Elektra Records facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elektra Records |
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| Parent company | Warner Music Group |
| Founded | February 6, 1950 |
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| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
Elektra Records is an American record label. A record label is a company that helps musicians record, produce, and sell their music. Elektra Records is owned by Warner Music Group. It was started in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt.
Elektra Records was very important in the growth of folk and rock music from the 1950s to the 1970s. In 2004, it became part of another company called Atlantic Records Group. After being quiet for five years, Elektra Records was brought back in 2009. In 2018, it became its own separate company again, called Elektra Music Group. Then, in 2022, Elektra Music Group joined with 300 Entertainment to form 300 Elektra Entertainment (3EE). Even with this change, Elektra and 300 still keep their own names and identities.
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History of Elektra Records
Starting the Label (1950–1971)
Elektra Records began in 1950. It was first called Elektra-Stratford Record Corporation. Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt started it in Holzman's college dorm room. They each put in $300 to get it going. The name "Elektra" comes from a Greek myth. Holzman changed the spelling from "Electra" to "Elektra" because he liked the strong sound of the letter 'K'.
The first album Elektra released was New Songs in 1951. It did not sell many copies. In the 1950s and early 1960s, the label mainly focused on folk music. They released popular albums by artists like Theodore Bikel, Judy Collins, Phil Ochs, and Tom Paxton. They also signed Josh White, who had faced difficulties in the music industry.
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In 1964, Elektra started a new label called Nonesuch Records. This label sold classical music at a lower price. Nonesuch became very popular. The money earned from Nonesuch helped Elektra try new things with pop music in the mid-1960s.
Elektra Records became well-known in the music world in the mid-1960s. They were one of the first labels to sign popular bands from the new psychedelic rock movement. Some of their important signings included the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Love, The Doors, The Stooges, and MC5. Other artists like Tim Buckley and Bread also joined Elektra. In 1968, they signed the rock guitarist Lonnie Mack.
Also in 1967, Elektra started the Nonesuch Explorer Series. This was one of the first collections of what we now call world music. Some of these recordings were even sent into space on the Voyager Golden Discs in 1977.
Joining Forces: Elektra/Asylum Records (1971–1989)
In 1970, Elektra Records and its Nonesuch label were bought by Kinney National Services. This company later changed its name to Warner Communications. Soon after, Kinney brought all its music labels together under the Warner-Elektra-Atlantic name.
Jac Holzman stayed in charge of Elektra until 1972. Then, Elektra merged with Asylum Records to become Elektra/Asylum Records. David Geffen, who started Asylum, became the head of the new combined label. Holzman then worked on new technologies for Warner, like home video.
Joe Smith took over from David Geffen in 1975. Under Joe Smith's leadership, Elektra/Asylum Records had its biggest success. They signed new artists, including the important new wave band The Cars. This helped Elektra move in a new direction with its artists.
Even though the label was officially called "Elektra/Asylum Records," people started calling it Elektra Records again. Asylum became a smaller part of the company. In 1982, Elektra started a jazz music label called Elektra/Musician. The next year, Bob Krasnow became the president of Elektra. Under his leadership, the label became very successful in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Elektra Entertainment Group (1989–2004)
In 1989, the label officially changed its name to Elektra Entertainment. During the time Bob Krasnow was in charge, Elektra signed many different artists. These included Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Phish, Tracy Chapman, 10,000 Maniacs, The Cure, The Sugarcubes, and Anita Baker.
Elektra also worked with the UK label 4AD. This meant Elektra released music in the United States for 4AD bands like the Pixies and the Breeders.
In the mid-1990s, Elektra faced some challenges. There were disagreements among the leaders at Warner Music Group. Bob Krasnow left the company in 1994. Sylvia Rhone took over as the new head of Elektra. When she arrived, Elektra also took over the operations of EastWest Records America and Sire Records. The company was then renamed Elektra Entertainment Group.
Despite having many famous artists, Elektra's sales began to slow down as the 1990s ended. Some artists even called it "Neglektra" because they felt their music was not promoted well. Elektra was not doing as well as its sister labels, Warner Bros. Records and Atlantic Records.
The Atlantic Records Era (2004–2018)
In 2004, Warner Music Group was sold to new owners. The new owners decided to combine Elektra and Atlantic Records. Because Elektra was not performing as well, it became a smaller part of the new company, which was called Atlantic Records Group. Elektra then became quiet for a while. However, some long-time Elektra artists like Tracy Chapman and Björk still released music through the label. Newer artists like Jason Mraz were moved to Atlantic.
On June 1, 2009, Atlantic Records Group announced that Elektra Records would be brought back. It would be an independent part of Warner Music. The revived label was led by Mike Caren and John Janick. The new Elektra label used a slightly changed version of its old logo from the 1970s.
The first release from the new label was the soundtrack for the TV show True Blood. The first album was Charlotte Gainsbourg's IRM. The label then became home to artists like Bruno Mars and CeeLo Green.
In 2012, Jeff Castelaz became the president of Elektra Records. In 2017, Gregg Nadel officially became the president. In 2016, Elektra released popular albums like A/B by Kaleo, which included the hit song "Way Down We Go".
Elektra Music Group (2018–2022)
On October 1, 2018, Warner Music Group brought back Elektra Music Group as its own separate music company. This new group included the labels Black Cement, Elektra, Fueled by Ramen (FBR), Low Country Sound, and Roadrunner Records. Some major artists moved from Atlantic to this new group. This brought back the idea of Warner, Elektra, and Atlantic being separate main companies.
The first album released by the new Elektra Music Group was Trench by Twenty One Pilots in October 2018, released through the Fueled by Ramen label. In 2019, the label had huge success with Tones and I's hit song "Dance Monkey". In December 2019, Elektra also started distributing music for DTA Records, a label started by Travis Barker.
300 Elektra Entertainment (2022–Present)
On June 22, 2022, Warner Music Group announced a new group called 300 Elektra Entertainment (3EE). This group was formed by combining Elektra Music Group and 300 Entertainment. This means that labels like Fueled by Ramen, Low Country Sound, and Roadrunner are now part of this larger group with 300 Entertainment's labels. However, Warner Music Group said that 300 and Elektra would still keep their own separate identities.
Artists
See also
In Spanish: Elektra Records para niños
- Elektra Sound Recorders
