Qwest Records

Qwest Records
Parent company	Warner Music Group
Founded	1980 (1980)
Founder	Quincy Jones
Distributor(s)	Warner Records and Interscope Records (select re-releases)
Genre	Various
Country of origin	U.S.
Official website	www.quincyjones.com

Qwest Records is an American record label that was established by Quincy Jones in 1980 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records. It was owned by Warner Music Group, though Jones remained under contract with A&M Records until 1981. The first release on Qwest was George Benson's 1980 album, Give Me the Night, shared with Warner Bros. Records, as Benson was under contract with them. Patti Austin, Jones's goddaughter, was one of the first artists to sign with Qwest, and the label released her album, Every Home Should Have One, in 1981.

While Qwest Records primarily catered to the R&B market, it also welcomed a diverse range of artists. This included the legendary Frank Sinatra (whom Jones produced in the 1960s), Tevin Campbell, Radiance, and the British alternative dance group New Order (formerly known as Joy Division, their earlier post-punk incarnation).

I'm so honored that New Order picked my label to go on in the US—it really flattered me. They're beautiful people.

Quincy Jones - NME - May 1990

The label also ventured into hip hop music during the 1990s. Qwest also discovered R&B artist Tamia, who enjoyed a long career. The gospel group the Winans signed with the label in 1985. Táta Vega was also signed and released Now I See through Qwest. Robert Stewart, who performed on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Wynton Marsalis recording Blood on the Fields, was signed to the label in 1994. His two albums for Qwest, In the Gutta and The Force, received critical acclaim.

In the 1990s, Qwest Records demonstrated its adaptability by venturing into the burgeoning hip-hop music scene. It discovered and nurtured R&B artist Tamia, who went on to enjoy a successful career. The label also signed the gospel group the Winans in 1985 and Táta Vega, who released Now I See through Qwest. Robert Stewart, a performer on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Wynton Marsalis recording Blood on the Fields, was signed to the label in 1994. His two albums for Qwest, In the Gutta and The Force, were met with critical acclaim.

Qwest was shut down in 2000, with Warner Bros. Records acquiring the remaining titles. The roster was either absorbed by Warner Bros., dropped, or left in limbo. In 2006, select titles by Jones were licensed to Universal Music Group for distribution and re-pressed, but everything else remained at Warner Bros., including deleted titles.

See also

• List of record labels