About
Independent Canadian-owned record company, incorporated 27 October 1947 in Toronto. For the French name see Les Disques Quality Limitée.
The company was the first in Canada to manufacture cassette and eight-track tapes. It also distributed such Canadian lines as its own , and labels and the independent Broadland, Kanata, MWC (Music World Creations) and Reo labels. The company operated a New York office briefly in the mid-1970s.
Records pressed by the company can often be identified by an uppercase "Q" or "Qu" in the runouts and/or a "Q" printed on the labels. The Q on 'Quality' pressing runouts is hand-etched, often quite small, upside-down compared to the rest of the run-out etchings, and often tucked in just where the run-out hits the locked groove. See images section of this label. . More description
From mid/late 1979 to early/mid 1982, Quality Records Limited retooled their vinyl presses releasing LPs with one of three pressing rings. A single 29mm ring, a single 70mm ring, and 29/70mm double rings. Copies released during this period can have multiple pressing ring variations; these are considered manufacturing variations and are NOT unique releases.
Add as follows when editing a submission to prevent database confusion:
- Enable multiple label images showing the rings if applicable.
- Add to Release Notes: "Variations in Quality Records Limited label pressing ring sizes exist (see images)"
Quality established two publishing companies c.1970; the CAPAC affiliated (a.k.a and ), and the BMIC/BMI affiliated (a.k.a Qualrec). In August 1975 Quality took over the BMI Canada portion of Broadland Music Ltd.'s catalogue. In October 1976 Quality took over the entire Broadland operation, including publishers Doubleplay Music and Grandslam Music.
Canadian artists to record for Quality included the Young Canada Singers (who made the hit version of 'CA-NA-DA'), the Beaumarks (whose 'Clap Your Hands' was an early Canadian rock hit in the USA in 1960), Andy de Jarlis, the early Guess Who, Albert Hall, Harmonium, the Haunted, the King Beezz, Jury, Ronn Metcalfe, Skip Prokop, Hank Smith, and Sweet Blindness, all in the pop field.
Quality updated its 7" label design in 1970, moving away from the plain white background with red trim to a two-tone red label with a background made up of 80 small Qs in a checkerboard pattern. The new label was designed by the national promotion co-ordinator at the time, Mel Shaw.
'Quality Records' ceased operations in 1985, selling its vinyl pressing and tape duplication operations to Cinram in November. Cinram moved all equipment to its existing Scarborough location. The Quality name lived on through Quality Special Products and was revived in 1990 as Quality Records, Quality Music and other variations, specializing mainly in commercial dance music.
This company name is also printed on releases as 'Quality Records Ltd.' or 'Canada-Quality Records Limited', or (in French) 'Disques Quality Limitée'.
The Canadian distributor for a few independent US labels before they were purchased or absorbed into other companies.
1982 to end of 1985
1980 to end of 1985
was head of the plating department and quality control from 1950 to 1967.
Canada corporation number: 013603-4
Ontario company number: 58583
Incorporated: 27 October 1947
Dissolved: 1 January 1983 (amalgamated into )
The company was the first in Canada to manufacture cassette and eight-track tapes. It also distributed such Canadian lines as its own , and labels and the independent Broadland, Kanata, MWC (Music World Creations) and Reo labels. The company operated a New York office briefly in the mid-1970s.
Records pressed by the company can often be identified by an uppercase "Q" or "Qu" in the runouts and/or a "Q" printed on the labels. The Q on 'Quality' pressing runouts is hand-etched, often quite small, upside-down compared to the rest of the run-out etchings, and often tucked in just where the run-out hits the locked groove. See images section of this label. . More description
From mid/late 1979 to early/mid 1982, Quality Records Limited retooled their vinyl presses releasing LPs with one of three pressing rings. A single 29mm ring, a single 70mm ring, and 29/70mm double rings. Copies released during this period can have multiple pressing ring variations; these are considered manufacturing variations and are NOT unique releases.
Add as follows when editing a submission to prevent database confusion:
- Enable multiple label images showing the rings if applicable.
