An independent record label (or indie record label) is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.

Overview

The boundaries between major and independent labels, and the definitions of each, differ from commentator to commentator. In practice, however, the traditional definition of a 'major' record label is one that owns its own distribution channel. Some independent record labels, in particular those with successful performing artists, sign dual-release agreements (and make other deals) with major labels and may rely to some extent on international licensing deals, distribution agreements, and other arrangements with major record labels. Major labels may also wholly or partially acquire independent labels.

Other nominally "independent" labels are started (and sometimes run) by major label artists but are still owned at least in part by the major label parent. These spin-off labels are also frequently referred to as vanity labels or "boutique labels" and are intended to appease established, powerful artists and/or to give them latitude in discovering and promoting new talent.

According to Association of Independent Music (AIM) "(...) A "major" is defined in AIM's constitution as a multinational company which (together with the companies in its group) has more than 5% of the world market(s) for the sale of records and/or music videos. The majors are (currently) Sony BMG, Warner, EMI, and the Universal Music Group (which incorporates Polygram).(...) If a major owns 50% or less of the total shares in your company, you would not (usually) be owned or controlled by that major. In that case, you can join AIM."

History

Independent labels have a long history of signalling developments in popular music, stretching back to the post-war period in the United States. Disputes with major labels about publishing led to a proliferation of labels specializing in country, jazz, and blues. Sun Records played an important part in the development of Rock 'n' roll as well as country, with artists such as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Charlie Rich. The independent labels usually aimed their releases at a small but devoted audience, not relying on mass sales for success, giving artists much more scope for experimentation and artistic freedom.

In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major record companies EMI, Philips, and Decca had so much power that independent labels struggled to become established. Several British producers launched independent labels as outlets for their work including Joe Meek (Triumph), Andrew Oldham (Immediate), and Larry Page (Page One). Chrysalis Records, launched by Chris Wright and Terry Ellis, was perhaps the most successful from that era, and continued to expand. Several major rock stars set up their own independent labels - The Beatles with Apple Records, The Rolling Stones with Rolling Stones Records, and Elton John with Rocket, but they generally failed as commercial ventures or were swallowed up by the majors.

The punk rock era brought about a turning point for independent labels, the do-it-yourself ethos of the time seeing the emergence of a plethora of independent labels. In the US, independent labels such as Beserkley also found success with artists such as The Modern Lovers. Many of the UK labels ended up signing distribution deals with major labels to remain viable, but others retained their independence (e.g. Warp, Wax On, BlancoMusic) and the factor that came to define independent labels was distribution, which had to be independent of the majors for records to be included in the UK Indie Chart, which was first compiled in 1980. The term 'indie' and the chart itself was unrelated to a specific genre of music, and the chart featured a diverse range of music, from punk to reggae, to MOR and mainstream pop, including several hits from the likes of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan on the PWL label. The late 1970s had seen the establishment of independent distribution companies such as Pinnacle and Spartan, giving independent labels an effective means of distribution without involving the majors. The situation improved further with the establishment of 'The Cartel', as association of companies such as Rough Trade Records, Backs Records, and Red Rhino, who helped to take releases from small labels and get them into the shops nationwide. The 'Indie Chart' became a major source of exposure for artists on indie labels, with the top ten singles regularly aired on the national television show ''The Chart Show''. By the late 1980s, the major labels had identified an opportunity to break new acts via the indie chart, and began setting up subsidiary labels that were financed by the majors but distributed via the independent network, thereby being eligible for the chart. With the major labels effectively pushing the genuine indie labels out of the market, the independent chart became less significant in the early 1990s, with 'alternative' increasingly being used to describe artists, and 'indie' often used to describe a broad range of guitar-based rock and pop. The Offspring's 1994 album ''Smash'' is the highest selling independent record of all time. The album sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.

