Alert Music

Identity area

Type of entity

Corporate body

Authorized form of name

Alert Music

Parallel form(s) of name

    Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

      Other form(s) of name

        Identifiers for corporate bodies

        Description area

        Dates of existence

        1984-2006

        History

        Alert Music was founded in 1984 by Toronto’s W. Tom Berry and Montreal’s Marc Durand. From 1975-1983, Berry had been managing director at Anthem Records whose roster included Rush, Max Webster and Bob and Doug Mackenzie. Durand was the manager and producer of the Montreal rock band Men Without Hats. Alert’s mission was to create a unique label that could bridge the “two solitudes” of Canada, hopefully turning regional hits into national ones; the Toronto office would sign English language artists that the Montreal office would attempt to promote in French Canada, and vice versa. The Montreal office immediately signed The Box, while the Toronto office signed Kim Mitchell (who had recently begun a solo career).

        In the late 1980s, Berry decided that his interest in rock music was waning and he and Durand agreed to go their separate ways. Berry kept the name Alert and all the English language artists currently signed to the label, while Durand kept The Box and the company’s Montreal office. Sometime after, Berry discovered jazz singer Holly Cole performing with pianist Aaron David and bass player David Piltch. He signed the trio and immediately set out to create a distinctive image and style for Cole. Her album Girl Talk caught the attention of jazz label Blue Note Records, and they released Cole’s next five albums in the American market. The majority of Alert’s efforts since the mid1990s have revolved around recording and marketing Cole. The label also continues to record and market other Canadian jazz, blues and roots-oriented music including Roxanne Potvin, Michael Kaeshammer and Cole’s accompanists, Piltch and Davis.

        Places

        Toronto

        Legal status

        Functions, occupations and activities

        Record label.

        Mandates/sources of authority

        Internal structures/genealogy

        General context

        Relationships area

        Access points area

        Subject access points

        Place access points

        Occupations

        Control area

        Authority record identifier

        2005.006

        Institution identifier

        University of Toronto Media Commons

        Rules and/or conventions used

        Status

        Final

        Level of detail

        Partial

        Dates of creation, revision and deletion

        Feb. 3, 2015

        Language(s)

          Script(s)

            Sources

            Alert Music website http://www.alertmusic.com/

            Andrews, Marke. “New disc reunites Holly Cole's old trio.” Vancouver Sun (June 28, 2003), F1.

            Chamberlain, Adrian. “Kim Mitchell: Still doin' rock 'n' roll duty.” Victoria Times Colonist (November 20, 1998), C1.

            Pearson, Ian. “Young Queen Cole: Holly Cole's strange reworking of old torch standards has made her Queen Street's latest flame.” The Globe and Mail (April 27, 1990), 24.

            Quill, Greg. “Singer Roxanne Potvin launches her second album: The Way It Feels.” The Toronto Star (March 9, 2006), GO3.

            Maintenance notes