Chrysalis Records is an independent record label founded by Chris Wright and Terry Ellis in 1968.
Chrysalis broke and developed some of the biggest artists throughout the ’70s and ’80s, including Jethro Tull, Billy Idol, Blondie, Pat Benatar, Huey Lewis and the News, Ultravox, Sinead O’Connor, The Specials and The Waterboys among many others.
Reservoir catalog acquisition of Chrysalis Records
In August 2019, Music Business Worldwide revealed that New York-based Reservoir had acquired the Chrysalis Records catalog for an undisclosed fee.
Reservoir struck a deal to bring UK-based music company Blue Raincoat Music and its subsidiary, recorded music company Chrysalis, into its portfolio.
The Chrysalis Records catalog included 20,000 recordings comprised of many iconic British and American rock and pop tracks from the 1960s to 1990s.
In addition to the likes of Sinead O’ Connor and Generation X, the catalog, previously acquired by Blue Raincoat through divestment from Warner Music Group in 2016, included recordings performed by the likes of The Specials (pictured), Debbie Harry, Suzi Quatro, Lucinda Williams, The Waterboys, Ultravox, and Everything But The Girl, among many others.
Re-launch as active label
In February 2020, Chrysalis re-launched as a frontline label under CEO, Jeremy Lascelles.
Its first signing was British singer/songwriter Laura Marling, via a strategic partnership with independent label Partisan Records for a fully co-branded global release.
Lascelles said at the time: “Laura Marling, Chrysalis Records, Partisan Records. A match made in heaven.”Music Business Worldwide