See also

List of record labels

Open source record label

Record distributor

Independent music

References

de:Independent-Label fr:Label indépendant it:Etichetta discografica indipendente he:חברת תקליטים עצמאית nl:Onafhankelijk platenlabel pt:Gravadora independente ro:Casă de discuri independentă ru:Инди-лейбл th:ค่ายเพลงอิสระ uk:Інді-лейбл

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound recordings and music videos; conducts talent scouting and development of new artists ("artists and repertoire" or A&R;); and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the center of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information.

The music industry

Within the music industry, most recording artists have become increasingly reliant upon record labels to broaden their audience, market their albums, and be both promoted and heard on radio, television, with publicists that assist performers in positive media reports to market their merchandise, and make it available via stores and other media outlets. The Internet has increasingly been a way that some artists avoid costs and gain new audiences, as well as the use of videos in some cases, to sell their products.

Major vs. independent record labels

Record labels may be small, localized, and "independent" ("indie"), or they may be part of a large international media group, or somewhere in between. The largest 4 record labels are called major labels. A sublabel is a label that is part of a larger record company, but it trades under a different name.

Imprint

When a label is strictly a trademark or brand, not a company, then it is usually called an ''imprint'', a term used for the same concept in the publishing industry. An imprint is sometimes marketed as being a ''project'', ''unit'', or ''division'' of a record label company, even though there is no legal business structure associated with the imprint.

Major labels

;Major labels 1988–1998 (Big Six) # Warner Music Group # EMI # Sony Music (known as CBS Records until January 1991 then known as Sony Music thereafter) # BMG Music # Universal Music Group # Polygram

;Major labels 1998–2004 (Big Five) # Warner Music Group # EMI # Sony Music # BMG Music # Universal Music Group (Polygram absorbed into UMG)

;Major labels 2004–2008 (Big Four) # Warner Music Group # EMI # Sony BMG (Sony and BMG joint-venture) # Universal Music Group

;Major labels since 2009 (Big Four) #Sony Music Entertainment #EMI Group #Warner Music Group #Universal Music Group

Record labels are often under the control of a corporate umbrella organization called a ''music group''. A music group is typically owned by an international conglomerate ''holding company'', which often has non-music divisions as well. A music group controls and consists of music publishing companies, record (sound recording) manufacturers, record distributors, and record labels. As of 2005, the "big four" music groups control about 70% of the world music market, and about 80% of the United States music market. Record companies (manufacturers, distributors, and labels) may also comprise a ''record group'' which is, in turn, controlled by a music group. The constituent companies in a music group or record group are sometimes marketed as being ''divisions'' of the group.

Independent

Record companies and music publishers that are not under the control of the big four are generally considered to be ''independent'' (''indie''), even if they are large corporations with complex structures. The term ''indie label'' is sometimes used to refer to only those independent labels that adhere to an arbitrary, ill-defined criteria of corporate structure and size, and some consider an indie label to be almost any label that releases non-mainstream music, regardless of its corporate structure.

Sublabel

Music collectors often use the term ''sublabel'' to refer to either an imprint or a subordinate label company (such as those within a group). For example, in the 1980s and 1990s, "4th & B'way" was a trademarked brand owned by Island Records Ltd. in the UK and by a subordinate branch, Island Records, Inc., in the United States. The center label on a 4th & Broadway record marketed in the U.S. would typically bear a 4th & B'way logo and would state in the fine print, "4th & B'way™, an Island Records, Inc. company". Collectors discussing labels as brands would say that 4th & B'way is a sublabel or imprint of just "Island" or "Island Records". Similarly, collectors who choose to treat corporations and trademarks as equivalent might say 4th & B'way is an imprint and/or sublabel of both Island Records, Ltd. and that company's sublabel, Island Records, Inc. However, such definitions are complicated by the corporate mergers that occurred in 1989 (when Island was sold to PolyGram) and 1998 (when PolyGram merged with Universal). Island remained registered as corporations in both the U.S. and UK, but control of its brands changed hands multiple times as new companies were formed, diminishing the corporation's distinction as the "parent" of any sublabels.

