Qwest Records was an American record label run by Quincy Jones.
History
Qwest Records was established by Quincy Jones in 1980 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records, although 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 it. 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 Frank Sinatra (whom Jones produced in the 1960s), Tevin Campbell, Radiance, and the British alternative dance group New Order (formerly known as Joy Division, its earlier post-punk incarnation). Jones told NME in a May 1990 interview:[1] I'm so honored that New Order picked my label to go on in the US—it really flattered me.