ertegun dead at 83". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  31. ^ Weiner, Tim (2006-12-14). "Ahmet Ertegun, Founder of Atlantic Records, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  32. ^ "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame biography of Nesuhi Ertegun". Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  33. ^ Wade & Picardie, pp.44-51
  34. ^ Bailey, C. Michael (September 1999). "32 Jazz: Anthropology New and Old". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
  35. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Joel Dorn - Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  36. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  37. ^ Atlantic Records catalog: 1200 series
  38. ^ David Edwards & Mike Callaghan, The Atlantic Records Story
  39. ^ "The atlantic records group". wmg.com.
  40. ^ "45 Discography for Atlantic Records". globaldogproductions.info.
  41. ^ David Edwards, René Wu, Patrice Eyries, and Mike Callahan (Last update: October 6, 2005). "Atlantic Album Discography, Part 2 1200 Jazz Series (1949-1966)". bsnpubs.com. Retrieved 12 December 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=uFrYsNvmrvQC&pg=PA68&dq=atco+%2B+herb&hl=en&ei=ERAqTP_8NNLcnAet96SPAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=atco%20%20%20herb&f=false
  43. ^ Kurutz, Steve. "Jerry Wexler Biography". Allmusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved 2006-06-28.
  44. ^ Leopold, Todd (2001-08-31). "Atlantic Records: A label with soul". CNN. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
  45. ^ Atlantic Records Story
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  47. ^ Interscope Records
  48. ^ "Atlantic Records to close Nashville offices". Wichita Eagle. 2001-05-01. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  49. ^ Skaggs, Austin (2006-09-19). "Weird Al Yankovic Dishes on James Blunt, Discusses His Role as the Whitest, Nerdiest Rock Star Ever". Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily (in English). Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  50. ^ "Free 'Weird Al' Yankovic!" (in English). Retrieved 2007-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  51. ^ Adams, Cameron. "Weird Al Yankovic." Herald Sun, October 5, 2006.
  52. ^ "Atlantic Kicks Off 60th Anniversary Year with 2 Major Events". Atlantic Records. 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2007-07-27. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  53. ^ Atlantic Records hits milestone on digital music sales, a November 25, 2008 from the International Herald Tribune

External links

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