Record Labels

[heaven&hell]

What's your favorite label?

I could be either a new label or one from back in the day that had many great bands, such as Geffen and Elektra.

[phaffas]

Kivel to me seems to be a stand out atm.

 

Whatever happened to MTM?? They had some great stuff too but have now dissappeared...?

[Geoff]

Yeah, MTM is no more, Matt. Shocked me too, but it happened something like last year. They are my all-time favourite label too.

 

As for back in the day, I always remember the red/black and white of Atlantic so I guess they must have had a bunch of good bands, and I notice they still carry a few of the good modern bands every now and then. I don't think I really liked Geffen much aside from Tesla and Gunners and I can't think of anything from Elektra apart from Motley.

[phaffas]

Yeah, MTM is no more, Matt. Shocked me too, but it happened something like last year. They are my all-time favourite label too.

 

As for back in the day, I always remember the red/black and white of Atlantic so I guess they must have had a bunch of good bands, and I notice they still carry a few of the good modern bands every now and then. I don't think I really liked Geffen much aside from Tesla and Gunners and I can't think of anything from Elektra apart from Motley.

 

wasnt Stryper on Elektra too?

[phaffas]

Are there remnants of MTM in another label now? There are so many releases by them which i cant do without.

[Geoff]

Are there remnants of MTM in another label now? There are so many releases by them which i cant do without.

If there is I don't know. Anyone?

 

Yeah, MTM is no more, Matt. Shocked me too, but it happened something like last year. They are my all-time favourite label too.

 

As for back in the day, I always remember the red/black and white of Atlantic so I guess they must have had a bunch of good bands, and I notice they still carry a few of the good modern bands every now and then. I don't think I really liked Geffen much aside from Tesla and Gunners and I can't think of anything from Elektra apart from Motley.

 

wasnt Stryper on Elektra too?

Indeed they were. Good call.

[hardrockhaven]

Pachaderm and Long Island used to be big hits.

 

Chris

[SamboraRocks86]

this is easy...

 

for Major labels, i like Geffen (GnR, Roxy Blue, Black N Blue etc..) and Columbia (Alice In Chains, Warrant, Steve Vai, Alice Cooper etc..)

 

but for Indie, theres only one and that is Kivel!

 

im always going on about them but man, they put out unbelievabley awesome albums all the time! great tunes, great production, great packaging...and the beauty is you can actually talk to the bands you get into from them! i really got into the Anger Management album and so started talking to Jim in Bombay Black and hes a great guy, was gonna do alot for me for Zrock in May (got me free tickets for one thing, and was gonna give me a free copy of the new album, and was gonna bring some stuff from the states over for me.....but i digress)

 

the main label for me is probably Kivel, i just wish i could afford their stuff more often (£9 a CD isnt bad, but you can get Geffen releases on Ebay for £3 each with cheaper postage) saying that, John has also done me alot of favours, so add great custom to the list! i owe him more than one actually...

 

i will always endorse Kivel!

[Geoff]

Long Island

Excellent label.

[Metal T]

Megaforce

Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

[phaffas]

Megaforce

Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

 

Do any of these (and similar) actually exist any more?

[heaven&hell]

Megaforce

Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

 

Do any of these (and similar) actually exist any more?

 

Probably not. Most of the big labels were part of mergers that happened in the 1990's.

[heaven&hell]

Yeah, MTM is no more, Matt. Shocked me too, but it happened something like last year. They are my all-time favourite label too.

 

As for back in the day, I always remember the red/black and white of Atlantic so I guess they must have had a bunch of good bands, and I notice they still carry a few of the good modern bands every now and then. I don't think I really liked Geffen much aside from Tesla and Gunners and I can't think of anything from Elektra apart from Motley.

 

wasnt Stryper on Elektra too?

 

Dokken and Metallica was on Elektra too.

 

 

Geffen had GNR, Tesla, Y&T(Contagious and Ten), Tyketto(David Geffen Company), Whitesnake(Slide it In to Slip of the Tongue) and I'm sure I'm missing others.

 

What about Mercury/Ploygram? They had Kiss, Cinderella, Defleppard and Bon Jovi.

