Demon Music Group
Encyclopedia
Demon Records is a United Kingdom record label founded in 1980 by former United Artists
A&R
executive Andrew Lauder
and Jake Riviera
who had previously started Stiff Records
. The pair had also founded Radar Records
in 1978 and F-Beat in 1979.
journalist Nick Kent
), the Spectres (formed by Glen Matlock
), TV21, and Department S
. Demon's first chart success came with Department S's "Is Vic There?", which reached #22 in the UK Singles Chart
.
Further chart success followed with Bananarama
'a "Aie-a-Mwana". The label then changed direction towards launching long-term artists. Lauder left to join Island Records
in 1981, and Demon started a subsidiary label, Edsel Records, the same year, for reissues of 1960s/1970s albums. By 1982, Lauder had returned, and Demon had spawned further sub-labels, including Hi Records
(the Memphis
soul label), and Drop Out (psychedelic rock).
In 1998 Demon was acquired by Crimson Productions and the record label was merged with its Westside Records
operation.In 2002 Westside issued a dubbel CD compilation of blues from ACE Records (MS). The company is now known as the Demon Music Group and releases records by artists such as Jane McDonald
and Marti Pellow
. Demon is also the Europe
an licensee of the Hi Records
catalog.
The firm is also known for releasing a large number of compilation albums, with multi-genre compilation brands including the 'Absolute Hits' series of single-disc collections (through Crimson) and the budget-range '100 Hits' series of five-disc box sets each themed to a particular genre or era of music. These have proved successful, with the 100 Hits series alone amassing sales of 1.5 million units in its first 18 months on sale. The firm also releases genre-based compilation sets through labels such as "Harmless" (funk) and "Nascente" (world music
).
The artwork for the Nascente-released 'Beginner's Guide' series (particularly 'Beginner's Guide to Africa') may have provided inspiration for similar artwork used by Blur
on their 2009 EMI collection Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur
; this may have come about as Damon Albarn
is a noted fan of African music and has worked with African musicians on a number of occasions.
Demon Music Group (DMG) is currently the UK’s largest independent record company, specialising in the creative production and marketing of CDs and music DVDs. There are 17 labels spanning all genres, formats and price points. From low-price single CDs, through to mid-price box sets and full-price TV advertised albums. The repertoire is sourced from both major and independent companies around the world as well as their own vast library of rights that includes artists such as Marc Bolan and T. Rex, Al Green, and Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
executive Andrew Lauder
Andrew Lauder (music executive)
Andrew Lauder is a record company executive and former A&R manager. Initially noted for his adventurous signings of bands as diverse as Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Can, Hawkwind and Brinsley Schwarz to Liberty Records and United Artists Records in the 1960s and 70s, he went on to form numerous...
and Jake Riviera
Jake Riviera
Jake Riviera is a music business entrepreneur best known for his management of such performers as Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe and as co-founder of pioneering British indie label Stiff Records.Riviera was in school bands and local groups in north-west London in the 60s, and became road manager of...
who had previously started Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
. The pair had also founded Radar Records
Radar Records
Radar Records was a UK-based record label formed by Martin Davis who had previously worked at United Artists Records, and Andrew Lauder, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Records and United Artists...
in 1978 and F-Beat in 1979.
History
The label was originally planned to release one-off singles, with early releases from the Subterraneans (featuring NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
journalist Nick Kent
Nick Kent
Nick Kent is a British rock critic and musician.-Career:Along with writers including Paul Morley, Charles Shaar Murray and Danny Baker, Nick Kent is seen as one of the most important and influential UK music journalists of the 1970s. He wrote for the British music publication New Musical Express,...
), the Spectres (formed by Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock is an English bass guitarist most famous for being in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Drummer Paul Cook has said that Matlock came up with much of the music for the band's songs and most of the lyrics, while lead singer Johnny Rotten made some adjustments...
), TV21, and Department S
Department S (band)
Department S were a British new wave band formed in 1980, who took their stage name from the 1960s TV series Department S. They are best known for their debut single, "Is Vic There?", which was originally released in December 1980.-1980s:...
. Demon's first chart success came with Department S's "Is Vic There?", which reached #22 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Further chart success followed with Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
'a "Aie-a-Mwana". The label then changed direction towards launching long-term artists. Lauder left to join Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in 1981, and Demon started a subsidiary label, Edsel Records, the same year, for reissues of 1960s/1970s albums. By 1982, Lauder had returned, and Demon had spawned further sub-labels, including Hi Records
Hi Records
Hi Records was a Memphis soul and rockabilly label started in 1957 by singer Ray Harris, record store owner Joe Cuoghi, Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch , and three silent partners, including Cuoghi's lawyer, Nick Pesce....
(the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
soul label), and Drop Out (psychedelic rock).
