Dark Horse Records is an independent record label founded by former Beatle George Harrison in 1974. In 2020, Harrison’s son Dhani Harrison and David Zonshine reactivated the label, making available its back catalog and becoming the new home of Yusuf Cat Stevens, Steve Perry, Billy Idol, Joe Strummer, and other artists.
For a company name, Harrison used the title of a song he had written in 1973, "Dark Horse."Inglis, pp. 46–47. The inspiration for the Dark Horse Records logo came from a label on a tin that Harrison found during a trip to India.Hunt, p. 103. The logo centers the seven-headed horse Uchchaisravas, a figure in Indian art and mythology.
History
1968-1973 The formation of The Beatles' EMI-affiliated Apple Records in 1968 allowed Harrison to work closely with up-and-coming artists he signed to the label, including Jackie Lomax, Billy Preston and Ali Akbar Khan.Spizer, pp. 338, 340–41. Following the Beatles' break-up in 1970, Harrison continued to produce music as well as maintain his solo career,Lavezzoli, pp. 186–89. adding establish artists such as Ravi Shankar and Ronnie Spector to Apple's roster.Spizer, pp. 341–42.
By 1973, Apple Records was winding down as John Lennon and Ringo Starr severed their ties with Beatles manager Allen Klein. The former Beatles were contractually obliged to EMI until 26 January 1976, as solo artists.Woffinden, p. 85.Doggett, p. 240. Harrison sought a new avenue for his extracurricular projects.Madinger & Easter, p. 442.Clayson, p. 345. He was producing an "East-meets-West" album by ShankarLavezzoli, p. 195. and the debut by a duo from South Shields, Splinter.Leng, pp. 138, 141–42. Harrison and Starr considered buying Apple in 1973 and running it themselves, but Harrison was wary of business complications associated with the label.
In late 1973, Harrison began recording his fifth studio album, Dark Horse.
1974-2001
In early 1974, he began a dialogue with David Geffen, head of Asylum Records in Los Angeles,Madinger & Easter, p. 444. about setting up his own independent label. Harrison also consulted Leon Russell, co-founder of Shelter Records.The Editors of Rolling Stone, p. 224. Harrison eventually partnered with A&M Records, the label owned and operated by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, for worldwide distribution.Badman, p. 125.Rodriguez, p. 197.
Later that year, George Harrison launched Dark Horse Records, based in Los Angeles. The first singles Dark Horse Records released were Ravi Shankar’s "I Am Missing You" which was produced and arranged by Harrison and Splinter’s "Costafine Town," which went top 10 in Australia and South Africa and made the UK top twenty. Splinter’s album The Place I Love was produced by Harrison.
Attitudes, Stairsteps and Keni Burke were among the other artists who recorded for Dark Horse. While Harrison owned the label, as a solo artist, he wasn't able to be signed to Dark Horse Records until January 27, 1976.Badman, pp. 175–76. All of his subsequent recordings were released through the label, starting with that year's Thirty Three & 1/3 and ending with Live in Japan in 1992.
2002-2018 After a ten-year period of inactivity, the label returned in 2002 with the posthumous release of Harrison's final studio album, Brainwashed, was produced by Harrison, his son Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynne. It featured musicians like drummers Jim Keltner and Ray Cooper, pianists Jools Holland and John Lord, keyboardists Mike Moran and Marc Mann, harpist Jane Lister, guitarist Joe Brown and bassist/tuba player Herbie Flowers.
Harrison's back catalog on the label was remastered and reissued as the Dark Horse Years 1976–1992 box set in 2004.
Dark Horse Records issued the Shankar–Harrison compilation box set Collaborations in 2010, distributed by Rhino Entertainment.Olivia Harrison, "George Harrison and Ravi Shankar Box Set 'Collaborations' Is a Labor of Love for Me", Spinner, 18 October 2010 (archived version retrieved 12 August 2014).
