Parlophone UK

Parlophone Records Limited traces its origins to Germany, where it was founded in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company under the name Parlophon. The label later established a British branch, founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parlophone Company Limited. In the 1920s, the UK operation developed a reputation as a jazz record label, a formative period that helped define its early musical identity in Britain.

Parlophone’s corporate history in the UK is closely tied to major shifts in the British recording industry. On 5 October 1926, the Columbia Graphophone Company acquired Parlophone’s business, name, logo, and release library. Columbia Graphophone then merged with the Gramophone Company on 31 March 1931 to form Electric & Musical Industries Limited (EMI), placing Parlophone within a larger corporate structure that would shape its subsequent decades of activity.

In the post-war era, Parlophone’s direction was strongly influenced by producer and label manager George Martin. He joined Parlophone in 1950 as assistant to Oscar Preuss, the label manager, and became manager in 1955. Under Martin, the label issued a varied slate of recordings that reflected a broad remit rather than a single genre focus. His productions included releases by comedian Peter Sellers, pianist Mrs Mills, and teen idol Adam Faith, illustrating a catalogue that could accommodate comedy, popular entertainment, and contemporary youth-oriented music alongside other recordings.

In more recent association, Parlophone UK has been linked with a range of artists across pop and adjacent styles, including Coldplay, Pet Shop Boys, David Guetta, Ashnikko, Rachel Chinouriri, Victoria Canal, 86TVs, and SOLOMON. These names reflect the label’s continued presence in mainstream and contemporary music, while its documented history highlights a long-running role in British recorded music that began with its jazz reputation in the 1920s and later expanded through the mid-century work overseen by George Martin.