Jive Records
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| Jive Records | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Parent company | Sony BMG |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Clive Calder |
| Distributing label | Zomba Label Group |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | US |
| Official website | Official website of Jive Records |
Jive Records is an American record label, owned by Sony BMG, and operates as a quarter of the Zomba Label Group.
Company history
Jive Records was formed by Clive Calder in 1981, as a United States branch of the Zomba Recording Corporation. The "Jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African music and dance. Upon initial launch, early US distribution was by Arista Records until 1987. Following the creation of BMG the same year, distribution of Jive moved over to RCA Records. Early signings to Jive included Whodini, A Flock of Seagulls, Billy Ocean, and Samantha Fox.
Free from the authority of Arista head Clive Davis, who at the time was known to be
opposed to
Jive's distribution deal with RCA expired in 1991, at which time BMG purchased a large minority stake in the label. That same year, Barry Weiss became CEO and president of Jive Records—a position he holds to this day.
By the mid-late 1990s, despite its reputation for dealing heavily in hip hop, Jive signed fledgling pop acts Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and Britney Spears the princess of pop —all of whom achieved massive success as the 2000s dawned, and would become the three best selling acts in the label's history.[1][2] Backstreet Boys sold over 100 million albums worldwide. [3]
From 1992 through 2002, Jive/Zomba operated as an independently managed label, with distribution of its records handled by BMG directly.
In 2002, Bertelsmann Music Group acquired the remainder of Zomba. Now a wholly owned subsidiary of BMG, the company was reconfigured and renamed Zomba Label Group, under which Jive continues to operate.
External links
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