It is now part of Universal Music Group ( UMG ) since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label.

Following UMG's acquisition of PolyGram in 1998, Geffen Records and A & M Records were merged into Interscope.

GPG needed to move into the US and UK markets, and did so by a process of both formation and acquisition: Polydor Records established its American operations in 1969, Mercury Record Productions ( US ) was acquired in 1972 from sister company North American Philips Corp., RSO ( UK ) in 1967, MGM Records and Verve ( US ) in 1972, Casablanca ( US ) in 1977, Pickwick in 1978, and Decca ( UK ) in 1980 ( the latter acquisition basically brought PolyGram full circle, see the HDD section above ).

Before 1978, with the acquisition of UDC, the distribution organization was too large and PolyGram was losing money.

Upon the Universal Music Group's acquisition of PolyGram in 1998, GRP became one of a series of labels managed by the Verve Music Group.

PolyGram subsequently trimmed most of Polydor's staff and roster, and shifted it to operate under the umbrella of PolyGram Label Group ( PLG ), a newly constructed ' super label ' specifically designed to oversee the operations of PolyGram's lesser performing imprints ( which included Island Records, London Records, Atlas Records and Verve Records ) at the time.

On his return from that tour, Hadley signed a joint deal with PolyGram TV, and released his next eponymous solo album, Tony Hadley, in 1997, which included covers and songs that were chosen to match his voice.

In 1981, Mercury, along with other U. S. PolyGram-owned labels, which included Polydor, RSO, and Casablanca, consolidated under the new name PolyGram Records Inc. Around this time, Mercury moved its headquarters to New York City.

Its roster of labels by this time included: Polydor, Mercury, London, London / FFRR, Casablanca ( until 1986, later to be reincarnated in 1994 ), RSO, De-Lite, Riva, Threshold ( owned by The Moody Blues ), Tin Pan Alley ( under Polydor ), and Atlanta Artists ( founded by Cameo lead singer Larry Blackmon ) all consolidated into PolyGram Records, Inc.

B. V. ( actually PolyGram at the time ) were created which included a 23-minute version of " Supper's Ready " from the Leicester show.

In 1999, Seagram bought PolyGram, which included PolyGram Television and the post-1996 film library ( plus some of the pre-1996 films ).

A version which fades out at 3: 45, before the third verse and final choruses, has been included on a large number of greatest hits packages and other compilations issued by PolyGram, Mercury Records, Universal Music and others, such as 1994's Endless Summer: Greatest Hits and 2003's The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer.

The single became a UK # 8 hit, the second time the song had entered the Top 10, and the ' 95 Radio Edit was later included as a bonus track on PolyGram France's version of the Endless Summer compilation.

By now, Deutsche Grammophon, Berliner's company and the publisher of the Strauss recording, had become a part of PolyGram.

Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram.

In 1998, the Seagram Company Ltd. of Canada purchased Deutsche Grammophon and PolyGram.

Bronfman, Jr., used the proceeds of the sale to help acquire Universal Studios, MCA, PolyGram, and Deutsche Grammophon.

In 1972, Philips along with German Electronics giant Siemens merged their record operations with Deutsche Grammophon to become PolyGram.

In 1962 Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon were linked into the Gramophon-Philips Group joint venture ( GPG ), which later became PolyGram.

Philips became part of PolyGram Classics as a classical music label along with Decca Records and Deutsche Grammophon.

After considerable success on Exit / A & M, The 77s soon found themselves signed to Island Records ( which, like A & M would be bought by PolyGram in 1989 ) and on the road to what Mike Roe would refer facetiously as " teenage stardom.

The Decca label is currently in use by Universal Music Group worldwide ; this is possible because Universal Studios ( which officially dropped the MCA name after the Seagram buyout in 1997 ) acquired PolyGram, British Decca's parent company in 1998, thus consolidating Decca trademark ownership.

In around 1999, Cadena toured as part of ex-Guns N ' Roses bassist Duff McKagan's solo band to promote McKagan's latest album " Beautiful Disease " which was never actually released because of the merger between Universal and PolyGram, but promoted on tour.

Gordy relocated Motown Records to Los Angeles in 1972 and there it remained an independent company until June 28, 1988, when Gordy sold the company to MCA and Boston Ventures ( which took over full ownership of Motown in 1991 ), then to PolyGram in 1994, before being sold again to MCA Records ' successor Universal Music Group, when it acquired The PolyGram Group.

