Was going to ask, but EMI = Electric and Music Instruments. Probably initially into the hardware than music!

Jim replied...

Dead right - in fact the Big Four UK record label groups were Decca (gramophones), EMI (ditto), Pye (radios) and Phillips (radios, tape recorders etc).

EMI started in 1931 through a merger of two companies, and although they originally manufactured gramophones, like a lot of gramophone manufacturers, they also set up labels to produce the music for their machines - notably His Masters Voice (HMV), Columbia, Parlophone etc.

The American company, RCA, was a major shareholder in EMI, and it was they who recommended that EMI open Abbey Road in 1931.

RCA sold out in the mid 1930's and with the start of the war, EMI seemed to lose interest in the US record market.

However, they bought Capitol Records after the war which gave them the Beachboys, Frank Sinatra and a few rock/pop acts, and they did one other thing right - they signed lots of UK pop acts like Cliff Richard and Adam Faith, unlike Decca, who had a huge American catalogue and did not seem to bother too much with local acts.

And then of course, George Martin signed the Beatles, who had been turned down by Decca and soon after, every Mersey act followed, making EMI the giant it is today (or was some years back anyway).

However, about four years back, EMI tried to buy Warners - Warners turned them down and instead made a counter offer to buy EMI - whereupon Terra Firm, a British private equity firm, moved in and bought it instead.

• RE: The Who - I Can't Explain - 1965 - John 05/11/2010 13:30:17 EDT (1)