Decca Records Andrew Bailey
(Universal Music Group)

Decca Dulcephone
Patented by Barnett Samuel & Sons in 1914

Genres & Artists
• CLASSICAL - Leroy Anderson, The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra.
• COUNTRY - Roy Rogers, Kitty Wells, Patsy Kline, The Wilburn Brothers
• POP - Bing Crosby (White Christmas), Al Jolson, Bill Haley & His Comets, The Moody Blues, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday.
• R & B - Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Louis Jordan

Early Recordings

• Cast recordings: Oklahoma! Carousel Annie Get Your Gun
-Columbia Records took over the cast recording industry by the 1950’s.

• MCA bought US Decca in 1962 - Decca Broadway Label formed with the fusion of MCA and Polygram with Universal Music Group.


DECCA Innovations
• FFRR (full frequency range recording) - first used in WWII for the detection of submarine types via sound waves.
• LP production - EMI suffered as a result in that they wanted to continue to manufacture on 78 rpms.
• FFSS - The DECCA Tree
• Recording and Mastering in the 70’s -Digital Recorders and time code.
• John Culshaw – biggest asset to Decca and the classical genre. He recorded the first LP versions of the Savoy Operas and many popular opera artists.


Tough times lead to success…

A historical mistake:

Dick Rowe, representative of the pop genre - turned down the opportunity to record the Beatles, but eventually ended up signing The Rolling Stones.

The Decca Audition
• Did not sign the Yardbirds or Manfred Mann.

• “Rockin’ Round The Clock” - original wasn’t very popular until it was used a few years later as the theme song for the film “Blackboard Jungle”. It then became the first American Pop tune to hit #1 on the American Charts.

DECCA TODAY -UMG

A few artists: Paula Cole, Bryan Adams, Sting, John Scofield, Elton John, Renee Fleming, Boyz II Men.



Universal Music Group (UMG)

• Bravado (merchandising), Vivendi (Activision/Blizzard), VEVO (online video resource)
• Twenty-First Artists, Trinifold, 5B (live music, event)

• Musicals: Wicked, Mamma Mia!, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard

• Soundtracks: Braveheart, Schindler’s List, Slumdog Millionaire



UMG - a small handful of major artists

• Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z, John Coltrane, Buddy Holly, The Jackson Five, Nirvana, The Police, Sublime, Waters, The Who, Bo Diddley, Bob Marley, Nelly, Rihanna.

• Record Labels:

Island/ Def Jam, Interscope, Geffen, A&M, Universal Motown Republic Group, The Verve Music Group, Universal Music Group Nashville, Decca, ECM, Emarcy.



Works cited:

Universal Music. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. http://www.universalmusic.com/.

Decca Records - A Universal Music Company. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. .