Editing Radar Records

{{Short description|British record label}}
{{For|the garage house record label|Radar Records (U.S. label)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2011}}

{{Infobox record label
| name        = Radar Records
| image       = [[file:Radar_Records_logo.jpg]]
| caption     = The Radar logo, designed by [[Barney Bubbles]]
| image_bg    =
| parent      = 
| founded     = 1977 (first version)<br>1995 (second version)
| founder     = [[Andrew Lauder (music executive)|Andrew Lauder]], Martin Davis, Tim Read, [[Jake Riviera]] (first version)<br>Rob Collins, Graeme Beattie <br>(second version)
| genre       = {{hlist|[[Punk rock]]|[[New wave music|new wave]]|[[post-punk]]|[[alternative rock]]|[[indie rock]]|[[garage rock]]}}
| defunct     = 1981 (first version)<br>1998 (second version)
| distributor = [[Warner Music Group|WEA Records]] (world except US & Canada)<br> [[Polydor Records]] (US & Canada, first version only)
| country     = United Kingdom
| location    = [[London]]
| url         = 
}}
'''Radar Records''' was a UK-based [[record label]] formed in late 1977 by Martin Davis (managing director) who had previously worked at [[United Artists Records]], and [[Andrew Lauder (music executive)|Andrew Lauder]], who had previously been head of [[A&R]] at the UK divisions of [[Liberty Records]] and United Artists.<ref>Graham Thomson, ''Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello''. Canongate Books, 2013. ([https://books.google.com/books?id=i4i2GcrOJMkC&dq=%22radar+records%22+music&pg=PT136 Google Books link])</ref> The label's first records were released in early 1978.

==Overview==
Radar was distributed in most of the world by WEA Records (now known as [[Warner Music Group]]). In the United States, three Radar artists ([[the Inmates]], [[Bram Tchaikovsky]] and [[Yachts (band)|Yachts]])  were signed to [[Polydor Records]] through a licensing deal.

[[Nick Lowe]] released both the first Radar single ("[[I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass]]"/"They Called It Rock", ADA 1) and its first album (''[[Jesus of Cool]]'', RAD 1). Lowe had previously been signed to [[Stiff Records]], as had several other Radar acts, including [[Yachts (band)|Yachts]], [[Richard Hell and the Voidoids]],  and Radar's major act, [[Elvis Costello]] and the Attractions. Costello and Lowe were brought to Radar by their manager [[Jake Riviera]] when Riviera left Stiff, which he had co-founded.

Other prominent Radar acts included [[La Düsseldorf]], [[the Pop Group]],<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wQRFAAAAQBAJ&q=Radar+%22Andrew+Lauder%22&pg=PT104 |title = Totally Wired: Postpunk Interviews and Overviews|isbn = 9781593763947|last1 = Reynolds|first1 = Simon|date = 2010-08-10}}</ref> [[Loudon Wainwright III]], [[Pere Ubu (band)|Pere Ubu]], [[Clive Langer|Clive Langer and the Boxes]], [[999 (band)|999]], [[Wayne Kramer]], [[the Soft Boys]], [[Bette Bright|Bette Bright and the Illuminations]], [[Brian James (guitarist)|Tanz Der Youth]], [[Visage (band)|Visage]] and [[Métal Urbain]]. Several of Radar's early releases (including [[Iggy Pop]] and [[James Williamson (musician)|James Williamson]]'s ''[[Kill City]]'', [[National Lampoon (magazine)|National Lampoon]]'s ''[[That's Not Funny, That's Sick]]!'', [[the Good Rats]]' ''[[From Rats to Riches]]'' and [[Pezband]]'s ''Laughing in the Dark'') were licensed from independent American labels. Radar also released new albums by original 1950s [[rockabilly]] singers [[Ray Campi]] and [[Mac Curtis]] through an arrangement with [[Rollin' Rock Records]].

Some Radar releases were reissues of [[garage rock]] and [[psychedelic rock]] bands from the 1960s. Through its WEA connections, Radar was able to rerelease recordings by the [[Shadows of Knight]] (originally on the [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]-distributed [[Dunwich Records]]) and [[the Electric Prunes]] (originally on the [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]-distributed [[Reprise Records]]). In addition, Radar licensed the [[International Artists]] catalog, allowing them to reissue albums by the [[13th Floor Elevators]] and the [[Red Krayola]]. Radar also released new recordings by the Red Krayola's late 1970s lineup.

The original Radar label put out its last release in 1981, but it was revived with a new roster between 1995 and 1998. Notable bands signed to the second version of Radar included [[Midget (band)|Midget]], [[Prolapse (band)|Prolapse]], [[Acacia (band)|Acacia]], [[C. Gibbs|Morning Glories]], Heave, Unsophisticates and Pure Morning, a precursor of [[Clinic (band)|Clinic]].

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

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061022124816/http://www.get-happy-records.com/labels-disco/labelsR.htm Discography] (scroll down)

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Radar Records albums| ]]
[[Category:Radar Records artists| ]]
[[Category:Radar Records singles| ]]
[[Category:Defunct record labels of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1978]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1981]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1995]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1998]]
[[Category:Re-established companies]]
[[Category:New wave record labels]]
[[Category:Rock record labels]]
[[Category:Warner Music labels]]