Ed Ball (musician)  Edward "Ed" Ball (born 23 November 1959) is a songwriter, singer, guitarist and keyboard player from London, who has recorded both solo and as a member of the Television Personalities, 'O' Level, Teenage Filmstars, The Times, and Conspiracy of Noise. He also worked for Creation Records. He was born and brought up in Chelsea, London. In 1977, singer/songwriter Ball and fellow London Oratory school-friend Dan Treacy formed the Television Personalities. Ball also formed 'O' Level with John Bennett, Gerard Bennett, and Dick Scully, releasing two singles in 1978. In 1979, he recorded as the Teenage Filmstars, along with fellow members of the Television Personalities, releasing three singles between 1979 and 1980. Ball and Treacy ('Slaughter' Joe Foster left the band prior to the recording of any material under the Television Personalities name) released "And Don't the Kids Just Love It" (1980) for Rough Trade Records. Following a brief parting with Rough Trade, they launched their own label Whaam! Records with "Mummy Your Not Watching Me" (1981), "They Could Have Been Bigger Than the Beatles" (1982) and "And Don't the Kids Just Love It". The Whaam! record label was later renamed Dreamworld, following a legal dispute with George Michael. Ball, meanwhile, had formed a more permanent outlet for his music in 1981 with The Times, releasing the "Pop Goes Art!" album in 1982, and leaving the TV Personalities the same year, although he later returned in 2004, appearing on the album "My Dark Places" (Domino Records, 2005) and on parts of the albums "And They All Lived Happily Ever After" (Damaged Goods, 2004) and "Are We Nearly There Yet?" (Overground, 2007). On leaving the Television Personalities, Ball concentrated on The Times, a band with an ever-changing line-up in which he remained the only constant member. Following "Pop Goes Art!", from 1982 to 1986 the band released four further albums / mini-albums on Ball's own Artpop label. In 1986 Ball dissolved The Times to become an executive at Creation Records; however, in 1988 he began to release new material under the Times name, starting with the album "Beat Torture". Three albums were also released by Ball under the name of the Teenage Filmstars (although the other members of the original Teenage Filmstars were not involved in any way), "Star" (1992), "Rocket Charms" (1993) and "Buy Our Record Support Our Sickness" (1995).