Reprise Records

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Reprise Records was formed in 1960 by Frank Sinatra in order to allow more artistic freedom for his own recordings, because of dissatisfaction with Capitol Records, and after trying to buy Norman Granz's Verve Records. The first album Sinatra released on Reprise was Ring-a-Ding-Ding! Soon thereafter, he garnered the nickname "The Chairman of the Board". As CEO of Reprise, Sinatra recruited several artists for the fledgling label, such as fellow Rat Pack members Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. The original roster from 1961 to 1963 included Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Rosemary Clooney, Duke Ellington, Nancy Sinatra, Esquivel, and stand-up comedian Redd Foxx. One of the label's founding principles under Sinatra's leadership was that each artist would have full creative freedom, and at some point complete ownership of their work, including publishing rights. This is the reason why recordings of early Reprise artists (Dean Martin, Jimi Hendrix, the Kinks, etc.) are (in most cases) currently distributed through other labels.

In Their Own Story

In August 1963, as part of a film deal, Warner Bros. purchased Reprise (which had been losing money) from Frank Sinatra, who nonetheless retained a 1/3 interest in the label until the end of the year. Many of the older artists on the label were dropped by Warner Bros. Records. Reprise president Mo Ostin was retained as the head of the label and he went on to play a very significant role in the history of the Warner group of labels over the next four decades. Warner-Reprise executives began targeting younger acts, beginning by securing the American distribution rights to the Pye Records recordings by the Kinks in 1964. Reprise soon added teen-oriented pop acts like Dino, Desi & Billy to the roster. As well, Sinatra's own daughter Nancy (who began recording for the label in 1961) was retained by Ostin, becoming a major pop star from late 1965.

Reader's Guide

In 1976, the Reprise label was deactivated by Warner Bros. and all of its roster (except Frank Sinatra and Neil Young) were moved to the main Warner Bros. label. Although older catalog albums continued to be manufactured with the Reprise logo, and albums by the Beach Boys on Brother Records were issued in the Reprise catalog numbering sequence, aside from Sinatra and Young (and the Sylvia Syms album Syms by Sinatra, which Sinatra conducted and co-produced) there were no new releases on Reprise for several years. In late 1985, some copies of the Dream Academy's hit single "Life in a Northern Town" were pressed on the Warner Bros. label bearing the Reprise logo. 1986 saw releases bearing Reprise labels from the Dream Academy as well as Dwight Yoakam. In summer 1987, Warner Bros. Records chairman Mo Ostin and label president Lenny Waronker officially announced the reactivation of Reprise, including its own separate promotions department, and former Warner Bros. Vice President of Promotion Rich Fitzgerald was appointed as label vice president.

Did You Know?

• The original Reprise LP label had four different logos: a riverboat for Pop, a cherub for Jazz, an owl for Spoken Word/Comedy, and a picture of Sinatra for his own records.
• Frank Sinatra's first album on Reprise was Ring-a-Ding-Ding!, and he soon earned the nickname 'The Chairman of the Board'.
• In August 1963, Warner Bros. purchased Reprise from Sinatra, who retained a 1/3 interest until the end of the year.
• Neil Young stated in a documentary that Charles Manson was turned down by Reprise.
• In 2017, Reprise released Enya's albums on vinyl, some for the first time on that format.

Sinatra's Vision and Artistic Freedom

Reprise Records was formed in 1960 by Frank Sinatra in order to allow more artistic freedom for his own recordings, because of dissatisfaction with Capitol Records, and after trying to buy Norman Granz's Verve Records. The first album Sinatra released on Reprise was Ring-a-Ding-Ding! Soon thereafter, he garnered the nickname "The Chairman of the Board". As CEO of Reprise, Sinatra recruited several artists for the fledgling label, such as fellow Rat Pack members Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. The original roster from 1961 to 1963 included Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Rosemary Clooney, Duke Ellington, Nancy Sinatra, Esquivel, and stand-up comedian Redd Foxx. The original Reprise LP label had four different logos, depending on the genre: a riverboat for Pop records, a cherub for Jazz records, an owl for Spoken Word/Comedy records, and a picture of Sinatra for his records. One of the label's founding principles under Sinatra's leadership was that each artist would have full creative freedom, and at some point complete ownership of their work, including publishing rights.

The Warner Bros. Era and Rock Expansion

In August 1963, as part of a film deal, Warner Bros. purchased Reprise (which had been losing money) from Frank Sinatra, who nonetheless retained a 1/3 interest in the label until the end of the year. Many of the older artists on the label were dropped by Warner Bros. Records. Reprise president Mo Ostin was retained as the head of the label. Warner-Reprise executives began targeting younger acts, beginning by securing the American distribution rights to the Pye Records recordings by the Kinks in 1964. Reprise soon added teen-oriented pop acts like Dino, Desi & Billy to the roster. Through direct signings or distribution deals, by the 1970s the Reprise roster grew to include Lee Hazlewood, Jill Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, the early Joni Mitchell recordings, Neil Young, the Electric Prunes, Donna Loren, Arlo Guthrie, Norman Greenbaum, Tom Lehrer, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, Tiny Tim, Ry Cooder, Captain Beefheart, John Sebastian, Family, the early 1970s recordings by Frank Zappa and the Mothers, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Nico's Desertshore, the Fugs, Jethro Tull, Pentangle, T. Rex, the Meters, John Cale, Gordon Lightfoot, Michael Franks, Richard Pryor, Al Jarreau, Fleetwood Mac, Fanny, and the Beach Boys.

Dormancy, Revival, and Modern Resurgence

In 1976, the Reprise label was deactivated by Warner Bros. and all of its roster (except Frank Sinatra and Neil Young) were moved to the main Warner Bros. label. In late 1985, some copies of the Dream Academy's hit single "Life in a Northern Town" were pressed on the Warner Bros. label bearing the Reprise logo. 1986 saw releases bearing Reprise labels from the Dream Academy as well as Dwight Yoakam. In summer 1987, Warner Bros. Records chairman Mo Ostin and label president Lenny Waronker officially announced the reactivation of Reprise, including its own separate promotions department. As of 2017, it is home to such artists as Enya, Michael Bublé, Eric Clapton, Green Day, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, Deftones, Josh Groban, Disturbed, Idina Menzel, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Gerard Way and Never Shout Never. In 2010, Reprise opened a country music division, operating as part of Warner Music Group Nashville, featuring Blake Shelton, the JaneDear Girls, Michelle Branch and Frankie Ballard as part of its roster. In 2017, Reprise released Enya's albums on vinyl.

Label Ecosystems and Cultural Footprint

Reprise Records has historically functioned as a hub for numerous subsidiary labels and specialized imprints, including 143 Records (1999–2001), Bizarre Records (1968–1972), Big Brother Records (2008–present), BME Recordings (2004–present), Brother Records (1970–1977), Chrysalis Records (1969–1972), Cold Chillin' Records (1988–1993; select releases), DiscReet Records (1973–1979), Elementree Records (1995–2000), Giant Records (1990–2001; select releases), Grand Jury Records (1990–1993), In Bloom Records (1998–2000), Kinetic Records (1992–2000), Straight Records (1968–1972), Sire Records (1977–2000: select releases), and Vapor Records (1995–present; currently active). Neil Young stated in a documentary about his life that Charles Manson was turned down by Reprise. The label also published the book Hard Rope & Silken Twine (1974), written by The Incredible String Band, illustrated by Wayne Anderson.