Go! Discs
 |
| Go! Discs | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Independent (1983-1996, 1999-present) Universal Music Group (1996-present; back catalogue) |
| Founded | 1983; 1999 (relaunch) |
| Founder | Andy Macdonald, Lesley Symons |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Status | Dormant |
| Distributor(s) | Chrysalis Records (1983-1996) Mercury Records UK (back catalogue, 1996-2013) Virgin EMI Records (back catalogue, 2013-present) |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Location | Hammersmith, London |
Go! Discs was a London-based record label, launched in 1983 from offices in Wendell Road, Shepherds Bush by Andy Macdonald and Lesley Symons after he left his job as Press Officer at Stiff Records and she provided the seed-funding. The first signing to the label was Billy Bragg and early releases also came from Sheffield band The Box, Hull band The Housemartins and later The Beautiful South. Key staff contributors following a move to Hammersmith included comedian Phill Jupitus and Cathal Smyth (Madness' Chas Smash). Go! Beat Records was launched as a subsidiary for dance artists like Beats International, Gabrielle and 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, and the label 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, although it is now in dormancy along with Go! Beat.
The Go! Discs catalogue now operates under Virgin EMI Records, a division of the Universal Music Group.
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, Embrace, Aaliyah, So Solid Crew, Howling Bells and Malian desert blues band Tinariwen.