Y Records was an independent record label set up in 1980 by Dick O’Dell in the United Kingdom, and distributed by Rough Trade.
Artists included The Slits, Shriekback and a number of groups that were associated with the Bristol Indie Bands from the late 1970s: The Pop Group, Glaxo Babies, Maximum Joy and Pigbag.
The label's first release in 1980 (Y1, "Where There's A Will There's A Way" / "In the Beginning There Was Rhythm") was a split single by The Pop Group and The Slits, bands which shared a drummer as well as managers (Christine Robertson and Dick O'Dell). Pigbag’s single, "Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag" (Y10) entered the UK Indie Chart in May 1981, and stayed there for 70 weeks in total, peaking at #1.
Y Records were eventually incorporated into Kaz Records, part of Castle Communications. O'Dell later joined with William Orbit's progressive house music company, Guerilla Records, which became prominent in British progressive house music in the early 1990s, with acts such as Leftfield, Spooky, React to Rhythm and D.O.P.
Y1: Pop Group/The Slits "Where there’s a will"/"In the Beginning" 7" (co-released as Rough Trade RT039)Y2: Pop Group For how much longer do we tolerate mass murder LP (co-released as Rough Trade ROUGH 9)Y3: Slits Bootleg Retrospective LP (coverless authorized bootleg)Y4: Slits "Man Next Door" 7" (co-released as Rough Trade RT044)Y5: Pop Group We Are Time LP )co-released as Rough Trade ROUGH 12)Y6: Glaxo babies "Limited Entertainment"/"You can sell your soul for a pot of gold, 24 hours a day" 7"Y7: Slits "Animal Space" 7" (co-released as Human Records HUM 4)Y8: Vincent Units "Carnival Song"/"Everything is going to be all wrong" 7"/cassetteY9: Steve Beresford/Tristan Honsinger Double Indemnity LPY10: Pigbag "Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag" 7"/12"Y11: Maximum Joy "Stretch"/"Silent Street" 7"/12"Y12: Pigbag "Sunny day" 7"/12"Y13: Tristan Honsinger/Steve Beresford/Toshinori Kondo/David Toop "Imitation of Life" LPY14: Tesco Bombers "Hernando’s Hideaway" 7"Y15: Maximum Joy "White and Green Place" 7"/12"Y16: Pigbag "Getting Up" 7"/12"Y17: Pigbag Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive LPY18: Diamanda Galas The Litanies of Satan LPY19: Sun Ra Stange Celestial Road LPY20: Mouth "Who’s Hot" 7"/10" with double groove featuring different versions of the songY21: Shriekback Tench MLPY22: Shriekback "Sexthinkone" 7"Y23: Christopher Reeves "Dining at Dzerzhinsky’s" 7"/12"Y24: Pigbag "The Big Bean" 7"/12"Y25: Pulsallama "The Devil Lives in My Husband’s Body"/"Ungawa pt. II" 7"/12" Double A singleY26: Maximum Joy "In the Air" 7"/12"Y27: Shriekback "My spine is the baseline" 7"/12"Y28: Maximum Joy Station MXJY LPY29: Tymon Dogg Battle Of Wills LPY30: R.A.P.P Featuring Archie Pool R.A.P.P. Presents Wicked City Featuring Archie Pool LPY31: The Promenaders The Promenaders LPY32: Disconnection "Bali Ha’i" 12"Y33⅓: Various Birth of the Y LPY LP 501: Pigbag Lend an Ear LPY LP 502: Shriekback Care LPY LP 504: Shriekback Jam Science LP (not authorized by the band)Y MP 1001: Pigbag Live MLPY PB 100: Pigbag Favourite Things compilation LPY RA 1: Sun Ra Arkestra "Nuclear War"/"Sometimes I'm Happy" 12"Y RA 2: Sun Ra Arkestra Nuclear War LP (released in Italy)Y(T)101: Pigbag "Hit the O’Deck" 7"/12"Y(T)102: Shriekback "Lined Up" 7"/12"YT103: Pulsallama "Qui Qui (A Canadian in Paris)" 12"Y(T)104: Shriekback "Working on the ground" 7"/12"Y(T)106: Shriekback "Lined Up"/"My spine" 7"/12"/12" picture disc
