What is a vanity, or artist-owned, record label? It’s a sign of independence, power, status and success. Back in the day, artists might get a record label as part of negotiating a record deal and getting the record company to throw in some start-up money and provide distribution. Sometimes the artists got ambitious and signed other artists, or simply wanted the label for their own releases.
Reprise Records
The first artist-owned label I knew of was Reprise Records, the label Frank Sinatra founded with distribution by Warner Bros. In addition to Sinatra, he signed up Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Rosemary Clooney, Duke Ellington, Nancy Sinatra, Esquivel, and stand-up comedian Redd Foxx. Then came artists for a younger audience: Neil Young, Lee Hazlewood, Jill Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, the early Joni Mitchell recordings, the Kinks, the Electric Prunes, Donna Loren, Arlo Guthrie, Norman Greenbaum, Tom Lehrer, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, Ry Cooder, Captain Beefheart, John Sebastian, the early 1970s recordings by Frank Zappa and the Mothers, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, the Fugs, Jethro Tull, Pentangle, T. Rex, John Cale, Gordon Lightfoot, Michael Franks, Richard Pryor, Al Jarreau, Fleetwood Mac, Fanny, and the Beach Boys.
Sinatra sold majority interest to Warner Bros. who shifted the focus to more contemporary artists. In the 1970’s, the label mainly went dormant, but would again become active.
Apple Records
Founded and owned by the Beatles’ company, Apple Corps Ltd. The Beatles as a group and as individuals were signed through 1975 to EMI/Capitol.
The Beatles were ambitious, planning to sign new artists and give them a supportive home. James Taylor, The Iveys (Badfinger), Mary Hopkin, Billy Preston, Doris Troy, White Trash, Jackie Lomax, Yoko Ono, Lon & Derrek Van Eaton, John Tavener, Ravi Shankar, Radha-Krishna Temple, Modern Jazz Quartet, Black Dyke Band, Hot Chocolate, Elephant’s Memory and others.
While Apple Records went dormant, except for Beatles releases, Apple Corps. remains the Beatles company today. A series of legal disputes between Apple Corps and the computer manufacturer Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) over competing trademark rights, specifically over the use of the name “Apple” and their respective logos which consist of a profile of an apple. Apple Inc. paid Apple Corps. over three settlements: $80,000 in 1978, $26.5 million in 1991, and $500 million in 2007. – from Wikipedia
Brother Records
Founded by the Beach Boys in 1966 as the holding company for the Beach Boys including ownership of the name. Later, Brother Records distributed Beach Boys albums from 1967 to 1992. The only non-Beach Boys album released by Brother Records was The Flame (1970), a band comprised of South African siblings Steve (guitar, vocals), Edries (bass) and Ricky Fataar (drums) and Blondie Chaplin (guitar, vocals). Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin left their band to join the Beach Boys in the early 1970’s.
The Wilson brothers also owned a recording studio in Santa Monica they named Brother Studios, which was also used by other bands. It was sold in 1978.
Currently, the owner/directors are Mike Love, Al Jardine and the estates of Brian and Carl Wilson. Jardine bought into the company in 1973, and Dennis Wilson’s estate sold his shares back to the company as repayment for loans. In 2021, The band has sold a controlling interest in the Beach Boys’ intellectual property — including their master recordings, a portion of their publishing, the Beach Boys brand, and memorabilia — to Iconic Artists Group, headed by Irving Azoff.
Rocket Record Company
Founded by Elton John along with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon, Steve Brown and others, in 1973.
This record label has a complicated history. The main artist was Elton John, though he only continually appeared on the label in the UK, he was signed to DJM, MCA, Mercury, Island, RCA, Geffen, etc., while Rocket moved from MCA to Phonogram, then to other labels.
In its prime, Rocket had Cliff Richard, Neil Sedaka, Kiki Dee, Colin Blunstone, Hudson Brothers, Lulu, Randy Edelman, Nigel Olsson and many others. Rocket was very active in artist management and currently represents Ed Sheeran and Chris Dilford (Squeeze).
In 1999, The Rocket Record Company was absorbed by The Island Def Jam Music Group, and it operated under IDJ’s Mercury Records division. However, the logo was still used on all new Elton John releases until 2007. He was occasionally released albums during the 2000s, including an album with Leon Russell. – Wikipedia
Swan Song Records
Founded by Led Zepplin in 1973, and operated until 1983. Currently, the label exists to reissue Led Zeppelin albums. The label was formed to sign new bands, and to give Led Zeppelin more control over their product.
Bad Company signed to Swan Song and amassed the greatest label success for a band not named Led Zeppelin. Other signees were the Pretty Things, Dave Edmunds, Maggie Bell, Mirabai, Detective, Midnight Flyer, Wildlife and Sad Café.
Bonus…
Dark Horse Records
George Harrison began his record label before he could sign himself as an artist. He made a distribution agreement with A&M Records, but the deal fell apart and he moved to Warner Bros.
Initial artists signed to the label (besides Harrison) were The Section, Scaffold, Ravi Shankar, the band Attitudes (Danny Kortchmar on guitar, bass player Paul Stallworth and keyboard player David Foster, Jim Keltner on drums), the duo Splinter, R&B vocal group The Stairsteps, ex-Joe Cocker guitarist Henry McCullough and a California band named Jiva.
In 2020, the label was relaunched by Harrison’s son Dhani and manager David Zonshine through a global partnership with BMG. The label also entered into partnership with Zoetrope Records. Current label artists include: Leon Russell, Billy Idol, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Joe Strummer, Jon Lord, Ravi Shankar, Nina Simone, Steve Perry, Benmont Tench, Traveling Wilburys, Billy Preston,
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