2019-present Dark Horse Records was revived in 2020 under the guidance of Dhani Harrison and David Zonshine. They subsequently signed a distribution deal with BMG Rights Management. Its inaugural releases included an Attitudes compilation, reissues of Shankar’s In Concert 1972, Shankar’s 1997 Chants of India and the single "For Real–For Tom," honoring the late Tom Petty, featuring Harrison, Jakob Dylan, Amos Lee, Lukas Nelson, Micah Nelson and Willie Nelson. Dark Horse re-released out of print albums from the label’s 1974-1977 back catalog, its Indian label imprint, HariSongs, and Leon Russell's catalog. Since its relaunch, Dark Horse Records has released work from Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Billy Idol, Steve Perry, Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), Huun-Huur-Tu, Nina Simone, Jon Lord (Deep Purple/Whitesnake) Robin Nolan, the 101ers and Traveling Wilburys.
In March 2021, the record label released Assembly, a new remastered collection of Joe Strummer's solo work. Part of the publishing deal for Strummer’s catalog included the three Mescaleros albums, his scores, hundreds of his songs, and the final Clash album, Cut The Crap.
In February 2023, Harrison’s twelve solo albums and publishing became part of Dark Horse Records, in partnership with BMG. Harrison’s solo studio albums were released in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music.
Dark Horse released the Steve Perry & Willie Nelson duet of the Journey song "Faithfully," with profits going to Farm Aid in May 2025. The label’s release of Billy’s Idol’s 2025 album, Dream Into It made the Top 10 on the Billboard Album Sales Chart, a first for Idol. It was one of the highest charting non-George Harrison releases in Dark Horse Records’ history, reaching #2 on the Germany Top 100. Also that year, Finn Wolfhard directed the music video of Harrison’s 1973 hit "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)."
In 2025, Dark Horse Records released two of Billy Preston’s remastered albums that George Harrison produced, That’s The Way God Planned It and co-produced Encouraging Words. Sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle, Preston died in 2006.
The George Harrison-produced The Radha Krsna Temple album was reissued in 2025. Originally released in 1971, it had been out of print since 2010. It features the singles "Hare Krishna Mantra," and "Govinda."
Traveling Wilburys, which consisted of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Jim Keltner won the 32nd Grammy Award in the Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal Award for its album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 in 1990. The band followed the record up with Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3. Both records were released digitally in 2026.
Distribution The label was distributed internationally by A&M Records for the first two years of its operation. Following a highly publicized split with A&M, Harrison and Dark Horse formed a long-term partnership with Warner Bros. Records that lasted until the expiration of his contract in 1994.
Dark Horse was distributed by A&M Records (1974–76), Warner Bros. Records (1976–94) and EMI (2002–04).
In 2017 all original Apple and Dark Horse Records albums were reissued and distributed by Universal Music Group.
On 22 January 2020, Dark Horse signed a distribution deal with BMG Rights Management.Kris Needs, "On Assembly, Joe Strummer's untameable rock'n'roll spirit rears vividly back to life", Classic Rock, 31 March 2021 (retrieved 21 April 2021).
