EMI History

EMI stands for Elecrical & Musical Industries and started in the year of 1931 in March. Before this there was a small record company, based in London called The Gramophone Company in 1897. Two years later it the company adopted its trademark that we still know today as HMV. By 1912 factories producing music records could be found in eight countries, including England and Russia and sales branches in 12 cities around the World. By this time the first HMV shop was opened in Oxford Street in London by the composer called Sir Edward Elgar.
The Gramophone Company and EMI merged as one company in the year of 1931 in March and in that same year EMI opened its first recording studios in Abbey Road. In 1940 the managers of the company started to see tallent develop in Britain, among these people was George Martin who later signed on to be in the band called The Beatles. In th 1940's and 50's things became serious for EMI and they were expanding rapidly, by this time they had established a European Licensing Agreement with the US film and record company MGM, Paramount Record Corporation and Murcury Records.