Vanity labels

Vanity labels are labels that bear an imprint that gives the impression of an artist's ownership or control, but in fact represent a standard artist/label relationship. In such an arrangement, the artist will control nothing more than the usage of the name on the label, but may enjoy a greater say in the packaging of his or her work. An example of such a label is the Neutron label owned by ABC while at Phonogram in Great Britain. At one point artist Lizzie Tear (under contract with ABC themselves) appeared on the imprint, but it was devoted almost entirely to ABC's offerings and is still used for their re-releases (though Phonogram owns the masters of all the work issued on the label).

However, not all labels dedicated to particular artists are completely superficial in origin. Many artists, early in their careers, create their own labels which are later bought out by a bigger company. If this is the case it can sometimes give the artist greater freedom than if they were signed directly to the big label. There are many examples of this kind of label, such as Nothing Records, owned by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails; and Morning Records, owned by The Cooper Temple Clause, who were releasing EPs for years before the company was bought by RCA.

Organizational Structure

Not all Record Labels follow the same organizational structure and can be slightly different as larger labels buy smaller labels, the organizational structure tends to change.

Relationship with artists

A label typically enters into an exclusive recording contract with an artist to market the artist's recordings in return for royalties on the selling price of the recordings. Contracts may extend over short or long durations, and may or may not refer to specific recordings. Established, successful artists tend to be able to renegotiate their contracts to get terms more favorable to them, but Prince's much-publicized 1994–1996 feud with Warner Bros. provides a strong counterexample, as does Roger McGuinn's claim, made in July 2000 before a U.S. Senate committee, that The Byrds never received any of the royalties they had been promised for their biggest hits, "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn, Turn, Turn".

A contract either provides for the artist to deliver completed recordings to the label, or for the label to undertake the recording with the artist. For artists without a recording history, the label is often involved in selecting producers, recording studios, additional musicians, and songs to be recorded, and may supervise the output of recording sessions. For established artists, a label is usually less involved in the recording process.

Although both parties need each other to survive, the relationship between record labels and artists can be a difficult one. Many artists have had albums altered or censored in some way by the labels before they are released—songs being edited, artwork or titles being changed, etc. Record labels generally do this because they believe that the album will sell better if the changes are made. Often the record label's decisions are prudent ones from a commercial perspective, but this typically frustrates the artist who feels that their artwork is being diminished or misrepresented by such actions.

In the early days of the recording industry, record labels were absolutely necessary for the success of any artist. The first goal of any new artist or band was to get signed to a contract as soon as possible. In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, many artists were so desperate to sign a contract with a record company that they usually ended up signing a bad contract, sometimes giving away the rights to their music in the process. Entertainment lawyers can be used by some to look over any contract before it is signed.

Through the advances of the Internet the role of labels is becoming increasingly diminished, as artists are able to freely distribute their own material through file sharing, web radio, and other peer to peer services such as BitTorrent, for little or no cost. Bigger artists such as Nine Inch Nails have announced an end to their major label contracts, citing that the uncooperative nature of the recording industry with these new trends are hurting musicians and the industry as a whole, and most of all hurting the fans. Radiohead also cited similar motives with the end of their contract with EMI when their album ''In Rainbows'' was released as a "pay what you want" sales model as an online download. Tom Delonge (Blink 182 and Angels and Airwaves) developed a website called "Modlife" that enables fans to get in touch with their favorite artists and bands for a small price, as small as two cups of coffee a day.

New Label Strategies

With an increase in file sharing and music sales plummeting in recent years, labels and organizations have had to change their strategies and the way they work with artists. New types of deals are being made with artists called "multiple rights" or "360" deals with artists. These types of pacts give Labels rights and percentages to artist's touring, merchandising, and endorsements. In exchange for these rights, Labels usually give higher advancement payments to artists, have more patience with artist development, and higher percentages in CD sales. These 360 style deals are most effective when the artist is established and has loyal fan base. For that reason, Labels now have to be more relaxed with the development of artists because longevity is the key to these types of pacts. Several artists such as Paramore, Maino, and even Madonna have signed such types of deals. A look at an actual 360 deal offered by Atlantic Records to an artist shows a variation of the structure. Atlantic’s document offers a conventional cash advance to sign the artist, who would receive a royalty for sales after expenses were recouped. With the release of the artist’s first album, however, the label has an option to pay an additional $200,000 in exchange for 30 percent of the net income from all touring, merchandise, endorsements and fan-club fees.

