Brief History:
Chrysalis made history in 1979 by creating the first "music video album", a videocassette featuring a corresponding music video for each song on Blondie's Eat to the Beat album (released at the same time as the LP).
In 1979 Chrysalis bought and distributed the U.S. folk label Takoma Records, naming manager/producer Denny Bruce as president, who signed The Fabulous Thunderbirds and T-Bone Burnett.
Chrysalis was formed through a licensing deal with Chris Blackwell's Island Records based on the success of bands like Jethro Tull, Cat Stevens, Robin Trower andProcol Harum, which were promoted by the label. Jethro Tull signed with Reprise Records in the United States, which led Chrysalis to an American distribution deal with Reprise's parent company, Warner Bros. Records. This lasted from 1972 until U.S. Chrysalis switched to independent distribution in 1976. PolyGram handled international distribution and Festival Records covered Australia and New Zealand. Towards the end of the 1970s, the Chrysalis offshoot 2 Tone Records brought in bands such as The Specials and The Selecter.
confusing - was RW an artist of the 70's?!
ReplyDeletewhen was he with them, and were they a major, Indie or subsidiary (if so, of whom)? what's his status today, and is it unusual - or perhaps a good example of the major changes running thru the music industry as digitisation enables Indies to thrive, and artists to self-publish?