Parlophone UK

Parlophone’s story runs from the earliest years of recorded music to some of the defining British releases of the 20th century. Founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon, the label opened its British branch on 8 August 1923 as the Parlophone Company Limited. The London operation, set up by Oscar Preuss, built its early reputation during the 1920s through jazz records.

The Columbia Graphophone Company acquired Parlophone’s business, name, logo and release library in 1926. Columbia later merged with the Gramophone Company in 1931 to form Electric & Musical Industries Limited, better known as EMI. George Martin joined Parlophone in 1950 as Preuss’s assistant and became label manager in 1955. His productions reflected a broad remit, including recordings by comedian Peter Sellers, pianist Mrs Mills and teen idol Adam Faith.

Martin signed the Beatles in 1962 after the Liverpool group had been turned down by Decca Records earlier that year. Their arrival changed Parlophone’s public profile dramatically. During the 1960s, the label also signed Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer, the Fourmost and the Hollies. Parlophone claimed the best-selling UK single, the Beatles’ “She Loves You”, and the best-selling UK album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. In 1964 it placed seven singles at number one and held the top position on the UK Albums Chart for 40 weeks.

Parlophone remained within EMI, merging into the Gramophone Co. in 1965, before that company was renamed EMI Records Limited in 1973. When Universal Music Group’s acquisition of EMI was approved in 2012, EMI Records, including Parlophone but excluding the Beatles catalogue, was required to be divested. The operation briefly traded as the Parlophone Label Group before Warner Music Group acquired it in February 2013. Renamed Parlophone Records Limited that May, it became one of WMG’s three flagship labels alongside Warner Bros. and Atlantic. Its UK roster includes Coldplay, Pet Shop Boys, David Guetta, Rachel Chinouriri, Ashnikko, Victoria Canal, My First Time and 86TVs.