About
Multinational label. Label Code: LC 0407 / LC 00407 Island Records (often using a logo that omits "Records") was named for Island In The Sun (a novel, film, and Harry Belafonte calypso hit), and was founded in Jamaica in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, and . In May 1962, Blackwell relocated the label to the UK in order to market music by Jamaican artists to immigrant communities in London and Birmingham. In 1967, however, Island shifted its focus to relatively edgy rock music, and most of its Jamaican acts were moved to the spinoff label Trojan Records. Island resumed its support of reggae artists with the signing of The Wailers in 1972. In the UK, Island was independently distributed until mid-1977 when Blackwell did a deal with EMI Records Ltd.. The EMI Records Ltd. name thereafter appeared on UK labels until the early 1980s. For several years, Island licensed American rights to its material to a variety of labels, most frequently A&M and Atlantic. In 1971, Island first gained its own US label identity through a distribution deal with Capitol. In 1973, Island's American division switched to independent distribution. US headquarters, formerly based in Los Angeles, were relocated to New York City in November 1977. In mid 1978, US Island began a series of manufacturing and distribution partnerships with major labels, first with Warner Bros. Records Inc., and then with Atlantic Records in late 1981. Similar relationships were forged with Philips [for the world except the US, UK and Australasia up to June 1971], Ariola [Europe from June 1971 except France], Festival [Australasia], Dacapo, and WEA for distribution in various other countries. For a history of relationships in Canada see . Blackwell sold Island to PolyGram in 1989, but remained chairman of Island Entertainment Group until 1997. Since 1999, the Island label has been under the control of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and Universal Island Records Ltd. in the UK. In Germany, the brand is part of Polydor Island Group, which formed from the short-lived Island Mercury Labelgroup. In Japan, the brand is used domestically by Universal Sigma. In November 2013, Barry Weiss (3) stepped down as Chairman/CEO of both Island and Def Jam. On the first day of April 2014, Universal Music dissolved The Island Def Jam Music Group. Now re-positioned Island Records, Def Jam Recordings and Motown separately as all three solo labels. In early 2024, Universal Music combined the operations of Island, Def Jam and Republic Records together under the unit name, Republic Corps. UK prefixes (ca. 1981): WIP and CWIP: standard 7" (dealer price: £0,70 exl. VAT) IEP: E.P. 7" (dealer price: £0,91 exl. VAT) 12WIP: standard 12" (dealer price: £1,21 exl. VAT) IPR, 12XWIP: specialist 12" (dealer price: £1,40 exl. VAT) IRSP: mid price album (dealer price: £2,00 exl. VAT) ICD: mid price double album (dealer price: £3,90 exl. VAT) ILPS, ISA, ILP, M1, HNBL, ITOP: full price album (dealer price: £3,07 exl. VAT) ILSP: full price double album (dealer price: £4,56 exl. VAT) NDSP: box sets (dealer price: £6,09 exl. VAT) ZCIRSP: mid price cassette (dealer price: £2,00 exl. VAT) ZCI, ZCSA, ZCMI: full price cassette (dealer price: £3,07 exl. VAT) ZCIP: full price double cassette (dealer price: £4,56 exl. VAT) ICT: 1+1 (dealer price: £2,43 exl. VAT) - later used for standard cassette releases.
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Sub-labels
Island Vinyl
Blunted
UK Main label is Blunted Vinyl, also known as Blunted on later releases.
Antilles
US label Label Code: LC 6176 / LC 06176 . To further expand their U.S. operation and categorically organize the music they release in America, Island Records established its own parent org...
Axiom
Created by Bill Laswell in 1989 for the promotion of his own, most "crucial" (to his point of view) projects. Axiom was a subdivision of Island Records (and of Polygram) but had always the advantag...
Blue (Island)
Part of Universal-Island. The URL is defunct.
Smash Records
Originally a subsidiary of Mercury Records in the 1960s (see Smash Records (4)), Smash Records was reactivated by parent company PolyGram as a US dance label in 1991, first as part of the PolyG...
Al's Records
Alex Reece's own label
Trade 2
Sublabel of Island Records, co-ran by of .
Mango
Record label, a subsidiary of Chris Blackwell's Island Records, founded in 1972, to focus on music from the Caribbean. U.S. branch closed in 1993, and the label itself was discontinued i...
Sense
Short-lived 1990s sub-label of Island Records (UK). The label was also known as Sense (Of Island). Run by a post-ZTT Paul Morley. The earliest (mostly indie-sounding) releases were lavishly pac...
Supreme Recordings
Island Jamaica
Label established in 1993 by and and bought from PolyGram by in 1994. As the first long-term investment of a multinational music company in Jamaica's recording industry, it...
Black Swan
Reggae label. Releases prefixed with WI or WIP are released as subsidiary of Island UK, while those prefixed with BW are released as subsidiary of Trojan. Labelcode: LC 0407
Island Masters
The Island masters series began in the 1980s. Polygram started to re-release good selling Island records in a "Mid-Price" series with the IMCD prefix, starting with IMCD 1. Releases be...
Island Black Music
Division of Island Records, active from 1995 to 1999, specializing in black/urban contemporary music. President: Hiriam Hicks. Island Black Music was distributed by I.L.S., an indep...
Reggae Refreshers
Reggae Refreshers is a series of classic Island Records reggae CDs, Cassettes & LPs, available at a special price from 1990 onwards. The UK prefixes are: RRCD - Compact discs; RRCT - Cassettes.
Apollo Recordings
Dance imprint from Island run by Matt Jagger, former MD of Mercury. Its debut release - '[r=623408]' by Meck - picked up a UK number 1 hit, while the label's second single - '[r=667525]' by Inferna...
Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain Records was a short-lived UK sublabel of Island Records, operating only from 1972 to 1973 mostly as a Reggae imprint. Today, the name exists as one of Chris Blackwell's main music p...
Island Remasters
In 2000 Island Masters was re-modeled and renamed to Island Remasters. While the packaging of the Island Masters of the 1980s and 1990s was simple the newer Island Remaster followed a trend to a be...
Island Red Label
Short-lived sub label of Island Records in the mid 1990s. Publications were rather oriented on independent music.
Contact Label
UMG Headquarters of N.Y.C. 1755 Broadway, Floor #29 New York, NY 10019 U.S.A. UMG Headquarters of Santa Monica 2220 Colorado Avenue, Floor #5, Santa Monica, CA 90404 U.S.A.