Amiga Schallplatten

The GDR record label Amiga was founded 60 years ago and thus is the oldest still existing German record label, as Gunnar Leue reports ( Sächsische Zeitung ). It all began in 1946 when working class singer Ernst Busch and the Soviet military commander in Berlin agreed to produce a record box for Berlin-based former fighters in the Spanish Civil War. A new record company was founded, the classical side of which was called "Eterna" and the dance music side "Amiga". In May 1947 the first record was released, Kurt Reimann's interpretation of the "Capri Fischer". In 1955 the company was renamed into "VEB Deutsche Schallplatte". From time to time the East-German government discussed whether the country needed a record company at all. Amiga released its own productions, but also licensed editions, for instance productions by Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd or some renowned jazz artists, records which were sold out soon after they were released. After 1989 the company got into economic problems before it was taken over by BMG. When BMG and Sony merged, Amiga's personnel was pared down and the Amiga catalogue added to the Munich based catalogue department of the bigger parent company.