RCA Records has announced that it’s shutting down three of the labels in its umbrella: Arista, Jive, and J Records. This doesn’t mean RCA is simply demolishing those labels; instead, it’s bringing all the artists from those labels’ rosters into RCA proper. (I would not, however, want to be a low-selling Arista band or a low-level Jive employee today.)
Even if this move won’t affect the actual music being released by RCA, it still seems significant that the labels are ending, since Arista and Jive, at least, have some serious history. Clive Davis founded Arista nearly 40 years ago, and the label released some truly huge hits by artists like Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston. And Jive was a hugely important early rap label, releasing music from artists like a Tribe Called Quest, Boogie Down Productions, Too Short, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and Aaliyah, before the label went on to become ground-zero of the late-’90s teenpop explosion. Also, I totally went to the Jive Records offices once when the teenage rapper Lil Mama had a press conference. They had a chocolate fountain there. Have you ever had strawberries dipped in a chocolate fountain? That shit is delicious.
 |
 |
Leave a Reply
Sign in Sign in with FacebookYou must be logged in to post, reply to, or rate a comment.
Oh no, not Arista! Their Monkees Greatest Hits compilation made a real difference in my life…in that for years I was convinced that the Monkees were a great band.
Rhino now have the rights to their catalogue. They were originally on sister label Colgems in the States.
Yay? Anyway, the comp I had when I was a kid was a tape released by Arista. It was called Then & Now…The Best of The Monkees.
Good riddance.
Jive managed to screw up at least two hip-hop classics in the past 5 years. and not just classics from little up-and-coming rappers, we’re talking about Clipse and Big Boi, who both had success beforehand. these dudes just dropped the ball. I pity these fools.
Jive turkey – Happy Canadian thanksgiving!!
If it ain’t broke, don’t throw it out. These labels have a track record. Maybe Clive Davis is retiring. J, Arista and Jive might still be used for catalogue releases. Thompson Twins reissues appeared on other labels instead of Arista though (Edsel/Demon and Reality/AAO), and Atlantic/Wounded Bird Records have the US rights to Meat Loafs 1986 album Blind Before I Stop.