A&M RECORDS, LTD.
HISTORY
A&M Records was established in the United States in 1962. The company licensed its first recordings in Britain to Stateside Records in 1963 and 1964. It created a licensing agreement with Pye Records from 1965 until March 1974. A&M recordings were issued with Pye stock numbers until A&M Records opened its British office, A&M Records, Ltd., in 1969.
1970
A&M Records, Ltd. released and recalled its first album A Witch Is Born by Alex Sanders. A&M realized the risk it had taken on a recording about
a witch's initiation into a coven. The album also has the distinction of being the first A&M recording to carry a warning label: "Record suitable for
adults only." A Witch Is Born is among the most expensive of A&M's collectible records. A&M would be wary of recordings about witchcraft and
satanism for many years. In 1976, A&M Records, Ltd. chose to release Chris DeBurgh's Spanish Train and Other Stories with a plain back cover rather
than with the drawing of Satan's hand that appeared in other countries.
1973
By now, Derek Green was the managing director of A&M Records, Ltd. Dave Margerson was named the A&R Director and John Mair was hired as the general sales
manager. Mair had a staff of five sales people. On the artist side, A&M signed the Esperanto Rock Orchestra for worldwide distribution.
BPI began issuing its silver, gold and platinum certifications for outstanding sales. The Carpenters recived A&M's only awards, a silver single and
a silver album.
1974
Now with a staff of 12 employees, A&M began a three-year manufacturing and distribution deal with CBS. A&M's other licenses in Europe were:
Barclay in France
Ariola-Eurodisc in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Spain
Sonet in Scandanavia
Ricordi in Italy
On October 26, 1974, Billboard announced that A&M Ltd. planned global release of its product. Until then, British products had to prove
their sales potential at home first and were distributed in the U.S. and other countries at later dates.
The Carpenters picked up four of A&M's six BPI certifications including the first platinum album certification. Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth won both silver and gold album certifications.
1975
Thanks to an 80% increase in sales in the mid-1970s from British artists Stealers Wheel, the Strawbs, Hudson-Ford, Rick Wakeman, and with the Carpenters'
first four albums in the Top 30 in the British market, A&M enlarged its sales staff to twelve employees. A&M Records, Ltd. moved to its New Kings Road
headquarters in London.
The Carpenters "Please Mr. Postman" received a silver certification, A&M's first for a single. The Carpenters, Supertramp and Rick Wakeman each
had an album that received both silver and gold certifications this year with Horizon, Crime of the Century and Myths and Legends of King Arthur.
1976
Seven BPI awards were given to A&M. British artists Gallagher and Lyle's album Breakaway and Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive! went both
gold and silver. Joan Armatrading's self titled album went silver. The Carpenters received two gold album certifications.
1977
On March 9, A&M Records, Ltd. signed the Sex Pistols for a two year period and a minimum of 20 tracks that could be albums or singles. The public signing was
held the next day. The Pistols, apparently not concerned about their release from EMI for inappropriate behavior put on a show for onlookers then defiled A&M's
London offices and were rude to the A&M staff. A&M Britain reported the incident to label owners Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. Press reports of the Pistols behavior
reached other A&M artists who questioned the signing of this act as so different from the A&M family of artists with Alpert and Moss. Meanwhile, the Pistols' first
single "God Save the Queen" had been rushed into production. It was never released because Alpert and Moss bought out the Sex Pistols contract and
let the group go on March 16. A few copies of "God Save the Queen" were taken from the manufacturing plant. It is the most highly collectable of A&M recordings.
Eight A&M artists picked up the 11 BPI certifications in 1977--nine silver albums and two gold albums. Andy Fairweather Low and Nils Lofgren had their first silver albums.
Peter Frampton, Supertramp, Joan Armatrading, Rick Wakeman, Gallagher and Lyle and the Carpenters returned with new award-winning albums.
1978
A&M Records, Ltd. undertook its largest campaign for the Carpenters album The Singles 1974-1978. It invested $600,000 in television ads, posters, print ads
and 750 window displays in record stores.
BPI awarded A&M nine certifications. The Carpenters The Singles 1974-1978 received the silver, gold and platinum certifications. Elkie Brooks had two silver albums and one,
Two Days Away was certified gold. Rita Coolidge received her first BPI's with two silver albums.
1979
A&M artists doubled the number of BPI certifications of any preceding year by earning 20 awards this year. The Police accounted for 11 awards and were A&M's first British act to receive a
platinum record for Reggatta de Blanc. Squeeze took home the first gold single BPI with "Cool for Cats" and Supertramp's Breakfast in America attained silver, gold and platinum status.