Atlantic would also have the right to approve the act’s tour schedule, and the salaries of certain tour and merchandise sales employees hired by the artist. But the label also offers the artist a 30 percent cut of the label’s album profits — if any — which represents an improvement from the typical industry royalty of 15 percent.

History

Industry consolidation

In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a phase of consolidation in the record industry that led to almost all major labels being owned by a very few multinational companies. CDs still flow through a handful of sources, with the majority of the sales going through the "big four" record labels.

Resurgence of independent labels

In the 1990s, as a result of the widespread use of home studios, consumer recording technology, and the Internet, independent labels began to become more commonplace. Independent labels are often artist-owned (although not always), with a stated intent often being to control the quality of the artist's output. Independent labels usually do not enjoy the resources available to the "big four" and as such will often lag behind them in market shares. Often independent artists manage a return by recording for a much smaller production cost of a typical big label release. Sometimes they are able to recoup their initial advance even with much lower sales numbers.

On occasion, established artists, once their record contract has finished, move to an independent label. This often gives the combined advantage of name recognition and more control over one's music along with a larger portion of royalty profits. Artists such as Dolly Parton, Aimee Mann, Prince, Public Enemy, BKBravo (Kua and Rafi), among others, have gone this route. Historically, companies started in this manner have been re-absorbed into the major labels (two examples are Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records, which has been owned by Warner Music for some time now, and Herb Alpert's A&M; Records, now owned by Universal Music Group). Similarly, Madonna's Maverick Records (started by Madonna with her manager and another partner) was to come under control of Warner Music when Madonna divested herself of controlling shares in the company.

There are many independent labels; folk singer Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records is often cited as an ideal example. The singer turned down lucrative contracts from several top-name labels in order to establish her own New York-based company. Constant touring resulted in noteworthy success for an act without significant major funding. Ani and others from the company have spoken on several occasions about their business model in hopes of encouraging others.

Some independent labels become successful enough that major record companies negotiate contracts to either distribute music for the label or in some cases, purchase the label completely.

On the punk rock scene, the DIY ethic encourages bands to self-publish and self-distribute. This approach has been around since the early 1980s, in an attempt to stay "true" to the punk ideals of doing it yourself and not "selling out" to corporate profits and control. Such labels have a reputation for being fiercely uncompromising and especially unwilling to cooperate with the big record labels at all. One of the most notable and influential labels of the Do-It-Yourself attitude was SST Records, created by the band Black Flag. No labels wanted to release their material, so they simply created their own label to release not only their own material but the material of many other influential underground bands all over the country. Ian MacKaye's Dischord is often cited as a model of success in the DIY community, having survived for over twenty years with less than twelve employees at any one time.

Internet and digital labels

With the Internet now being a viable source for obtaining music, netlabels have emerged. Depending on the ideals of the net label, music files from the artists may be downloaded free of charge or for a fee that is paid via Paypal or an online payment system. Some of these labels also offer hard copy CDs in addition to direct download. Most net labels acknowledge the Creative Commons licensing system thus reserving certain rights for the artist. Digital Labels are the latest version of a 'net' label. Whereas 'net' labels were started as a free site, digital labels seek to give the major record industry a real run for their money.

Open source labels

The new century brings the phenomenon of ''open-source'' or ''open-content'' record label. These are inspired by the free software and open source movements and the success of GNU/Linux.

Publishers as labels

In the mid-2000s, some music publishing companies began undertaking the work traditionally done by labels. The publisher Sony/ATV Music, for example, leveraged its connections within the Sony family to produce, record, distribute, and promote Elliott Yamin's debut album under a dormant Sony-owned imprint, rather than waiting for a deal with a proper label.

