Sire Records: Difference between revisions

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Sire Records

American record label founded by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer. The first release of the label was Loving Kind Of Way, late March or early April 1968. Around the same time Sire arranged a distribution contract with P.I.P. Records. In April 1968 Seymour Stein flew to Europe and Far East to arrange distribution deals and signing progressive British and European bands who didn't have American label deals. The most successful artists from this era include Renaissance (4), Climax Blues Band and Focus (2), whose instrumental "Hocus Pocus" gave Sire its first Top 10 hit.

Originally pressed and distributed by London Records from 1968 to 1972; distribution switched to Dot Records/Famous Music later in 1972. Distribution again changed in 1974, this time to ABC Records.

In 1976, Sire was one of the first large independent labels to sign artists from the burgeoning punk and NYC new wave scene, including The Ramones, The Dead Boys and Talking Heads.

In 1976, Seymour Stein sold the rights for European releases to Polygram, so UK releases were marketed by Phonogram Ltd. till the end of 1978, while Continental releases were released by PolyGram on the Philips label. In late 1978, when Sire's CBGB acts like Ramones and Talking Heads became popular, he secured new licensing deals in all European key markets. Sire was distributed now in Germany by Ariola Eurodisc GmbH, in the UK by WEA Records Ltd., in France by Pathé Marconi EMI, in Italy by RCA S.P.A. and so on. In November 1981 WEA International Inc. bought all distribution rights for Sire in Europe, except for Italy. Please note: all European WEA Musik GmbH related Sire releases are released post-1981.

In the US, a distribution deal was signed in 1977 with Warner Bros. Records. Warner finally purchased the label in 1980. In 1982, Sire signed Madonna, who became the label's most popular act. In the 1980s many Sire albums were put out through the Warner subsidiary Reprise Records.

In 1995, Sire temporarily switched distribution from Warner Brothers and Reprise to Elektra, always remaining part of the Warner Music Group.

In 2000, Sire Records and the US division of London Records, which came to the Warner fold when Roger Ames was hired to run all of Warner Music, were merged to become London-Sire Records, part of Warner Music Group. This partnership was dissolved in April, 2003, at which point Sire once again became a distinct imprint in the portfolio of Warner-owned labels and returned to the aegis of Warner Bros. Records.

Label Code: LC 3228 / LC 03228

Please note that some US cassettes and 8-tracks have a SIR code on the spine or elsewhere near or above the catalogue number. This is not part of the catalogue number and should not be entered as such. Instead, it's a label identification code and may be entered in the Barcode and Other Identifiers fields in Other.

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Wikipedia Information

Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sire_Records

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+[[File:Sire thumb.png | 200px | right | thumb |Sire Records logo]]
+[[Category:Record Label]]
-==History==
+==Relevance==
+{{Page
-The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a record label were issued in 1968, distributed by London Records. From the beginning, Sire introduced underground, progressive British bands to the American market. Early releases included the Climax Blues Band, Barclay James Harvest, Tomorrow, Matthews Southern Comfort and proto-punks The Deviants. The label was distributed by Polydor Records from 1970 until 1971, during which time the now-famous logo was introduced, and then by Famous Music from 1972 to 1974, during which the progressive rock band Focus charted with their 1972 hit "Hocus Pocus". In the seventies, Sire released a number of compilation LPs, including the 3 volume "History Of British Rock" series, and diverse artists such as The Turtles, Duane Eddy, The Small Faces and Del Shannon. ABC Records inherited Sire's distribution contract when it acquired Famous Music in 1974. The UK signing policy was vindicated when Climax Blues Band scored a Top 40 hit in 1977 with "Couldn't Get It Right". Also in 1977 Stein, who had worked with the group in the 1960s, convinced the Shangri-Las to reform and return to the studio. But the trio was unhappy with the quality of material it recorded, and the trio opted out of its contract. Those tracks have yet to be released.
+|DiscogsLabelId=27031
+|WikipediaPageTitle=Sire_Records
-In the later 1970s, Sire transformed itself into a successful independent record label and went on to sign artists from the burgeoning punk rock and new wave scenes, including the Ramones, the Dead Boys, The Undertones and Talking Heads. Sire switched distribution to Warner Bros. Records in 1977; in 1978, Warner would acquire Sire Records. During the 1980s, Sire achieved mainstream status after having launched the recording careers of Madonna (its biggest act), Ice-T, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Pretenders and The Cure in North America. Into the 1990s, the label had continued success with Seal, k.d. lang, Tommy Page and Ministry.
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-In 1994, Sire switched distribution from Warner Bros. Records to sister label Elektra Records (also part of parent company Warner Music). Stein had been appointed president of Elektra Records under Elektra's newly appointed CEO Sylvia Rhone. Sire later left Elektra in 1997, becoming a stand-alone label, and, in 2000, Sire and the US division of London Records (not London Classics USA) were merged to become London-Sire Records. This partnership dissolved in April 2003, at which point the company went back to being called Sire Records, and it returned to distribution with Warner Bros. Records again. Currently, it signs newcomers like the Ready Set and Lights.