Short answers, pulled from the story.
United Artists Records was founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957, originally to issue movie soundtracks. The label quickly expanded beyond film music into easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B.
United Artists Records released soundtracks for films including A Hard Day's Night (1964), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and Man of La Mancha (1972). The label also handled James Bond film soundtracks. West Side Story (1961) and Help! (1965) were exceptions, released by Columbia Records and Capitol Records respectively.
Kenny Rogers was the label's most commercially successful artist. He signed to United Artists in the mid-1970s and enjoyed a long string of hit singles and albums.
In 1978, UA executives Artie Mogull and Jerry Rubinstein bought the record company from Transamerica using a loan from EMI, which took over distribution. Unable to generate enough income to cover the loan, Liberty/United Records was sold to EMI in 1979 for $3 million, plus assumed liabilities of $32 million.
United Artists Records had a significant jazz roster that included Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Art Blakey, Gerry Mulligan, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and many others. Alan Douglas was hired in 1960 to run the label's jazz division.
The United Artists catalog is controlled by Capitol Records, now part of Universal Music Group. The catalog of most British acts signed to the British branch of UA Records is controlled by the Parlophone unit of Warner Music Group, with North American distribution by Rhino Entertainment.