Warner Music Australasia

Warner Music Australasia is the Australian division of the Warner Music Group. The company's operations also include distribution to New Zealand.

Warner Music Australasia
Division
IndustryMusic record label
Founded1969
Australia
HeadquartersAustralia
OwnerWarner Music Group
ParentWarner Music Group
WebsiteOfficial website

History

In 1969, Warner Bros. Records decided to branch out and WEA was born. The first territory in which it was established was Canada, with the second being Australia. Paul Turner began the Australian operation in July 1970, with five staff members. The official opening was held at Menzies Hotel, Sydney, on 1 October 1970. The company was then based in Riley Street, Darlinghurst, and had three major labels, Warner Bros. Records, Elektra Records and Atlantic Records.

A year later Warner Bros. Records worldwide (including Australia) changed its name to Kinney Music. The monopoly laws in America at the time did not allow the three labels to trade as one, and so the umbrella name of Kinney Music came into being. For the first two years, the Australian Record Company (ARC), now known as Sony Music, handled the Australian distribution.

Turner's budgeted income for the first year was one million dollars. That was achieved in seven months, with the first year's sales being just under two million dollars. By 1 October 1972, US monopoly laws had also changed and WEA (the first initial of each of the three main labels) was born. From that time, WEA Australia had its own sales and distribution arm. Adding a warehouse to the offices forced a change of location to George Place, in the Sydney suburb of Artarmon.

WEA became a major player in the Australian recording industry, through international successes of artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and The Doors.

The company was renamed Warner Music Australia in 1990, and split into two divisions – WEA and East West Records. More focus was being placed on domestic signings, and phenomenal success was achieved with acts such as INXS, Cold Chisel, 1927 and Jenny Morris.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Warner Music also invested in Brisbane bands Regurgitator and Pretty Violet Stain, when Brisbane music was becoming more popular. Regurgitator became Warner Music's first direct signing and remained with the company until 2004. In 2005, Sire Records invested in Brisbane band The Veronicas, who went straight to number 2 with their debut single "4 Ever" and album "The Secret Life of the Veronicas". Later that year, Warner Music Australia bought out the ailing Festival-Mushroom Records for only $12 million and closed the label down, while retaining the use of the Mushroom label for a couple of acts such as Eskimo Joe and Gabriella Cilmi (who was subsequently became one of the first Australian acts to be signed to Island Records).

As of 2010, the company continued to thrive with artists such as Kerser, Lisa Mitchell, the New Zealand band Evermore, Kylie Minogue, and newly signed Brisbane act, Dead Letter Circus. Warner Music also invested heavily in producers such as Brittany Coney, Cam Noble, Kill Paris, ShockOne and Matt Lange.

Artists

Former Artists

Warner Vision Australia

Warner Vision Australia, a company of Warner Music Australasia, released a series of VHS and DVD on the History of the Olympic Games:

  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: London 1948 (Volume 1)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Melbourne 1956 (Volume 2)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Rome 1960 (Volume 3)
  • The Official Films of the Olympic Games: Tokyo 1964 (Volume 4)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Mexico City 1968 (Volume 5)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Montreal 1976 (Volume 6)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Moskow 1980 (Volume 7)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Los Angeles 1984 (Volume 8)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Seoul 1988 (Volume 9)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Barcelona 1992 (Volume 10)
  • The Official Films Of The Olympic Games: Atlanta 1996 (Volume 11)

Warner Music Vision Australia released a series of DVDs as a joint-venue with the Nine Network:

  • Ray Martin Presents: Graham Kennedy – The King Of Television
  • The Best Of The Paul Hogan Show
  • Channel Nine Salutes Bert Newton
  • The Best Of The Don Lane Show
  • Paul Hogan's England
  • Studio 9 Unplugged
  • Laughs & Larrikins: Midday With Ray Martin
  • Golden Logies Moments
  • Hey Hey It's Saturday ... By Request
  • Hey Hey It's Saturday ... By Request 2
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See also
  • List of record labels

References
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