Charisma

British label Charisma ("The Famous Charisma Label") was established in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith and made its name with acts like Van Der Graaf Generator, Peter Hammill, The Nice and Genesis. In most of Europe releases were manufactured and distributed via Phonogram companies from the early 1970s until January 1985, when Charisma Records Ltd. and the Charisma brand were acquired by Virgin Records Ltd. Continental European manufacturing and distribution from 1985 were carried out by Sonopress / The Ariola Group Of Companies and their trade name successors respectively. In the US Charisma was distributed by Buddah Records until 1973, Atlantic from 1973 to 1974, PolyGram from 1978-1979, and EMI from 1990 until the label was shut down in 1992. On April 27th 2004 Charisma Records Ltd. reassigned the rights to the trademark (imprint) to EMI (IP) Ltd., an intellectual property holding company for ultimate parent EMI Group Plc. In 2007 EMI Group Plc reactivated the Charisma brand as part of its restructuring, relaunching it as part of the Angel Music Group. When Universal acquired EMI in 2013, the label was absorbed into Capitol Music Group, the successor of 3/4 of EMI, as Parlophone was sold to Warner Music. Label Code: LC 1409 / 01409 The illustration of "The Famous Charisma Label" label was designed by Paul Whitehead with sketches taken from John Tenniel. Clues on how to work out the approximate year of release based on center labels (valid for UK editions only): 1969-1970 : Scroll label + rim without any manufacturing/distribution credit 1970-1972 : Scroll label + rim with B&C Records Ltd. 1972-1974 : Large Mad Hatter label + B&C Records Ltd. 1974-1975 : Small Mad Hatter label + B&C Records Ltd. 1975-1979 : Small Mad Hatter label + Phonogram Ltd. 1979-1983 : Blue label + Phonogram Ltd. 1983-1986 : Blue label + Virgin Records Ltd. Clues on how to work out the approximate year of release based on center labels for German LP editions: 1972 - 1976: Label rim text = "Urheber- und Leistungsschutzrechte..." starting at 10 o'clock from left to right. ℗ dates earlier than 1975 indicate reissues. 1977 - 1979: Label rim text = "Alle Urheber- und Leistungsschutzrechte...." starting at 2 o'clock from right to left - earlier ℗ dates indicate reissues. 1980 - 1983: Label Code next to rights society, label rim text = "Alle Urheber- und Leistungsschutzrechte...." starting at 2 o'clock from right to left.