Casablanca Records facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Casablanca Records
Parent company	Universal Music Group
Founded	June 19, 1973; 52 years ago (1973-06-19)
Founder	Neil Bogart Larry Harris Cecil Holmes Buck Reingold
Distributor(s)	Republic Records (2012–present) Mercury Records (1977–2012; in the US) Island Records (pre-2000 catalog) MCA (France) Universal Music Group (International)
Genre	Dance electronic
Country of origin	United States
Location	New York City, New York, U.S.

Casablanca Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is currently run by Republic Records. The label was founded by Neil Bogart in 1973. Casablanca Records became very famous during the disco era in the 1970s. Today, the label focuses on dance and electronic music.

The Story of Casablanca Records

Neil Bogart started Casablanca Records in 1973. He had left his old company, Buddah Records. Warner Bros. Records helped him get started. Bogart named his new label after the famous movie Casablanca. He even used a similar look for the label's logo.

The first band to sign with Casablanca was Kiss. But the very first song released was "Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do)" by Bill Amesbury. It was a small hit. Later, songs by Fanny and The Hudson Brothers became the label's first top 40 hits.

Warner Bros. Records wasn't sure about Casablanca at first. They especially worried about signing Kiss. So, Warner Bros. decided to give Bogart full ownership of the label. This meant Casablanca Records was on its own.

Being independent was tough for Casablanca. They needed a big hit to survive. That hit came in 1975 with a live album from Kiss called Alive!. This album became a huge success. It was the first top ten album for both Casablanca and Kiss.

Casablanca Records then became one of the most successful labels of the 1970s. They signed many famous artists. These included Kiss, Donna Summer, Village People, Cher, Lipps Inc. (who sang "Funkytown"), and George Clinton's Parliament.

In 1976, Casablanca Records joined with a film company called Filmworks, Inc. They became Casablanca Record and FilmWorks, Inc.. This new company also had success with movies like The Deep and Midnight Express.

In 1977, another company called PolyGram bought half of Casablanca. By 1980, PolyGram owned the whole company. Around this time, Donna Summer, one of Casablanca's biggest stars, left the label. Neil Bogart also left Casablanca Records.

Without Bogart, Casablanca Records had some hits in the early 1980s. Artists like Lipps Inc., Stephanie Mills, and Irene Cara had successful songs. But the label didn't reach the same level of fame it had in the 1970s. PolyGram eventually closed down Casablanca Records. Some artists moved to other labels like Mercury Records.

In 1999, Universal Music Group took over PolyGram. In 2000, the Casablanca Records name was brought back. It was a new label, but it honored the original one. Today, Casablanca is a dance and electronic music label. It is part of Republic Records.

Famous Artists of Casablanca

Kiss

Kiss was the first band to sign with Casablanca. Their first three albums didn't sell very well. But Kiss was known for their exciting live shows. So, Neil Bogart decided to release a live album called Alive! in 1975. This album became a huge hit! It was the first top ten album for both Kiss and Casablanca.

After Alive!, Kiss's studio albums sold much better. Albums like Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977) sold millions of copies. Kiss released many successful albums with Casablanca throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

Cher

Cher released two albums with Casablanca: Take Me Home and Prisoner. Both albums were hits, especially in Europe. The song "Take Me Home" was very popular. It was Cher's first Disco record and is still considered one of her best.

Cher went on her first solo tour, the Take Me Home Tour, to promote the album. The tour was very successful.

Parliament

Parliament signed with Casablanca in 1973. Their first album for the label was Up for the Down Stroke in 1974. The song from this album became their first top ten R&B hit. Their next album, Chocolate City, sold many copies.

But it was their album Mothership Connection that became their first gold and platinum album. Parliament had many hit singles, including "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" and "Flash Light". Casablanca helped fund Parliament's amazing stage shows, like the "Mothership Connection" tour.

Donna Summer

Donna Summer joined Casablanca in 1975. Her album Love to Love You Baby was a big success. Donna Summer became the label's most successful artist on the singles charts. She had many gold and platinum albums and singles.

She was called "The Queen of Disco." Her hit songs included "MacArthur Park", "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (with Barbra Streisand), and the Grammy-winning "Hot Stuff". Her album Bad Girls sold millions of copies.

Village People

Village People is an American disco group famous for their costumes and catchy songs. They were formed in 1977. Their name comes from New York City's Greenwich Village, which was known for its large gay community. The group became very popular.

They had many international hits with Casablanca. These included "Macho Man", "In the Navy", and their biggest hit, "Y.M.C.A.".

Lipps, Inc.

In 1979, Lipps Inc. signed with Casablanca. The group featured Cynthia Johnson on lead vocals. Their album Mouth to Mouth included the number one hit song "Funkytown".

"Funkytown" was a massive success. It spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. It sold over two million copies and was a hit all over the world.

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan signed with Casablanca in 2004. She released her first album, Speak, in December 2004. It reached number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over a million copies. The song "Rumors" was her first single.

Lohan's second album, A Little More Personal (Raw), came out in December 2005. It also sold well. The song "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" was the only single from that album.

Mika

Mika released his first song, "Relax, Take It Easy", in 2006. His next song, "Grace Kelly", became number one in the UK in 2007. His first album, Life in Cartoon Motion, came out soon after.

Mika released more hit songs like "Love Today" and "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)". His second album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, was released in 2009.

Tiësto

Tiësto is a famous DJ. His album A Town Called Paradise was released in 2014. The song "Red Lights" was the first single from the album. It became a number one hit in Scotland and reached the top 10 in several other countries.

Another song from the album, "Wasted", also did very well. It reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.

Kungs

Kungs is a French DJ and producer. He released his first EP, This Girl, in 2016. It included his remix of "This Girl", which became a number one hit in France, Germany, and Switzerland. It also reached number 2 in the UK.

Kungs has released other popular songs like "Don't You Know". His debut album, Layers, came out in November 2016.

Martin Solveig

Martin Solveig is a French DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He hosts a weekly radio show called C'est La Vie. He has worked with many artists, including Madonna.

SG Lewis

SG Lewis is a producer, songwriter, and DJ from Britain. He is known for his emotional and electronic dance music. He first became known for his remixes of other artists' songs. He released his first EP, Shivers, in 2015. He has worked with many singers and released several EPs.

Casablanca Records Today

In 2012, Casablanca Records was relaunched. It became a label focused on electronic music under Republic Records. It works with artists from all over the world. Some of the artists who have released music through the relaunched Casablanca include Martin Garrix, Avicii, and Tiësto.

Current Artists

Here are some artists currently signed with Casablanca Records:

Past Casablanca Artists

Here are some artists who were signed with Casablanca Records in the past:

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