Fontana Records
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2014) |
| Fontana Records | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
Fontana Records is a record label that was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records.[1] The independent label distributor Fontana Distribution takes its name from the label.
History
Fontana started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records; when Philips restructured its music operations, it dropped Fontana in favor of Vertigo Records.
Fontana's U.S. counterpart label was started in 1964 and distributed by
In some cases, Fontana took on artists who went on to achieve greater fame and fortune with releases for other labels, such as the Spencer Davis Group, the Guess Who, Don Partridge and Helen Reddy. Notably, in 1964, a group calling themselves The High Numbers released their first single, "I'm The Face"/"Zoot Suit." They achieved worldwide success after changing labels and management, and changing their name to The Who. It was also an outlet for some of the productions James Brown recorded under his deal with sister label Smash Records including Vicki Anderson.
Fontana's British division was the UK licensee for
In the UK and Europe, the Fontana label was largely dormant after 1974, although in 1980–81 it was used for releases by Sector 27 and Dennis Bovell. Fontana was revived in the 1980s as an outlet for acts such as Tears for Fears, the Teardrop Explodes, Pere Ubu, Cocteau Twins and Swing Out Sister. In the 1990s it released music for acts such as House of Love, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Ocean Colour Scene, Oleta Adams, Catherine Wheel and James. It is currently an active division of Fontana Distribution, using the same logo.
In 2009 the label released Brooke Hogan's album.[3] The Fontana UK website is at WIX.
US label variations
- 1964—Pink label
- 1965-1970—Light blue or slightly darker-toned blue label (some of these labels were stamped with an "S")
- 1980s—Black and silver label
See also
- List of record labels
References
- ISBN 978-91-981916-6-0.
- ^ Daniel E. Slotnik (29 June 2017). "Gary DeCarlo, Who Sang 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,' Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
- ^ US Weekly review Brooke Hogan retrieved 22 December 2021
External links
- Fontana story from BSN Pubs
- A discography of American Fontana albums in the 1960s and early 1970s
- A discography of American Fontana singles in the 1960s and early 1970s
- A discography of UK Fontana singles from 1958 to 1974
- A discography of Australian Fontana singles
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| Other | |
