Zomba Timeline

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Unknown
  • Late 1971: Clive Calder and Ralph Simon form a relationship in South Africa. They form companies that span many aspects of the industry (promotion, publishing, management). Early companies include Sagittarius Management and Clive Calder Productions (distributed by EMI South Africa).[1]
  • Mid-late 70s: Calder and Simon forge a relationship with Mutt Lange who begins producing artists for the two entrepreneurs.
  • 1970s?: Zomba becomes the British publisher for the Village People via a relationship with their produced Henri Belolo.
1971
1972
  • 1972: EMI Music South Africa (Pty) Ltd., where Calder had worked in A&R, purchases CCP and still owns it to this day.
1973
1974
  • 1974: Calder, Simon, and Lange leave South Africa and head to London in the middle of the British punk rock movement.
1975
  • 1975: The first Zomba group company Zomba Corporation is officially registered as a Swiss company.[2]
1976
1977
1978
  • 1978: Zomba Management and Publishers Ltd. appears in a publishing capacity on Village People singles (the companies were later divided into Zomba Management and Zomba Enterprises Inc.
  • Early 1978: Zomba opens publishing offices in New York City. Clive Davis takes notice and begins distributing Zomba artists with his recently formed Arista Records.
1979
1980
1981
  • 1981: Zomba forms its first record label Jive Records (distributed by Arista from 1981 until 1987) and begins releasing British dance and pop music.
1982
  • 1982: Calder is introduced to Barry Weiss who introduces him to hip hop. Weiss is hired to work at Jive, and Jive begins to focus on hip hop.
1983
1984
  • 1984: Sublabel Jive Africa is created for South African material.
1985
  • 1985: Jive Electro is created focusing on electronic music.
  • 1985: Zomba purchases the Bruton Music Group, a label group and music library.
1986
1987
  • 1987: Zomba signs a distribution deal with RCA that lasts until 1991.
1988
1989
  • Zomba! Music Services is formed, offering prerecorded music and publishing services for soundtracks, television and commercials.
Unknown
  • Mid-nineties: Jive House is formed.
  • Late-nineties: Pepper Records is formed.
1990
  • 1990: EMI attempts to buy Zomba, but ultimately the deal falls through.
  • 1990: Ralph Simon leaves the company and Clive Calder becomes the sole owner.
1991
  • 1991: Zomba signs a North American distribution deal with BMG who had recently purchased RCA.
  • Late 1991: BMG buys a 25% stake in the company's publishing business (Zomba Music Holdings BV).
1992
  • 1992: Zomba purchases a controlling stake in Conifer Records Ltd., the UK's largest classical music distributor and label group.
1993
  • 1993: Zomba creates a new film and television division called Zomba Music Services.
  • 1993: Zomba forms Portman Music, a joint venture with Portman entertainment.
1994
  • Zomba's publishing division Zomba Enterprises Inc. official changes names to Zomba Music Publishing. Zomba Enterprises Inc. becomes an ASCAP affiliate, while Zomba Music Inc. is created as a BMI affiliate.
  • February 1994: Zomba purchases the Brentwood Music Group, a Christian music company.
1995
  • Zomba purchases Mexican publishing interests Grever International S.A. and Golden Sands Enterprises, Inc. from the Grever Family and creates Zomba Golden Sands Enterprices, Inc.
  • Segue Music Inc., a film and television music editing company is purchased.
1996
  • Early 1996: Zomba sells Conifer to BMG to focus on Jive and Silvertone.
  • Early 1996: Zomba purchases Hilton Sound, a British audio equipment rental company and folds it into Dreamhire.
  • 1996: Zomba purchases the Windsong Exports and Pinnacle Distribution holdings giving them control of many labels, most notable an 80% stake in Rough Trade Germany and 100% in the other Rough Trade regions (labels acquired: Advanced, Air, Out Choice, Collins Classics, Connoisseur Collection, Music For Nations).
  • Fall 1996: BMG purchases 20% of Zomba's records division (Zomba Record Holdins BV)
1997
  • 1997: Zomba purchases the Benson Music Group.
  • 1997: Zomba opens Cheiron studies in Sweden.
  • 1997: Zomba Special Projects appears.
1998
1999
  • May 24, 1999: Zomba Records Australia Pty. Ltd. is opened in Sydney, distributed by Sony Australia..
  • July 1, 1999: Zomba Records (Canada) Inc. is opened in Toronto, distributed by BMG Canada..
  • July 1, 1999: Zomba Records (APRO) Pty. Ltd. is opened in Singapore, distributed by BMG Singapore.
  • July 8, 1999: Rough Trade in the GSA region is rebranded. Zomba Records GmbH is the German and Swiss company, while Zomba Records GesmbH is in Austria. Rough Trade Benelux is rebranded as Zomba Distribution, and distributes for all of the regions.
  • October 1, 1999: Zomba Records France SARL is opened in Paris, distributed by Virgin Records..
  • 1999: Zomba Records Scandinavia AB opens with offices in Stockholm, distributed by Virgin Records.
  • 1999: Zomba Record Holdings BV opens local distribution offices in Belguim, distributed by Zomba Distribution.
  • 1999: Zomba creates their London-based Zomba International Records Group to control the various local offices.
Unknown
  • Early 2000s: Zomba forms Dance Jive.
2000
  • 2000: Zomba closes Cheiron Studios.
  • July 1, 2000: Zomba Records New Zealand Ltd. opens in Auckland, distributed by BMG New Zealand.
  • July 1, 2000: Zomba Records Korea Ltd. opens in Seoul, distributed by Rock Records.
  • July 1, 2000: Zomba Records Espana SA opens in Madrid, distributed by Virgin Records.
  • July 1, 2000: Zomba Records Italy SRL opens in Milan, distributed by Virgin Records.
  • October 1, 2000: Zomba Records Japan KK opens in Tokyo, distributed by Alfa Records (later Avex Distribution).
2001
  • May 2001: Zomba creates Ingenuity Entertainment, a management company for film music composers, editors and supervisors.
  • July 1, 2001: Zomba Records Portugal opens in Lisbon, distributed by Valentim de Carvalho.
  • July 1, 2001: Zomba Records Brazil opens in Rio, distributed by Som Livre.
  • September 2001: Zomba buys Mojo Records.
  • Late 2001: Zomba closes down the Benson Music Group.
  • Late 2002: BMG buys the remainder of Zomba Record Holdings BV and Zomba Music Holdings BV from Clive Calder.
2002
2003
  • Zomba purchases Violator Records and it becomes a part of Jive.
  • July 2003 (approx): BMG integrates many of Zomba's operations into its own
    • All of Zomba's regional offices are merged into their respective BMG offices and the Zomba International Records Group is closed.
    • The Windsong/Pinnacle holdings are moved under BMG's Arvato AG.
    • Zomba Music Publishers merges with BMGs publishing company to become BMG/Zomba Music Publishers.
2004

