Label Guide: Sire

Sire Records is an American record label, founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and producer Richard Gottehrer. Its early releases, in 1968, were distributed by London Records. From the beginning, Sire introduced underground, progressive British bands to the American market. Early releases included the Climax Blues Band, Barclay James Harvest, Tomorrow, Matthews Southern Comfort and The Deviants.

The label was distributed by Polydor Records in 1970 and 1971, then by Famous Music from 1972 to 1974. ABC Records inherited Sire's distribution contract when it acquired Famous Music in 1974.

In the second half of the 1970s, Sire transformed itself into a successful independent record label and signed groundbreaking artists from the punk rock and new wave scene, including The Ramones, The e Undertones and Talking Heads. Sire switched distribution to Warner Bros. Records in 1977 which acquired Sire Records the next year.

As a Warner subsidiary, Sire signed its biggest act, Madonna, and continued to release major British artists as The Smiths, Depeche Mode, The Pretenders and The Cure in North America during the 1980s. In 2000, Sire and the US division of London Records were merged to become London-Sire Records. This partnership dissolved in April 2003, at which point the company went back to being called Sire Records. The label is still active today, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.