Overview
Rolling Stones Records was an independent record imprint established by the English rock group the Rolling Stones in 1970. Set up to give the band greater artistic and commercial control over their music and branding, the label became the home for a string of major Stones releases during the 1970s and 1980s. The imprint is closely associated with the group's identity and the famous tongue-and-lips logo credited to designer John Pasche.
Founding and organization
The label was created by band members to manage their output directly after earlier contracts with other companies ended. Founding figures included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman. Rather than operating as a full-service global company, Rolling Stones Records typically worked with larger distribution partners to handle manufacturing, marketing and retail placement.
Distribution and partnerships
For much of its life the imprint relied on major-label distribution to reach international markets. In particular, the company worked with Atlantic Records for distribution arrangements in key territories. Later, when the band negotiated new recording deals, the imprint’s independent operations were reduced and the group moved to other corporate partners.
Notable releases
Rolling Stones Records issued a number of albums that are central to the band’s catalog. Significant titles released on the imprint include:
- Sticky Fingers
- Exile on Main St.
- Goats Head Soup
- Some Girls
- Tattoo You
Later developments and legacy
In the early 1990s the group’s business arrangements shifted and the label ceased to operate as an independent vehicle for new releases when the Rolling Stones signed new agreements with other companies, including a contract with Virgin Records. The Rolling Stones continued as a recording and touring act under those arrangements while the Rolling Stones Records imprint remained an important part of the band’s corporate and cultural history.
Significance and distinctions
Rolling Stones Records is notable as an example of an established act creating its own imprint to assert control over masters, artwork and marketing. The move influenced other artists to pursue similar ownership structures. For further information on the group and the label’s catalog, see resources about the band itself and related archives: the Rolling Stones and archival summaries of the label Rolling Stones Records.