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Apple Records is a British record label.
History
Apple Records was founded in 1968 (as a division of Apple Corps Ltd.) by The Beatles. Earlier Beatles albums had been released on Parlophone/EMI in England, and Capitol Records (or United Artists Records) in the US. In a new recording deal, EMI and Capitol agreed to distribute Apple Records until 1975; Apple owned the rights to records by artists they signed, while EMI retained ownership of the Beatles' records, though issuing them under the Apple label. The label became successful, surviving the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, and was resurrected in the late 1980s, for use on all Beatles CDs.Apple records owns the right to all of the Beatle videos and movie clips.
This venture was reportedly due to the Beatles' need to invest money as a tax shelter. The British tax laws at the time were regarded by many as draconian. When George Harrison sang in his song "Taxman", "There's one for you, nineteen for me", (referring to shillings in the pound) he was not kidding. That was the exact amount they retained after taxes – five per cent. As George added, "Should five per cent appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all."
The first group to have a record released on the label (a 45rpm single titled "Dear Delilah") was called Grapefruit. The recording sessions were done in London in late 1967, and the producer was the American Terry Melcher of Byrds fame. Terry Doran, who was the director of Apple Publishing, helped to put the group together and his assistant Derek Lepper became the group's road manager.
During the 1974 proceedings dissolving the Beatles as an entity, a court ruling decreed that eighty per cent of all profits from Beatles albums (as a group) would accrue to Apple Records, and five per cent would go to each of the four members. The label consistently made a profit through 1984, mostly through continued issues of old Beatles records, then lost money for several years.
Apple Corps has had a long history of trademark disputes with Apple Computer, and (as of 2005) the two companies are still involved in litigation.
Releases on the Apple label
While the A-side of singles and albums showed the familiar green apple, the flipside displayed the apple cut in half. This example shows the German release of The Iveys' Maybe Tomorrow album.
The first LP release from Apple Records (also the first "solo" album by a Beatle) was George Harrison's Wonderwall Music, his soundtrack recordings for the movie Wonderwall, on November 1, 1968. Shortly afterward came the Two Virgins album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released on November 11. (Both EMI and Capitol Records refused distribution, because John and Yoko were shown naked on the cover; the album was licensed to Track Records in the UK and Tetragrammaton Records in the US.) Two Virgins was closely followed by the first Beatles album released on the label, titled The Beatles but more commonly known as the White Album, appearing on November 25.
Some other Beatles albums released on the Apple label included:
The label also released singles, the most successful (non-Beatle) of which was Mary Hopkin's "Those Were the Days", which was released in four languages.
Artists recorded on Apple Records
Members of the Beatles and their bands
Other artists
Other labels with similar names
Many record labels have had similar names to Apple Records through the years, including:
See also
External links
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