- Add to Release Notes: "Variations in Quality Records Limited label pressing ring sizes exist (see images)"
Quality established two publishing companies c.1970; the CAPAC affiliated (a.k.a and ), and the BMIC/BMI affiliated (a.k.a Qualrec). In August 1975 Quality took over the BMI Canada portion of Broadland Music Ltd.'s catalogue. In October 1976 Quality took over the entire Broadland operation, including publishers Doubleplay Music and Grandslam Music.
Canadian artists to record for Quality included the Young Canada Singers (who made the hit version of 'CA-NA-DA'), the Beaumarks (whose 'Clap Your Hands' was an early Canadian rock hit in the USA in 1960), Andy de Jarlis, the early Guess Who, Albert Hall, Harmonium, the Haunted, the King Beezz, Jury, Ronn Metcalfe, Skip Prokop, Hank Smith, and Sweet Blindness, all in the pop field.
Quality updated its 7" label design in 1970, moving away from the plain white background with red trim to a two-tone red label with a background made up of 80 small Qs in a checkerboard pattern. The new label was designed by the national promotion co-ordinator at the time, Mel Shaw.
'Quality Records' ceased operations in 1985, selling its vinyl pressing and tape duplication operations to Cinram in November. Cinram moved all equipment to its existing Scarborough location. The Quality name lived on through Quality Special Products and was revived in 1990 as Quality Records, Quality Music and other variations, specializing mainly in commercial dance music.
This company name is also printed on releases as 'Quality Records Ltd.' or 'Canada-Quality Records Limited', or (in French) 'Disques Quality Limitée'.
The Canadian distributor for a few independent US labels before they were purchased or absorbed into other companies.
1982 to end of 1985
1980 to end of 1985
was head of the plating department and quality control from 1950 to 1967.
Canada corporation number: 013603-4
Ontario company number: 58583
Incorporated: 27 October 1947
Dissolved: 1 January 1983 (amalgamated into )
Sub-labels
BarryBirchmountBroadlandBroadland musicBroadland Music Ltd.Canadian Artists' CollectionCanadian Talent SeriesCelebrationCompassCustom Sales DivisionDisques Quality LimitéeDouble PlayDouble Play MusicDoubleplay MusicDoubleplay Music Co. Ltd.Golden TreasuresGolden Treasures On WaxGrand SlamGrand Slam MusicGrandslam MusicGreatest HitsHit RecordsLes Disques FontaineLes Disques Quality LimitéeMetrodiscQCSQualityQuality LatinoQuality Music PublishingQuality Music Publishing LimitedQuality Music, Inc.QualrecQualrec Music Ltd.Qualrec Music Pub. Ltd.ReoRingsideShediacShediac MusicShediac Music Publishing Ltd.SolfègeThe Golden Treasure Series
Catalog
27,210 releasesSkitso / Sharevari
A Number Of Names · 1982
Images In Vogue
Images In Vogue · 1983
Set Me Free
Karen Silver · 1981
Special Edition - Five Song - Extended Play
Japan · 1980
All Shook Up
Orbit (3) Featuring Carol Hall · 1983
Nobody Else
Karen Silver · 1981
B-Boy Breakers
Starchild (4) / Disco Bee · 1984
Scorpio
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five · 1982
The Visitors
Gino Soccio · 1979
XR 7
XR 7 · 1980
Dance Exercise Music Vol. One
Gino Soccio · 1982
Winners
Winners* · 1978
Hot Jungle Drums And Voo Doo Rhythm
D.C. LaRue · 1979
Power Hungry
Radiah Frye · 1980
Tell No Lies
Spoons · 1984
Les Visiteurs
Gino Soccio · 1978
Remember
Gino Soccio · 1982
Dancing In The Street
Trax · 1978
Human Nature
Gino Soccio · 1985
Black Star
Black Star · 1978
Never
Center Stage · 1980
Body Shake
T.C. Curtis · 1982
Malaguena
GMT Sound · 1978
Doing It To Death - Part 1 & 2 / More Peas
Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s* · 1980
Showing 24 of 27,210 — open Recordz for the full list