See also

List of record labels

White label

References

Category:Music industry

be:Лэйбл гукапісу be-x-old:Лэйбл гукапісу ca:Discogràfica da:Pladeselskab de:Plattenlabel et:Plaadifirma es:Compañía discográfica eo:Diskeldonejo fa:ناشر موسیقی fr:Label discographique ga:Lipéad ceoil hy:Լեյբլ it:Etichetta discografica he:חברת תקליטים ka:ლეიბლი lt:Įrašų kompanija hu:Lemezkiadó ms:Label rakaman nl:Platenlabel ja:レコードレーベル no:Plateselskap pl:Wytwórnia płytowa pt:Gravadora ro:Casă de discuri ru:Лейбл звукозаписи simple:Record label sl:Glasbena založba fi:Levy-yhtiö sv:Skivbolag th:ค่ายเพลง uk:Лейбл звукозапису zh:唱片公司

name	Ray J
background	solo_singer
birth name	William Ray Norwood Jr.
born	January 17, 1981
origin	Carson, California, United States
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, hip-hop, pop
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, rapper
years active	1995–present
label	Atlantic, Knockout/Deja 34, E1, Koch Entertainment, Elektra
associated acts	Brandy, Diplo, Gucci Mane
website	www.rayj.com
notable instruments	}}

William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.

Early life

William Ray Norwood Jr. was born in McComb, Mississippi to Willie Norwood and Sonja Bates-Norwood. His older sister Brandy is a multi-platinum recording artist, and his father Willie Norwood is a well-known gospel singer. from Rochester MN. His first cousin, Snoop Dogg, is a multi-platinum recording rapper .

Music career

Everything You Wanted (1997)

Elektra Records in 1995 and recorded his debut album ''Everything You Want'' the next year. "Let It Go" appeared on the ''Set It Off'' soundtrack. It peaked number 25 in the U.S. and number 11 in New Zealand. The second single peaked at number 54 on the U.S. R&B; chart. In 1997, he was dropped from the label. He produced, putting together the music for several commercials and a few of the demos for his second record.

This Ain't a Game (2001)

Ray J recorded "Another Day in Paradise" with Brandy, which was a Top Ten success in Austria, UK, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands and number 11 in Australia and France. The song was the lead single of the R&B;/Hip Hop tribute ''Urban Renewal'', in which he co-produced and performed songs. Norwood also worked with The Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins and Lil' Kim, and several other producers and singers for his second studio album ''This Ain't A Game''. The album was released in 2001. The lead single "Wait A Minute" peaked at #30 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart and #8 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Formal Invite" followed at #54 on the R&B; chart.

Raydiation (2005)

After a two year break, Norwood returned to recording studios, adding the finishing touches on his third studio album ''Raydiation'' with help from producers such as Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, R. Kelly, and Rob Egerton. A joint venture by Sanctuary Records and Ray-J's own label, independent Knockout Entertainment, the album was finally released on September 27, 2005 in North America after several delays, debuting at number forty-eight on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 18,321 copies in the first week. The album's lead single "One Wish" was a top 20 success in the US, UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. ''Raydiation'' eventually sold over 400,000 copies domestically.

All I Feel (2008)

Knockout Entertainment announced a multi-million dollar album deal with Koch Records and Shaquille O'Neal's "Deja 34" entertainment company. The first album for this deal is Ray J's fourth album ''All I Feel'', which features The Game and Yung Berg among others. It was released on April 1, 2008. The album's first single is "Sexy Can I" featuring rapper Yung Berg peaked at number three on the Top Singles (Hot 100) for six weeks. A video for the track, directed by R. Malcolm Jones, was shot in December 2007. J stars in the Black Christmas movie Dark Christmas under the direction from Deon Taylor.

Raydiation 2 (2010-present)

Ray J is currently working with his sister Brandy Norwood on their collaboration album Trust, Knowledge & Opportunity & his upcoming solo album Raydiation 2 with his first single "Last Wish" The sequel to his 2005 smash hit "One Wish" both produced by hit maker Rodney Jerkins.

