Redball seems to have been a custom recording business; that would account for its large number of issues, their relative obscurity, and the variation in the kind of music on them. The studio was based in Market Drayton, and was run by Terry Butters. Catalogue numbers suggest that it released at least thirty-six records; what seems to have been its first release was numbered ES-001, the prefix being derived from the initials of Easy Street, the duo that made the record, but after that it adopted an RR-000 numerical series which was used for singles, EPs and albums alike. Punk singles such as The Notsensibles', 'I'm In Love With Margaret Thatcher' (RR-021; 1979) and NWOBHM efforts like Vardis', '100 m.p.h.' EP (RR-017; 1979) rubbed shoulders with LPs by Roy Sainsbury ('Gentle Guitar', RR-017) and the Shropshire County School Of Music Band (Same, RR-009). There are no dates on the labels but Redball appears to have operated mainly from c.1977-80, though there are Terry Butters records on the label dating from the '80s and onwards. A 'Redball' was the name given to a fast freight train in the USA; thus the label illustration. The discography below lists both 7" and 12" records.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.