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UCJ to be rebranded Decca
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 16 April 2009
So, those so called ‘classical-crossover’ artists which were moved from Universal’s Decca label to its UCJ label earlier in the year are now back with Decca, if you follow.
There was speculation that when Universal moved Decca’s more bankable classical names over to its newer classical division in February that the eighty year old imprint could be phased out in the UK, but in fact the opposite has happened, in that UCJ is to be rebranded Decca, meaning the UK branch of the legendary label will be bigger than ever.
The new Decca division will manage the UCJ roster of classical and jazz artists, and also continue to represent Universal’s German classical label Deutsche Grammophon and US jazz label Verve in the UK. Those classical names who weren’t switched from Decca to UCJ in February will continue to sit on a separate roster, which will use the ‘red and blue’ Decca logo, rather than the main black hexagon Decca logo. Though I think operationally the two classical rosters (ie the UCJ one and Decca one) will be worked the same.
Confirming the rejig and rename, Universal UK boss David Joseph told reporters: “Decca is at the heart of classical and jazz. It’s an incredibly creative and healthy time for these genres, and I am confident that [UCJ boss] Dickon [Stainer] and his team will create more opportunity, break new artists and grow the business going forward”.
