Charisma Records (also known as The Famous Charisma Label) was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton Smith. He had previously acted as manager for rock bands such as the Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator. Gail Colson was label manager and joint managing director. The label's most successful acts were Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Julian Lennon, and Monty Python. The first release was the eponymous debut LP by Rare Bird, in December 1969, who gave Charisma its first hit single, "Sympathy", in early 1970. Besides the Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator, the label also released material by Robert John Godfrey, Lindisfarne and Alan Hull, Hawkwind, the Alan Parsons Project, Clifford T. Ward, String Driven Thing, Jack the Lad, Audience, Vivian Stanshall, Brand X, John Betjeman, Malcolm McLaren, Charlie Drake, and Afraid of Mice.
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Artists on Charisma
Label profile
British label ("The Famous Charisma Label").
Label Code: LC 1409 / LC 01409
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 Charisma releases were manufactured, marketed and distributed via Phonogram Ltd. companies from the early 1970s until 1983. Between 1983 and 1986 releases were distributed via Virgin Records Ltd.. After Virgin Records Ltd. has acquired the issued share capital of Charisma Records Ltd. for a consideration of 100,000 pounds on 31 January 1985, Charisma Records Ltd. was finally acquired by Virgin Records Ltd. (Virgin Group Ltd. as the ultimate holding company) on 13 June 1985. Virgin continued to operate the Charisma brand and absorbed the label after 31 July 1986.
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 reassigned t
Profile from Discogs (CC0)