American record label, also credited as "Reprise" on releases. Label Code: LC 0322 / LC 00322.
For the corresponding artist profile (e.g., photography credits), please use Reprise Records.
For all unofficial/bootleg releases of this label, please use Reprise Records (2).
Parent companies:
A Time Warner Company (1991-1998); A Warner Communications Company (1975-1990); Warner Bros. Records Inc. (1963-68; 1971-75); a division of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records, Inc. (1968-70).
History:
Reprise Records was formed December 1960 by Frank Sinatra in order to allow more "artistic freedom" for his own recordings. Fellow "Rat Pack" members Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. also moved to the label. Reprise was sold to Warner Bros. Records on August 3, 1963, making it the parent company for the label ever since. Reprise is still operated with artistic control for its artists in mind, though it has had expanded responsibilities as a distributor for other Warner Music Group labels at times (i.e., Sire Records Company, Tommy Boy Music).
Label design/identification:
Reprise releases have some distinct label design features — in order of occurrence:
• Tri-color (green "owl" quadrant on upper left, blue "Spoken Word" quadrant on upper right; orange half below) for spoken word and comedy. Limited use around 1961-1962.
• Tri-color (green quadrant above yellow) "steamboat" label. Also "Pop series" with Reprise descriptor in a hatched black rectangle. Warner Bros. Records Inc. rimtext (Pye distributed in UK prior to CBS). (Also note use of same Pye tri-color label for post-Pye, using a black overstamp on Pye data: Pye Tri (1968) vs. Overstamped Tri (1969).)
• Tri-color (mauve quadrant above yellow) after Pye departure.
• Two-tone (orange segment above yellow/brown) "steamboat" in orange field, with Warner 7Arts "W7" and Reprise circular logos. Reprise Records, a division of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records, Inc., rimtext (circa 1968/early 1969).
• One-color (tan label) "steamboat" at top, beside Reprise logo in square red box. Reprise Records, a division of Warner Bros. Records Inc., rimtext (circa 1971). Outside North America, a "K" (for Kinney) catalogue number prefix may appear.
• One-color (tan label) as above, but with extended rimtext with 3300 Warner Blvd. address and Warner Communications Company rimtext with small black "W" (in lozenge) logo (introduced circa 1975).
• Two-color (blue over gold), circa 1980s.
For an overview, check bsnpubs link below.
Reprise Frank Sinatra releases also follow a similar label design pattern:
• Tri-color (with blue above gold) "Serious Frank" with no company in rimtext (circa 1960).
• Tri-color (with blue above gold) "Serious Frank" with Warner Bros. Records Inc. in rimtext (circa 1963).
• Tri-color (with blue above gold) "Smiling Frank" with Warner Bros. Records Inc. in rimtext (circa 1965).
• Two-tone (with orange above tan/brown) "Smiling Frank" with Warner 7Arts "W7" and Reprise circular logos. Reprise Records, a division of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records, Inc., rimtext (circa 1968).
• Two-tone (with orange above tan/brown) "Smiling Frank" with Reprise logo in square red box. Reprise Records, a division of Warner Bros. Records Inc., rimtext (circa 1971).
• Two-tone (with orange above tan/brown) "Smiling Frank" with Reprise logo in square red box; extended rimtext with 3300 Warner Blvd. address and Warner Communications Company with small black "W" (in lozenge) logo (introduced circa 1975).
Please note that some U.S. cassettes and 8-tracks have a REP code on the spine or elsewhere near or above the catalogue number. This is not part of the catalogue number and should not be entered as such. Instead, it's a label identification code and may be entered in the Barcode and Other Identifiers fields in "Other."
Please beware when dealing with early 1990s promotional CDs from Reprise Records without front sleeves, they often have a generic copyright year of "©1990" in spite of the releases often not being written until some years after. This seems to be an issue with promotional CDs from 1991 to 1995.