Battery Records (dance)
Battery Records was an American record label that served as the dance sublabel of Jive Records, and was active for a short time during the mid-1990s. The label was mostly known for releasing music by the Swedish Eurodance group Rednex in North America, namely its novelty hit "Cotton Eye Joe", as well as Insane Clown Posse's third studio album, Riddle Box. The Battery Records name was later revived by Sony Music Entertainment in 2008 with a focus on hip hop music.
| Battery Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Jive Records |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Status | Defunct |
| Distributor(s) | BMG Sony Music Entertainment (currently) |
| Genre | Dance, hip hop |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | New York City |
History
Battery was formed when Zomba's Dutch office signed Rednex and created a number-one hit with "Cotton Eye Joe." Newly appointed Jive president Barry Weiss was attempting to broaden the pop-music reach of the label group, and introducing Rednex to American listeners was one of his first steps.[1] Suddenly Jive needed a suitable American outlet for this unique style and didn't feel that any current sub-labels were appropriate. Thus, Battery record's inaugural release was the "Cotton Eye Joe" American import in 1994. Although the song was successful, reaching #25 on the Billboard charts, it remained the group's only US hit.[2] [3]
While the New York City-based label largely focused on pop-oriented electronic music, it also released Insane Clown Posse's third album, Riddle Box. The label continued for a few more years signing at least one more artist before closing its doors in 1996.
Releases
| Cat. No. | Artist | Title | Format | Type | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01241-46000 | Rednex | Sex & Violins | CD | Album | 1995 |
| 01241-46001 | Insane Clown Posse | Riddle Box | CD | Album | 1995 |
| 01241-46500 | Rednex | "Cotton Eye Joe" | CD, 12" | Single | 1994 |
| 01241-46501 | Rednex | "Cotton Eye Joe" | 7" | Single | 1994 |
| 01241-46504 | Insane Clown Posse | "Chicken Huntin'" | CD | Single | 1995 |
| 01241-46506 | Tamperer featuring Maya | "Feel It" | CD | Single | 1998 |
See also
- List of record labels
- Sony Music Entertainment
References
- Flick, Larry (1995-02-18). "Weiss Named Jive President, Aims to Boost Pop Presence". Billboard: 6, 117.
- Bronson, Fred (1995-02-04). "Arista Sweeps: 'Creep' to 'Country'". Billboard: 132.
- Flick, Larry; Price, Dominic (1995-02-18). "Will U.S. fans dance to Jive's Rednex Fiddling?". Billboard: 11, 117.