Claiming to be the first CD-only independent record label in the United States, Rykodisc was founded in 1983 in Salem, Massachusetts, by Arthur Mann, Rob Simonds, Doug Lexa and Don Rose. In the late 1980s, the label also began to issue high-quality cassette and vinyl versions of many releases under the name Ryko Analogue.
Rykodisc had some notable successes in the CD-reissue industry, as artists such as Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Frank Zappa, Nine Inch Nails, Robert Wyatt, and Mission of Burma allowed Rykodisc to issue their catalogs on CD. Rykodisc still retains the rights to the Zappa and Mission of Burma catalogs. Rykodisc also re-released the classic SST Records-era recordings by the Meat Puppets.
This piece of artwork, championed by Conrad Warre, was used as the behind-the-trays artwork for some of the Rykodisc CD reissues in 1994. Rykodisc, the first label to use two-sided tray cards and customized green CD jewel boxes; company president Rose wanted the trays to be the color of a Coca-Cola bottle.
Over the years the label has acquired Hannibal Records, Tradition Records, Gramavision Records, Emperor Norton Records, Restless Records and, most recently, Cordless Recordings. Rykodisc also founded a distribution company, Ryko Distribution, and a music publishing company, Rykomusic. The label's catalogue now exceeds 1,200 titles.
In 1998, Chris Blackwell left Island Records and bought Rykodisc for a reported $35 million as a means of acquiring music marketing and distribution expertise for his new venture, a media company called Palm Pictures. In 1999, one year after the Blackwell buy-out, the office in Salem MA was closed, and many industry veterans were laid off. The office held a wake for the label. In 2001 Blackwell parted ways with Rykodisc. The label was then located in New York with offices in Los Angeles and in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Rykodisc sets apart its CD issues with its trademarked green-tinted jewel boxes, which the company began using in 1988. The label began limiting the use of the green-tinted cases on new releases in 2002.
On March 23, 2006, it was announced that Warner Music Group acquired the Ryko Corporation for $67.5 million. When Warner bought Ryko, it acquired the label's Frank Zappa master tapes, entitling Warner to any reissue rightsn irony considering Zappa's outspoken hatred for the major record label. During this same year, the independent publishing company EverGreen Copyrights purchased the Rykomusic publishing catalogue, among others.
In 2009, Ryko Distribution was folded into Alternative Distribution Alliance. Currently, ADA acts as the distributor for all Rykodisc releases in the United States.
Rykodisc artists
Main article: List of current Rykodisc artists
Main article: List of past Rykodisc artists
See also
List of record labels
Reference
^ EverGreen grows global - EverGreen Copyrights:: Articles
^ Ryko Dist. Merged With ADA, Staffs Shuffled - Billboard.biz
External links
http://www.rykodisc.com/ Rykodisc Official Site
http://www.cordless.com/ Cordless Official Site
vde
Warner Music Group
Atlantic Records Group
Atlantic Records Atlantic Nashville Bad Boy Records Elektra Records Fueled by Ramen Roadrunner Records
Independent Label Group
Cordless Recordings East West Records Rykodisc
Rhino Entertainment
Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE) Rhino Records Warner Custom Products WMG Film, Television & Commercial Licensing
Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Asylum Records Nonesuch Records Reprise Records Sire Records Warner Bros. Records Nashville Word Records
Distribution
Alternative Distribution Alliance Warner Music Vision WEA International
Music Publishing
Warner/Chappell Music Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. WB Music Corp.
Management
Edgar Bronfman, Jr. Mike Caren Lyor Cohen Julie Greenwald Jac Holzman Robert Hurwitz John Janick
Craig Kallman Kevin Liles Todd Moscowitz Scott Pascucci Dairmuid Quinn Seymour Stein Cees Wessels Tom Whalley
Categories: Record labels established in 1983 | American record labels | Rock record labels | Pop record labels | Warner Music labels | Frank Zappa