1980
New artists Hazel O'Connor's Breaking Glass and Joe Jackson's I'm the Man albums were each certified silver and gold. Joan Armatrading and Supertramp also received silver and gold album
awards for their latest works. The Police remained the big winner with three silver singles. Their Zenyatta Mondatta album received silver, gold and platinum certifications.
1981
The Police received six of the 19 BPI certifications. Their Ghost in the Machine album achieved silver, gold and platinum status during the year. Elkie Brooks also received silver, gold and platinum
album awards for Pearls. Squeeze received both a silver album and silver single certifications. Joan Armatrading and Rita Coolidge each had an album that went silver and gold.
1982
Elkie Brooks again scored silver, gold and platinum for her album Pearls II. Supertramp's Famous Last Words and Squeeze's Singles 45's and Under were certified silver and gold while
Captain Sensible and the Police each received a silver single award.
1983
The Synchronicity album by The Police was certified silver, gold and platinum and the album's biggest single "Every Breath You Take" was a silver single. The Carpenters, Joan Armatrading and Joe Jackson
each had an album that was certified both silver and gold.
1984
Three of the five BPI awards were the silver, gold and platinum certifications for the latest Carpenters compilation Yesterday Once More. Chris DeBurgh and the Alarm each received a silver album award.
1985
Bryan Adams' Reckless album was the big award winner with silver gold and platinum. Sting's first solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles was silver and gold.
1986
A&M's first CD singles were released in Great Britain. Considered novelty items, they were successful. By 1987 CD singles sales would exceed that of cassette singles.
Variety reported that A&M launched a campaign for new age music with the Beggars Banquet record label.
In 1986, A&M won 23 BPI awards, the most in the label's history. Chris DeBurgh took the most awards with five. His Into the Light took silver, gold and platinum album certifications
and his single "The Lady in Red" was certified silver and gold. The Police took four awards for Every Breath You Take: the Singles from silver through a double platinum certification.
Janet Jackson, Suzanne Vega and Supertramp all released albums that were awarded silver and gold status. Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" single was both a silver and gold winner.
1987
A&M introduced the 3-inch CD single in Britain as a promotional item. The first commercial 3-inch CD released by any record compan was A&M's limited edition of
Sting's "We'll Be Together." This collector's package included a CD sleeve and plastic adapter to play the CD. While "We'll Be Together" sold out within one week.
A&M realized that future CD singles would more likely be 5-inch because the market for the smaller CDs was only about 5,000 units. Promotional CD singles were
produced in 1,000 to 5,000 unit lots.
Chris DeBurgh's Into the Light went double platinum. Janet Jackson's Control went platinum while her Control: the Remixes achieved silver and gold status.
Suzanne Vega and Squeeze also achieved platinum with Solitude Standing and Singles 45s and Under. Artists Black, Bryan Adams and Sting each had an album that
was awarded silver and gold certifications. A&M's first album by various artists A Very Special Christmas which supported Special Olympics also went silver and gold. With 19 BPI awards, A&M enjoyed a fine year.
1988
Half of the eight BPI awards this year were platinum album certifications including a triple platinum certification for Joan Armatrading with The Shouting Stage. Chris DeBurgh Sting
and Suzanne Vega enjoyed platinum album success with their albums. DeBurgh's Flying Colors received silver, gold and platinum awards. For the first time an A&M soundtrack won a BPI award.
Good Morning Vietnam went silver.
1989
Of the nine BPI awards, Chris DeBurgh won three with his Spark to a Flame album which achieved platinum status upon release. Sam Brown and Janet Jackson each had an album that
was certified silver and gold. The Good Morning Vietnam soundtrack went gold.
1990
The sale of A&M Records to PolyGram became effective on January 1.
There were two double platinum compilation albums this year, Only Yesterday by the Carpenters and Spark to a Flame by Chris DeBurgh. Only Yesterday was the first album to make
double platinum status in the same year that it was released. The Carpenters took the most BPIs--six--four for Only Yesterday plus silver and gold for their 1976 concert album Live at the Palladium now reissued on CD
by Pickwick. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 was certified platinum. Del Amitri, Joe Jackson and Suzanne Vega each had an album that gained silver and gold status. A&M had 17 BPI awards for the year.
1991
Bryan Adam's single "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" spent 16 weeks at #1.
The 23 BPI awards tied 1986 as A&M's best-selling year including eight platinum album and a platinum single award. Bryan Adams had a stellar year with the most BPI awards ever given to one A&M artist in a year. He earned eight awards including A&M's first double platinum single for
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," a triple platinum album with Waking Up the Neighbours and a double platinum album for Reckless. Artists Black and Del Amitri also won platinum album awards for Wonderful Life and Waking Hours.
