PolyGram

PolyGram was the name from 1972 of the major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1998, it was sold to Seagram and made part of Universal Music Group.

Hollandsche Decca Distributie (HDD), 1929-1950

In 1929, Decca Records (London) licensed record shop owner H.W. van Zoelen as a distributor in the Netherlands. By 1931, his company Hollandsche Decca Distributie (HDD) had become exclusive Decca

Related Topics:
1929 - Decca Records - H.W. van Zoelen - 1931

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distributor for all of the Netherlands and its colonies. Over the course of

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the 1930s, HDD put together its own facilities for A&R, recording and

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manufacture.

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HDD was doing good business during World War II, because of the absence

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of American and British competition. Van Zoelen wanted to sell to Philips

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so that HDD would have suitable backing when the competition returned, and

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so Philips took the opportunity to buy HDD in 1942.

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At this time, most large recording companies manufactured both gramophones

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and records; Philips CEO Anton Philips had noticed that it was risky to make

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gramophones without an interest in music recording and record manufacture,

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and that Radio Corporation of America (RCA) had merged with the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1929 for this reason. Research was already

Related Topics:
Radio Corporation of America - Victor Talking Machine Company - 1929

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going on in Philips' labs on magnetic tape and long-playing records, and a

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record company could support eventual new formats, particularly as other

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record companies were notably unenthusiastic about new formats.

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After the war, Philips built a large factory in Doetinchem to produce 78rpm records.

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