EMI

EMI on vinyl: from London to the whole world

In short: EMI was formed in 1931 from the merger of the Gramophone Company, known for His Master’s Voice, and the Columbia Graphophone Company. The same year its studios on London’s Abbey Road opened. EMI’s labels included Parlophone, HMV, Harvest and Capitol – and it had branches in many countries. The Vinyl Room currently has 42 records on the EMI label.

From our stock

EMI first pressings

Synth-pop, disco & pop

Rock & indie

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→ Parlophone · Harvest · His Master’s Voice · How to spot a first pressing

What makes EMI special?

Because EMI had its own offices and pressing plants in many countries and released local artists there, there are EMI records with music from all over the world. We have, for example, Omar Khorshid’s “Belly Dance From Lebanon”, Nigerian singer Julie Coker, Milton Nascimento & Som Imaginário’s Brazilian live album “Milagre Dos Peixes” and Swedish rapper MC Tim.

Add Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”, Duran Duran with “Union Of The Snake” and “Is There Something I Should Know?” and, from the 2000s and 2010s, Hot Chip with “The Warning” and “One Pure Thought”, Corinne Bailey Rae and David Guetta’s “Nothing But The Beat” (2011). In 2012 EMI was split up: most of it went to Universal Music, Parlophone to Warner in 2013.

FAQ

What does EMI stand for? Electric and Musical Industries – founded in Britain in 1931.

Do Parlophone and Harvest belong to EMI? They were EMI labels; Pink Floyd, for example, came out on Harvest in the UK from 1969.

Why is there so much music from around the world on EMI? EMI had branches and pressing plants in many countries and released local artists there. Where we know it for sure, the country of pressing is given with the record.

What do you have on EMI? Rock, synth-pop, soul and music from around the world – 42 records in all.