Chrysalis Records

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Categories: Record labels established in 1969 | British record labels | EMI | Rock record labels | Pop record labels

Chrysalis Records is a British record label that was created in 1969. The name is an amalgam of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis.

1 Brief background
2 The 1980s
3 EMI era
4 Artists
5 External links

Brief background

Chrysalis was formed through a licensing deal with Chris Blackwell's Island Records based on the success of bands like Jethro Tull and Procol Harum, which were promoted by the label. The label was originally distributed through Reprise Records in the US until Capitol Records gained distribution in 1973. At the same time when Reprise gained the label's distribution, Takoma Records licensed their records to the label rather than Warner Bros. Records (where John Fahey was) or Capitol Records directly (where Leo Kottke was). Towards the end of the 1970s, the Chrysalis offshoot 2Tone Records brought in bands such as The Specials, The Selecter, Madness and The Beat.

Chrysalis made history in 1979 by creating the first "music video album", a videocassette featuring a corresponding music video for each song on Blondie's Eat to the Beat album (released at the same time as the LP).

The 1980s

In the 1980s, Chrysalis was at the forefront of the British New Romantic movement with bands such as Ultravox and Spandau Ballet.

The 80s proved to be the most successful time for the label, whose roster then included arena-fillers Billy Idol and Pat Benatar, seminal new-wavers Blondie and top 40 "hit machines" like Huey Lewis and the News. In early 1983 Daniel Glass moved to Chrysalis as Director of New Music Marketing, advancing later to Senior Vice President.

It was during this time that the label demonstrated that it was largely incapable of successfully promoting a band outside the genres of mainstream rock (Slaughter), ska (Madness), or new wave (Go West). Heavy metal bands Armored Saint and Mutha's Day Out, hip hop duo Gang Starr and singer/songwriter Judie Tzuke all had critically-acclaimed, yet disappointing (or even disastrous) runs on Chrysalis.

EMI era

The Chrysalis Records label was sold to EMI in 1991 and now the label is only used for the record releases of Robbie Williams, with catalogue and artists such as Starsailor being shifted to the main EMI brands.

For a full overview of the remaining activities, see Chrysalis Group. These include music publishing, radio, books and ringtones for mobile phones.