Park Foundation Music App

Home > Labels

S.A. Fonior N.V.

Profile

Belgian record company from Brussels, founded by Eugene Willy Pelgrims de Bigard in 1929, one year after he opened his gramophone shop La Maison Bleue. In 1934 Fonior obtained an exclusive license for the distribution of [l=The Decca Record Company Limited] products. A year later Fonior opened its own recording studio ([l3660125]), followed in 1940 by its own own pressing plant [l=S.A. Fabeldis]. In later years they took over main competitors [l=Discopress] (ca. 1955) and [l=Sobedi] (1969], consolidating all three plants in the company [l=Sobelpress S.A.] In 1973, E.W. Pelgrims started the "International Pelgrims Group" ([l=IPG]), a holding for which Fonior formed the core. By means of the Belgian holding "Cidomega" it also controlled the Dutch label [l=Dureco] at that time. By 1980 the company went bankrupt due to various problems. Some parts of the repertoire were first sold to [l=MFP Belgium], an [l=EMI] company. Marcel Heymans bought it in 1982 and started his own record company [l=Tauro Records]. Tauro was sold to [l=BMG] in 1992. Other parts of the repertoire, notably the [l102372] catalogue, were sold to [l=Sonodisc] in October 1981. [l3660125] was taken over by Salvatore [a=Adamo] in 1981. Since 1986 until the end of 1997 the studio was owned by [a=Erwin Vervaecke]. Now the studio still continues as [l=Jet Studio] claiming to be the oldest recording studio in Belgium. Labels owned: [l=Fiesta (7)], [l=GIP], [l=Omega (2)], [l=Omega International], [l=Stella (6)], [l=Weekend]. International labels represented at various times: [l=Ace of Clubs], [l=Ace of Hearts], [l=Ad-Rhythm], [l=Alhambra (2)], [l=Argo (6)], [l=CTI Records], [l=Barclay], [l=Blue Beat], [l=Brunswick], [l=Carissima], [l=Capri], [l=Carrere], [l=Cetra], [l=Chapter 1], [l=Charles Talar Records], [l=CID (2)], [l=Coral], [l=Decca], [l=Deram], [l=ECM Records], [l=Elf Provinciën], [l=Emerald], [l=Fania Records], [l=Gypsy Production], [l=Hispavox], [l=JAD], [l=Judokadanse], Keystone, [l=Kudu], [l=London Records], [l=Lyrique Pour Tous], Maestro, [l=Major Minor], [l=Milestone (4)], [l=Mirliton], [l=Morgan (2)], [l=Musique Pour Tous], [l=Olala (2)], [l=Penny Farthing], [l=Pink Elephant], [l=Red Fly], [l=Saga (5)], [l=Salvation (4)], [l=Sonopresse], [l=Storyville], [l=Te Deum], [l=Temporel], [l=Threshold (5)], [l=Toast (3)], Top, [l=United Artists Records], [l=Variétés Pour Tous], [l=Vee Jay Records], [l=Vega], [l=Vocalion (3)]. Local labels distributed: [l=Elver]. President: E.W. Pelgrims de Bigard. General manager: [a=Eddie Palmans]. Sales manager: R. Dauw.