Colgems Records
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music industry |
| Predecessor | Colpix Records |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Defunct | 1971 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; masters and artists moved to Bell Records |
| Products | Records, soundtracks |
| Owner | Columbia Pictures (Screen Gems) and RCA Victor (joint venture) |
Colgems Records operated as a record label from 1966 until 1971.
History
Colgems emerged as a collaborative enterprise between Screen Gems, the television branch of Columbia Pictures, and RCA Victor, focusing on distributing records by the Monkees alongside other performers associated with Columbia/Screen Gems. The label also produced soundtrack albums tied to Screen Gems and Columbia Pictures projects. RCA fulfilled the roles of manufacturing and distribution, while outside the United States, Colgems' releases were issued under the RCA Victor brand.
Before Colgems, Colpix Records ceased operations, with most of its catalog becoming unavailable. Prior to the formation of the Monkees, Colpix had signed future members such as Davy Jones, who was brought in by Ward Sylvester, and Michael Nesmith, who performed under the name "Michael Blessing". The Colpix catalog was eventually sold to Roulette Records and is currently owned by Warner Music Group, with rights managed by its Rhino Records division in North America and Parlophone internationally.
Artists on Colgems' roster beyond the Monkees included Sally Field, Jewel Akens, Sajid Khan, Paula Wayne, P.K. Limited, the Hung Jury, Fountain of Youth, the Lewis & Clarke Expedition (which featured Michael Martin Murphey), Hoyt Axton, Alex Keenan, and comedian Rich Little.
The label also issued soundtracks for films including Oliver!, In Cold Blood, Head, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Casino Royale (1967), Hammerhead, The Professionals, The Night of the Generals, Murderers' Row, Lawrence of Arabia, The Southern Star, The Happening, Interlude (1968), and Getting Straight. Notable Monkees albums released through Colgems include The Monkees, More of the Monkees, Headquarters, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., and The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees.
Decline and phaseout
Following the poor sales performance of the final Monkees album Changes, which featured only Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, Colgems Records experienced a downturn. The label's concluding release, Barrel Full of Monkees in January 1971, failed commercially but reached number 207 on the Billboard charts. Subsequently, Colgems ceased operations, with its masters and signed artists transitioning to Bell Records, a Columbia Pictures subsidiary. Bell Records was later dissolved as Columbia reorganized its music assets into Arista Records under the leadership of Clive Davis.
In 1979, Columbia Pictures divested Arista (including Colgems' holdings) to BMG-controlled Ariola Records. Six years afterward, BMG merged with RCA Records.
Currently, most assets formerly belonging to Colgems are under the control of Sony Music Entertainment, following Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures in 1989. However, all recordings by the Monkees remain owned by Warner Music Group's Rhino Records, which licensed and reissued original Colgems LPs during the mid-1980s. In August 1994, Rhino secured ownership of the complete Monkees audio catalog, their television series, the 1968 film Head, as well as rights to the Monkees’ name and logo.
Sony Music Entertainment merged Arista into RCA Records in 2011 but reinstated the Arista brand in 2018.
SGC Records
Connected to Colgems, SGC (Screen Gems-Columbia) Records issued albums by Nazz through a distribution agreement with Atlantic Records, paralleling Screen Gems' similar partnership with RCA.