Red Rhino Records

Red Rhino Records, also known as Red Rhino, was a British independent record label which was developed by the independent record shop and wholesaler of the same name, all formed and run by "Tony K" (Tony Kostrzewa) and his wife Gerri. It was part of the Cartel, a co-operative record distribution organisation in the United Kingdom, set up by a number of small independent record labels to handle their distribution to record shops.

Set up at the end of the 1970s, it maintained its base in York (with a shop, originally in Gillygate and later in Goodramgate) and through the early 1980s, with the growth of independently produced music, expanded its business to a point where the wholesale side became the separate entity.

The label was closed down with the financial collapse of Red Rhino Distribution in 1988, while its subsidiary label Red Rhino Europe continued under the name RRE Records (or simply RRE) as a subsidiary of Play It Again Sam.

The most notable artists featured in the main label's catalogue were The Mekons, Skeletal Family, Zoviet France, and the first record releases by Pulp.

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links To Peel[]

“The very wonderful Mrs Miller, for the Red Rhino people, and her version of ‘Monday Monday’.”
(John Peel, 02 September 1985)

With wife Sheila coming from Bradford, John Peel continued to be a keen supporter of music from the surrounding region, also taking in Leeds and Sheffield, leading to sessions for many bands on York-based Red Rhino, which was a leading UK independent label and major local hub for related distribution, including for the Reception imprint of Peel show mainstays Wedding Present, the Agit Prop label of Chumbawamba and Sin Records for Mekons. Like Sheila, Red Rhino founder Tony K was born in Bradford.

As well as Red Rhino bands who did sessions, the DJ played artists on the label such as Akrylykz, Odds, Rhythm Clicks, See You In Vegas, and Soul On Ice. The Red Rhino Europe subsidiary released overseas session outfits Front 242 (from Belgium) and Butthole Surfers (USA).

Britpop stars Pulp are probably the biggest name to appear on the Yorkshire label, with mini-album debut 'It' and subsequent singles (all 1983), during the long gap between their first and second Peel sessions (1981 and 1993).

The DJ himself was originally set to contribute vocals to a version of 'Five Feet High And Rising' on the Red Rhino covers compilation 'Til Things Are Brighter...A Tribute To Johnny Cash' (1988), at the request of Marc Riley, but eventually backed out and was replaced on the track by Tracey And Melissa Beehive.[1]

Sessions[]

(Peel sessions by artists who released music on Red Rhino, excluding compilations and releases on subsidiary labels such as Red Rhino Europe. List includes sessions by Red Rhino artists while on other labels.)

1919: (2 sessions, 1982-83)
Creepers: (5 sessions, 1983-87)
Darkness & Jive: (2 sessions, 1982-83)
Distributors: (2 sessions, 1979-81)
Hula: (3 sessions, 1985-86)
La Muerte: (1 session, 1986)
Mekons: (6 sessions, 1978-87)
Normil Hawaiians: (1 session, 1980)
Pulp: (4 sessions, 1981-2001)
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry: (2 sessions, 1982-83)
Skeletal Family: (2 sessions, 1983-84)

Festive Fifty[]

(Festive Fifty entries released on Red Rhino. List does not include F50 entries by Red Rhino artists on other labels. One-time Red Rhino band Pulp went on to have 15 entries on the annual Peel show listeners' chart in total, including the 1995 Festive Fifty #1, with 'Common People', on Island.)