- Griffin Music
Griffin Music was an
independent record label created in1989 inToronto ,Canada byauthor /publisher Robert Godwin . It was originally created to finance and record the second album ofLed Zeppelin tribute act ,Michael White & The White . During late 1989 and 1990, Godwin worked withMichael White and his band recording the album in studios such asSunset Sound andUnited Western Recorders inLos Angeles andMetalworks Studios inToronto .The album was released as Griffin Music's first title in the spring of 1990. Having established the label with its first release, Godwin then pursued venerable British space rockers
Hawkwind , finally securing theNorth America n rights to two obscure albums in 1991. During the course of 1990, Godwin partnered the label with mega-distributor Feedback Incorporated ofChicago who took over the day to day operation of the label (headquartered in the suburb Lombard, while Godwin concentrated on finding artists and catalogs to sign to Griffin.Between 1991 and 1995, Griffin Music would become one of the largest
independent record label s in theUnited States , releasing back catalog of manyEurope anclassic rock artists such asAnderson Bruford Wakeman Howe ,Motörhead ,Denny Laine ,Roy Harper , Uriah Heep,Wishbone Ash ,Rick Wakeman , Fish,Mike Oldfield , Nazareth,Hawkwind ,Tangerine Dream ,Steve Hillage ,The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and dozens of others.In 1993, Griffin Music secured the license to manufacture and distribute a portion of the
BBC in Concert series inNorth America . Later, Godwin and partnerNeale Parker would form Griffin Video which would include many of the same bands' various concert videos.The biggest release by Griffin Music came in March 1995 when the label released the first in what was to have been a multi-album deal,
David Bowie Santa Monica '72 . The album shipped 25,000 units but was withdrawn after only four days. Despite Griffin paying a large advance for the Bowie catalog, the license was challenged and a lengthylitigation ensued. The remaining albums byDavid Bowie andJohn Mellencamp were never released. Griffin Music was bought in 1997 by Tango Music. [cite news|title=Griffin Under Chapter 11 Purchased by Tango|work=Billboard|date=25 October 1997]References
External links
* [http://www.starfarer.net/griffin1.html Flight of the Griffin & the Hawk]
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