For the current hip hop imprint also under Jive/Zomba, see Battery Records (hip hop)

Battery Records (hip hop)

Battery Records is a hip-hop label started by Neil Levine under Zomba Label Group, which is currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment. The label was launched mid-2008 by Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The label primarily focuses on new talent, often overseeing early-stage development for acts...

Battery Records was a dance sublabel of Jive Records active for a short time in the mid-nineties unrelated to the current hip hop label

Battery Records (hip hop)

Battery Records is a hip-hop label started by Neil Levine under Zomba Label Group, which is currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment. The label was launched mid-2008 by Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The label primarily focuses on new talent, often overseeing early-stage development for acts...

 also part of the Jive/Zomba family. The label was mostly known for releasing music by the Swedish Eurodance

Eurodance

Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...

 group Rednex

Rednex

Rednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...

 in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, namely its novelty hit "Cotton Eye Joe."

History

Battery was formed when Zomba's Dutch office signed Rednex

Rednex

Rednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...

 and created a number-one hit with "Cotton Eye Joe." Newly appointed Jive

Jive Records

Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...

 president Barry Weiss

Barry Weiss

Barry Weiss is an American music executive. He is the current Chairman & CEO of Island Def Jam Motown Music Group and Universal Republic. He served as chairman and CEO of RCA/Jive Label Group from 2008 to 2011 and was also the CEO of its constituent Jive Records from 1991 to 2011...

 was attempting to broaden the pop-music reach of the label group, and introducing Rednex to American listeners was one of his first steps. Suddenly Jive needed a suitable American outlet for this unique style and didn't feel that any current sub-labels were appropriate. Thus, Battery record's inaugural release was the "Cotton Eye Joe" American import in 1994. Although the song was successful, reaching #25 on the Billboard charts, it remained the group's only US hit.
While the New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

-based label largely focused on pop-oriented electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

, it also released Insane Clown Posse's

Insane Clown Posse

Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...

 third album, Riddle Box. The label continued for a few more years signing at least one more artist but shut its doors in 1996.

Releases

Cat. No.	Artist	Title	Format	Type	Release Date
01241-46000	Rednex Rednex Rednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...	Sex & Violins Sex & Violins Sex & Violins is the name of the debut album by techno-country novelty group, Rednex released on Battery Records. The album was a commercial success, including the hit dance single "Cotton-Eye Joe." The album was re-titled Cotton Eye Joe for the U.S...	CD	Album	1995
01241-46001	Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...	Riddle Box	CD	Album	1995
01241-46500	Rednex Rednex Rednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...	"Cotton Eye Joe"	CD, 12"	Single	1994
01241-46501	Rednex Rednex Rednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...	"Cotton Eye Joe"	7"	Single	1994
01241-46504	Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...	"Chicken Huntin' Chicken Huntin' "Chicken Huntin'" is a single by hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, from their second studio album, Ringmaster. The "Slaughter House Mix", from the group's third studio album, Riddle Box, has become one the duo's most popular songs.-Content:... "	CD	Single	1995
01241-46506	Tamperer featuring Maya Tamperer featuring Maya The Tamperer featuring Maya was an Italian dance music group consisting of Italian record producers Mario Fargetta and Alex Farolfi, and American singer Maya Days. Later, Giuliano Saglia and GianLuca Mensi would join the project...	"Feel It Feel It "Feel It" is a song by The Tamperer featuring Maya, released in May 1998. The song became a number one single in the United Kingdom, and samples the Jacksons' Top 10 1981 hit "Can You Feel It". In 1998 It reached #1 in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and #4 on the US Billboard Hot Dance... "	CD	Single	1995