London Records - Definition and Overview

London Records was a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom marketing records in the United States and Latin America from 1947 through the 1980s. London arose from the split in ownership between the British branch of Decca Records and that same company's USA branch; the "London" label released British Decca records in the USA, since it could not use the "Decca" name there. The London label was also used by British Decca in the UK market to release American labels (such as Imperial Records, Chess Records, Dot Records, Atlantic Records, Specialty Records and Sun Records) which British Decca licensed. In the sixties more licensing deals were made with Big Top Records, Monument Records, Philles Records and Hi Records.

After British Decca was acquired by Polygram in 1979, London followed a more independent course with subsidiary labels as Slash Records, Essential Records and FFRR Records.

When Universal Music (the owner of American Decca) acquired PolyGram in 1998, London Records was acquired by Warner Music Group which licensed the London name from Decca which still owns the trademark.

See also:

List of record labels