In 1998 Demon was acquired by Crimson Productions and the record label was merged with its Westside Records
Westside Records
Westside Records was a record label subsidiary of Kingfisher. When Kingfisher acquired Demon Records, they merged the two record labels....
operation.In 2002 Westside issued a dubbel CD compilation of blues from ACE Records (MS). The company is now known as the Demon Music Group and releases records by artists such as Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald is a British singer, actress and media personality and broadcaster, who first became famous following her appearance on the BBC docusoap The Cruise...
and Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow has been the lead singer of the Scottish pop group Wet Wet Wet since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo material.-Early life:...
. Demon is also the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an licensee of the Hi Records
Hi Records
Hi Records was a Memphis soul and rockabilly label started in 1957 by singer Ray Harris, record store owner Joe Cuoghi, Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch , and three silent partners, including Cuoghi's lawyer, Nick Pesce....
catalog.
The firm is also known for releasing a large number of compilation albums, with multi-genre compilation brands including the 'Absolute Hits' series of single-disc collections (through Crimson) and the budget-range '100 Hits' series of five-disc box sets each themed to a particular genre or era of music. These have proved successful, with the 100 Hits series alone amassing sales of 1.5 million units in its first 18 months on sale. The firm also releases genre-based compilation sets through labels such as "Harmless" (funk) and "Nascente" (world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
).
The artwork for the Nascente-released 'Beginner's Guide' series (particularly 'Beginner's Guide to Africa') may have provided inspiration for similar artwork used by Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
on their 2009 EMI collection Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur
Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur
Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur is a two-disc compilation album by Blur, released by EMI Records on . Designed as a sampler for casual listeners, and with a greater focus on the band's career highlights rather than their hit singles, it is Blur's second retrospective collection, succeeding...
; this may have come about as Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
is a noted fan of African music and has worked with African musicians on a number of occasions.
Demon Music Group (DMG) is currently the UK’s largest independent record company, specialising in the creative production and marketing of CDs and music DVDs. There are 17 labels spanning all genres, formats and price points. From low-price single CDs, through to mid-price box sets and full-price TV advertised albums. The repertoire is sourced from both major and independent companies around the world as well as their own vast library of rights that includes artists such as Marc Bolan and T. Rex, Al Green, and Ian Dury and the Blockheads.
Labels
- Crimson
- Decadance (dance musicDance musicDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
) - Demon Vision (DVD releases)
- DMG TV (artist album projects)
- Drop Out (psychedelic rockPsychedelic rockPsychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
) - Edsel (mostly re-issues)
- Emporio (classicalClassical musicClassical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
) - Harmless (funkFunkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and urban music collections) - Music Club (re-issues)
- Music Club Deluxe (Deluxe 2CD packages)
- Nascente (world musicWorld musicWorld music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
collections) - StarTrax (karaokeKaraokeis a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
) - Unisex
- 100 Hits
- The Original Selection
- Little Demon
- THE Red Box
- Ground Floor
- Demon Digital
Demon Edsel
- Al GreenAl GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
- John FoxxJohn FoxxJohn Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
- GillanGillanGillan was a rock band formed in 1978 by Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan.-History:In 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion style of his band called the Ian Gillan Band and dissolved it, retaining only keyboard player Colin Towns, and formed a new band entitled Gillan...
- Leo SayerLeo SayerLeo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
- T.Rex
- Ian DuryIan DuryIan Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
- The FarmThe FarmThe Farm may refer to:In places:* The Farm , a government residence in Canada and home to the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons* The Farm , a community center in California, U.S....
- Teddy PendergrassTeddy PendergrassTheodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
- Ann PeeblesAnn PeeblesAnn Peebles is an African American singer-songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s on the Hi Records label...
- Lou RawlsLou RawlsLouis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
- The O'JaysThe O'JaysThe O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
- Don McLeanDon McLeanDonald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
- Average White Band
- Janis IanJanis IanJanis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
- Captain Beefheart And His Magic BandCaptain BeefheartDon Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
(1986)
DMG TV
- Daniel O'DonnellDaniel O'Donnell (Irish singer)Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US. He is known for his close relationship with his...
- Marti PellowMarti PellowMarti Pellow has been the lead singer of the Scottish pop group Wet Wet Wet since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo material.-Early life:...
- Jane McDonaldJane McDonaldJane McDonald is a British singer, actress and media personality and broadcaster, who first became famous following her appearance on the BBC docusoap The Cruise...
- Foster & AllenFoster & AllenFoster and Allen are a musical duo from Ireland consisting of Mick Foster and Tony Allen.-History:Foster and Allen began back in the 1970s when Foster and Allen were playing in country music bands around Ireland...
- The SoldiersThe SoldiersThe Soldiers is a singing trio consisting of serving British Army soldiers, signed to CPW Productions Warner Bros. Records, whose debut album, Coming Home, was released on 26 October 2009. The trio consists of Ryan Idzi, Richie Maddocks and Gary Chilton. The Soldiers' first national interview was...