About
Label Code: LC 3053 / LC 03053. Label from England founded by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Stephen Brown (2) in 1972; pressed and distributed in the US by MCA Records from 1974 to 1978; US distribution switched to RCA for 1978 until returning to MCA; the label was distributed by Island Records, Phonogram and Mercury in Britain and by in Britain and Europe from 1975 until 1978. Besides John, Rocket released material by Kiki Dee, Neil Sedaka and, in America only between 1974 and 1978, Cliff Richard. Elton John's UK releases from 1976 onward were on Rocket (he ultimately became the label's only artist). It was revived in the US for the Made In England album and Island Records' mid-1990s expanded and remastered CD re-releases of his pre-1980 catalog. This was announced in the Feb 4, 1995 issue of Billboard "Elton John has reactivated his Rocket Records label in the U.S...". It ran out of business after Universal Music Group dissolved the Island Def Jam Music Group in 1999, but the Rocket logo was still appearing on new Elton John material up to 2004. The label design was changed in 1977 from the original colorful drawing based upon the UK children TV-series (and books) of Thomas the Tank, later Thomas and Friends to a beige/grey colored, 1930's art deco ('art moderne') styled drawing of an imaginary streamlined high-speed train such as, for instance, the 1937 ZEPHYRUS of Chicago-Burlington-Quincys. Several 1973-1976 LPs that had originally been released with the 1st label received a re-issue (repress?) with the 2nd label, such as, for instance, Solution's ROLL 1 where the 1975 original is [r=433271] and the 1977-to-later reissue is [r=7288047]. The logo also appeared on the David A. Stewart/Kara DioGuardi Seventies rock hoax/side project Platinum Weird in 2005. Also appears as "Rocket" only. For unofficial releases, see The Rocket Record Company (2).
