Gourt Home::Gourt :: Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Sony BMG.
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 Meat Loaf, The Jacksons, Michael Jackson, 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 LIVE, AC/DC, Bad Religion, Duran Duran, Rage Against The Machine, Pearl Jam, Suicidal Tendencies, Macy Gray, B*Witched (via Glowworm Records), Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (via Ruthless Records), Jennifer López (from the WORK label), Tori Amos, 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.
Imprint labels
Past and present imprint labels of Epic Records include:
- 550 Music (defunct)
- Epic Street – Formed for hip-hop artists.
- 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 Easy-E and Jerry Heller
- Work Records (defunct) – also known as '"WORK" and "The WORK Group"
Epic Artists
Artists who have recorded for Epic Records includes (listed alphabetically):
- ABBA (UK/Ireland/Israel)
- AC/DC
- The Afters
- Tori Amos
- Anastacia
- Argent
- Aselin Debison
- Audioslave
- Augustana
- Autolux
- Jeff Beck
- Natasha Bedingfield
- Boston
- Box of Frogs
- Ray Bryant
- Cartel
- Cheap Trick
- Tina Charles
- Charley D. and Milo
- Chevelle
- Christie
- Gigliola Cinquetti
- The Clash
- Beverley Craven
- John Davis & the Monster Orchestra
- Dead or Alive
- Céline Dion (US)
- Disciple
- Donovan
- dope
- Duran Duran
- Eighteen Visions
- Europe
- Franz Ferdinand
- The Fray
- Ginuwine
- Gloria Estefan
- Glenuk
- Good Charlotte
- Delta Goodrem
- Macy Gray
- Heatwave
- The Hollies
- Jimmy "Bo" Horne
- The Isley Brothers
- Incubus
- Indigo Girls
- Michael Jackson
- The Jacksons
- Jamiroquai
- Waylon Jennings
- George Jones
- The Juliana Theory
- K.C. & The Sunshine Band
- Cheyenne Kimball
- Carole King
- Korn
- Labelle
- Lamb of God
- Cyndi Lauper
- LIVE
- Jennifer López
- Jessica Simpson
- Josh Hoge
- Judas Priest
- Lulu
- Matisyahu (reggae artist)
- The McCoys
- George McCrae
- Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
- Mason Jennings
- Meat Loaf
- MFSB
- Midi, Maxi & Efti
- Mind Funk
- Modest Mouse
- Motörhead
- Mudvayne
- Johnny Nash
- Ted Nugent
- The O'Jays
- Oasis (US)
- October Project
- The Only Ones
- Omarion
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Billy Paul
- Sara Paxton
- Pearl Jam
- Teddy Pendergrass
- The Photos
- Prong
- Puffy AmiYumi
- Quietdrive
- Rage Against The Machine
- Lou Rawls
- REO Speedwagon
- Charlie Rich
- Sade
- Sailor
- Joe Satriani
- Shakira
- Carly Simon
- Jessica Simpson
- Shudder To Think
- Skank
- Shakira
- The Sinceros
- Sly & the Family Stone
- Social Distortion
- The Starjets
- Suicidal Tendencies
- Donna Summer
- System of a Down
- Tenacious D
- The Third Degrees
- Melanie Thornton
- The Tramps
- The Tremeloes
- USA & European Connection
- Steve Vai
- Luther Vandross
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Vendetta Red
- Bobby Vinton
- Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites
- Jonathan Walsh
- Derek Webb
- Wham! and George Michael
- Edgar Winter
- Wild Cherry
- Brenton Wood
- Tammy Wynette
- The Yardbirds
Epic Records Executives
- Charlie Walk - Epic Record's President
See also
External links
- Epic Records – Official website
- Sony Music, parent company of Epic
American record labels | Sony subsidiaries | 1953 establishments
Epic Records | Epic Records | Epic Records | Epic Records | Epic Records
"Epic Records"