DreamWorks Records - History

History

In 1996, six years after Geffen sold Geffen Records to Warner Bros. Records/MCA Music Entertainment, he joined Spielberg and Katzenberg to form DreamWorks SKG, which included the subsidiary DreamWorks Records. The label's logo was the last project completed by artist Roy Lichtenstein. The distinctive design, incorporating musical notes in the artist's trademark "dream balloon," debuted on the packaging for "Beautiful Freak," the first album from Los Angeles-based Eels and the second release from the record company.

Geffen Records distributed DreamWorks until 1997, when Interscope Records took over distribution duties (meanwhile, as Interscope and Geffen switched international distribution to Polydor Records, DreamWorks followed suit). Rufus Wainwright was the first to be signed to the new label in early 1996. Henry Rollins (both as a spoken-word artist and with Rollins Band), George Michael, Randy Newman, Morphine, Eels, comedian/actor Chris Rock, and others were also signed to the label. The label was presided over by Lenny Waronker and Mo Ostin, who had run Warner Bros. Records until the mid-1990s. In a quest to cut costs, DreamWorks SKG sold the label to Universal Music Group (MCA's successor company) in October 2003. Despite high profile attention, the DreamWorks Records label ultimately failed to live up to full commercial expectation. With consistently lacking revenue, the label would eventually be dismantled, with much of its roster absorbed into Geffen Records in 2004 (other acts went to Interscope, while starting in 2007, many of the alternative groups once signed to DreamWorks moved to DGC Records). Its country music division, meanwhile, remained operational until January 29, 2006, when it was shut down by Universal Music Group Nashville.