After obtaining a record deal with PolyGram in 1985, the band scored their first hit two years later with their debut single " Wishing I Was Lucky ", which reached number six in the UK singles chart in 1987.

In 1962 Siemens formed a joint venture with Netherlands-based Philips to create the DGG / PPI Record Group, which became PolyGram Records in 1972.

Under PolyGram, Mercury absorbed the artists and catalogue of Casablanca Records ( also home to the 20th Century Records back catalogue ), which consisted of heavy metalers Kiss and disco stars Donna Summer and Village People, and primarily became a rock / pop label with Kiss, Scorpions, Rush, John Cougar Mellencamp, Kurtis Blow, Tears for Fears, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Treat, Candy, and Def Leppard.

In late 1998, PolyGram was bought by Seagram, which then absorbed the company into its Universal Music Group unit.

After PolyGram took over British Decca, classical-music albums recorded by British Decca continued to be released on the London label in the U. S., with a logo similar to the Decca classical label logo, until American Decca owner MCA Records bought British Decca owner PolyGram in 1998, which formed Universal Music, after which they were all reissued on the original British Decca label in the U. S.

In the seventies, the label became part of the PolyGram label group, at this point incorporating the Mercury / EmArcy jazz catalog, which Philips, part owners of PolyGram, had earlier acquired.

The Verve imprint itself manages much of the jazz catalog that once belonged to PolyGram ( not including recordings by Herb Alpert for his A & M Records label which Alpert acquired in a legal settlement with Universal Music and are licensed to Shout!

In 1972 the companies formally merged to form PolyGram, of which Philips and Siemens each owned 50 %.

In 1982, PolyGram purchased 20th Century Fox Records from 20th Century Fox, which was just recently brought out by oil magnate Marvin Davis, who was not interested in keeping the record company.

PolyGram embarked on a new program of acquisitions, including A & M and Island Records in 1989, Swedish company Polar Music which held the rights to the ABBA catalogue, Motown in 1993, Def Jam in 1994 and Rodven ( Venezuela ) in 1995.

In 1991, Motown sued MCA to have its distribution deal with the company terminated, and began releasing its product through PolyGram.

Ironically, Seagram had purchased Motown ’ s former parent MCA in 1995, as such Motown was in effect reunited with many of its MCA corporate siblings ( Seagram had, in fact, hoped to build a media empire around Universal, and started by purchasing PolyGram ).

This label ( including its roster and catalog ) was folded into Verve Records after the PolyGram / Universal merger.

As part of its contract PolyGram also created the Stardog Records imprint exclusively for the band.

In 1998, Seagram acquired PolyGram from Philips and merged it with its music holdings.

In 1998 Seagram acquired PolyGram ( owner of British Decca ) from Philips and merged it with its music holdings.

Polydor had opened a US division in 1969, but did not become a real presence in the US record industry until its purchase of the recording contract and back catalog of R & B superstar James Brown in 1971 and its absorption of the MGM Records label by parent company PolyGram in 1972.

Into the 1980s, Polydor continued to do respectable business, in spite of becoming increasingly overshadowed by its PolyGram sister label Mercury Records.

In 1994, as Island Records recovered from its sales slump, PolyGram dissolved most of PLG into it.

In 1998, PolyGram was purchased by Seagram and absorbed into its Universal Music Group.

In 1987 Siemens sold off its interest in PolyGram, and Philips became the majority shareholder.

The present organization was formed when its parent company Seagram purchased PolyGram and merged it with Universal Music Group in 1998.

This album, and its successor Phoenix, were released by Wing Records, a subsidiary of Polydor Records / PolyGram.

The label was distributed by Warner Bros. Records since its inception, but in 1990, the label was sold to MCA and today is part of the Interscope-Geffen-A & M division of MCA's successor, Universal Music Group, formed as the result of the 1999 merger between the MCA and PolyGram families of labels.

In 1997, PolyGram, looking to cut costs in anticipation of a merger with a competitor, consolidated all of its Nashville operations under the Mercury name.

After PolyGram was absorbed into the Universal Music Group, Mercury's pop / rock unit was dissolved, but its country unit remained.

In 1997, PolyGram Australia gained the rights to some of Manga's more recent additions to its catalogue.

PolyGram already had the UK cut of Evil Town in circulation despite its banning.

PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945.