Editing Mushroom Records

{{Short description|Australian record label}}
{{About|| the parent company of Mushroom Records|Mushroom Group|the unrelated defunct Canadian company|Mushroom Records (Canada)}}{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Mushroom Records
| image_name  = Mushroom logoAUS.png
| image_size  =180px
| parent      = [[Mushroom Group]] (1972–1998)<br />[[Festival Records|Festival Mushroom Records]] (1998–2005)<br />[[Warner Bros. Records]] (2005–2010)
| founded     = {{Start date|1972}}
| founder     = [[Michael Gudinski]]<br />Ray Evans
| fate        = <!-- explain the reason of the closing-->
| defunct     = <!-- year the label dissolved, such as {{end date|1990}} -->
| status      = <!-- leave blank unless "Inactive" -->
| distributor = Mushroom Distribution Services<br />[[Warner Bros. Records]]<br />[[Rhino Entertainment]] (re-issues only)
| genre       = [[pop music|Pop]], [[Rock music|rock]]
| country     = [[Australia]]
| location    = [[Melbourne]]
| url         = {{URL|www.wmg.com}}
}}

'''Mushroom Records''' was an Australian flagship [[record label]], founded in 1972 in [[Melbourne]]. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with [[Festival Records]] in 1998. Festival Mushroom Records was later acquired by [[Warner Bros. Records]], which operated the label from 2005 to 2010 until it folded to Warner. Founder [[Michael Gudinski]] went on to become the leader of the [[Mushroom Group]], the largest independent music and entertainment company in Australia, with divisions such as [[Frontier Touring Company|Frontier Touring]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/mar/02/michael-gudinski-australian-music-mogul-and-mushroom-records-co-founder-dies-aged-68|title=Michael Gudinski, Australian music mogul and Mushroom records co-founder, dies aged 68|date=2 March 2021|website=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-27|title=The Global Impact of Mushroom Records|url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-global-impact-of-mushroom-records-29421/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Rolling Stone Australia}}</ref>

==History==
Mushroom Records was an Australian [[record label]] formed by [[Michael Gudinski]] and Ray Evans in [[Melbourne]] in 1972. 

Its inaugural release was an ambitious triple [[live album]] of the 1973 [[Sunbury Pop Festival]], and over the first few years of its existence Mushroom signed a number of important Australian acts including [[Madder Lake (band)|Madder Lake]], [[Ayers Rock (band)|Ayers Rock]], and [[MacKenzie Theory]]. In December 1974, Gudinski flew to the US to promote his recording artists, with Ayers Rock securing a recording contract, and an advance from [[A&M Records]].<ref name="Eliezer 98">{{cite magazine | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5A0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22big+red+rock%22+ayers&pg=PA50 | title = Michael Gudinski Interview | last = Eliezer | first = Christie | magazine = Billboard | page = 50 | date = 14 February 1998 | access-date = 22 May 2015 }}</ref> Ayers Rock were the first Mushroom artist to sign an international recording contract.<ref name="Eliezer 98" /> Mushroom struggled to survive for its first two years and reportedly came close to folding on several occasions. However, the label was dramatically pushed to the forefront of the Australian music scene in early 1975 following the massive success of [[Skyhooks (band)|Skyhooks]], whose debut album, ''[[Living in the 70's]]'', became the biggest-selling Australian LP ever released up to that time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Osicka |first=Tamara |title=Living in the 70s by Skyhooks |url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/living-70s-skyhooks |access-date=30 September 2023 |website=National Film and Sound Archive of Australia}}</ref>

Around the same time, Gudinski was convinced to sign expatriate [[New Zealand]] band [[Split Enz]], who had recently relocated to Australia. Although they had only moderate success for the first few years, Split Enz scored huge success in 1980 with the release of their album ''[[True Colours (Split Enz album)|True Colours]]'' and the hit single "[[I Got You (Split Enz song)|I Got You]]", which marked the emergence of [[Neil Finn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Mushroom+Records+Pty.+Ltd. |title=Mushroom Records Pty. Ltd. |publisher=[[Discogs]] |access-date=2013-11-13}}</ref>

In 1978, Gudinski started Suicide, a subsidiary label to Mushroom, to release punk music. Unlike Mushroom, Suicide was distributed by [[RCA Records|RCA]]. Its first release was a cover version of "[[These Boots Are Made For Walking]]" by [[The Birthday Party (band)|The Boys Next Door]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2958396-The-Boys-Next-Door-These-Boots-Are-Made-For-Walking|title=The Boys Next Door – These Boots Are Made For Walking|access-date=25 January 2022|publisher=Discogs}}</ref>{{better source|date=January 2022}}

