| The Polydor Record Company started out as an affiliate of the label Deutsche Grammophon. During the 1960s, renowned musician Burt Kaempfert signed up an unheard-of band that ultimately revolutionized the music industry. The Beat Brothers, as they originally were called, soon took the name The Beatles. With Ringo Starr on drums and fresh new duds on their backs, The Beatles quickly swept the charts and became pop-culture icons. During the 1970s, Polydor Records became incorporated into the Philips family. The result was a new label, called PolyGram, although Polydor continued to exist on its own for some time. During its heyday, Polydor signed many of the biggest names in the business, including the Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Julio Iglesias, James Brown, Placido Domingo, and Van Morrison. In spite of all this success, Polydor lagged behind its label peers, most notably Mercury Records, which was affiliated with PolyGram. During 1981, Polydor experienced a brief revitalization with a number one hit. However, by the beginning of the 1990s, industry insiders had all but acknowledged that Polydor had sung its swan song. By 1994, executives decided to merge Polydor Records with Atlas Records. The following year, the company renamed itself Polydor, and it limped along for few more years until 1998, when Universal Music Group pretty much dismantled the remaining apparatus. Despite its difficult ending, Polydor Records played an enormous role in shaping the careers of many of the world's most famous and talented musicians. Today, Polydor records are collector's items and genuine pieces of 20th century musical history. |
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