Other Ventures

Acting career

Early in his life, he moved with his family from McComb, Mississippi to Carson, California, and in 1989 started appearing in television commercials for different companies. In 1989, at the age of eight, Norwood began auditioning for and appearing in television commercials; he played the foster son in "The Sinbad Show, from 1993-1994. This period in Norwood's life would shape his acting career to come. According to Bradley Torreano of allmusic, "his easygoing image and boyish looks appealed to the producers of Brandy's television show, ''Moesha''", giving him a role on the UPN series starting in 1999 as Dorian "D-Money". In 2005, Norwood joined the cast of UPN's ''One On One'', where he played the character of D-Mack for the final season. On both shows, Ray's character was related to Brandy's (cousin/half-brother on ''Moesha'', brother on ''One on One'').

Reality Television

In 2009, Norwood starred in his own VH1 reality dating show, For the Love of Ray J. The show premiered on February 2, 2009. For his show on March 24, 2009 he released the soundtrack/studio album called ''For The Love Of Ray J''. On November 2, 2009, the show's second season premiered. In 2010, Norwood and his sister Brandy Norwood premiered the VH1 reality series ''Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business'' along with their parents. He also played the role of Roberto in the movie Christmas At Water's edge in 2004.The show debuted in April 2010 and chronicled the backstage happenings of both siblings, while taking a bigger role in their family's management and production company, R&B; Productions.

Personal life

Ray J is the brother of singer Brandy Norwood and first cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg. He has dated Kim Kardashian.

Sex tape

In February 2007, a pornographic home video he made with Kim Kardashian was 'leaked'. Kardashian sued Vivid Entertainment for ownership of the tape. In late April 2007, Kardashian dropped the suit and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million..

Discography

;Studio albums

''Everything You Want'' (1997)

''This Ain't a Game'' (2001)

''Raydiation'' (2005)

''All I Feel'' (2008)

''Raydiation 2'' (2011)

;Soundtrack albums

''For the Love of Ray J'' (2009)

Filmography

Film

''Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored'' (1996)

''Mars Attacks!'' (1996)

''Steel'' (1997)

''Christmas at Water's Edge'' (2003)

''Envy'' (2008)

''A Day in the Life'' (2009)

Television

''Black Sash''

''BET Countdown''

''All That'', guest singer

''Wild N Out''

''Television Ads'' (1989–1993)

''The Sinbad Show'' (1993–1994)

''Moesha'' (1999–2001)

''One on One'' (2005–2006)

''For the Love of Ray J'' (2009–2010)

''Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business'' (2010–present)

References

External links

On Set of Ray J’s Video Last Wish

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from California Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:African American film actors Category:African American musicians Category:African American rappers Category:African American television actors Category:American male singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American child actors Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Musicians from California Category:Musicians from Mississippi Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Los Angeles County, California Category:People from McComb, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California

de:Ray J es:Ray-J fr:Ray J it:Ray J ja:レイ・ジェイ pl:Ray J pt:Ray J simple:Ray J fi:Ray J sv:Ray J

name	Chris Blackwell
background	non_performing_personnel
birth name
born	June 22, 1937London, England
genre	Rock, reggae
occupation	Record producerBusinessman
years active	1959-Present
label	Island
website	IslandRecords.com }}

Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell (born 22 June 1937) is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to which Blackwell was inducted in 2001, he is the single person most responsible for turning the world on to reggae music.

Forming Island Records in Jamaica on 22 May 1959 aged 22, Blackwell was amongst the first to record the Jamaican popular music that eventually became known as ska. Returning to Britain in 1962, he sold records from the back of his car to the Jamaican community.

Blackwell's business and reach grew substantially, and he went on to forge the careers of Bob Marley, Grace Jones and U2 amongst many other diverse high-profile acts. He has produced many seminal albums, including Marley's ''Catch A Fire'' and ''Uprising''. Blackwell is known for his laid-back approach to his business, and the care he shows for his artists and the release of their work. He is recognised as one of the most influential people in Britain, and the global music industry.

