Editing Atco Records (section)

==History==
===1950s–1960s: Beginnings===
ATCO Records was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic Records' founders, [[Herb Abramson]], who had returned to the company from military service.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992 |edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|pages=121/2}}</ref> The label was also intended as a home for acts that did not fit the format of the main Atlantic brand, which was releasing [[blues]], [[jazz]], [[rhythm and blues]] and [[soul music|soul]]. The planned name for the label was Atlas.  But it was changed to ATCO when it was discovered there was already an Atlas Records.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1yMEAAAAMBAJ&dq=atlas+%2B+atco+%2B+billboard+%2B+1955+%2B+atlantic+calls+subsi+atco&pg=PA22 | title=Billboard | date=13 August 1955 }}</ref> The ATCO name is an abbreviation of '''AT'''lantic '''CO'''rporation. ATCO also provided distribution for other labels, including [[RSO Records|RSO]], [[Volt Records|Volt]], [[Island Records|Island]], [[Modern Records (1980)|Modern]], [[Ruthless Records|Ruthless]], [[Hansa Records|Hansa]], and [[Rolling Stones Records|Rolling Stones]]. For most of its history, ATCO was known for [[pop music|pop]] and [[rock and roll|rock]] music, but during its early years, it produced some [[jazz]] albums. These included [[Harry Arnold (musician)|Harry Arnold]], [[Betty Carter]], [[King Curtis]], [[Herb Geller]], [[Roland Hanna]], and [[Helen Merrill]].<ref name="New Grove">{{cite book|last=Gardner|first=Mark|title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 1|year=2002|publisher=Grove's Dictionaries Inc.|location=New York|isbn=1561592846|edition=2nd|editor=Barry Kernfeld|page=88}}</ref>

ATCO's rock era began with [[Bobby Darin]] and [[The Coasters]].<ref name="LarkinGE"/> In the early 1960s, Atlantic began to license material from international sources, leading to instrumental hit singles from [[Jorgen Ingmann]], [[Acker Bilk]] and [[Bent Fabric]]. Starting in the mid-1960s, ATCO moved into rock-and-roll with [[Sonny and Cher]], [[Buffalo Springfield]], [[Vanilla Fudge]], [[Iron Butterfly]] and [[Cream (band)|Cream]] (the latter under license from British label [[Polydor Records|Polydor]]).<ref name="LarkinGE"/>

In 1964, ATCO released a single in the US by [[the Beatles]], "[[Ain't She Sweet]]" (flip side "[[Nobody's Child (Hank Snow song)|Nobody's Child]]", with lead singer [[Tony Sheridan]]), which had been recorded in [[Hamburg, Germany|Hamburg]] in 1961. With lead vocals by [[John Lennon]], "Ain't She Sweet" reached No. 19 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart]] in August 1964. It featured new drums overdubbed by [[Session musician|session drummer]] [[Bernard Purdie]].
<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/nobodys-child/ |title=Nobody's Child |website=Beatles Bible beatlesbible.com |date=29 February 2016 }}</ref>
ATCO also released an album entitled ''[[Ain't She Sweet (album)|Ain't She Sweet]]'' which featured the other two tracks by Sheridan and The Beatles from the Hamburg session and filled out by eight other songs covered by [[The Swallows]].

In 1966, ATCO released "[[Substitute (The Who song)|Substitute]]" by [[the Who]]. The song was issued through an arrangement with UK [[Polydor Records]] because of the dispute The Who was having with their producer, [[Shel Talmy]], and their contract with US [[Decca Records]] and UK [[Brunswick Records]]. This would be the only Who recording to appear on ATCO, although [[Pete Townshend]] and [[John Entwistle]] would eventually sign to ATCO as solo artists,<ref name="LarkinGE" /> and [[Roger Daltrey]] later signed a US solo deal with Atlantic. This release differs from the UK release with a different structure/edit (the break comes in after the first verse vs. second), a substitute lyric ("I try walking forward but my feet walk back" in place of "I look all white but my dad was black").

===1970s–1980s: Downsizing ===
During the 1970s, Atlantic Records began to broaden the range of its own roster, causing ATCO to become deemphasized as many of its acts would eventually have their material released under the main Atlantic brand. In the middle 1970s, ATCO became increasingly used for hard rock acts and some British and European bands. During this time, the label issued early albums from [[AC/DC]]. Starting in 1978, however, AC/DC releases were issued on Atlantic until their contract with the label ended in the 1990s. In 1980, ATCO's visibility rose with strong chart performances from Pete Townshend's ''[[Empty Glass]]'' album and the song "[[Cars (song)|Cars]]" by [[Gary Numan]]. As the 1980s wore on, ATCO continued to have streamlined success with artists such as [[Sweet Sensation (trio)|Sweet Sensation]], [[JJ Fad]] and [[Michel'le]] (the latter who were signed to the label in conjunction with Ruthless Records), while steadily becoming less active overall.

===1990s: Merger with EastWest Records America and dormancy===
The last [[Billboard Hot 100|number one]] hit on ATCO was "[[If Wishes Came True]]" by Sweet Sensation in 1990. The following year, Atlantic Records Senior VP [[Sylvia Rhone]] orchestrated the merger of ATCO with Atlantic's fledgling [[EastWest Records America]] label and briefly operated the combination as Atco/EastWest Records. By 1994, however, the ATCO name was dropped and the label reverted to the EastWest Records America branding. During this time, EastWest moved its operations to Atlantic's sister label [[Elektra Records]]. As a result of Elektra's takeover of EastWest, ATCO's back catalog and retained artists were now under its control. In the decade to come, the ATCO name and logo would be occasionally used on reissues of past material, but the imprint itself was now dormant.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>

===2000s: Revival under Rhino Entertainment===
In 2005, after more than a decade in hibernation, ATCO (in a joint venture with [[Rhino Records]]) released the soundtrack of the [[Bobby Darin]] biopic ''[[Beyond the Sea (2004 film)|Beyond the Sea]]'', which starred [[Kevin Spacey]] and featured his renditions of Darin's songs. This led to Warner Music Group reactivating the label in 2006 in conjunction with Rhino. [[Scarlett Johansson]], [[Keith Sweat]] and [[Art Garfunkel]] were among the first artists signed to the label. Garfunkel issued ''[[Some Enchanted Evening (song)|Some Enchanted Evening]]'' on January&nbsp;30, 2007. Johansson issued ''[[Anywhere I Lay My Head]]'' on May&nbsp;20, 2008. [[Queensrÿche]] released its ''[[American Soldier (album)|American Soldier]]'' album on ATCO on March 31, 2009. The [[New York Dolls]] released its album ''[[Cause I Sez So]]'' on ATCO on May 5, 2009. Shortly thereafter, ATCO would become dormant again.

===2020s: Return to Atlantic Records and second relaunch===
In 2020, ATCO returned to the aegis of Atlantic Records, where it was relaunched. On February 14, [[Billboard Magazine|''Billboard'']] announced that Atlantic Records President of A&R [[Pete Ganbarg]] was appointed president of the newly relaunched ATCO Records.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8551048/atlantic-atco-records-relaunch-pete-ganbarg-details|title=Atlantic Relaunches Iconic ATCO Records Under Pete Ganbarg: Exclusive|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Ganbarg's first ATCO signing is Philadelphia-based alternative act Zero 9:36.