Universal/PolyGram Special Report
The Hostile Takeover Theory

By Daddy Lion Chandell (more articles from this author) 1999-04-22

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Okay, now. For the info I present here to you, there is a warning: hang on to your eyeballs. It's not anything of a top-secret nature, but this info has practically never been looked at in such a deep manner before. Usually, it's commonplace for a company to merge with another entity with whom they have strong relations with (to this day, I am still surprised that Sony Pictures didn't take over Castle Rock Entertainment before Turner did). As such, I have found a theory based on connections of the two conglomerates' histories on why it can be rightfully considered a hostile takeover. Remember that it does not necessarily mean that it is so. But then again, the question to ask is "Is it truly just coincidence?" You be the judge of that. I will state the theory at the beginning and at the end of the information. Here it is:

UNIVERSAL WANTS BACK TOTAL CONTROL OF EVERYTHING THEY ONCE HAD THAT POLYGRAM GOT FROM THEM OR HAS WITH THEM!!!

EVIDENCE #1: MOTOWN
--Motown Record Company, L.P. was fully purchased by Universal Music when it was then MCA Inc. and Boston Ventures in 1988 after a five-year strictly-distribution relationship starting in 1983, incidentally the 25th year of Motown's existence which brought on the Motown 25 celebration that lasted three years after the fact. The property switched hands in 1991 to PolyGram. However, even before 1983, founder Berry Gordy, Jr. established a heavy relationship with MCA, especially in motion pictures. Those films included Bingo Long's Travelling All-Stars And Motor Kings in 1976 and the ironically timeless classic The Wiz in 1978 (which was a flop in the theaters at the time of release) with an accompanying soundtrack coming right on time on the MCA label. Do you think Universal wouldn't want back one of its most precious assets, a label that is actually considered its own category of music rather than just R&B or Soul? Please, give me a universal break.

On a slightly separate, and rather sad, note, ever since the official consolidation of Motown into the Universal Music Group, Motown's cataloging system, has fallen under the Universal system. That means that even though Motown is still filed as its own entity, its matrix cataloging system was pretty much eliminated and folded under Universal's. This is how it works: On the packaging of itself, NOT THE BAR CODE, the matrix number includes a lead letter, the format letter and the five last numbers of its full UPC Code number. Universal's lead letter is "U"; Motown's former lead letters were "MOT" when it was under MCA the first time. The first new Motown releases from Chico DeBarge, A+, 702, and new upcoming group Profyle, whether promotional or retail, have been marked with a "U" as its lead letter. Obviously, it's because of the merger not only of Universal Music and PolyGram, but also of the Universal and Motown labels, creating the alliance called Universal/Motown. In fact, sources at Universal confirmed that to be the reason of this matrix number situation, but also spotted confidence that, in light of the fact that the official change has only been recent (a little less than two months as of this report), things may eventually change back for Motown as far as cataloging is concerned.

To top that off, the latest Motown vinyl does not show the classic label design of the blue background with the famous Motown logo of a white partial map of Michigan showing Lake Eiei on top bearing a red star marking Detroit and the big bold word "MOTOWN" in red/orange, yellow, and green. Instead, it bears the generic calico "M" box logo with the current Universal Records treatment. Now, some of you may think that it may not be too much of a big deal, but if you are a true Motown, fan, buff, or historian/preserver (most importantly), wouldn't you agree with me to keep the vinyl design and logo the way they are? In extra (sad) Motown news, as the changes are still being made, Biv 10 Records, the label of former New Edition/Bell Biv Devoe member, Michael Bivins (and also which 702 was originally signed to) has been switched over from Motown to Universal as far as its joint venture with them is concerned. For a full glare of the lead letter system and format letter system, click HERE.

EVIDENCE #2: RODVEN RECORDS
--T.H. Rodven, one of the five or more largest non-corporate Latin music record companies in America (simply known as Rodven today) had Universal Music & Video Distribution as one of their first major backups in the mid-90s, approximately around 1993 (when it was still known as Uni Distribution). A few years shortly after that, the PolyGram Latino unit of PolyGram in Miami has been handling Rodven up to this day. As Universal Music hardly ever had a Latin music unit at that time, this buyback adds more spice to the current Universal Music Latino arm which already handles RMM Records & Video, probably the most respected and loved Latin music labels of them all. How's that for whipped cream?

