the country back catalog that once belonged to PolyGram (MCA Nashville manages what Universal had already owned at the time of the PolyGram merger). Mercury Records (UK) In 1958, Mercury switched its distribution in the UK from Pye to EMI, and in 1964 to Philips. Mercury operated as an imprint in the UK under Phonogram, a division of Dutch electronics company Philips from the mid-1960s until 1998, when Phonogram was bought by Universal Music. In March 2013 its artist roster was moved to Virgin EMI in a restructuring of Universal's UK labels. In 2005, Jason Iley was appointed the new Managing Director of Mercury. He joined the company from Island Records where he was General Manager. In July 2005 ILey appointed Paul Adam to senior A&R director of the label – the two had previously worked together at Island Records. In October 2006, U2 decided to leave Island Records and moved to Mercury Records, reportedly to rejoin ILey who they had worked with previously at Island Records. In March 2011, the label announced it was stopping the production of CD and vinyl singles and would only release them physically as "rare exceptions". In 2012, signings on Mercury included Pixie Lott, Arcade Fire, Amy Macdonald, Noah and the Whale, Chase & Status, Jake Bugg and Bo Bruce. In July, Mercury announced that Mike Smith was joining as President, Music. In March 2013, Mercury UK was absorbed into Virgin EMI by Universal Music. Mercury Records (Australia) Launched in 2007 by Universal Music Australia exclusively as a full-service local (Australian) A&R operation. Mercury Records had been used for some Australian artists in the 1980s and 1990s, but was put into hibernation in 1999 in favour of the Universal label until 2007. Mercury Records (France) In France, Mercury Records operates as a part of the Mercury Music Group, a division of Universal Music Group. Mercury Music Group controls the French operations of UMG labels Mercury, Fontana Records, Verve Records, Decca Records, Blue Note Records, Island Records, Casablanca Records, and Virgin Records, among others. Various other national Universal Music Group companies are known to actively use the Mercury Records trademark as an imprint for their local artist and repertoire operations, but no other Universal Music Group companies use the label as a key marketing differentiator, nor do they operate frontline divisions based on the Mercury label. Mercury Records Tokyo (formerly Mercury Music Entertainment) (Japan) Launched in 1993 as a division of Nippon PolyGram (now Universal Music Japan), it was later relaunched in 2000 as a joint venture with Kitty Films under the name Kitty MME. It was merged into the Universal J label in 2002. Its artist roster included Seiko Matsuda, Yūji Oda, Delta, ZIGGY, Kinniku Shōjo Tai and Takashi Sorimachi. After 15 years, the label was revitalized under its new name, Mercury Records Tokyo and is now under the Universal Music & Brands (UM & Brands) division of Universal Music Japan. Korean pop group Monsta X was the first artist signed under the newly relaunched label. Artists List of Mercury Records artists See also Universal Music Group Nashville List of record labels Chicago Record Labels References External links Main sites Mercury Records UK site Mercury Records Australian site Mercury Nashville – official site Other sites Microgroove.jp – a site devoted to the label's history Mercury US & UK A&R team contact list Jay & The Techniques article in The Standard Report Interview with Wilma Cozart Fine by Bruce Duffie Category:American record labels Category:History of Chicago Category:Island Records Category:Philips Category:Record labels established in 1945 Category:Vivendi subsidiaries Category:Labels distributed by Universal Music Group Category:Companies based in