Childhood

Blackwell was born in London to an Irish father and a Costa Rican-born Sephardic Jewish mother. Blackwell's father, Joseph, was related to the founder of Crosse & Blackwell, purveyors of jarred foods and relishes, and had some residual wealth. He became a Major in the Jamaican Regiment.

Blackwell's mother, Blanche Lindo, was of Jamaican ancestry. She belonged to a powerful family who made their fortune in sugar and Appleton rum toward the end of slavery. They are named as one of the 21 families who controlled Jamaica in the 20th century. Blanche was considered the love of Ian Fleming's later life, becoming the James Bond author's muse and the inspiration for the character Pussy Galore in ''Goldfinger''. She owned several thousand acres of land near Oracabessa, Jamaica, and sold properties to both Fleming and Noel Coward. Due to her heritage, Blanche was viewed as a white Jamaican.

Blackwell spent his childhood in Jamaica, and was sent to Britain to continue his education at Harrow School. Deciding not to attend university, he returned to Jamaica to become ADC to the Governor of Jamaica Sir Hugh Foot. After Foot was transferred to Cyprus, Blackwell left King's House to pursue a career in real estate and other businesses, including managing jukeboxes up and down the country, which brought him into contact with the Jamaican music community.

In 1958, Blackwell was sailing off Helshire Beach when his boat ran aground on a coral reef. The twenty one-year-old swam to the coast and attempted to find help along the shore in searing temperatures. Collapsing on the beach, Blackwell was rescued by Rasta fishermen who tended his wounds and restored him back to health with traditional Ital food. The experience gave Blackwell a spiritual introduction to Rastafarianism, and was a key to his connection to the culture and its music.

Career

Aged 22, Blackwell formed a record label in 1958 with a start-up investment of $1,000, taking its name from Alec Waugh's novel ''Island in the Sun''. Radio personality Graeme Goodall was his initial business partner. Blackwell received a small allowance from his mother, which enabled him to have his own apartment at a young age and survive on the little he was earning. Island's debut release was a piano album by Bermudan pianist Lance Hayward. Blackwell began recording Jamaican popular music in 1959, achieving a number one hit there with Laurel Aitken's ""Boogie in my Bones/Little Sheila".

In 1961, Blackwell acted as a location scout and production assistant for the 1962 Bond film ''Dr No''. After the movie wrapped, producer Harry Saltzman offered him a full-time position. Conflicted between music and film, Blackwell visited a psychic, who told him that he would be successful if he stayed in the music industry.

By 1962, the fledgling record producer had released 26 singles and two albums on Island. Blackwell returned to England that year and continued to grow his business. He began having success with the niche market of Jamaican music, and progressed to bringing in licensed master tapes. One of these contained a performance by fifteen-year-old Millie Small, who Blackwell brought over to England. In 1964, he produced Smalls' cover of a 1956 Barbie Gaye song "My Boy Lollypop" which was one of the first songs recorded in the "ska" style. Millie Smalls' version was a smash hit, selling over six million records worldwide. It launched Island Records into mainstream popular music, and is acknowledged as the first international ska hit.

Blackwell later remembered his breakthrough release:

After discovering The Spencer Davis Group, featuring Steve Winwood, Blackwell focused on the rock acts that Island had signed. Island became one of the most successful independent labels of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with artists like Traffic, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull, Cat Stevens, Grace Jones, Free, John Martyn, Sly and Robbie, Sparks, Spooky Tooth, Nick Drake, Roxy Music, Robert Palmer, Melissa Etheridge, The Cranberries and U2. "The bigger labels are supermarkets," Blackwell remarked. "I like to think of Island as a very classy delicatessen."

Island and Blackwell himself became renowned for a relaxed, nurturing vibe. Blackwell showed skill in spotting and creating trends, as well as a gift for finding talent. He had an imaginative flair for marketing, and Island's releases were often packaged in lovingly designed gatefold sleeves. Blackwell has said: "I really believe that if people see something that looks good, subconsciously they'll think maybe there's something going on inside, on the record. There were times when somebody came out with a cover which was actually better than the record itself, so I'd have to send them back to remake the record."

