Wikipedia

DGC Records

DGC Records(an initialism for theDavid Geffen Company) was an Americanrecord labelthat operated as a division ofInterscope Geffen A&M Records,which is owned byUniversal Music Group.

DGC Records
Parent companyUniversal Music Group
Founded1990;35 years ago(1990)
2007;18 years ago(2007)(relaunch)
FounderDavid Geffen
Defunct1999(1999)(original)
2021(2021)(relaunch)
StatusInactive
Distributor(s)Interscope Geffen A&M Records
(United States)
Polydor Records
(United Kingdom)
GenreVarious; general focus onrock
Country of originUnited States
LocationSanta Monica, California
Official websitewww.dgcrecords.com[dead link‍]

In 1999, after thePolyGrammerger into UMG which created the Interscope Geffen A&M unit,[1][2]DGC was absorbed intoGeffen Records,but was later revived in 2007 before being merged into Geffen again in September 2021 following eight years of inactivity.[3]

The most famous group they signed wasNirvana.

History

edit

DGC Records (The 'DGC' portion of the name was then known as theDavid Geffen Company) was launched in 1990 byDavid Geffenas a subsidiary label ofGeffen Recordsand was distributed byWarner Bros. Recordsuntil 1991, when it was acquired by MCA Music Entertainment Group, a division ofMCA Inc.[4][5][6]The label was created as a response to the success Geffen had with the harder rock acts on its roster. Though it initially focused on more progressive rock and heavy metal, as the decade progressed it also embraced the emergence of (and become a seminal label of)alternative rock,with influential acts likeNirvana,Sonic Youth,Hole,WeezerandBeck.The label also released early titles byPhiladelphiaalternativehip hopbandthe Roots.

In 1994, Nirvana, which became one of DGC's most promising sources of revenue following the release of their 1991 albumNevermind,[7]would disband.[8]In 1995,David Geffenwould leave Geffen Records to help form DreamWorks SKG (laterDreamWorks Pictures) withSteven SpielbergandJeffrey Katzenberg.[9]In 1996, a year after Matsushita Corporation (nowPanasonic) sold off 80% of MCA Inc. To Canadian distillery and media conglomerateSeagram,[10]the company name was reincorporated as Universal Studios, Inc. (later doing business asUniversal Pictures).[11]Even so, MCA Music Entertainment also rebranded asUniversal Music Group.[12]DGC, and its sister labels, Geffen,Interscope Records,DreamWorks Records,MCA Records,Universal RecordsandRepublic Records,would now operate under the new music company name. However, despite the parent company name changing, chances of DGC performing as a label proved less fruitful as its record sales started to see a small 19% decrease in the first quarter of 1997.[13]

On December 10, 1998, Seagram completed its seven-month $10.6 billion plan to acquirePolyGram,merging its music division's operations into Universal Music.[2][14]Following so, on time for New Year's Day 1999, UMG combined the operations of Interscope, Geffen and now-inactive sister labelA&M RecordsintoInterscope Geffen A&M Records,a newly formed one out of the four label groups under UMG (the other three being theVerve Label Group,Universal Motown Republic Groupand theIsland Def Jam Music Group).[1]DGC would have been a sister label to newly acquired A&M,Island Records,Def Jam Recordings,Mercury RecordsandMotown(which had previously been a part of UMG during its preceding MCA era from 1988 to 1991), but later in 1999, the label's operations were folded into Geffen Records, as was A&M (which itself would be absorbed into Geffen's parenting label, Interscope).[15]The retained acts went on to record for the main Geffen imprint. However,BeckandSonic Youthwould remain recording for DGC until August 2003, during a reorganization at IGA, which finally fulfilled both acts' involvement with the imprint when they altogether would finally be drafted into Geffen, effectively ending the label name,[citation needed]at the same time as MCA and DreamWorks Records being absorbed into the label as well,[16][17]expanding Geffen's artist roster.

In the years to follow, the DGC title and logo occasionally appeared on reissues of its past catalog items, maintained by UMG's catalogue remaster labelUniversal Music Enterprises.

In 2007, the label was revived as a brand for both Geffen and Interscope Records, inheriting many alternative acts signed to Interscope Geffen A&M (including acts that previously recorded for either Geffen, MCA or DreamWorks Records).[citation needed]Throughout its revival, it released albums byWeezer,Beck,Counting Crows,Papa Roach,AFIandRise Against.In 2008, DGC, in partnership withMySpace Records,signed Los Angeles-based artistMeiko(through indie label Lucky Ear Music) and alternative indiesinger-songwriterKate Voegele.[citation needed]

In 2009,Blink-182andAlabamarapperYelawolfalso joined the imprint. Albums releases followed: Blink-182'sNeighborhoods(2011),[18]Yelawolf's EP,Trunk Muzik 0-60(2010),[19][20]and his sophomore studio album,Radioactive(released in conjunction withKawan Prather's Ghet-O-Vision andEminem'sShady Recordson November 21, 2011).[21]All three projects managed to receive critical praise and commercial success.

