Quality Records

Quality Records: Canada's Unsung Powerhouse of Sound
Long before the majors caught on, Quality Records was building the backbone of Canadian music from the ground up. Founded in Toronto in 1947 and hitting its stride by 1950, Quality was more than just a label — it was a national launchpad for some of the rarest, rawest, and most remarkable talent ever to emerge north of the 49th.

From psych-rock detonations to R&B diamonds and prairie funk obscurities, Quality’s back catalogue is a collector’s goldmine. This is where you'll find Mary Saxton’s fiery soul, Mythical Meadow’s psych-folk swirl, and the early Guess Who (as Chad Allan & the Expressions) sharpening their claws. Power of Beckett and The Fringe brought the muscle, The Haunted brought the menace, and Leather brought the sleaze. Dig deeper and you'll uncover Kelly Jay before Crowbar, the scorched-funk of Wes Dakus, and the ethereal weirdness of Hyde and Shame Tree.

Quality didn’t just press records — they pressed boundaries. They were the first in Canada to manufacture cassettes and 8-tracks, and they ran one of the most prolific vinyl operations in the country. Their unmistakable “Q” etched in runouts is now a calling card for serious collectors, and their sublabels — Birchmount, Celebration, Broadland, and Reo — served as vital pipelines for regional talent.

For every household name (Ronnie Hawkins, Dick Damron, The Allan Sisters) there’s a near-mythical obscurity: Meddy’s People, Clint Ryan, Just Us, or King Beezz — bands who lit up high school gyms, coffeehouses, and AM dials, only to vanish before the spotlight found them.

Quality may have folded in 1985, but its legacy refuses to fade. The sound of Canadian independence, grit, and innovation lives on in these grooves — and in the Quality Records Collection, you're hearing it loud and proud.
-Robert Williston

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