Swan Song Records
Swan Song Records is a record label of the record company Atlantic Records.
Swan Song was founded on May 10, 1974 by Jimmy Page, guitarist and head of the British rock group Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant, the producer of the band. This should be to achieve that artistic control of future albums is the band itself.
The name " Swan Song" is the English name for the proverbial in German swan song.
Led Zeppelin were at that time the flagship of Atlantic Records. The contract between Atlantic and Led Zeppelin was very beneficial for both parties. Although Atlantic had to accept that no other standing with them under contract interpreter would ever get more bonuses than Led Zeppelin; also had to pay an astronomical for its time advance of $ 200,000 in the company. On the other hand, Atlantic was the band around the world under contract, which turned out to be an incredible stroke of luck, given the fact that Led Zeppelin rose up in the early seventies to the most successful band in the world.
The success of the fourth album (1971 ) made the band finally become superstars. The influence of Atlantic Records waned, because everyone knew that the band was able, with her name alone to storm the charts, giving as any music could that she liked. This assumption was confirmed when 1973 " Houses of the Holy" both in the UK and in the United States debuting at # 1, and Led Zeppelin was playing in sold-out stadiums around the world.
The success inspired Jimmy Page finally to completely turn off the record company in the process of formation, and to participate in the profits only. Atlantic agreed to publish five albums on the band's own label. Jimmy Page gave this the name " Swan Song ", which was originally intended as a title for the next album.
" Physical Graffiti ", which appeared in " Swan Song " in 1975 showed immediately clear that the band for their records was now completely responsible: Half of the songs included were from previous recording sessions.
" Physical Graffiti ", however, was not the first in " Swan Song " published plate; In 1974, the debut album from Bad Company has already been published under the label. The label took still more bands that counted later as Legends of Rock, under contract, including the Pretty Things and Detective.
In " Swan Song " later albums " Presence" and "In Through the Out Door " and the live album "The Song Remains the Same" published by Led Zeppelin. In 1980 the band after the death of John Bonhams announced its dissolution, Page was reminded of the obligation to publish in Swan Song five plates, which he nachkam with the least popular collection of unreleased recordings, " Coda ".
The first solo album by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant have been published in " Swan Song". The last album was released under the label 1983 "Wild Life" by the same group.