About
US label, formerly Bell Records. Arista was launched in November 1974 by Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., who purchased and renamed Bell, appointing Clive Davis as label President. [b]Label Code: LC 3484 / LC 03484[/b] According to Billboard Magazine, the label was named for the New York high school honor society. In 1979 the label's parent company, Arista Records, Inc. was acquired by Bertelsmann AG (parent of German label Ariola) and from 1983 co-owned by RCA. The co-ownership continued until 1987, when Bertelsmann acquired full ownership once again. Through a series of mergers, the Arista label is now owned by Sony Music Entertainment. In September 2011, Sony announced that Arista, its subsidiary LaFace, Jive and J Records were all absorbed by RCA Records, bringing all of its artists to the RCA family. On July 17, 2018, Arista revived under the Sony Music banner, making it one of the four flagship labels under SME. [b]Publishing: Arista Music[/b] Label designs: Up to 1976, labels had a light blue background and an A logo in white or black, with no TM next to it. In 1976, the TM was added as well as “Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws." In ’1977, the design kept the same form but with a black background and blue A with TM. In 1978, the design changed with a gradient background coloring from bluish to goldish, a 3-D A logo floating among smaller flat A labels. In 1979, the Arista along the left of the 3D logo was changed to Arista's custom font.. In January 1984, The purple and black label appeared, which lasted through the 1990s.
Sub-labels
Filth Records
UK label
Profile Records
Actually appears as "[b]Profile[/b]" only. May also appear as "Profile Records Ltd" on some UK releases. Profile was one of the earliest hip-hop labels which also released disco, dance, and electr...
Word Of Mouth
Rockin' Horse Records
Sub- Label of Arista. A Bertelsmann Music Group Company (BMG) [b]Labelcode: LC 04219 / LC 4219[/b]
6 West Home Video
Video Division of Arista Records (a Bertelsmann Music Group Company) A division of Arista Records, Inc. [1999]
Moshed Recordings
London based label set up by Paul Rhodes (Rhodeski). It was actually an offshoot of the major label Arista. Moshed stands for "MOving Shadow HouseE Department.
Bell Records
Also appears as "Bell" only or "Bell Record". For unofficial releases, see [l=Bell Records (3)]. In 1952 Arthur Shimkin bought the Bell label from and became President of the compan...
Urgent Records (2)
Arista Street
New York, NY. Hip Hop label.
I-Spy Records
UK label. Founded by when they signed to [l=Arista].
Arista Novus
Novus Records (later Arista Novus and RCA Novus) was an American jazz record label run by Steve Backer. Backer worked at Impulse! Records until 1974, when Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, as...
Flashback Records (4)
Reissue label launched by Bell Records in 1964. It survived Bell's transformation into Arista in 1974 and became the latter's reissue label. It reissued the most popular singles from the Bell/Ar...
Arista Austin
Stolat Records
Stolat Records, Inc. / USA record label releasing imported recordings by MUZA & Polskie Nagrania via Poland, Zafiro via Spain, etc. Manufactured and distributed by [L=Arista] during 1977-1982 65...
Arista Records LLC
Also appears as Arista Records, LLC Used by Sony BMG Music Entertainment from 2004, until it's absorption into [l=RCA Records] in 2011, in place of "[l=Arista Records, Inc.]". Replaced by "Arista...
Ultimate Series
A collection of "Ultimate" (Series) various artist albums on the Arista label. A variety of themes and styles of music present themselves in this collection of albums.
Arista Heritage Series
The Arista Masters
Collective series of album reissues and compilation releases, containing remastered recordings and extensive liner notes, originally from [l=Arista] Records releases of the 1970s through 1980s.
Arista Dance
Take Two
UK series by Arista: 2 LPs on one cassette