Ready Records
Small Toronto label that launched new wave and indie rock acts.
Ready Records was a small but influential independent record label based in Toronto, Canada, founded in 1979 by Angus MacKay and Andy Crosbie. It operated between 1979 and 1985, focusing primarily on local Toronto-area talent and releasing 7" and 12" singles, LPs, and cassettes. The label signed a number of new wave and indie rock bands from the early to mid-1980s, with its best-selling group being the Spoons.
Quick Facts
- Defunct
- 1985
- Genre
- Electropop · Indie rock
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario
- Country
- Canada
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Ready Records was founded in 1979 by Angus MacKay and Andy Crosbie in Toronto, Canada. The label released a variety of formats including 7" and 12" singles, LPs, and cassettes, and focused on local Toronto-area talent. Its best-selling group was the Spoons, but other acts that had minor hits or received national attention included Blue Peter, Colin Linden, and Manteca. Note: The Demics' EP *Talk's Cheap* is often mistakenly attributed to Ready Records, but it was actually released on the band's own label.
Reader's Guide
Ready Records played a notable role in the Canadian independent music scene of the early 1980s, providing a platform for emerging new wave and indie rock bands from the Toronto area. Its discography includes releases by the Demics, Blue Peter, Spoons, and others, with the Spoons achieving the label's highest sales. The label folded in 1985, but its legacy is preserved through two compilation albums, Best of Ready Vol. 1 and Best of Ready Vol. 2, released by Universal as part of their 20th Century Masters series. The label's catalog remains a reference point for collectors and historians of Canadian independent music.
Did You Know?
- Ready Records existed between 1979 and 1985.
- Contrary to some reports, Universal did not release *Best of Ready Vol. 1* or *Best of Ready Vol. 2* as part of their 20th Century Masters series; no such Ready Records volumes exist in that series.
- The label's first release was RR 001, but that catalog number belongs to a different act—not the Demics' *Talk's Cheap*, which was self-released.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Ready Records?
Ready Records was a small independent label out of Toronto, Canada, that existed from 1979 to 1985. It focused on putting out new wave and indie rock acts from the local scene in 7-inch and 12-inch singles, LPs, and cassettes.
Who started Ready Records?
The label was co-founded in 1979 by Angus MacKay and Andy Crosbie, who built it as a vehicle for Toronto-area musicians during the early-1980s indie wave.
Which band is Ready Records most associated with?
The Spoons were the label's best-selling and most recognized act, becoming the group most fans link to the Ready Records name.
What kinds of releases did Ready Records put out?
The label issued 7-inch and 12-inch singles, full-length LPs, and cassette compilations, sticking to the physical formats that defined the early-'80s indie scene.
Why is Ready Records considered important in new wave history?
Although it only lasted about six years, the label gave a handful of Toronto new wave and indie rock bands their first professional recordings, helping shape the city's early-1980s music identity.
More in New wave record labels 1-22
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