This article is about the American record label, for the British independent label, see Zoo Records

Zoo Records

Zoo Records was a British independent record label formed by Bill Drummond and David Balfe in 1978. Zoo was launched in order to release the work of the perennially struggling Liverpool band, Big in Japan...

.

Zoo Entertainment was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 formed in 1990 by Lou Maglia. Zoo is best known for releasing three platinum Tool

Tool (band)

Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...

 albums, as well as gold records by Green Jellÿ

Green Jellÿ

Green Jellÿ is a Grammy-nominated American comedy rock band formed in 1981. Originally named Green Jellö, the band changed its name due to legal pressure from the owners of the Jell-O trademark, Kraft Foods, who claimed that it was an infringement of their trademark...

 and Matthew Sweet

Matthew Sweet

Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...

.

History

The label was formed in 1990 by industry icon Lou Maglia (former president of Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

).
As early as 1993, Zoo was having financial difficulties. The record label also distributed Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records

Philadelphia International Records

Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...

 for a short time. Being its distributor, the late Phyllis Hyman enjoyed a #1 R&B hit with "Don't Wanna Change The World".

In 1995, BMG reduced the staff at Zoo, foreshadowing problems for the label.

In August 1996, BMG sold Zoo to Kevin Czinger's newly formed Volcano Entertainment. It began as a partnership between the two labels, but by the end of 1997 the Zoo name had been phased out. All of Zoo's artists were placed on the new Volcano imprint. Volcano's went through changes and was eventually sold to the Zomba Label Group in the spring of 1998. When Zomba was purchased by BMG in 2002, any remaining Zoo artists were returned to the BMG fold.