Artists Dark Horse Records continues to release George Harrison's catalog, in addition to the following roster of artists: George Harrison Yusuf/Cat Stevens Steve Perry The Traveling Wilburys Nina Simone Ravi Shankar Billy Preston Joe Strummer Billy Idol Benmont Tench Jon Lord The Radha Krsna Temple Huun-Huur-Tu Ivan Shopov, Carmen Rizzo, Dhani Harrison featuring New Bulgarian Voices and Georgi Petkov Robin Nolan The 101ers Attitudes R. Carlos Nakai Splinter, a South Shields duo The Stairsteps R&B vocalist Keni Burke, a former member of the Stairsteps Henry McCullough, formerly guitarist with Joe Cocker and Wings Jiva, a California band
Discography Singles Catalogue NumberArtistTitleRelease DateUKUSUKUSAMS 7133DH-10001Ravi Shankar"I Am Missing You" / "Lust"13.09.7406.11.74AMS 7135DH-10002Splinter"Costafine Town" / "Elly May"07.11.74AMS 5501–Splinter"Drink All Day" / "Haven't Got Time"07.02.75–AMS 5502–Splinter"China Light" / "Drink All Day"21.02.75––DH-10003Splinter"China Light" / "Haven't Got Time"–07.03.75AMS 5503–Splinter"Which Way Will I Get Home" / "Green Line Bus"07.11.75–AMS 5505DH-10005Stairsteps"From Us to You" / "Time"30.01.7603.12.75AMS 5504DH-10004Attitudes"Ain't Love Enough" / "The Whole World's Gone Crazy"13.02.7609.12.75–DH-10007Splinter"Which Way Will I Get Home" / "What Is It (If You Never Ever Tried It Yourself)"–09.02.76–DH-10006Jiva"Something's Goin' on Inside LA" / "Take My Love"–11.02.76AMS 5506–Splinter"Half Way There" / "What Is It (If You Never Ever Tried It Yourself)"21.05.76–AMS 5507–Stairsteps"Pasado" / "Throwin' Stones Atcha"––DH-10008Attitudes"Honey Don't Leave L.A." / "Lend a Hand"–31.05.76–DH-10009Stairsteps"Tell Me Why" / "Salaam"–14.06.76–DH-10010Splinter"After Five Years" / "Half Way There"–16.07.76AMS 5508DH-10011Attitudes"Sweet Summer Music" / "If We Want To"20.08.7623.07.76K 16856DRC 8294George Harrison"This Song" / "Learning How to Love You"19.11.7603.11.76–DRC 8313George Harrison"Crackerbox Palace" / "Learning How to Love You"–24.01.77K 16896–George Harrison"True Love" / "Pure Smokey"11.02.77–K 16967–George Harrison"It's What You Value" / "Woman Don't You Cry for Me"31.05.77––DRC 8404Attitudes"Sweet Summer Music" / "Being Here with You"–13.06.77K 17009DRC 8439Splinter"Round and Round" / "Being Here with You"06.09.77–DRC 8474Keni Burke"Shuffle" / "From Me to You"–11.10.77–DRC 8522Keni Burke"Day" / "Keep on Singing"–.01.78K 17116–Splinter"New York City (Who Am I)" / "Baby Love".02.78––DRC 8523Splinter"Motions of Love" / "I Need Your Love"–.02.78–DRC 8763George Harrison"Blow Away" / "Soft-Hearted Hana"–04.02.79K 17327–George Harrison"Blow Away" / "Soft Touch"14.02.79–K 17284–George Harrison"Love Comes to Everyone" / "Soft-Hearted Hana"20.04.79––DRC 8763George Harrison"Love Comes to Everyone" / "Soft Touch"–11.05.79K 17423–George Harrison"Faster" / "Your Love Is Forever"30.07.79–K 17807DRC49725George Harrison"All Those Years Ago" / "Writing's on the Wall"11.05.8106.05.81K 17837DRC49785George Harrison"Teardrops" / "Save the World"31.07.8115.07.81929864-77-29864George Harrison"Wake Up My Love" / "Greece"08.11.8227.10.82–7-29744George Harrison"I Really Love You" / "Circles"–07.02.83W81787-28178George Harrison"Got My Mind Set on You" / "Lay His Head"12.10.8703.10.87W81317-28131George Harrison"When We Was Fab" / "Zig Zag"25.01.8830.01.88W79137-27913George Harrison"This Is Love" / "Breath Away from Heaven"13.06.8812.05.88W2696–George Harrison"Cheer Down" / "Poor Little Girl"27.11.89–R 66017243 5 52117 7 4George Harrison"Any Road" / "Marwa Blues"12.05.03–Jakob Dylan, Dhani Harrison, Amos Lee, Lukas Nelson, Willie Nelson "For Real"20192019DH0007Ravi Shankar"I Am Missing You" RSD 12" Blue Vinyl2022Cat Stevens"Here Comes The Sun"20232023DH0053George Harrison/Beck"Be Here Now"20252025DH0055Billy Idol feat Avril Lavigne"77"20252025
Albums