A&M Records

About

A&M Records () was started in 1962 by partners Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, hence the A&M (Alpert & Moss). Their first release (following two singles released under the label name Carnival Records (4)) was "The Lonely Bull" by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, which sold around 700,000 copies. Sixteen of the first 25 albums were certified gold by the RIAA and helped A&M become a major label and ultimately the world's largest independent record company. Label code for royalty payments: LC 0485 / LC 00485 One method of identifying pressings is by a single-letter code printed on the center labels: A = Sonic Recording Products, Inc. (until ca. 1975) or (1975-1980s) B = C = (through 1984) or (1985–1986) R = W = X = Y = Z = A&M label history https://www.onamrecords.com/labels/a-m-records/146447/history European A&M releases started using the PolyGram xxxxxx-x catalogue numbers at the end of 1984. Any release with such a number is after that date. In Japan, the A&M Records imprint is managed by Universal Sigma and is independent of Interscope. Some notable events over the years, courtesy of On A&M Records.com: 1967: Started distributing CTI Records in a deal that ran until 1970. 1967: The A&M Studios were installed in Hollywood, California. The label first appeared in the UK, distributed by Pye. 1969: A&M Records Ltd. opened in Great Britain. 1970: A&M Records Of Canada Limited was established. 1977: A&M opened an office in Europe. It was called A&M Records Europe S.A. and based in Paris. Titles were manufactured and distributed by CBS in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. 1979: Started distributing I.R.S. Records. This deal continued until 1985. 1982: Started distributing the folk/new age label Windham Hill Records. This deal continued until 1989. 1987: Started distributing Twin Tone Records (selected titles) and Nimbus Records. 1988: Launched sub-label Vendetta Records in NYC. It was shut down in 1990. 1989: A&M was sold to PolyGram, but operated under Alpert and Moss's leadership until 1993. The sale included A&M of Canada and Britain and was effective January 1, 1990. 1991: Agreement signed with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to launch Perspective Records. It was shut down in 1996. 1993: Unhappy with the increased integration of the label into the PolyGram corporate structure, Alpert & Moss left A&M and start a new label, Almo Sounds. 1995: Three year agreement signed with producer Ric Wake to form DV8 Records. 1999: PolyGram becomes part of the international Universal Music Group. 1999: A&M is made part of the Interscope Geffen A&M division of Universal. 2004: Universal Sigma begins using the A&M Records imprint for domestic Japanese releases (operating independently of Interscope/Geffen/A&M). 2006: A&M Records is made a frontline label in the UK. 2007: Universal merges A&M with Octone Records and places Octone's management in charge of combined label as A&M/Octone Records (except in Japan and the UK). 2013: A&M/Octone is absorbed by Interscope. Despite the label's absorption, its core artist Sting managed to release his music for Interscope Geffen A&M (now Interscope Capitol Labels Group) post-2013 under the A&M name; his recent release under the defunct imprint was 2021's The Bridge.