In 1981, Gudinski started another subsidiary, White Label Records, to release what might now be called post-punk music, with signings such as [[Hunters & Collectors]], [[Machinations (band)|Machinations]], [[Painters and Dockers]], [[Kids in the Kitchen]] and [[The Stems]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://inblackanwhite.com/2013/02/06/drum-roll-please-mushroom-turns-40/ |title=DRUM ROLL PLEASE…..MUSHROOM TURNS 40! |access-date=2013-11-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131113080116/http://inblackanwhite.com/2013/02/06/drum-roll-please-mushroom-turns-40/ |archive-date=13 November 2013 }}</ref>

In the 1990s, remixer [[Gavin Campbell (music producer)|Gavin Campbell]]'s Razor Records became a subsidiary of Mushroom.<ref name=contact>{{cite web | title=Contact | website=Home | url=http://www.razorrecordings.com/contact.html | access-date=18 January 2022| date=2018}}</ref>

Mushroom entered the international scene{{when|date=January 2022}} by setting up an International division in London headed by Gary Ashley (deceased 2017). The Australian label had some international success before then by signing [[The Saints (Australian band)|The Saints]], [[Dannii Minogue]], [[Kylie Minogue]] and [[Jason Donovan]] in the eighties. However the last two were released internationally through [[PWL]]. 

After selling 49% of the company to [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] in 1993, [[Garbage (band)|Garbage]] signed to the label via [[Koda Marshall]]'s [[A&E Records|UK operation]], followed by [[Pop Will Eat Itself]], [[Ash (band)|Ash]], [[The Paradise Motel]] and [[Peter André]].{{cn|date=January 2022}}

Gudinski sold the remaining 51% share of the label to News Corporation in 1998 for a sum reported to have been around A$40 million. However, the sale of Australia's last major independent label to a multinational engendered some adverse publicity, with Gudinski controversially claiming that he had sold the label as a protest at the federal government's changes to the regulations governing the parallel importation of recordings.{{cn|date=January 2022}}

Gudinski maintained control of most other Mushroom Group companies (including interests in [[Music publisher (popular music)|music publishing]], film production, band booking, national touring and venue management) and the name Mushroom Records. When Mushroom was merged with News Corporation's record label [[Festival Records (Australia)|Festival Records]] to form Festival Mushroom Records in 1998, Gudinski relaunched [[Liberation Music]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://musicbusinessresearch.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/australian-music-business-an-analysis-of-the-aria-charts-1988-2011-part-2/ |title=Australian music business – an analysis of the ARIA charts, 1988-2011 – part 2 |date=13 August 2012 |author=Peter Tschmuck|website=Musicbusinessresearch.wordpress.com |access-date=2013-11-13}}</ref>

In October 2005, Festival Mushroom Records was wound up and its trademarks and assets (including its large archive of master recordings) were sold to the Australian division of the [[Warner Music Group]] in a deal reported to be worth around A$10 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4381323-1.html|title="Warner Music Buys Aussie Indie FMR" |author=Christie Eliezer|website=Allbusiness.com|date=20 October 2005|access-date=25 January 2022}}</ref>

The company's other major asset, Festival Music Publishing, was sold to Gudinski's Mushroom Music a month later for an undisclosed sum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4382218-1.html|title="Australia's Mushroom Music Buys Festival Pub." |author=Christie Eliezer|website=Allbusiness.com|date=24 November 2005|access-date=25 January 2022}}</ref>

In December 2009, Gudinski announced that he bought the remaining 50% he did not own from Warner Bros. In 2010, it became fully independent again.{{cn|date=January 2022}}

In 2021, Gudinski died in Melbourne at the age of 68.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-gudinski-legendary-australian-independent-music-entrepreneur-dies-at-68|title=Michael Gudinski, Legendary Australian Independent Music Entrepreneur, Dies at 68|date=1 March 2021|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-02/michael-gudinski-dead-age-68-mushroom-records/13206284|title='Heart of Australian music ripped out' as industry icon Michael Gudinski dies aged 68|date=2 March 2021|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia}}</ref>

Throughout 2023, the company celebrated their fiftieth anniversary with a yearlong celebration titled, ''[[Mushroom: Fifty Years of Making Noise]]''.