Island Records was also the first home for Trojan Records, Chrysalis Records and Virgin Records and the American Label Sue Records, who produced Jimmy McGriff, The Soul Sisters and Ike and Tina Turner.

Eventually, Island moved into movies and released ''The Harder They Come'' in the UK, which featured Jimmy Cliff. Produced and directed by fellow Jamaican Perry Henzell, the film marked the first time that Jamaican themes appeared in mainstream cinema.

In 1977, Blackwell built Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas as a recording home for his and other artists.

One of Blackwell's notable achievements was bringing Bob Marley & The Wailers to the attention of international audiences. Without a signed contract, Blackwell advanced money to The Wailers for their first Island album, displaying the trust which stemmed from his 1958 beach rescue by Rastas. Blackwell's gesture led to the longterm success of both Marley and the label.

Of his experience with Marley, Blackwell has said:

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Blackwell also formed Mango Records, which featured Jamaican and other artists from the Third World. Mango introduced Burning Spear, Black Uhuru, Third World (band), Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo, King Sunny Ade and many others.

Blackwell sold his stake in Island in 1989, eventually resigning from the company in 1997. In 2009, Blackwell was at the centre of celebrations held in London for Island's fiftieth anniversary.

Each of Blackwell's companies was eventually sold to Polygram, and are as of 1998 part of the Universal Music Group conglomerate, but Blackwell left with a unique reputation for looking after artists as diverse as Bob Marley, U2, Cat Stevens, Grace Jones, Steve Winwood, Melissa Etheridge, Tom Waits, The Cranberries, Richard Thompson and PJ Harvey.

After selling these companies, Blackwell went on to found Palm Pictures, a media entertainment company with music, film and DVD releases. In the late Nineties, Blackwell merged Palm Pictures with Rykodisc to form RykoPalm, a new operation.

Blackwell currently runs Island Outpost, which he set up to operate and market a group of elite resorts in Jamaica and the Bahamas, including Strawberry Hill in the Blue Mountains (where Marley recovered after being shot in 1976), Jake's in Treasure Beach, The Caves in Negril, and the recording studio and private hotel Geejam near Port Antonio, where artists such as Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, Drake and Gorillaz have recorded. Island Outpost also owns The Tides and The Marlin in Miami Beach, Florida.

Blackwell has long owned Goldeneye in Oracabessa, the previous home of Ian Fleming, where the author wrote all the James Bond books. Until his death, Fleming was the longtime lover of Blackwell's mother, Blanche. Blackwell developed the property into a community of villas and beach cottages, each with its own private access to the sea, and Goldeneye is considered the most exclusive of the Island Outpost resorts.

Blackwell is involved in a number of philanthropic organizations. Among these are Island ACTS, the Oracabessa Foundation, the Mary Vinson Blackwell Foundation, and the Jamaican Conservation Trust.

In 2003, Blackwell launched the Goldeneye Film Festival, which continues to be held annually at the resort. In September that year, Blackwell received the coveted Jamaican Musgrave Medal, awarded to Jamaicans who excel in the arts, music and public service. In 2004, the Order of Jamaica was bestowed upon Blackwell for philanthropy and outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry.

In April 2009, the UK magazine ''Music Week'' named Blackwell the most influential figure in the last 50 years of the British music industry.

References

Bibliography

Baugh, Edward (1998). ''Chancellor, I Present''. Mona: Canoe Press.

Bradley, Lloyd (2001). ''This is Reggae Music''. London: Grove.

Childs, Peter and Mike Storry, eds. (1999). ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture''. London: Routledge.

(2001). "Chris Blackwell." Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

External links

Video Interview with Chris Blackwell

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Inductee Biography of Blackwell

Palm Pictures website

Island Outpost website

Compass Point Studios website

Chris Blackwell interview: Island Records – ''The Telegraph''

Island: The record label which changed the world – ''The Independent''

Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:Old Harrovians Category:British businesspeople Category:British music industry executives Category:Jamaican businesspeople Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:British Jews Category:Sephardi Jews Category:British record producers Category:English people of Jamaican descent

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