Label

A&M Records

A&M Records (l74446) was started in 1962 by partners a=Herb Alpert and a=Jerry Moss, hence the A&M (Alpert & Moss). Their first release (following two singles released under the label name l=Carnival Records (4)) was "The Lonely Bull" by a=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 = l=Sonic Recording Products, Inc. (until ca. 1975) or l344965 (1975-1980s) B = l285745 C = l264380 (through 1984) or l473670 (1985–1986) R = l406973 W = l442751 X = l447694 Y = l403953 Z = l376197 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 l=Universal Sigma and is independent of Interscope. Some notable events over the years, courtesy of On A&M Records.com: 1967: Started distributing l=CTI Records in a deal that ran until 1970. 1967: The l=A&M Studios were installed in Hollywood, California. The label first appeared in the UK, distributed by Pye. 1969: url=http://www.discogs.com/label/A%26M+Records+Ltd.A&M Records Ltd./url opened in Great Britain. 1970: url=http://www.discogs.com/label/A%26M+Records+Of+Canada+LimitedA&M Records Of Canada Limited/url 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 l=CBS in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. 1979: Started distributing l=I.R.S. Records. This deal continued until 1985. 1982: Started distributing the folk/new age label l=Windham Hill Records. This deal continued until 1989. 1987: Started distributing l=Twin Tone Records (selected titles) and l=Nimbus Records. 1988: Launched sub-label url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Vendetta+Records+(2)Vendetta Records/url in NYC. It was shut down in 1990. 1989: A&M was sold to l=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 l=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, l=Almo Sounds. 1995: Three year agreement signed with producer a=Ric Wake to form l=DV8 Records. 1999: PolyGram becomes part of the international l=Universal Music Group. 1999: A&M is made part of the l=Interscope Geffen A&M division of Universal. 2004: l=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 l=Octone Records and places Octone's management in charge of combined label as l=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 a=Sting managed to release his music for Interscope Geffen A&M (now l=Interscope Capitol Labels Group) post-2013 under the A&M name; his recent release under the defunct imprint was 2021's url=https://www.discogs.com/master/2386273iThe Bridge/i/url.