In December 2010,Luke Woodstepped down as president of the label.[22][23]After five years under Geffen,ComptonrapperThe Gameresigned with Interscope through DGC. On August 22, 2011, his fourth studio album,The R.E.D. Album,was released under the imprint. Despite mixed reception, it debuted at number one on theBillboard200.[24]After releasing his fifth follow-up,Jesus Piece,in December 2012, Game parted ways with DGC and ended his relationship with Interscope.[25]As a result, and without an artist on its own roster, the label went inactive in 2013. However, DGC as an imprint and name managed to hold copyrights for reissues of catalogue releases under UMe for the time being.[citation needed]

On September 27, 2021, following its eight years of hibernation, DGC Records was permanently merged into Geffen Records, once again ending the label's operations and name.[3]The remains of DGC's artist roster and catalogue releases were to be transferred to Geffen following its merger and later closure.[3]The last of what was the imprint is now under the corporate control of Universal Music's Interscope Geffen A&M division.

To date, the best-selling album in the DGC catalog isNevermind,the 1991 album byNirvana,reaching international sales of 25 million copies worldwide, with ten million copies sold in the United States, and was one of the first albums on the label to beRIAA–certifieddiamond.[26]

Artists prior to 2021 closure

edit

The following artists have recorded for DGC Records:

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abPhilips, Chuck (1998-12-10)."Merger Puts Seagram at Top of Music Charts".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  2. ^abStrauss, Neil (1998-12-21)."A Major Merger Shakes Up the World of Rock".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  3. ^abc"Interscope Records (biography section)".Audiovisual Identity Database.2023-10-10.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  4. ^Archives, L. A. Times (1990-03-21)."Geffen Launches New Label: Music mogul David..."Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  5. ^Jr, JUBE SHIVER; Cieply, Michael (1990-03-15)."MCA Buys Out Last Major Independent Record Label: Entertainment: In a much anticipated deal, the giant conglomerate will get Geffen Records for stock worth $545 million".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  6. ^Stevenson, Richard W. (1990-03-15)."Geffen Records Sold to MCA For Stock Worth $550 Million".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  7. ^Taysom, Joe (2021-04-30)."Grunge goes mainstream: 30 years on from when Nirvana signed to Geffen".Far Out Magazine.Retrieved2024-07-17.
  8. ^Hochman, Steve (April 6, 1994),"Nirvana Pulls Out of Tour Plan: Pop music: Amid reports of a breakup, the band withdraws from talks about headlining this summer's 'Lollapalooza '94,' citing singer Kurt Cobain's health problems.",Los Angeles Times,retrievedJuly 17,2024
  9. ^Mendelson, Scott."15 Years Of DreamWorks Animation And Its Complicated Legacy".Forbes.Retrieved2024-02-13.
  10. ^Bates, James (1995-04-07)."Matsushita to Sell 80% of MCA to Seagram Co.: Business: Distiller to pay about $7.1 billion. Japanese owner and Hollywood giant clashed often over five years".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  11. ^Busch, Anita M. (1996-12-10)."A whole new U for MCA".Variety.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  12. ^Bates, James (1996-12-10)."Name Dropping: Parent Firm Won't Be 'MCA' Anymore".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  13. ^Timberg, Scott (2017-10-25)."The life and death of the indie-rock heyday".Vox.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  14. ^Sandler, Adam (1998-12-11)."Music will boot 3,000".Variety.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  15. ^Hilburn, Robert; Boucher, Geoff; Philips, Chuck (1999-01-22)."A & M Records Closes; Geffen Lays Off 110".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  16. ^"MCA, GEFFEN TO MERGE".HITS Daily Double.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  17. ^"UMG buys DreamWorks Records".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  18. ^Heisel, Scott (2011-09-25)."Blink-182 – Neighborhoods".Alternative Press Magazine.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  19. ^Rosen, Jody (2010-11-22)."Trunk Muzik 0-60".Rolling Stone.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  20. ^Records, Interscope."Yelawolf Releases Trunk Muzik 0 – 60 on Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment/DGC/Interscope Records — on November 22nd".www.prnewswire.com(Press release).Retrieved2024-01-21.
  21. ^Ahmed, Insanul; Higgins, Keenan."The Making of Yelawolf's" Radioactive "".Complex.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  22. ^Halperin, Shirley (1 February 2011)."Luke Wood Named President and COO of Beats Headphones".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved15 October2012.
  23. ^"Luke Wood, Beats Electronics LLC: Profile and Biography".Bloomberg.com.
  24. ^Caulfield, Keith (2011-08-31)."Game's 'R.E.D.' Debuts at No. 1 On Billboard 200 Albums Chart".Billboard.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  25. ^Diep, Eric (2013-10-02)."Game's Leaving Interscope – XXL".XXL Mag.Retrieved2024-01-21.
  26. ^Sexton, Paul (2023-09-24)."How Nirvana Redefined Teen Spirit And Rewrote Rock With 'Nevermind'".uDiscover Music.Retrieved2024-01-21.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=DGC_Records&oldid=1267859658"