| MGM Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1946–1972) PolyGram (1972–1982) |
| Founded | 1946; 80 years ago (1946) |
| Founder | Geoffrey Mill |
| Defunct | 1982; 44 years ago (1982) |
| Status | Merged into PolyGram, former music catalog now owned byUniversal Music Group, most soundtracks catalog now owned byWaterTower Music (excludingBorn Free, owned bySony Music viaMadison Gate Records). |
| Distributor | Self-distributed |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
MGM Records was a record label founded by theMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasingsoundtrack recordings (laterLP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the 1970s. The company also released soundtrack albums of the music for some of their non-musical films as well, and on rare occasions, cast albums of off-Broadway musicals such asThe Fantasticks and the 1954 revival ofThe Threepenny Opera. In one instance, MGM Records released the highly successful soundtrack album of a film made by another studio,Columbia Pictures'sBorn Free (1966).
There was also a short-lived Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Records that began in 1928, which produced recordings of music featured in MGM movies, not sold to the general public but made to be played in movie theater lobbies. These Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer records were manufactured under contract with the studio byColumbia Records.
Their first soundtrack was ofTill the Clouds Roll By, a 1946 film based on the life of composerJerome Kern. It was the first soundtrack album of a live-action film originally issued as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm records. As in many early MGM soundtrack albums, only eight selections from the film were included on the original version of the album. In order to fit the songs onto the record sides the musical material needed editing and manipulation. This was before tape existed, so the record producer needed to copy segments from the playback discs used on set, then copy and re-copy them from one disc to another, adding transitions and cross-fades until the final master was created. Needless to say, it was several generations removed from the original and the sound quality suffered. Also, the playback recordings were purposely recorded very "dry" (without reverberation) otherwise it would come across as too hollow sounding in large movie theaters. This made these albums sound flat and boxy.
MGM Records called these "original cast albums" in the style ofDecca's Broadway show cast albums. They also coined the phrase "recorded directly from the soundtrack". Over the years the term "soundtrack" began to be commonly applied to any recording from a film, whether taken from the actual film soundtrack or re-recorded. The phrase is also sometimes incorrectly used for Broadway cast recordings.
Among MGM's most successful soundtrack albums were those of the filmsGood News (the 1947 version),Easter Parade,Annie Get Your Gun,Singin' in the Rain,Show Boat (the 1951 version),The Band Wagon,Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, andGigi. When the 1939 filmThe Wizard of Oz was first shown on television in 1956 (by CBS), the label issued a soundtrack album of songs and dialog excerpts recorded directly from the film, as they had done with their LP of music and dialog fromQuo Vadis in 1951.[1]Aba Daba Honeymoon, performed byDebbie Reynolds andCarleton Carpenter in the filmTwo Weeks With Love, became the first soundtrack single to become a national hit, selling a million copies and charting at No. 3.[2]
By 1950,magnetic tape had been perfected for recording use. This markedly improved the sound quality on long play (LP) albums from 1951 forward.
MGM Records also issued albums of film scores, includingBen-Hur,King of Kings,Doctor Zhivago,How the West Was Won, the 1967 simulated-stereo 70mm re-release ofGone With the Wind, and2001: A Space Odyssey. TheBen-Hur andKing of Kings albums were studio recreations of the scores, but done with the original orchestrations, whileHow the West Was Won,Gone With the Wind,2001, andDoctor Zhivago albums were the genuine soundtracks. MGM Records also released a second soundtrack album ofQuo Vadis, this one containing only music from the film.
Beginning in the 1990s, authentic soundtrack albums of the musical scores toBen-Hur andKing of Kings became available. TheRhino Records editions of these albums featured literally the entire scores, including outtakes. Rhino also released a full-length two-disc album of the score ofGone with the Wind, recorded from the soundtrack in the original mono.
As in the case of the non-musical films, Rhino Records, which obtained the rights to the MGM soundtracks (owned byTurner Entertainment Co.) in the 1990s, issued longer versions of their movie musical albums, containing virtually all of the songs and music. Rhino's license expired at the end of 2011 and the albums Rhino issued were deleted.[3]Warner Bros. now owns the MGM soundtracks first issued by MGM Records and Warner Bros.'WaterTower Music unit now has the rights to release the MGM soundtracks.[4][5]
MGM operated their own record manufacturing plant at Bloomfield, New Jersey, from 1947 until 1972; pressing not only their own records but a great deal of sub-contract work for other record companies, includingAtlantic Records. For several years in the late 1940s-early 1950s, MGM operated a radio syndication business, producingThe MGM Theater of the Air and a variety of other series based on inactive movie properties such asDr. Kildare,Andy Hardy,Maisie, andCrime Does Not Pay. The MGM record pressing plant also manufactured theelectrical transcriptions used to distribute the shows to local stations. The record manufacturing division was closed when MGM Records was sold toPolyGram; after which MGM's former competitors began manufacturing records issued by MGM.
