Rush, Merc U.S. Deal

By Bob Dunne, Billboard, August 10, 1974, transcribed by pwrwindows

MONTREAL-Canadian rock trio Rush has just been signed to Mercury Records for the U.S. and their first album will be rush-released in that market in a week. The album is already available in Canada on the band's own label. Moon Records. with Canadian distribution being handled by London Records. Moon is a division of S.R.O. Productions headed by Ray Daniels.

With the U.S. release of the album on Mercury, distribution will be turned over to Polydor in Canada.

The LP has already sold close to 5,000 units in Canada, with most of the sales originating in the Toronto-Hamilton area. The album has broken out regionally in the U.S. with 7,000 records sold already in the Cleveland area alone from copies exported from Moon Records in Toronto. The group has had success in concert appearances both in the Cleveland area and Canada and Mercury feels that they could develop the sales potential of the other Canadian band on their label, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.