EVIDENCE #3: GRAMERCY PICTURES
--Gramercy Pictures began in 1992 as a joint venture between Universal City Studios and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (PFE) . The majority of Gramercy's releases were made and owned by PFE, but the Gramercy logo was never shown on the movie of itself in its earlier days; the logo seemed only to stick onto its posters and advertisements for credibility, prosperity, and for promotion of the newly-formed joint company. All the films bearing the logo on the movie and the words "Gramercy Pictures Presents" were the very few made by Universal, the first of which was Dazed And Confused in 1994. During the period of the amalgamation of Universal and PolyGram, Edgar Bronfman, Jr. (CEO of Universal Studios' parent company, The Seagram Company Ltd. ) anticipated the widely publicized sale of PFE's catalog, which no one corporation would bid high enough for. Now, I guess they get to hold on to it, huh? And hold on to some extra money in the same line, too.

EVIDENCE #4: BLACKHEART RECORDS
--By now, most of you have seen the words "Blackheart Records" pop up a lot in my articles, especially in light of their new involvement in "Urban music". Well, the fact of the matter is when Blackheart began in 1982, its first distributor was none other than MCA Records. The first Blackheart release was the album simply titled Album in 1983 from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, two members of which (Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna) are the founders of the label. By 1985, the label entered into a long-term relationship with what is now Sony Music Entertainment, the former CBS Records. Then, after Blackheart and the group took a hiatus from the world for a few years, it resurfaced in 1996 entering a new distribution deal with Mercury Records. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts would not have any new original releases since then, except for a greatest hits compilation, but last year, the unexpected happened. Blackheart Records finally got involved with music on a more broad spectrum, by setting up marketing/distribution deals for Lethal Records (currently home of Professor Griff, DJ S&S who's been with Lethal since 1997, and Mutabaruka) and The Label Records (current home of Big Daddy Kane). Now that Universal has the highest authority, I guess it's fair to say that "they love Rock 'N Roll" all too well.

EVIDENCE #5: DECCA
--The Decca Record Company Ltd. has carved its name in music history's cornerstone forever and a day. Universal and PolyGram have been vying for the championship title of the ever-famous "Decca" name for quite a few years. The Decca Records unit and label in America was bought by MCA in the mid-1960s, but the name and the rest of the company still had ties to PolyGram internationally, especially regarding the fact that Decca was at one time--get this--DECCA POLYDOR RECORDS in the earlier part of this very century. The Deram label (which was best known for the Contemporary Soft Rock groups The Moody Blues and The Brotherhood Of Man) was a division of Decca Records period and was distributed by London Records in America. London, of course, became a part of PolyGram in the late 1970s and remained that way up to this very time (or UNTIL this very time, I should say). Sources are telling me now that London Records is jumping ship to WEA, either by way of Warner Bros. Records or Warner Music Group. All in all, Universal doesn't have to fight anymore.

EVIDENCE #6: A&M RECORDS and ALMO SOUNDS
--Although this may sound like the strangest part of this analysis because A&M Records never once had any ties to Universal, but it is no different than the rest of the above. Trumpet virtuoso Herb Alpert and his long-time friend and partner Jerry Moss share massive success to this very day from forming A&M in 1962 along with their world-famous publishing companies, Almo Music Corp. and Irving Music Inc. Just as they sold A&M to PolyGram between 1994 and 1996, they created the new Almo Sounds label in 1995 which would be distributed by the Geffen unit of Universal Music, and whose biggest act is the Alternative Rock group Garbage. Now, if you paid careful attention at what you just read, you will see how they work in this theory very nice. I'll just run it down in a timeline-type of line. A&M is owned by PolyGram. Almo Sounds is distributed by Geffen. A&M and Geffen are shut down and folded into Interscope, which means Almo Sounds, a separate entity within the Universal Music Group, gets backing from Interscope. And THAT means A&M and Almo can pretty much interact again, probably take their A&M catalog back and all that other good stuff. I guess A&M was truly about making two ends meet. A. M.

Once again, the DLC Universal/PolyGram Hostile Takeover theory is: UNIVERSAL WANTS BACK TOTAL CONTROL OF EVERYTHING THEY ONCE HAD THAT POLYGRAM GOT FROM THEM OR HAS WITH THEM!!! Best believe, the merger situation/ordeal is still not over yet. There may be more links to this theory coming soon as we speak. I have been pending one piece of evidence regarding London, England's legendary New Wave label, ZTT, its former ties to PolyGram and its new deal with Universal. It's always my policy to get the deep facts before anything goes to print, so if anything comes up with my premonition of ZTT, I will get it down here to you first and foremost in Music Dish/Black Hole and Deep In The Nooz/Hindsight 360. Is it all coincidence? I'm very doubtful of that. You be the judge. Drop your opinions, comments, questions, and news in the big message box directed to me, and please give me a name or a specific tag that I may be able to refer to you as when I respond to you. Until next time, see you at The Hole. Don't sleep, y'all, for I'll be watching.

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