Epic Records

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Epic Records

Epic script logo used from late 1979 to 1991, revived in 2006.
Parent company Sony Music Entertainment
Founded 1953
Distributing label Epic Records (In the US)
Genre Various
Country of origin US
Location Santa Monica, CA
Official website Official website of Epic Records

Epic Records is an American record label. It is owned and operated by Sony BMG. The label was founded in 1953 as a jazz label, and was eventually expanded to several genres of music. The label manages several imprints as well.

Contents

[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.

By 1960 ,the label's musical base was expanded to include all genres of music and became an avenue for Columbia's A&R department to sign newer artists and avoid "overstuffing" the larger sister Columbia label, which at the time leaned on signing better known or already established artists. Many of Epic's signings were newer pop, Rock & Roll, and R&B artists in nature, where Columbia had better known "mainsteam" popular artists.

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.

In the 1960s, Epic oversaw the smaller subsidiary CBS labels including Okeh Records, Date Records. and Ode Records.

Epic has a long history of many successful acts. During the late 1960s and 1970s, its success extended to include Sly & the Family Stone (66), Charlie Rich (67), Edgar Winter (70),Steve Vai (70-present), REO Speedwagon (71), Johnny Nash (72), ABBA (in the UK) (72), The Isley Brothers (73), Ted Nugent (75), Boston (76), Heart (on sister label Portrait Records) (76), The Clash(76), Charlie Daniels,The Jacksons, and Michael Jackson,.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Epic made stars out of the likes of Meat Loaf, Adam Ant, Culture Club, Electric Light Orchestra, Ozzy Osbourne, Europe, Sade, Luther Vandross, Gloria Estefan, and Cyndi Lauper (through the Portrait label.) Other successful acts included Jessica Simpson, Shakira, Fiona Apple, Jennifer Lopez (from the WORK label) and Mandy Moore.

Other artists signed to Epic include Natasha Bedingfield, Brandy, Anastacia, Alexz Johnson,The Fray, Incubus, Alkaline Trio, Modest Mouse, Good Charlotte, Live, AC/DC, KISS, Duran Duran, Rage Against the Machine, Kat DeLuna, Chevelle, Editors, Prong, Pearl Jam, Sara Bareilles, Lamb Of God, Suicidal Tendencies, Macy Gray, B*Witched (via Glowworm Records), Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (via Ruthless Records), Tori Amos, Nicole Bennett, FireHouse, multiplatinum selling artist Céline Dion (on the 550 imprint), Low Vs Diamond, The White Tie Affair, Vedera, Augustana, Margot & The Nuclear So and So's,Red and Scouting For Girls, also Go:Audio.

Epic is part of the Sony BMG Music Entertainment company. Sony Corporation bought all of CBS's labels in 1988. A joint venture between its music division and BMG happened in 2004.

Legacy Recordings continues to reissue the label's classic and historical albums.

In March 2007, Epic, along with Columbia Records, signed an agreement with Sony Music Entertainment Japan to handle that company.

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:

[edit] Epic Records artists

For a list of Epic Records artists, past and present, see List of Epic Records artists.

[edit] Epic Records Executives

  • Charlie Walk - Epic Records President
  • Nick Raphael - Epic UK Managing Director
  • Jo Charrington - Epic UK Head of A&R
  • Andy Gershon - Epic Executive Vice President

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Records"
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