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Tabu Records

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US label. [b]Label Code: LC 4894 / LC 04894[/b] [b]Tabu[/b] was founded by industry legend [a=Clarence Avant] in the late 1970s and became a legendary early 1980s R&B label with its marquee acts [a=The S.O.S. Band], [a=Alexander O'Neal] and [a=Cherelle]. It was also the training ground in which [a=Jimmy Jam] and [a=Terry Lewis] honed their production skills—writing and producing virtually all of the label’s hits—until they began working with [a=Janet Jackson] in 1986. It was initially distributed by [l=RCA] then within three years switched distribution to [l=CBS] Records, where it remained well after the label became [l=Sony Music Entertainment], until 1991 it changed distribution again, this time to A&M Records. In 1993, [l=PolyGram] hired Avant to run [l=Motown] Records. During his tenure as Motown's president, Motown distributed Tabu Record’s releases. Avant left suddenly during the late 1990s, and Motown replaced him with [a=André Harrell]. The label went out of business in 1999, but between 2002 and 2011 Tabu Records was an imprint of [l=Capitol]-[l=EMI]’s [l=The Right Stuff] via [l=Virgin Records America], focusing primarily on reissuing its 1980s catalog. In 2011, a new distribution deal with [l=Universal Music Group] began, with new entries by the label’s core artists released as part of Universal’s [i]Icon[/i] series. In 2012 a new deal was struck with Demon Music Group for distribution, licensing and representation.