A&M Records (A&M Records, Inc.) was started in 1962 by partners Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, hence the A&M (Alpert & Moss).
Their first release (following two singles released under the label name Carnival Records (4)) was "The Lonely Bull" by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, which sold around 700,000 copies. Sixteen of the first 25 albums were certified gold by the RIAA and helped A&M become a major label and ultimately the world's largest independent record company.
Label code for royalty payments: LC 0485 / LC 00485
One method of identifying pressings is by a single-letter code printed on the center labels:
A = Sonic Recording Products, Inc. (until ca. 1975) or label (1975-1980s)
B = label
C = label (through 1984) or label (1985–1986)
R = label
W = label
X = label
Y = label
Z = label
A&M label history https://www.onamrecords.com/labels/a-m-records/146447/history
European A&M releases started using the PolyGram xxxxxx-x catalogue numbers at the end of 1984. Any release with such a number is after that date.
In Japan, the A&M Records imprint is managed by Universal Sigma and is independent of Interscope.
Some notable events over the years, courtesy of On A&M Records.com:
1967: Started distributing CTI Records in a deal that ran until 1970.
1967: The A&M Studios were installed in Hollywood, California. The label first appeared in the UK, distributed by Pye.1969: opened in Great Britain.1970: was established.1977: A&M opened an office in Europe. It was called A&M Records Europe S.A. and based in Paris. Titles were manufactured and distributed by in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, West Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.1979: Started distributing . This deal continued until 1985.1982: Started distributing the folk/new age label . This deal continued until 1989.1987: Started distributing (selected titles) and .1988: Launched sub-label in NYC. It was shut down in 1990.1989: A&M was sold to , but operated under Alpert and Moss's leadership until 1993. The sale included A&M of Canada and Britain and was effective January 1, 1990.1991: Agreement signed with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to launch . It was shut down in 1996.1993: Unhappy with the increased integration of the label into the PolyGram corporate structure, Alpert & Moss left A&M and start a new label, .1995: Three year agreement signed with producer to form .1999: PolyGram becomes part of the international .1999: A&M is made part of the division of Universal.2004: begins using the A&M Records imprint for domestic Japanese releases (operating independently of Interscope/Geffen/A&M).2006: A&M Records is made a frontline label in the UK.2007: Universal merges A&M with Records and places Octone's management in charge of combined label as (except in Japan and the UK).2013: A&M/Octone is absorbed by Interscope.
Despite the label's absorption, its core artist Sting managed to release his music for Interscope Geffen A&M (now Interscope Capitol Labels Group) post-2013 under the A&M name; his recent release under the defunct imprint was 2021's The Bridge.