Decca

Multinational label; also appears as Decca Records. Label code: LC 0171 / LC 00171.
This is the LABEL to use, regardless of whether the COMPANY behind is Decca Records, Inc. (formerly owned by MCA), or whichever else.

Former stockbroker Edward Lewis formed Polyphon Musik.The company started releasing records under the Decca trademark.

A US branch, Brunswick was also used elsewhere in Europe and other countries. However, some European countries released recordings from the two companies on the same Decca label, sometimes with the extra slogan “American Series”.

In 1935, The Decca Record Company Limited contracted with EMI companies in Australia, New Zealand, India and elsewhere for the release of UK & US Decca recordings in those territories. This deal gave US Decca the rights to release recordings from the Odeon labels in North America.

In 1947, The Decca Record Company established the London Records trademark in the US, Canada, South America, and the Far East, as they couldn't use their own Decca trademark in those territories anymore.

In the early 1960’s, following MCA, Inc’s acquisition of US Decca, the company name appearing on releases became Vocalion labels.

At the end of 1968 Decca UK had stopped preparing separate monos and stereos for new recordings and instead relied on compatible mixes. There was a shrinking demand for mono, but still enough to make the issues lucrative. To save the cost of printing two different covers they made a common one with a die-cut hole top right on the back cover and separating the issues with different inner sleeves - blue stereo and red mono. This was used for most labels distributed by UK Decca record group (one exception being RCA).

The 1970s were disastrous for the UK Decca label. Although The Decca Company set up the first of the British "progressive" labels, PolyGram acquired the Decca labels within days of his death.

Decca was revived as a US label for reissues in the 1980’s and 1990’s, some of these in conjunction with the GRP label. Decca Records Nashville was also formed to release new country recordings.

In 1997, Seagram bought out MCA/Universal, giving them ownership of Decca US. They then acquired Decca UK's parent company PolyGram in 1998, thus consolidating Decca trademark ownership under the new Deutsche Grammophon imprints.

Today, Decca is a leading label for both classical music and Broadway scores. ECM labels into the Universal Classics group.

This label contains releases on multinational markets. Do NOT create imprints for different countries.
Cover that information on new releases with the country field and with company links, rights societies, labelcode etc.

For all unofficial releases (bootlegs, counterfeits ... , pirate compilations) that pretend to be a release of Decca please use Decca (3)

Link to a great 1428 pages of Decca classical recordings database from 1929 to 2009
http://images.cch.kcl.ac.uk/charm/liv/pubs/DeccaComplete.pdf
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Companies related to Decca:

UK:
Universal MCA Music (UK) Ltd. - renamed UK MCA company following merger of Universal and PolyGram in 1999.
Releases via Universal MCA may also show the name MCA Records, Inc., early 1990’s to 1999.
MCA Music Entertainment Limited – mid-late 1990’s licensee for S.A. Fonior N.V. - Exclusive importer and distributor since 1934, also manufacturing local products since 1940, up to the company's bankruptcy in 1980.

Netherlands:
The following succeeding companies acted as exclusive distributor (and after 1934 manufacturer) in the Netherlands (and its colonies):
Decca Dutch Supplies (1930-1936)
Hollandsche Decca Distributie (Decca-Dutch Supplies) N.V. (1936-1943)
Hollandsche Decca Distributie B.V. (1972 - ?)
In 1942 N.V. Philips Gloeilampenfabriek became the main shareholder, in 1951 manufacturing was handled by Société Française du Son - Exclusive distributor since 1934, and manufacturer since 1950, up to the company's bankruptcy in 1979.

45 RPM Catalog Number, Date and Label Identification:
23000 through 29400 (1949–1955): Black label with lines
on both sides of the Decca name.
29401 through 31100 (1955–1960): Black label with lines
and a star under the Decca name.
31101 and higher (1960 forward): Label is black at the top
and bottom, but has a horizontal multi-color band through the
center.
An occasional number above 30000 will surface on the
label (with lines on both sides of the name Decca) shown for
numbers under 29401. Numbers before Decca 45s began
(23000 and some as high as 25500 – black label with lines on
both sides) are 45 rpm reissues of material first issued on 78s.