MCA Records Canada

MCA Records Canada

MCA Records Canada. Established in 1970 as MCA Records (Canada), a division of MCA Canada Ltd, the Canadian subsidiary of MCA [originally, Music Corp of America] Inc. The Canadian name was adjusted in 1986, and the parent company was bought by the electronics company Matsushita of Japan in 1990. At various times the company has distributed in Canada the US labels Chess, Chrysalis, Decca, Geffen (assumed from Warner in 1991), DGC, GRP, Impact, Impulse, I.R.S. (until 1990), Mechanic, Motown, Narada, Reunion, Roadracer, Sona Gia, TVT, UNI, and Zebra. MCA Records Canada also has handled distribution for the Canadian independent labels Duke Street, Justin Entertainment (record label), and Trafic (record label).

MCA Records Canada's domestic roster has included Alanis, Boulevard, Octavian, Paradox, Sons of Freedom, Tragically Hip, Triumph, and Trooper, as well as artists associated with Decca (Irish Rovers), Duke Street, Justin Entertainment (eg, the The Blondes, Joel Feeney, Kenny MacLean), and Trafic (Daniel Deshaime, Luc de Larochellière, Daniel Lavoie, Gaston Mandeville, etc). It also has distributed recordings by several Canadians affiliated with the US labels - eg, Kerri Anderson (Impact), Annihilator (with Roadracer), Circle C (DGC), Michael Jones (Narada), Joni Mitchell and Robbie Robertson (Geffen), The Pursuit of Happiness (Chrysalis), and Skywalk (Zebra). It also has reissued historical compilations by a variety of country and French-Canadian artists originally recorded for Compo's Apex (record label) and Starr labels, and for Decca (record label), Coral (record label), and Point (record label), the catalogue acquired as a result of the purchase in 1950 of Compo by Decca and Decca in turn by MCA Inc.

J.K. Maitland was the company's founding president, succeeded in turn by Robert Chislett, Richard Bibby, Scott Richards, George Burns, and, as of 1983, Ross Reynolds. MCA Concerts Canada, a division of the parent company's MCA Concerts, was introduced in 1990, and has produced pop and rock events in the Toronto area.