301 Productions were based at Castlegate, in the city of Nottingham. The company, under engineer Alan Bailey, was responsible for at least one single, a Country-flavoured effort by Tim Rogers entitled 'I Had To Think About Leaving' (1). As can be seen, the label is very plain. It has neither date nor catalogue number on it, and only the legend 'A 301 Production' in small print at the right-hand side hints at its origins: indeed, it may well be that 301 Productions merely recorded the single and that Tim Rogers himself had it pressed and distributed. As its name and address are on the picture sleeve, however, I have credited the record to 301. Pressing was by Lyntone, and the matrix number of LYN-5729 in the run-off gives a release date of late 1978 or early 1979. Proceeds from the disc went to the British Heart Foundation. The 'B' side, 'The Time It Takes' is slightly rockier, and to my ears somewhat stronger, than the 'A' side. Alan Bailey and 301 Productions also recorded the Roy Harris LP 'By Sandbank Fields', which came out in 1977 on the Topic label, and the company was credited on an early '80s EP celebrating the 5th anniversary of Radio Trent (2). Presumably there are other 301 products out there, though probably on other companies' labels.
Copyright 2009 Robert Lyons.