American Recordings (record label)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the record label. For the Johnny Cash album released by that same label, see American Recordings (album).
Not to be confused with American Record Corporation, also known as ARC.
Not to be confused with the older American Record Company, also known as ARCo.
American Recordings, LLC
rock n' roll, country, blues
Country of originUnited States
LocationLos Angeles, California
Official websitewww.umgcatalog.com

American Recordings (formerly Def American Recordings, Inc.) is an American record label headed by producer Rick Rubin. The label has featured artists such as Slayer, the Black Crowes, ZZ Top, Danzig, Trouble, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, The Mother Hips, and System of a Down.

Company history

The rarely seen original Def American logo. Note its resemblance to the Def Jam Recordings logo.

The label Def American Recordings was founded after Rick Rubin left

stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Rubin continued his association with hip-hop music as well by signing artists such as the Geto Boys and Sir Mix-a-Lot. Def American had its first major success with The Black Crowes' 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, which was eventually certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA. The group's 1992 follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, gave the label its first No.1 album. Rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot obtained a number-one hit with the song "Baby Got Back" as well as a platinum-selling album titled Mack Daddy
. Heavy metal acts Slayer and Danzig also enjoyed notable commercial success, with Slayer in particular having several gold-certified albums. Rubin produced many of the recordings on the label, as well as directing other related ventures.

Rubin changed the name of the company from Def American Recordings to American Recordings in 1993 after reportedly seeing the word "def" in the dictionary. The company was reportedly renamed because he believed that finding the word in a notable source was against the anti-establishment image that he was trying to project. A mock funeral was held for the word "def" on August 27, 1993, at Hollywood Memorial Park (now

Warner Bros. Records chairman (and pallbearer) Mo Ostin, with Reverend Al Sharpton presiding. Before "def" was lowered to its final resting place, some of the 1,500+ mourners placed flowers and various musical and personal memorabilia in the open casket. Afterwards, mourners followed a 19th-century-style horse-drawn hearse and a six-piece brass band playing "Amazing Grace" to the after party—named Ciao Def—at a bowling alley.[1]
The new birth certificate was obtained and the company name changed to American Recordings.

American had several sub-labels over the years, including Onion Records, Ill Labels, Wild West, Whte Lbls, and Infinite Zero. The last was a partnership with Henry Rollins that specialized in reissues of obscure albums. None of these labels made the distribution transition after American Recordings left Warner Bros. Records in 1997, and its recordings were deleted.

Distribution

The first Def American release was

Warner Bros. Records (now known as Warner Records), but when Geffen refused to distribute the self-titled album by the Geto Boys
and the controversy it caused, distribution was absorbed by Warner Bros. proper, which released all subsequent Def American titles.

American's distribution has been handled through several labels over the years. American's first incarnation was distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records from 1988 to 1990. After a falling-out with Geffen over the content of the Geto Boys' only Def American release, Warner Bros. itself took over distribution duties from 1990 to 1997 in the United States, while the international distribution was handled by

Too Pure Records
in the US.

Rubin signed a distribution deal with Columbia Records in 1997, which distributed the label's titles until 2001. That year,

Sony Music Entertainment
until the deal with Columbia expired.

In 2007, Warner Bros. Records, which was American's home from 1990 to 1997, acquired the rights to the extensive American Recordings catalog, which included Johnny Cash, The Black Crowes, The Jayhawks, Slayer, and Danzig. However, American's current roster (except Tom Petty) was transferred to BMG successor Sony BMG (now known as Sony Music Entertainment) in mid-2007 after a legal battle between Warner and Rubin over the details of their former arrangement, in which American Recordings would sign and provide creative services for artists, while Warner Bros. was only to handle promotion, sales, marketing, and distribution because Rubin was prompted to move his label with his appointment to co-chairman of Columbia Records in the spring of 2007.

In 2012, Rick Rubin, upon his exit from Sony Music Entertainment, signed a new deal with

The Carpenter.[3] During this period, American moved all of its catalog to Universal Music Group, the exceptions being System of a Down, which remained with Columbia Records & Sony Music Entertainment, plus Chino XL's Here To Save You All and Tom Petty's Highway Companion, which remained with Warner Records & Warner Music Group
.

Current artists

Former artists

Soundtracks

Infinite Zero Reissue Artists

See also

  • List of record labels

References

  1. ^ "Loud End For DEF Records". Raptology. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  2. ^ Merlin (7 October 2011). "'Reign In Blood' Turns 25!". Metal Hammer UK. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  3. ^ Jem Aswad (22 August 2012). "Exclusive: Rick Rubin Brings American Recordings to Universal Republic". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
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