Miller International Schallplatten GmbH

German record company, established in 1961 in Hamburg by David L. Miller, Andreas E. Beurmann and Wilhelm Wille. In 1963, Harald A. Kirsten joined as shareholder and took over as Managing Director. He ran the company until 1989. In 1965 the company founded the Europa budget label, which was to lead to their greatest financial success. Regularly production of radioplays started in 1966, with Beurmann and his then girlfriend Sieglinde Dziallas writing and directing. The company's head office was moved to Quickborn, near Hamburg, in 1967. Due to the untimely death of Dziallas, Konrad Halver took over as radioplay director in 1968 and held that post until 1971. Cassette production also started in 1968 with a small program, but was not fully expanded before 1970. In 1969 the company was acquired by MCA Records Inc., USA, but remained largely independent in business decisions. Beurmann, Wille and Kirsten stayed onboard, but Miller left the company. However, he continued to support the company as an advisor until his death in 1985. In 1970 MCA finally established its own German branch MCA Records GmbH, with CEO Kirsten managing both companies from the same office for a short period of time. MCA releases of that period - e.g. on the Coral label - can be identified by "MCA Records GmbH, 2085 Quickborn" appearing on labels and/or sleeves. Later, the head office of MCA Records GmbH was moved from Quickborn to Hamburg, thus ending this link. After Halver's departure, actress Dagmar von Kurmin briefly took over as radioplay director in 1972, but left the company the same year. Heikedine Körting also began radioplay direction in this year. In the years that followed, she would become Germany's most successful radioplay director. By the end of the 1970s, cassette sales had surpassed LP sales. In 1979 Miller International started increasing the release of licensed material from major acts. This segment would be further expanded in the 1980's on the Signal (6) label. Between 1984 and 1986, cassettes with computer software ("datasettes") for ATARI, Commodore and Schneider were released in the EUROPA Computer-Club series. In 1985 Miller International released a string of VHS tapes on Europa, but the program was discontinued soon due to a harsh financial failure. Miller International entered the CD market in 1987 with releases on the Europa label. In 1989, MCA Records sold Miller International to BMG. It was merged with BMG Ariola in 1990, resulting in the new entity BMG Ariola Miller GmbH. In the beginning, records were manufactured in the US by sister company Miller International Company and then shipped to Germany. These pressings can be identified by a "Made in USA" on sleeve and/or labels and/or in the runout grooves. Hybrid productions with records pressed in the US and sleeves printed in Germany also exist. Miller International's own manufacuring of vinyl records started in Hamburg, Germany, with two presses constructed by Dave Miller's brother Paul. After the move to Quickborn in 1967, the mastering and manufacturing division operated a Neumann VMS66 lathe, a galvanics department and 20 Tracy-Val vinyl presses. By December 1983, after ever decreasing record sales, the last few record presses were removed. All subsequent vinyl releases were produced elsewhere. Labels handled by Miller International Schallplatten GmbH were: 1961-1973: Somerset 1965-1990: Europa (LC 0967) 1968: Parade (8) 1970: Pionier 1971: Faun 1971-1972: +plus+ 1972-1978: Sonic 1972-1974: Europa Exquisit (LC 4051) 1973: Bingo (9) 1974-1977: Dokumentar-Serie (LC 4305) 1975-1982: Europa Klassik (LC 4470) 1981: Plus (5) 1982-1984: Signal (6) (LC 5831) 1983: Bestseller Hörspiel-Cassette (LC 9472) 1984: Power Box 1984-1986: Krone (3) (LC 9838) 1985-1987: High Quality (2) (LC 9838) In the 60s and 70s there were several collaborations with German print magazines, resulting in a string of releases on Somerset, Europa and Sonic co-branded with the logos of these magazines. These magazines were Constanze, Praline, Freizeit Und Rätsel Revue, Rocky (2) and others. Some of these were rereleased later without the magazine brands. Towards the end of the 80s, Miller International distributed TELDEC's Matinee label for a short period of time. The design credit frequently appearing in the late 1960s and 1970s ("DESIGN: DELTA") refers to Delta (40). Please note that the legal text on the cover rear bottom was frequently altered in the 1970s which makes it an important feature for determining the correct edition. Europa: early 1970s: red/white labels with legal rim text only in the lower half, later changed to full circumference text. Around 1975 Miller International Schallplatten GmbH launched an advertising campaign for the Kristinus tobacco company. LPs were sold with printed inner sleeves advertising cigarette brands like 'Peer 100' or 'Lord Extra'.