Giant Records (Warner)
Giant Records | |
---|---|
Parent company | Warner Music Group |
Founded | 1990 |
Founder | Irving Azoff |
Distributor(s) |
Warner Bros. Records Rhino Entertainment (re-issues) |
Genre | Various |
Country of origin | U.S., Sweden |
Official website |
www |
Giant Records was launched in 1990 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Records and record executive Irving Azoff.
In 1990 Giant became a subsidiary label for Warner Music Group. Its first release, in early 1991, was the Gulf War all-star tribute song "Voices That Care," assembled by producer David Foster. That spring, "Hold You Tight" by Tara Kemp was released and went on to become a top-five single. In the months that followed, Giant Records released the soundtrack album for the film New Jack City, selling 16 million copies worldwide. The label signed such acts as MC Hammer, Jade, Lord Finesse, and teen pop star Jeremy Jordan. Giant also signed established acts such as Big Car, Miles Zuniga, Steely Dan, Warren Zevon, Oingo Boingo, Chicago, Deep Purple, Morbid Angel, Brian Wilson, and Kenny Rogers. The label operated a country music division in Nashville; the first act signed was Dennis Robbins.[1]
In 1993 Giant became dissatisfied with the way Warner Music Group was handling its international affairs, so it made a deal with BMG to distribute its recordings outside of the U.S. By the mid- to late '90s, the company had replaced most of its staff and launched a subsidiary label called Revolution Records; Brian Wilson signed with the new label in 1997.[2]
The company later reverted to its original name and distributed Paladin Records, which included singer-songwriter Steve Forbert. In 2001 Warner Music Group ended its joint venture with Giant Records, which was absorbed into Warner Bros. Records.
In February 2015 Warner Music Sweden announced that it would reactivate Giant's name; the first single released under the new Giant Records banner was Simon Erics's "Waiting for the Sun."[3]
Giant Records recording artists
- Artists on Giant Records were primarily distributed by Warner Bros. Records. Giant recording artists marked with (#) were distributed by Reprise Records.
- Above the Law #
- Ahmad
- Deborah Allen
- Air Supply
- Army of Lovers (US/Canada)
- Atomic Opera
- Peter Blakeley
- Bangalore Choir
- Big Car
- Big Head Todd and the Monsters
- Big Mountain
- Tony Banks (US/Canada)
- Carlene Carter
- Manu Dibango
- Certain Distant Suns
- Chicago ("Night & Day Big Band" album only)
- Mark Collie
- Color Me Badd #
- The Cunninghams
- The D.O.C.
- Deep Purple (US/Canada)
- Denzil
- Disturbed
- Jena Kraus
- Divine Styler
- Thomas Dolby
- Earth to Andy
- Flame
- Hank Flamingo
- Steve Forbert (Revolution/Giant)
- Keith Harling
- House of Freaks
- Miki Howard #
- I5
- Icy Blu
- Jade #
- Jeremy Jordan #
- Tara Kemp
- Letters to Cleo #
- Michelle Lewis
- Lord Finesse #
- MC Hammer #
- Neal McCoy
- Tim Mensy
- Georgia Middleman
- Morbid Angel
- Joe Nichols
- Daron Norwood
- Oingo Boingo
- Orrall & Wright
- Owsley
- Pirates of the Mississippi
- Prime STH
- The Reese Project (Kevin Saunderson)
- Pudgee tha Phat Bastard
- Regina Regina
- RTZ (Return to Zero)
- Dennis Robbins
- Kenny Rogers
- Blake Shelton
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd
- Daryle Singletary
- Skew Siskin
- Roger Springer
- Steely Dan #
- Super Deluxe
- Sway & King Tech
- Doug Supernaw
- Tad
- Tony Thompson
- Too Much Joy
- Valentine
- Rhonda Vincent
- Clay Walker
- Chris Ward
- Don Williams
- Brian Wilson
- The Wilkinsons
- Zaca Creek
- Warren Zevon
- Good2Go #
- Marvin Gaye
- Miki Howard #
See also
References
- ↑ International who's who in popular music. p. 433.
- ↑ Newman, Melinda (November 29, 1997). "New Managers for Madonna, Beach Boy Wilson Heads to Revolution". Billboard. p. 12. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/warner-revives-giant-as-singles-label-in-sweden/