Backstreet Records

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Backstreet Records was an MCA Records subsidiary label founded in 1979 by Danny Bramson, who at the time was executive director of MCA's Universal Amphitheatre. The name was derived from the Bruce Springsteen song "Backstreets". The label's first release was the self-titled debut album by Tears in August 1979. The first major signing to the label was Tom Petty, ending a legal battle between Petty and MCA over his recording contract which was acquired when MCA purchased ABC Records. The label's roster of artists also included J.J. Cale, Keith Sykes, Nils Lofgren, Men Without Hats, and Walter Egan. The label's last release was in 1983, after which it was absorbed into MCA Records.

Backstreet also released rock-oriented soundtrack albums to several films produced by its parent company Universal Studios, including Where the Buffalo Roam, Nighthawks, The Border, Cat People and Doctor Detroit.

Partial discography

• MCA-5105 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: Damn The Torpedoes
• MCA-5126 Where The Buffalo Roam (The Original Movie Soundtrack)
• BSR-5160 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: Hard Promises
• BSR-5196 Keith Emerson: Nighthawks (Original Soundtrack)
• BSR-5251 Nils Lofgren: Night Fades Away
• BSR-5277 Keith Sykes: It Don't Hurt To Flirt
• BSR-5328 The Swingers: Counting The Beat
• BSR-5360 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: Long After Dark
• BSR 5400 Walter Egan: Wild Exhibitions
• BSR-5436 Men Without Hats: Rhythm Of Youth
• BSR-6105 Ry Cooder: The Border
• BSR-6107 Giorgio Moroder: Cat People - Original Soundtrack