Editing Go! Discs

{{Short description|British record label}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| parent = Independent (1983–1996, 1999–present)<br>[[Universal Music Group]] (1996–present; back catalogue)
| name        = Go! Discs
| founded     = 1983; 1999 (relaunch)
| defunct     = 1996
| founder     = Andy Macdonald, Lesley Symons
| distributor = [[Chrysalis Records]] (1983–1996)<br>[[Mercury Records|Mercury Records UK]] (back catalogue, 1996–2013)<br>[[Virgin EMI Records]] (back catalogue, 2013–2020)<br>[[EMI Records]] (back catalogue, 2020–present)
| status      = Dormant
| genre       = Various
| country     = United Kingdom
| location    = [[Hammersmith, London|Hammersmith]], London
| url         = <!-- such as "{{URL|www.atlanticrecords.com}}" -->
}}

'''Go! Discs''' was a London-based record label, launched in 1983 from offices in Wendell Road, [[Shepherd's Bush]], by Andy Macdonald and Lesley Symons. The pair founded the label after Macdonald left his job as press officer at [[Stiff Records]], and Symons provided the seed funding. The first signing to the label was [[Billy Bragg]] and early releases also came from Sheffield band The Box and Hull band [[The Housemartins]]. Records by the latter's spin-off group [[The Beautiful South]] were subsequently issued. Key staff contributors, following a move to [[Hammersmith]], included comedian [[Phill Jupitus]] and [[Chas Smash|Cathal Smyth]] (Madness' Chas Smash). '''Go! Beat''' Records was launched as a subsidiary for artists like [[Beats International]], [[Gabrielle (singer)|Gabrielle]] and [[Portishead (band)|Portishead]]. In 1992, [[Paul Weller]] signed for the main Go! Discs label.

In 1996, Macdonald resigned when [[PolyGram]] acquired a majority stake in the label,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingham |first=Tim |date=2020-02-27 |title=‘Essentially, music is an emotional language that connects people.’ |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/andy-macdonald-independiente-essentially-music-is-an-emotional-language-that-connects-people/ |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=[[Music Business Worldwide]] |language=en-US |quote=Having sold Go! Discs to PolyGram in 1996, Macdonald resigned from the label to start another venture, Independiente, where he would enjoy the biggest successes of his career.}}</ref> which folded not too long afterwards. However, Go! Discs' dance offshoot Go! Beat Records continued and became a unit in the PolyGram group. In 1999, Go! Discs was revived, but it is now in dormancy along with Go! Beat.

The Go! Discs catalogue now operates under [[EMI Records]], a division of the [[Universal Music Group]]. It was rebranded from [[Virgin EMI Records]] in June 2020.

==Andy Macdonald and Independiente==
After the purchase of Go! Discs by PolyGram, Andy Macdonald started [[Independiente Records]] and continued his involvement with the recording career of [[Paul Weller]]. Independiente is also the home of [[Travis (band)|Travis]], [[Roddy Frame]], [[Embrace (English band)|Embrace]], [[So Solid Crew]], [[Howling Bells]] and Malian desert blues band [[Tinariwen]].

==Artists==
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* Anna
* Apollo Landing
* [[The Bathers (band)|The Bathers]]
* The Bic
* [[The Beautiful South]]
* [[Billy Bragg]]
* [[The Blue Ox Babes]]
* [[Boothill Foot Tappers]]
* The Butterfield 8
* [[David Holmes (musician)|David Holmes]]
* [[Drugstore (band)|Drugstore]]
* Father Father
* [[The Frank and Walters]]
* [[The Housemartins]]
* [[The La's]]
* [[Madness (band)|Madness]]
* [[More Fire Crew]] <small>([[Lethal Bizzle]], Ozzie B & Neeko)</small>
* [[Paul Weller (singer)|Paul Weller]]
* [[More Fire Crew|Platinum 45]]
* [[Portishead (band)|Portishead]]
* The Southernaires
* [[The Stairs]]
* [[Trashcan Sinatras]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[List of record labels]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Go! Discs]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1983]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1996]]
[[Category:1983 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Re-established companies]]
[[Category:Record labels based in London]]
[[Category:British independent record labels]]
[[Category:Pop record labels]]
[[Category:Rock record labels]]
[[Category:Electronic music record labels]]