Decca Gramophone Co Ltd
Other Business Names:
- Barnett Samuel & Sons Ltd
- London Records
- Lewis, Sir Edward
- Racal Electronics Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
Sectors:
-
Electrical & electronic engineering
Radar equipment production
-
Publishing & printing
Sound & video production & publishing
-
Electrical & electronic engineering
Sound & video recording & reproduction equipment production
Notes:
Traced origins to Barnett Samuel & Sons Ltd, established in 1832 as steel pen manufacturers and watch makers who diversified into making musical boxes and wholesaling musical instruments. From c1914 making portable gramophones using the Decca brand. 1928 floated when known as Decca Gramophone Co Ltd and soon after started to make gramophone records. Became major competitor of EMI. 1934 established a subsidiary in USA to distribute its recordings and in late 1940s established London Records label for this purpose. For many years controlled by Lewis family with Sir Edward Lewis latterly chairman. 1939-45 diversified into radar equipment, etc, manufacture in which Decca became a world leader; this became a major component of its peacetime business. 1979 record business sold. 1979 acquired by Racal Electronics Ltd
Publications:
- Decca. The supreme record company. The story of Decca Records, 1929-2019 by Henley, Darren, & Daryl Easlea (eds)
- No CIC by Lewis, Edward R
- Peterson and Berger revisited. Changing market dominance in the British popular music industry, c1950-80 by Gourvish, Terry, & Kevin Tennent
- Please Please Me. Sixties British Pop Inside Out by Thompson, Gordon
- Putting the Record Straight. The autobiography of John Culshaw by Culshaw, John R
- The London American Legend. A history of the label, 1949-2000 by McKee, David M
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- Barnett Samuel & Sons Ltd
- London Records
- Lewis, Sir Edward
- Racal Electronics Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
Sectors:
- Electrical & electronic engineering Radar equipment production
- Publishing & printing Sound & video production & publishing
- Electrical & electronic engineering Sound & video recording & reproduction equipment production
Notes:
Traced origins to Barnett Samuel & Sons Ltd, established in 1832 as steel pen manufacturers and watch makers who diversified into making musical boxes and wholesaling musical instruments. From c1914 making portable gramophones using the Decca brand. 1928 floated when known as Decca Gramophone Co Ltd and soon after started to make gramophone records. Became major competitor of EMI. 1934 established a subsidiary in USA to distribute its recordings and in late 1940s established London Records label for this purpose. For many years controlled by Lewis family with Sir Edward Lewis latterly chairman. 1939-45 diversified into radar equipment, etc, manufacture in which Decca became a world leader; this became a major component of its peacetime business. 1979 record business sold. 1979 acquired by Racal Electronics LtdPublications:
- Decca. The supreme record company. The story of Decca Records, 1929-2019 by Henley, Darren, & Daryl Easlea (eds)
- No CIC by Lewis, Edward R
- Peterson and Berger revisited. Changing market dominance in the British popular music industry, c1950-80 by Gourvish, Terry, & Kevin Tennent
- Please Please Me. Sixties British Pop Inside Out by Thompson, Gordon
- Putting the Record Straight. The autobiography of John Culshaw by Culshaw, John R
- The London American Legend. A history of the label, 1949-2000 by McKee, David M