3 Beat Records


3 Beat Productions is a British independent record label founded by Jon Barlow in 1989.

History

3 Beat Music was founded as a dance music record shop in 1989 by Jon Barlow, Dave Nicholl, Phil Southall and later joined by Phil Beddard and Hywell Williams who were students at the time. It began as a second hand record stall in Quiggins, Liverpool and later moved into a permanent location on Wood Street where the shop was managed by Rob Jay and Pezz 3 Beat where it won numerous awards including Music Week's independent record shop of the year. In 2002, the shop expanded and moved to Slater Street. As of 2009, the record shop has changed ownership and is now no longer part of the 3 Beat group. The new owners wanted to keep a connection to the history of the shop whilst also showing things had moved on so changed the name to 3B Records.
In 1991 Barlow, Nichol and Southall started the independent record label 3 Beat Music which released records by artists such as D:Fuse, New Atlantic, Pianoman and Powerhouse. In 2000 Jon Barlow, Pezz 3 Beat and Andy Jarrod set up the 3 Beat Label Management company which offered distribution services to numerous independent record labels. The most notable of these was James Holden's 'Border Community' imprint that bucked the trend of declining vinyl sales by consistently selling in excess of 20,000 units of its 12" single releases. 3 Beat Label Management closed in 2007 after Amato Distribution's collapse left them with an unmanageable debt
In 2003 Jon Barlow and Pezz along with A&R executive Anton Powers and label manager Tim Condran set up Boss Records, with distribution from Ministry of Sound. Over the next four years the label released numerous singles with hit records by artists such as Angel City, Aaron Smith, Mason versus Princess Superstar and Studio B. In 2007, after Boss Records' contract had expired with Ministry of Sound, Barlow and Pezz founded 3 Beat Productions with distribution from Universal. The new label was made up of two sub-labels 3 Beat Blue and 3 Beat Red and has released records by artists such as Agnes, Cahill, Ian Carey, Duck Sauce and Skepta.
In 2011, the label achieved its first UK No. 1 single with "Loca People" by Sak Noel.
In the 2020s, artists who have released records via 3 Beat include Liverpool singer-songwriter Jetta and producer Jonasu, who reached the Top 3 in 2021 with his song "Black Magic".

Labels and subsidiaries

Albums

  • High Contrast – Notes from the Underground
  • Callum Beattie – People Like Us
  • High Contrast – Night Gallery
  • TC – Unleash the Wolves
  • Kungs – Layers
  • Sigma – Life
  • Skepta – Doin' It Again #19
  • Inna – Hot #32
  • Angel City – Love Me Right #44

    Singles

  • Aaron Smith feat. Luvli – Dancin' #20
  • Afrojack & Steve Aoki feat. Miss Palmer – No Beef #25
  • Agnes – I Need You Now #40
  • Agnes – Release Me #3
  • Alexandra Stan – Lemonade
  • Alexandra Stan – "Mr. Saxobeat" #3
  • Alyssa Reid – "Alone Again" #2
  • Angel City – "Do You Know " #8
  • Angel City – "Love Me Right " #11
  • Angel City – "Sunrise" #9
  • Angel City – "Touch Me " #18
  • Basshunter – "Northern Light"
  • Berri – "Shine Like a Star" #20
  • Berri – "Sunshine After the Rain" #4
  • Cahill ft. TY – Take It Back
  • Cahill feat. Nikki Belle – "Trippin' On You" #25
  • Cedric Gervais – "Molly" #26
  • Cher Lloyd – M.I.A
  • Cheryl – "Love Made Me Do It" #19
  • The Lisa Marie Experience – "Do That to Me" #33
  • The Lisa Marie Experience – "Keep on Jumpin'" #7
  • Duck Sauce – "Barbra Streisand" #3
  • Edward Maya feat. Vika Jigulina – "Stereo Love" #4
  • The Ian Carey Project – "Get Shaky" #9
  • Inna – "Amazing" #14
  • Inna – "Hot" #6
  • Inna – "Sun Is Up" #15
  • Jetta – "He Usually Likes Boys"
  • Jetta – "Honey"
  • Jetta – "Livin'"
  • Jetta – "No Fire"
  • Luke Bingham ft. Sway – Gemini
  • Luke Bingham – Shut It Down
  • Martin Solveig & Dragonette – "Hello" #13
  • Martin Solveig – "The Night Out" #36
  • Mason vs. Princess Superstar – "Perfect " #3
  • Matrix & Futurebound feat. Luke Bingham – "All I Know" #29
  • Pianoman – "Blurred" #6
  • Powerhouse – "Rhythm of the Night" #38
  • Sak Noel – "Loca People" #1
  • Sigma – "Nobody to Love" #1
  • Sigma feat. Paloma Faith – "Changing" #1
  • Skepta feat. Preeya Kalidas – "Cross My Heart" #31
  • Skepta – "Hold On" #30
  • Skepta – "Make Peace Not War" #29
  • Skepta – "Rescue Me" #14
  • Steve Mac – "Paddy's Revenge" #17
  • Studio B – "I See Girls" #12
  • Stylo G – Soundbwoy #18
  • Sway – "Level Up" #8
  • Sway – "Still Speedin'" #19
  • Unicorn Kid – Need U

    Top 100 singles

  • Pianoman – "Party People " #43
  • Bingo Players – "Cry " #44
  • CLS – "Can You Feel It" #46
  • Martin Solveig feat. Kele – "Ready 2 Go" #48
  • Marco Demark feat. Casey Barnes – "Tiny Dancer" #54
  • Alexandra Stan – "Get Back " #56
  • Isha-D – "Stay" #58
  • Inna – "Déjà Vu" #60
  • Onyx feat. Gemma J – "Every Little Time" #66
  • New Atlantic vs. Quake – "I Know '99" #79
  • Duck Sauce – "Big Bad Wolf" #79
  • Erick Morillo & Eddie Thoneick – "Stronger" #80
  • Agnes – "On & On" #82
  • Chakra – "I Am" #97
  • Skepta vs. N-Dubz – "So Alive" #99
  • The Space Brothers – "One More Chance" #100