In the early 1950s, MGM Records was considered one of the "major" record companies (besidesColumbia,RCA Victor,Decca/Coral,Capitol andMercury) due to owning its own manufacturing facilities. SubsidiaryCub Records was launched in the late 1950s andVerve Records (predominately a Jazz label) was acquired fromNorman Granz in December 1960.[6][7] Other MGM subsidiaries and distributed labels included: Kama Sutra (from 1965 until Kama Sutra's sister labelBuddah Records took over distribution in 1969), Ava, Heritage, Lion and Metro (forbudget albums), Leo (children's records),Hickory, MGM South, Pride, CoBurt, L&R, and Lionel.
MGM moved successfully into the rock and roll era with many hit records byConnie Francis,Herman's Hermits,the Animals,the Cowsills,Lou Christie,the Osmonds, andCub-subsidiary singerJimmy Jones, whose hits were on MGM in the UK. Pre-rock pop singerJoni James and country singerConway Twitty also scored hits on the rock and roll charts. James' "There Goes My Heart" in 1958 was promoted as the first45 rpm record to be released instereophonic sound. Although it was the first stereo single to come out of the major record companies, edging out theRCA Victor release ofPerry Como's "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" by mere days, the single was issued in September 1958, while the first overall45 rpm records to be released instereophonic sound were issued byBel Canto Records in June 1958.[8][9]
MGM also distributedCameo-Parkway Records briefly in 1967. Four albums and two singles were released under this arrangement beforeAllen Klein bought the Cameo-Parkway catalog and renamed the labelABKCO.
Another label distributed by MGM wasAmerican International Records, the record label division ofAmerican International Pictures, whose film library is now owned by MGM.
MGM Records' first president Frank Walker discovered and signedHank Williams who became the linchpin of MGM Records' country music operations.[10] Other notable MGM artists of this genre includeHank Williams Jr.,Sheb Wooley,Conway Twitty,Sandy Posey,Marvin Rainwater,Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith,Roy Acuff,Carolina Cotton,Jimmy Newman,Mel Tillis,Marie Osmond,Jim Stafford andC.W. McCall.[11]
MGM Records issued music of a variety of musical genres, but used the same set of catalog numbers. The label also offered a modest catalog of classical recordings beginning in 1951;[12] among them was catalog number E3711, an account of two sonatas byFranz Schubert, billed as the first in a complete cycle, recorded by pianistBeveridge Webster. In 1962, MGM Records picked up American distribution of the prestigious German classical music labelDeutsche Grammophon Records.[13] The arrangement lasted until 1969 whenPolydor Records established its American office.[14]
MGM Records was sold toPolyGram in 1972. As part of the deal, PolyGram received perpetual rights to the "MGM Records" name and a ten-year license to use the MGM trademark and logo.[15] In 1976, MGM Records, including its artists, was absorbed into PolyGram'sPolydor Records. However, PolyGram continued releasing MGM soundtrack albums and reissues using the MGM Records imprint until 1982.[16]
With PolyGram's abandonment of the MGM Records trademark, MGM was able to reclaim its rights to that trademark in 1997.[17]
The MGM Records catalog is now split. Although the first three entities remain under the aegis ofUniversal Music Group, the pop music catalog is managed byUniversal Music Enterprises and first bore the Polydor imprint, with distribution in North America byRepublic Records which started using the Republic imprint,[18] themusical theater catalog is now released byDecca Broadway, and the country music catalog is managed byUniversal Music Group Nashville with reissues bearing the Mercury Records Nashville imprint.
MGM's film soundtracks are owned byWarner Bros. Entertainment via itsWaterTower Music unit[3] and the catalogs of a few other artists also have new owners.Frank Zappa regained control of his MGM/Verve recordings (including those with his groupthe Mothers of Invention) in mid 1977 after two years of negotiations.[19] Zappa later licensed the recordings toRykodisc, starting in 1987. In 2012,Gail Zappa licensed her deceased husband's catalogue toUniversal Music Enterprises.
In 1986, MGM formedMGM Music for the licensing of music of which MGM owns the rights. It focuses on licensing soundtracks. It manages the music and music publishing rights of MGM films from 1986 and beyond. (Warner Bros. Discovery'sTurner Entertainment unit owns the pre-1986 MGM soundtracks.) It also manages the music and music publishing rights ofUnited Artists andOrion films.[20]
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