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Atco Records

From Alfawiki
ATCO Records
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryMusic industry
PredecessorAtlas (original name)
Founded1955
FounderHerb Abramson
FateIntegrated with EastWest Records America in 1991; revived in 2005 and 2020
SuccessorEastWest Records America (1991)
Headquarters
United States
,
United States
Area served
United States, Canada (noted for licensing)
Key people
Pete Ganbarg (President as of 2020 relaunch)
ProductsMusic recordings
OwnerWarner Music Group
ParentAtlantic Records
Websitewww.atlanticrecords.com

ATCO Records is a United States-based record label established in 1955. It is owned by the Warner Music Group and functions as a subsidiary imprint of Atlantic Records. Following intervals of inactivity, Atlantic Records revived the label in early 2020.

1950s–1960s: Origins

ATCO was launched to serve as a platform for productions overseen by Atlantic Records co-founder Herb Abramson after his return from military duty. The label was designed to showcase artists who did not align with Atlantic’s primary genres, including blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and soul. Initially called Atlas, it was rebranded as ATCO—an abbreviation for ATlantic COrporation—to prevent confusion with an existing label. ATCO also handled distribution for labels such as RSO, Volt, Island, and Rolling Stones.

While early releases included jazz records featuring performers like Betty Carter and King Curtis, ATCO eventually gained recognition mainly for its pop and rock offerings. The label’s rock phase commenced with artists such as Bobby Darin and The Coasters. During the 1960s, ATCO expanded its catalog by licensing international hits from musicians like Jorgen Ingmann and Acker Bilk. Starting in the mid-1960s, it signed rock groups including Sonny and Cher, Buffalo Springfield, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, and the British band Cream (licensed through Polydor Records).

In 1964, ATCO issued the US single "Ain't She Sweet" by the Beatles, recorded in Hamburg in 1961 with John Lennon on lead vocals. This single reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, ATCO released the album Ain't She Sweet, which contained further tracks from the Hamburg recording sessions.

The label released "Substitute" by the Who in 1966 under a licensing agreement with UK Polydor Records during contractual conflicts involving US Decca and UK Brunswick. This marked the only Who track released on ATCO; however, band members Pete Townshend and John Entwistle subsequently signed solo contracts with the label, while Roger Daltrey secured a US solo deal through Atlantic. The American version featured an alternate edit and lyric differences compared to the UK release.

1970s–1980s: Reduction in prominence

Throughout the 1970s, Atlantic Records expanded its artist roster, which resulted in ATCO’s diminished role as many performers transitioned to Atlantic’s main label. By the mid-1970s, ATCO concentrated primarily on hard rock and acts from Britain and Europe, releasing early records by AC/DC. Beginning in 1978, AC/DC's releases shifted to Atlantic until their contract concluded in the 1990s. ATCO experienced renewed attention in 1980 with successful singles such as Pete Townshend's Empty Glass and Gary Numan's "Cars." The label maintained moderate achievements during the 1980s with artists like Sweet Sensation, JJ Fad, and Michel'le (who was signed jointly with Ruthless Records), although overall output declined.

1990s: Integration with EastWest Records America and inactivity

The final number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for ATCO was Sweet Sensation’s "If Wishes Came True" in 1990. In 1991, Sylvia Rhone, Atlantic Records’ Senior Vice President, merged ATCO into Atlantic’s emerging subsidiary, EastWest Records America, briefly operating under the name Atco/EastWest Records. By 1994, the ATCO brand was discontinued in favor of EastWest Records America, which became part of sister label Elektra Records. Elektra assumed management of ATCO’s back catalog along with its artist roster. Although the ATCO name occasionally appeared on reissued material, it remained inactive as a functioning label.

2000s: Revival through Rhino Entertainment

Following a ten-year hiatus, ATCO was reactivated in 2005 via a collaboration with Rhino Records, beginning with the release of the soundtrack for the Bobby Darin biographical film Beyond the Sea. This success prompted Warner Music Group to officially relaunch ATCO in 2006 in partnership with Rhino. Early artists signed during this period included Scarlett Johansson, Keith Sweat, and Art Garfunkel. Garfunkel’s single Some Enchanted Evening debuted in January 2007, followed by Johansson’s album Anywhere I Lay My Head in May 2008. Significant releases during this era featured Queensrÿche’s American Soldier and New York Dolls’ Cause I Sez So, both launched in 2009. Afterward, the label once again entered a period of dormancy.

2020s: Reestablishment under Atlantic Records

In 2020, ATCO was revived once more as a division of Atlantic Records. On February 14, Billboard announced that Atlantic Records’ President of A&R, Pete Ganbarg, would serve as president of the newly relaunched ATCO Records. The first artist signed under Ganbarg’s leadership was the Philadelphia-based alternative group Zero 9:36.

Roster

Presented below is a selection of prominent artists who have recorded with ATCO Records, illustrating its broad and varied artist roster:

External links

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