Defunct Canadian record manufacturer in Vancouver, B.C. Founded 1968 and active through late 1985. Full-service plant that provided lacquer cutting, plating and pressing, as well as cover and label manufacturing. It had a label (Water St.) and a publishing company (Selkirk Music). Sometimes only the logo IRC will appear on printed material, please mention in release notes.
IRC-#### or IRC #### in the runouts indicates the lacquer was cut at Imperial Records and the job number. Please add the full string to the catalog number field for the Lacquer Cut At role.
#### A R and #### B R in runouts indicates Pressed By at Imperial Record Corp. Ltd. and the job number. Please add the full string with IRC prefix to the catalog number field for the role.
Sometimes the IRC and job number will be split by the initials of the cutting engineer artist. Please add IRC #### to the catalog number field for the Lacquer Cut At role, do not include the engineer's initials.
If the sleeve or label rim text also states "Manufactured by Imperial Records Corporation" (or variations including "Corporation" or "Corp.") then this also indicates Pressed By can be used. Please add the IRC-#### or IRC #### string to the catalog number fields for these roles as well. If the sleeve also mentions mastering at or by Imperial Records Corp. please use Mastered At and include the job number string in the catalog field.
IRC pressed mainly for small independent labels in Western Canada and the Pac Northwest US. They also did many private presses for regional artists. Often these private press releases will use the IRC #### as a catalog number. IRC was not a label and Not On Label should be used with the IRC #### as a catalog number.
The company filed for bankruptcy in 1985. After this the company was renamed Imperial Records (5), until closing for good in 1988.
Name variation: Imperial Records Corporation Limited