History Creator / FontanaRecords

By the mid-70s, Fontana became a catchall reissue label in Germany and Japan, sometimes known as Fontana International, specializing in the "Attention!" series of artists from various Phonogram labels. New recordings slowed to a trickle, although a brief {{revival}} at the beginning of TheEighties resulted in releases by Tom Robinson's Sector 27 and Dennis Bovell. A second, longer-lasting resurrection began in 1987, courtesy of UK Phonogram executive David Bates. Bates' worldwide signings included Adult Net, Music/CatherineWheel, Music/CocteauTwins, Music/TheFall, The House of Love, James, The Lilac Time, Music/PereUbu, Swing Out Sister, and Music/TearsForFears (and their discovery Oleta Adams). Fontana also had the European rights to several American performers who were signed to other labels in the US, including [[Music/TalkingHeads Jerry Harrison: Casual Gods]], Music/TomTomClub, [[Music/{{Television}} Tom Verlaine]], and Music/WasNotWas. This incarnation of Fontana lasted well into TheNineties, shutting down just as [=PolyGram=] was acquired by Creator/UniversalMusicGroup.

* Music/TheFall

By the mid-70s, Fontana became a catchall reissue label in Germany and Japan, sometimes known as Fontana International, specializing in the "Attention!" series of artists from various Phonogram labels. New recordings slowed to a trickle, although a brief {{revival}} at the beginning of TheEighties resulted in releases by Tom Robinson's Sector 27 and Dennis Bovell. A second, longer-lasting resurrection began in 1987, courtesy of UK Phonogram executive David Bates. Bates' worldwide signings included Music/TearsForFears (and their discovery Oleta Adams), Music/CatherineWheel, James, Music/CocteauTwins, Adult Net, The Lilac Time, Swing Out Sister, The House of Love, Music/PereUbu, and Music/TheFall. Fontana also had the European rights to several American performers who were signed to other labels in the US, including Music/WasNotWas, Music/TomTomClub, [[Music/TalkingHeads Jerry Harrison: Casual Gods]], and [[Music/{{Television}} Tom Verlaine]]. This incarnation of Fontana lasted well into TheNineties, shutting down just as [=PolyGram=] was acquired by Creator/UniversalMusicGroup.

[[folder:Fontana performers of the 50s and early 60s licensed from Columbia, Epic and Okeh]]

[[folder:Fontana Artists of the 60s and Early 70s]]

[[folder:Fontana Reissue Artists of the 60s and 70s, including Fontana International and the "Attention!" Series]]

[[folder:Fontana Artists of the 80s and 90s]]

By the mid-70s, Fontana became a catchall reissue label in Germany and Japan, sometimes known as Fontana International, specializing in the "Attention!" series of artists from various Phonogram labels. New recordings slowed to a trickle, although a brief {{revival}} at the beginning of TheEighties resulted in releases by Tom Robinson's Sector 27 and Dennis Bovell. A second, longer-lasting resurrection began in 1987, courtesy of UK Phonogram executive David Bates. Bates' worldwide signings included Music/TearsForFears (and their discovery Oleta Adams), Music/CatherineWheel, James, Music/CocteauTwins, Adult Net, The Lilac Time, Swing Out Sister, The House of Love, Pere Ubu, and Music/TheFall. Fontana also had the European rights to several American performers who were signed to other labels in the US, including Music/WasNotWas, Music/TomTomClub, [[Music/TalkingHeads Jerry Harrison: Casual Gods]], and [[Music/{{Television}} Tom Verlaine]]. This incarnation of Fontana lasted well into TheNineties, shutting down just as [=PolyGram=] was acquired by Creator/UniversalMusicGroup.

* Music/FreeBand (Japanese release of ''Tons of Sobs'')

''"The Label That Won't Stay Out of the Top Ten"''

* Music/{{Traffic}} (Japanese and South African releases of the first three albums)

!!Fontana performers with Wiki/TVTropes pages

* Music/{{Nightwish}} (through Spinefarm Records)

* Music/{{Genesis}}

As TheSeventies dawned, Fontana was wound down by Philips (which had become Phonogram, part of the music MegaCorp [=PolyGram=]), and a few of its acts switched to Philips' new "underground" imprint Creator/VertigoRecords. Still, the label had some notable releases in its waning years; American pop band Steam became a OneHitWonder with "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", while Music/{{Slade}} (then known as Ambrose Slade) and Music/BlackSabbath released early recordings on Fontana.

Then came the company's most successful era -- UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion, which Fontana joined by signing acts such as Music/ThePrettyThings, Music/ManfredMann, The Spencer Davis Group (licensed from the then-tiny Creator/IslandRecords), The Troggs, and Creator/QuentinTarantino favorites Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich. FolkRock band The Silkie released a hit CoverVersion of Music/TheBeatles' "[[Music/{{Help}} You've Got to Hide Your Love Away]]" that was produced by Music/JohnLennon and Music/PaulMcCartney themselves. The New Vaudeville Band had a worldwide novelty smash with their [[TheRoaringTwenties Roaring '20s]] pastiche "Winchester Cathedral". Another popular artist was Wayne Fontana, who took his StageName from Music/ElvisPresley's drummer D.J. Fontana before signing with the label; his backing band the Mindbenders, who later had hits on their own, included future Music/TenCc singer Eric Stewart. Several other budding stars had brief encounters with Fontana in TheSixties, including Music/TheWho (when they were known as The High Numbers), Jimmy Page (who released a solo single on Fontana before joining Music/TheYardbirds and Music/LedZeppelin), Music/EltonJohn (as a member of Bluesology), Music/PeterFrampton (as a member of The Herd), Music/TedNugent (whose early PsychedelicRock band The Amboy Dukes released their first album on Fontana in England), and Music/JanisJoplin (Fontana also licensed the first Big Brother and the Holding Company album). There was also controversy; Music/SergeGainsbourg and Jane Birkin's sexy, successful single "Je T'Aime" was withdrawn in the UK due to [[MoralGuardians objections]] from [[ExecutiveMeddling label execs]], only to hit #1 when reissued by another label.

* Music/FairportConvention (Japanese released of ''Unhalfbricking'', South African release of ''What We Did On Our Holidays'')