Backstreet Records was an
MCA Records subsidiary label founded in 1979 by Danny Bramson, who was executive director of MCA's
Universal Amphitheatre.[1] The name was derived from the
Bruce Springsteen song "
Backstreets". The label's first releases were
Robbie Patton's Do You Wanna Tonight and 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.[2] The label's roster of artists also included
J.J. Cale,
Keith Sykes,
Nils Lofgren,[3]Men Without Hats, and
Walter Egan. The label's last release was in 1983, after which it was absorbed into MCA Records.