==A&E Records==
With the reorganisation into [[Festival Mushroom Records]], a number of international operations and joint ventures were either shut down or sold. In the United Kingdom, the British arm of the company (including [[Infectious Records|Infectious]] and [[Perfecto Records]]) was reorganised as [[A&E Records]] and sold on to the [[Warner Music Group]] when [[Korda Marshall]] took a position within that company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marshall builds for future as East West absorbs Mushroom {{!}} News {{!}} Music Week|url=https://www.musicweek.com/news/read/marshall-builds-for-future-as-east-west-absorbs-mushroom/024622|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Musicweek.com}}</ref>

==Mushroom Records artists==
Below are all the artists that were on the label.
{{cmn|
*[[Christie Allen]]
*[[Angry Anderson]]
*[[Peter André]]
*[[The Angels (Australian band)|The Angels]]
*[[Christine Anu]]
*[[Ayers Rock (band)|Ayers Rock]]
*[[Jimmy Barnes]]
*[[The Black Sorrows]]
*[[Buster Brown (Australian band)|Buster Brown]]
*[[The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band]]
*[[Kate Ceberano]] (1991–2000)
*[[Chain (band)|Chain]]
*[[Chantoozies]]
*[[The Choirboys (band)|The Choirboys]]
*[[The Chosen Few (1980s Australian band)|Chosen Few]]
*[[The Church (band)|The Church]]
*[[ABBA]] (Mushroom/Warner Bros.)
*[[The Dingoes]]
*[[Jason Donovan]]
*[[Jenn Forbes]]
*[[Frente]]
*[[Nelly Furtado]] (1999–2008)
*[[Garbage (band)|Garbage]]
*[[George (band)|George]]
*[[Renée Geyer]]
*[[Gyroscope (band)|Gyroscope]]
*''[[Home and Away]]'' (1988–2004/05)
*[[Indecent Obsession]]
*[[Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons]]
*[[Paul Kelly (Australian musician)|Paul Kelly]]
*[[MacKenzie Theory]]
*[[Madder Lake (band)|Madder Lake]]
*[[The Mavis's]] 
*[[MEO 245]]
*[[Dannii Minogue]] (1990–1995)
*[[Kylie Minogue]] (1987–2008)
*[[Models (band)|Models]]
*[[Mother Goose (band)|Mother Goose]]
*[[Muse (band)|Muse]]
*''[[Neighbours]]'' (1985–2000/01)
*[[Madonna]] (2005–2009, Mushroom/Festival/Warner Bros.)
*[[Mika (singer)|Mika]] (2007–2009, Mushroom/Festival/Warner Bros.)
*[[Katie Noonan]]
*[[The Paradise Motel]]
*[[Toni Pearen]]
*[[Archie Roach]]
*[[Lianna Rose]]
*[[Rose Tattoo]]
*[[The Saints (Australian band)|The Saints]]
*[[Scandal'us]]
*[[Sid Rumpo]]
*[[Skyhooks (band)|Skyhooks]]
*[[Split Enz]]
*[[The Sports (band)|The Sports]]
*[[The Swingers]]
*[[Swoop (Australian band)|Swoop]]
*[[Jo Beth Taylor]]
*[[Ted Mulry Gang]] (1977–1980)
*[[Billy Thorpe]] & [[Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs|The Aztecs]]
*[[TISM]] (2001–2002)
*[[Charlie Thorpe (musician)|Charlie Thorpe]], songwriter
*[[The Wildhearts]]
*[[Yothu Yindi]]
}}

==See also==
* [[Lists of record labels]]
* [[Festival Mushroom Records]]
* [[List of Festival Mushroom Records artists]]
** [[Festival Records (Australia)|Festival Records]]
** [[Warner Bros. Records]]
** [http://www.liberation.com.au/ Liberation Records]
* [[A&E Records]]/[[Warner Music Group]]
** [[Infectious Records]]
** [[Perfecto Records]]
** [[Taste Media]]
* [[Mushroom 25 Live]]
* [[Mushroom: Fifty Years of Making Noise]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.infectiousmusicuk.com/ Infectious Music]
* [http://www.mushroomrecords.com.au/ Mushroom Records]
* [http://www.themushroomgroup.com.au/ Mushroom Music Publishers]
* {{Discogs label|Mushroom}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:APRA Award winners]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1972]]
[[Category:1972 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Australian record labels]]
[[Category:Pop record labels]]
[[Category:Rock record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels based in Melbourne]]