Rocket Records - History

History

The first artists signed to the label were Stackridge, who completed two albums for Rocket after moving from MCA. It also became the home of Cliff Richard, Neil Sedaka (whose three most successful U.S. mid-1970s albums were on Rocket), Colin Blunstone, The Foster Brothers, The Hudson Brothers, Blue, Kiki Dee, Judie Tzuke, The Lambrettas, Junior Campbell, Brian & Brenda Russell (who had an early, rare-to-find disco hit "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do"), and the Dutch band Solution. John offered Iggy Pop & The Stooges to sign to the label, but they declined. After John left his British label, DJM, in 1976, his records were also released on Rocket on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the US and Canada, John's residency on his own label was short-lived. After only one album, Blue Moves, and a couple of singles (including the mega-hits "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"), he returned to MCA. At this time, Rocket switched its distribution to RCA after being dropped from MCA. The label was discontinued in the US in the early 1980s, then relaunching in 1995 with John's Made in England album, distributed by Island Records. 1997's The Big Picture and "Candle in the Wind" were distributed in the US by stepsister A&M Records.

In the UK, John's records were continuously on Rocket from 1976 onwards. In 1978 the distribution moved to Phonogram Records, then to Mercury Records in 1995. By this time, John was the only artist on the label.

Worldwide distribution rights to Elton John's music was consolidated when MCA Records' then-parent Seagram acquired PolyGram, the owner of Island, Mercury, and A&M, in 1998. Universal Music Group, which oversaw Seagram's recording operations, now co-owns the Elton John catalogue with the singer himself, continuing to distribute it worldwide to this day.

In 1999, Rocket was absorbed by Universal Music's subsidiary Island Records. However, the logo is still used on all new Elton John releases until 2007. The name was also resurrected in 2006 for the eponymous Platinum Weird album. It is also the name of John's management team, Rocket Music Entertainment Group.