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Island Records is a Record Label that was founded by British record producers in Jamaica . It was based in England for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group of the United States and is operated through The Island Def Jam Music Group . HISTORY Rise of the Island brand Island Records was founded in Jamaica in 1959 by Chris Blackwell and Graeme Goodall but moved to the UK in May 1962. Until Blackwell sold the label to PolyGram in 1989, Island was the largest Indie Record Label in history. In the mid-1970s, Island operated its own record pressing plant, but had problems with quality control; many records were defective and had to be returned. Except for this brief period, Island manufactured and released most of its titles in the UK with the assistance of EMI , and in other territories via licensing agreements with other record companies. Island's overseas licensing arrangements were often such that Island was marketed as the primary label, with Island Records credited on sleeve spines, and Island's label designs appearing prominently on the discs themselves, even when a different company was responsible for the records' manufacture, distribution and marketing. Sometimes the fine print on these releases would mention the other company, sometimes not. Island did incorporate and operate business offices in the U.S. and Canada in the 1970s and 1980s, but even in those territories, Island-branded records were actually released by companies such as Asylum Records (U.S., 1970), Capitol Records (U.S., early 1970s), Warner Bros. Records (U.S., 1975–1982), WEA Records (Canada, et al.), Atlantic Records (U.S., 1982–1989), Phonogram Records (Germany, 1970s), Ariola Records (Germany & Netherlands, late 1970s–1989), Dacapo (Portugal), and others. One anomaly is that Festival Records (Australia & New Zealand) got to promote its brand more prominently than most. Although this strategy of the Island brand dominating releases helped prevent the brand from becoming marginalized, Island struggled as a business in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bob Marley had died, Irish rock band U2 , which had signed to Island in March 1980, were growing in popularity, but had not reached the international superstar status that was to come, and a joint arrangement with Trevor Horn 's fledgling ZTT label had diminishing returns. Blackwell had also used the label to finance a new film production and distribution company, Island Alive , in 1983. In the mid-1980s, U2 helped keep the label afloat with a loan that Blackwell repaid by expanding U2's royalties and giving the band control of its master recordings. Island's acquisition by PolyGram In July 1989, Blackwell sold Island Records and Island Music to PolyGram UK Group for £ 272 million. From this point on, Island was no longer an independent company, although PolyGram continued to market the brand. Blackwell stayed on as CEO of PolyGram's Island Entertainment division. PolyGram immediately began reissuing much of the Island back catalogue on Compact Disc and expanded Island's reach through its global manufacture and distribution network, but the label was relatively unfocused in the 1990s. Its 4th & Broadway division, operating since the mid-1980s, achieved some success marketing alternative Hip Hop and dance-pop music. In November 1997, Blackwell resigned from Island Entertainment (some sources say he was fired) and went on to form Palm Pictures the following year. In December 1998, Seagram purchased PolyGram and merged it into Universal Music Group . Island under Universal Music Group The Universal years have, thus far, resulted in tremendous dilution of brands; releases are inconsistently marketed as being "on" any number of labels which range from historic brands like Island to conglomerate holding companies, music groups, label groups, and miscellaneous divisions of Universal Music that formed from numerous mergers and acquisitions in the 1990s and 2000s:
ARTISTS See Also: List of current Island Records artists See Also: List of former Island Records artists RECORDINGS This article deals mostly with the commercial history of the label, and over the years its output has been prolific. For a comprehensive list of releases, see the Discography . SUBSIDIARIES & LABELS This list is probably incomplete, and some of the dates are uncertain.
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