Radar Records

Radar Records
The Radar logo, designed by Barney Bubbles
Founded	1977 (first version) 1995 (second version)
Founder	Andrew Lauder, Martin Davis, Tim Read, Jake Riviera (first version) Rob Collins, Graeme Beattie (second version)
Defunct	1981 (first version) 1998 (second version)
Distributor(s)	WEA Records (world except US & Canada) Polydor Records (US & Canada, first version only)
Genre	Alternative rock, indie rock, garage rock
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Location	London

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, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Records and United Artists. The label's first records were released in early 1978.

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) 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, 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, Loudon Wainwright III, Pere Ubu, Clive Langer and the Boxes, 999, Wayne Kramer, the Soft Boys, Bette Bright and the Illuminations, Tanz Der Youth, Visage and Métal Urbain. Several of Radar's early releases (including Iggy Pop and James Williamson's Kill City, 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.