Amy Grant, Extreme and Sting each received silver and gold certifications for an album.
1992
Nearly one-third of the 19 BPI certifications were platinum. The Police's Every Breath You Take: the Singles reached quadruple platinum; Bryan Adam's Reckless and Waking Up the Neighbours both went triple
platinum, Sting's Dream of the Blue Turtles was double platinum, and Extreme's Pornograffitti and The Autobiography of Supertramp attained platinum. Gold albums went to Chris DeBurgh, Extreme, Del Amitri and The Police.
1993
Nine of the 20 BPI award certifications were for platinum albums. The Carpenters were the first A&M artist to have an album be certified platinum five times with Only Yesterday.
Bryan Adams, Dina Carroll and Sting each had an album that won triple platinum with So Far So Good, So Close and Ten Summoner's Tales.
1994
A&M received 17 BPI certifications. Sting won four of them, silver through double platinum for his Fields of Gold album. The Carpenters, Sheryl Crow, Soundgarden and Therapy? all had an album that went silver and gold.
1995
Janet Jackson's Design of a Decade 1986/1996 was a silver, gold and platinum award winning album. Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club achieved platinum status. Chris DeBurgh and Del Amitri both had an album that was certified both
silver and platinum.
1996
There were 13 BPI certifications awarded to five A&M albums. Design of a Decade 1986/1996 went double platinum. Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams and Dodgy each received silver and platinum awards for one of their albums.
1997
Sheryl Crow's self titled album was certified triple platinum. Sting's Fields of Gold was certified triple platinum and Mercury Falling rose to platinum status. Bryan Adams saw double platinum for 18 Til I Die. Most of the 14 BPI awards went
to five compilations albums.
1998
On June 27, 1998, Billboard reported that A&M Records, Ltd. was being restructured under the merger of its owner PolyGram with Universal Music Group. The
reorganization essentially closed A&M's presence in Great Britain after 29 successful years. It removed A&M's marketing and distribution operations. A&M's artists
with international recording agreements were transferred to Polydor while British artists were sent to Mercury Records. However, PolyGram also announced A&M would
continue to sign new acts and some current artists' new releases would be on the A&M label.
A&M won 12 BPI certifications in 1998. Tuesday Night Music Club went double platinum. The Very Best of Sting and the Police and Expecting to Fly by the Bluetones received platinum awards. Bryan Adams and
Del Amitri each had albums that went silver and gold.
In 1999, there were five BPI awards. Silver, gold and platinum went to The Globe Sessions by Sheryl Crow there was silver and gold for Sting's Brand New Day.
Three of the four BPI awards in 2000 went to the Carpenters' Gold which went platinum. Sting's Brand New Day also went platinum.
BPI awarded silver and gold certifications to Sting's All This Time in the only A&M awards for 2001.
In 2002, the final BPI awards were silver and gold albums for Sheryl Crow's C'mon C'mon.
On May 27, 2006, Music Week announced Universal was reactivating the A&M label and had appointed two of its A&R people as its principal managers. Simon Gavin who had been the head of A&R for Polydor was named to run A&M. The relaunch of A&M
happened around January of 2007. In interviews with Music Week's editor Paul Williams, Simon said, "I think A&M is a new label with an old name. Rolling Stone once
described A&M as the classiest label on the planet and that's what we aspire to." He also said, "When we set the label up we wanted A&M to be the hardest place to get a record deal," and "We want the best of all genres and will be selective and focused in our signing policy."
The official website for Universal's A&M Records in Britain is A&M Records in the U.K.
SOURCES:
1. Billboard. A&M Marketing Step-Up Seen in Wake of New Appointments. March 10, 1973.2. Billboard. A&M Distrib, Pressing Tie Is Seen Strong Alliance for CBS. February 16, 1974.
3. Billboard. A&M to Set Up Sales Operation in England After Volume Surge.
4. Billboard. 5-Inchers Seen As Best Bet Among CD Singles in U.K. Nick Robertshaw.
November 28, 1987.
5. Billboard. U.K. A&M Executive Quits Charts Post. September 2, 1989.
6. Billboard. A&M U.K. Restructured. M. Solomon. June 27, 1998.
7. BPI.
8. Music Week. A&M Records Back on UK Scene As Universal Appoints A&R Bosses.
Paul Williams. May 27, 2006.
9. Music Week. They A&M to Please. Paul Williams. May 21, 2008.