[Geoff]

Megaforce

Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

 

Do any of these (and similar) actually exist any more?

 

Probably not. Most of the big labels were part of mergers that happened in the 1990's.

Atlantic and MCA are still around aren't they? Or are MCA gone too... Capitol/Enigma is still on the scene, I'm pretty sure.

[heaven&hell]

Megaforce

Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

 

Do any of these (and similar) actually exist any more?

 

Probably not. Most of the big labels were part of mergers that happened in the 1990's.

Atlantic and MCA are still around aren't they? Or are MCA gone too... Capitol/Enigma is still on the scene, I'm pretty sure.

 

I believe that MCA is long gone.

You can look up that "Major Label/Minor Success" thread for my feelings on that awful label.

I'm not sure how a label can have that much talent and not do a damn thing with it.

[Evil Rick]

As for back in the day, I always remember the red/black and white of Atlantic so I guess they must have had a bunch of good bands, and I notice they still carry a few of the good modern bands every now and then.

That was the first thing that came to mind when I read the topic, Atlantic with that red lettering on the white background always stood out along with their Atco and East/West spinoffs as well.

 

A couple other labels I liked back in the day were Arista (Krokus) and Enigma (XYZ and Hurricane come to mind)

 

Nowadays it's Kivel along with SPV.

[manicego]

>> Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

 

Do any of these (and similar) actually exist any more? <<

 

Elektra = Warner now

Combat - Reactivated a few years back but I think it's been shuttered again

Atlantic = Warner

Mca = Universal

Capitol/Enigma - two separate companies. Enigma closed in 1992, we were distributed through Capitol. Capitol is now the Capitol Music Group with Virgin and EMI

Intense - long gone.

 

Stryper were signed to Enigma and then later signed to Hollywood when Peter Paterno (Enigma's attorney, Hollywood's CEO) re-signed them. They were never on Elektra.

[phaffas]

>> Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

 

Do any of these (and similar) actually exist any more? <<

 

Elektra = Warner now

Combat - Reactivated a few years back but I think it's been shuttered again

Atlantic = Warner

Mca = Universal

Capitol/Enigma - two separate companies. Enigma closed in 1992, we were distributed through Capitol. Capitol is now the Capitol Music Group with Virgin and EMI

Intense - long gone.

 

Stryper were signed to Enigma and then later signed to Hollywood when Peter Paterno (Enigma's attorney, Hollywood's CEO re-signed them. They were never on Elektra.

 

Elektra... Enigma... close enough!

[manicego]

>> Elektra... Enigma... close enough! <<

 

Nuh uh!!!! We were cool. Elektra was, well ... powerful

 

[Metal T]

Megaforce

Elektra

Combat

Atlantic

Mca

Capitol/Enigma

Intense

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe that MCA is long gone.

You can look up that "Major Label/Minor Success" thread for my feelings on that awful label.

 

 

I agree.MCA f**ked up bad with alot of their artists! Sweet F.A. had several substantial offers from other labels but ended up signing with those idiots-BIG mistake! After Stick' they bolted.

[Fat Freddy]

I dont' think I've ever had a particular "favorite" label. It seems to me that if you look at the rosters of just about any label, you'll see a lot of good bands, but a lot of crap too.

[London]

I think my new favorites are Liquor And Poker and SPV.

[eaglesfan3000]

Lets see...

 

Atlantic

Elektra

Metal Blade

[headbanger4life]

There were some good labels over here in Japan that I really liked.

 

ZERO - This was a good one back in the early through mid 90's. When grunge and alternative were ruling the radio waves in the states, this label was putting out some great AOR, HR, Metal and Prog.

 

Bareknuckle - This one came out in the late 90's and had a lot of good stuff as well. They didn't last very long though.

 

I also liked Long Island, MTM, and even some old Metal Blade stuff.

[Geoff]

Yeah, Zero was a fantastic label. Home to two of my all-time favourite releases - Zero (the band) and Masquerade.

 

Someone mentioned Polygram and Def Leppard and Bon Jovi... but their most prized act was surely Treat?