Warner Bros. Records Ltd.

UK branch of Warner Bros. Records established 1969 as Warner Bros. Seven Arts Records Ltd. and renamed to Warner Bros. Records Ltd. in 1970 with publishing company named Warner Bros. Music Ltd.. History: July 1969 Kinney National Service Inc. acquires Warner Bros. - Seven Arts Records which launches its first company-owned European outlet in UK (Warner Bros. Seven Arts Records Ltd.), with Ian Ralfini as managing director and general Manager Tony Roberts for the publishing company Warner Bros. Seven Arts Music Ltd.. Licensing pact with Pye International expires, but Pye Records (Sales) Ltd. will continue to manufacture and distribute records. Publishing deal with Leeds Music expires. 1970 ‘Seven Arts’ removed from company name. UK branch renamed to Warner Bros. Records Ltd., publisher now called Warner Bros. Music Ltd. July 1970 Kinney National Service Inc. buys Elektra. November 1970 Nesuhi Ertegun will be director of newly created international record department Kinney Record Group International (Kinney Music International as publisher) with Phil Rose as managing director. 1971 UK branch renamed to Kinney Record Group Ltd. with Kinney Music Ltd. as publisher. Januar 1971 Elektra Records licensing contracts in all European countries (in UK Polydor Records Limited) expires. Elektra joins existing Warner UK branch. Distributing and pressing switches from Polydor Records Limited to CBS. July 1971 Kinney Record Group Ltd. enters distribution and pressing deal with CBS instead of Pye Records (Sales) Ltd.. Elektra’s publishing companies Paradox Music (3), Nipper Music and Nina Music are now controlled by Warner Bros. Music Ltd.. The Kinney Group now has the publishing companies of Atlantic, Elektra and its own all under one umbrella. The Use of the prefix 'K' for cat# and/or Matrix starts (not of Atlantic). February 1972 Kinney Services Inc. (formerly Kinney National Service Inc.) renamed to Warner Communications Inc.. Reflecting of the initials of the parent record companies, Warner Bros. Records, Elektra and Atlantic, Kinney Music International will be called WEA International Inc.. Similar name changes will be undertaken for all WEA’s subdiary companies. March 1972 Atlantic becomes fully part of Kinney Record Group Ltd. after negotiating the agreements with Polydor Records Limited. The Use of the prefix 'K' for cat# and/or Matrix start also for Atlantic. June 1972 Kinney Record Group Ltd. (Kinney Music Ltd.) renamed to WEA Records Ltd. as part of WEA International Inc.. June 1974 The Warner Communications Company began employing the 1974-designed Saul Bass 'W' logo on releases, later to become the umbrella brand identity for the Warner Music Group.