Independent record label distributed her label, Ode Records), Joe Cocker, Free, Cat Stevens, Procol Harum, Humble Pie, Peter Frampton, The Police and Sting (as a solo artist), Styx, Bryan Adams, Amy Grant, Suzanne Vega and Sheryl Crow. A&M was also the initial distributor of Windham Hill Records and George Harrison's Dark Horse Records. Alpert and Moss sold A&M Records to Polygram in 1989 with the caveat that Alpert and Moss would continue to manage the label. Polygram was bought by Universal Music Group in 1998, and A&M folded the following year. The punk rock movement was another turning point for independent labels, the
Herb Alpert a career in music. While attending the University of Southern California in the 1950s, he was a member of the USC Trojan Marching Band for two years. In 1956, he appeared in the uncredited role as "Drummer on Mt. Sinai" in "The Ten Commandments". In 1957 Alpert teamed up with Rob Weerts, another burgeoning lyricist, as a songwriter for Keen Records. A number of songs written or co-written by Alpert during the following two years became Top 20 hits, including "Baby Talk" by Jan and Dean and "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke. In 1960, he began his recording career as