What Do Record Labels Mean Today?
It’s not only for nostalgia’s sake that die-hard music lovers are vocally adjusting to the shift in the way music is digested, shared, and distributed today, which is aptly summed up by Greek philosopher, Heraclitus’ words, ”Nothing endures but change.” How we consume everything from information to music is vastly different than it was 100, 50, and even 20 years ago. A recent interview with Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday drives homes the point, in a way that is palatable to all fans of music young and old by using history as an example to learn from.
The record label synonymous with Chris Blackwell celebrated their 50th anniversary and houses an impressive back catalogue spanning early Jamaican roots in ska and rock-steady, progressive rock in the late 60s, and later international stars such as Bob Marley and U2. The insights below reveal a unique narrative and vision set forth by Blackwell which still informs the label’s current approach:
- He loved the feeling of being part of music.
- “Never did ever seen or heard anybody quite like him in England because he was a multi-instrumentalist, a brilliant guitar player, a keyboard player, especially Hammond organ, and had an amazing voice, and so when I signed him other rock acts then started to come to Island.” (On Steve Winwood)
- “There was a passion, and something about them I really, really admired. I believed in them.”(On U2)
- Blackwell’s area was artist development, the records were representative milestones in the artist’s career. He didn’t want to have an artist destroyed by a hit, but instead mature slowly because “if you love what you’re doing, what’s the hurry?”
What do record labels mean today? Fans rally more around their favorite artists, than they do the label that releases their record, and the lack of unified strategy to evolve with technology has seen major labels that once were homes of vibrant song crumble. Perhaps, that’s wherein part of the problem lies – the lack of technical know-how, meaning, passion, brilliant album artwork and quality talent to propel the major record giants forward. Blackwell addresses this lack of meaning in the following quote:
I don’t know what record labels there are now that mean what they used to be to me when I was a fan. For example, Blue Note Records: I love Blue Note Records, because Blue Note Records was a guarantee of quality. They signed great musicians, and they recorded them absolutely brilliantly. Atlantic was a label that I loved; they had the best R&B music. King Records I loved; they had James Brown. There was a certain kind of identity with each label. That can happen when you’re independent. When it’s a major company, they can’t do that in the same way. It’s changed really a great deal, because also people don’t even see a label. It used to be something where, you know, you saw that Motown record spinning around; there was a kind of excitement about it. You knew what you were going to get, that Motown sound. That doesn’t exist now, so it’s changed completely. For the artist, they are now really able, providing they’re patient, to retain control and ownership of their work, their copyrights, their masters. They can sell their music; they can market themselves on the Web. Takes a long time, because it’s sort of going bit by bit, but they can promote their concerts, and they can gather e-mail addresses or Facebook pages … and grow like that. [They can] have a very successful career and own their own masters. They don’t need to give that up to a record label, which happened in the old days.
The Story of Island Records: Keep on Running
NPR: Chris Blackwell Reflects on 50 Years of Island Records
photo credit: Nathalie Delon/Courtesy of Universe Books
Recent Articles By Kyana Gordon 
Kyana Gordon is a regular contributor to PSFK. She is also a writer, strategist, and DJ based in Brooklyn, New York. On Twitter, @DRohsnap is her name.
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