- Castle Communications
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Castle Communications PLC 
Former type Private Industry Publishing, distribution Genre Musical reissues and repertoire Fate Dissolved Founded 1983 Founder(s) Terry Shand, Cliff Dane, Jon Beecher Defunct 2007 Headquarters Chessington, Surrey, United Kingdom Area served Worldwide Parent Alliance Entertainment (from 1994)
Sanctuary Records Group (from 2000)Divisions Dojo Ltd.
Raw PowerCastle Communications was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Terry Shand, Cliff Dane and Jon Beecher. The company was acquired by the American music distributor Alliance Entertainment in 1994[1] and in 2000 it was absorbed into Sanctuary Records Group.[2] The label dissolved when Sanctuary became a subsidiary of Universal Music Group in 2007.
Starting out as a mid-price catalogue reissue specialist, with labels including The Collector Series and Dojo, Castle grew into the largest European owner of repertoire outside the major record companies. It purchased a number of record catalogues, including Pye, Piccadilly, Bradley's, Bronze, Black Sabbath, Sugar Hill[3], Transatlantic, Beserkley, All Platinum and Solar. They possessed most of the Transatlantic and Trailer catalogue.
Starting in the early 1980s, they released compilations and reissued work by Fairport Convention, John Renbourn, Barbara Dickson, Steeleye Span, The Watersons, Richard Thompson, Geoff Turton and many others. They have also diversified to reissue several early albums by The Fall as well as "Pink Years" and "Blue Years" albums by Tangerine Dream, and compilations by Nurse with Wound and Current 93. They have also released a comprehensive compilation featuring songs by Canadian rock legends, Triumph.
In the 1980s they were notable for releasing many heavy metal compilations albums under the series name Metal Killers. Interest in these licensed releases led them to form their own heavy metal imprint Raw Power, to sign and promote new rock acts, rather than to just license older product from other more established labels. The first signing to the Raw Power label was the NWOBHM act Hell's Belles[4], releasing their debut album and single in 1985. After several years, the Raw Power imprint was retired with the waning of the heavy metal's popularity in the UK.
References
- ^ "Castle Communication PLC". PLC Magazine. 1 September 1994. http://plc.practicallaw.com/9-100-6761. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
- ^ Masson, Gordon; Ed Christman (8 April 2000). "U.k.'s Sanctuary Buys Castle Music". AllBusiness.com. Dun & Bradstreet. http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4636831-1.html. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- ^ "RHINO AND CASTLE COMMUNICATIONS PLC BUY SUGAR HILL CATALOG MASTERS". PR Newswire. 12 June 1995. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/RHINO+AND+CASTLE+COMMUNICATIONS+PLC+BUY+SUGAR+HILL+CATALOG+MASTERS-a017007047. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
- ^ {http://www.hellsbelles.co.uk HellsBelles official web site}
See also
Categories:- British independent record labels
- Folk record labels
- Reissue record labels
- Record labels established in 1983
- Record labels disestablished in 2007
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