Elektra Entertainment
Elektra was TMBG's record label from 1989 to 1996. In 2004, the company folded into Atlantic Records.
TMBG Signing to Elektra[edit]
From the tmbg.com Q&A back in 1997:
How did you get signed to Elektra?
Susan Drew, along with Peter Lubin, members of the Artist & Repertoire department at Elektra back in '89 took a chance on us based on the track record of our two Bar/None albums. After a few conversations with us they dropped the invitation into our laps and we accepted their offer. At that moment we weren't getting any other bites from the "Majors," but within days it seemed like every other big label suddenly wanted to cut a deal with us.
TMBG's Departure from Elektra[edit]
After Susan Drew left Elektra, the band felt neglected by the label, believing that the company no longer knew how to market the band's music. During the 1995 tour, the label tried to extend the tour longer than the band was comfortable with. Several dates scheduled by their agent for June had to be canceled, with the band stating they were "too tired to continue touring, and realistically wanted a vacation"[1].
The bonus features of Gigantic describe this as coming to a head during the Japan leg of the tour, where the band arrived at a train station and found an Elektra rep waiting to bring them to a small coffeehouse gig that they had already turned down. John and John refused to play the unscheduled show, and this was the "straw that broke the camel's back" that led to them parting ways. While they completed the tour through May and released their next album (Factory Showroom) through Elektra, that album would be their last on the label.