March 2004: BMG joins with Sony to create Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The Zomba companies shift as well.

  • 2004: BMG creates the Zomba Label Group to align the remaining Zomba labels.
  • 2004: Music For Nations closes.
  • 2004: Zomba purchases 'GospoCentric.
  • 2004: BMG reactiveates LaFace Records and places under the Zomba Label Group.
2005
  • SEE Music is formed by BMG/Zomba Publishing and FirstCom Music for motion picture advertising.
  • Zomba Gospel LLC is formed under the Zomba Label Group.
2006
2007
  • September 2007: Sony BMG forms the BMG Label Group for BMG's labels. The labels of the Zomba Label Group and RCA Music Group form the core of the BMG Label Group.
  • BMG sells BMG/Zomba Music Publishers to Vivendi and merged it with Universal Music Publishing Group.
  • Late 2007: Zomba Gospel LLC is rebranded as Verity Gospel Music Group.
2008
  • 2008: Zomba creates Battery Records, a hip-hop label run by Neil Levine.
  • October 2008: Sony purchases BMGs half of the Sony BMG joint venture. Zomba is now a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.
2009
  • Because BMG still holds the rights to its name, Sony rebrands BMG and Zomba.
    • BMG Label Group becomes RCA/Jive Label Group
    • Zomba Label Group becomes Jive Label Group (one half of RCA/Jive Label Group)


2010
  • By the end of 2010 the rebranding process is complete and the Zomba name gone.
2011


Unanswered questions

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  • Do any companies still use the Zomba name? Production companies maybe? Zomba Recording Corp or Zomba Productions?

References

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  1. ^ White, Adam; Newman, Melinda (5 May 2001). "The Untold Saga of the Zomba Group". Billboard. 113 (18): 1, 98–100.
  2. ^ Who Owns Who: Continental Europe 2005/06. Vol. 3. Bucks: Dun & Bradstreet. 2006. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)