Founder Gramophone Company Country of origin Germany Official website Universal-music.de Parent organization EMI | Genre Various Location Cologne Founded 2002 | |
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Parent company Universal Music Group (2013–present) Artists Kraftwerk, Eloy, Karel Gott, Cosmic Gate, Camillo Felgen Albums Computer World, Unendlich, Time to Turn, Wish You Were Here, The Wall | ||
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Electrola is a German record label and subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Based in Munich, its roster has a large number of successful artists, both past and present, including Chumbawamba, Matthias Reim, Helene Fischer, Brings, Höhner, and Santiano.
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History
Electrola was founded in Berlin in 1925 by the Gramophone Company. In March 1931 Electrola, with its parent label and Carl Lindström Company parent Columbia Graphophone Company, merged to form the Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. (EMI).
The German EMI company was first called Lindstrom-Electrola. After World War II, it acquired the German rights to the His Master's Voice trademark from Deutsche Grammophon in 1949. With EMI and Apple Records, Electrola released several of The Beatles' singles and albums in Germany, including their 1970 album Hey Jude and their 1965 album Help!. In 1996 Electrola released a compilation album of Cliff Richard's songs recorded in German as part of the Premium Gold Collection Series.
In 2002, Electrola was merged with the German branch of Virgin Records to form EMI Music Germany. With the acquisition of most of EMI by Universal Music Group in 2012, UMG now handles the German EMI and Electrola back catalog. The original HMV logo has continued as the label's logo over time.
Electrola has achieved international chart success through many high-profile artists. Two of the most notable hits in the label's history are Marlene Dietrich's 1945 classic "Lili Marleen", and more recently Chumbawamba's 1997 hit "Tubthumping".