THE ANIMALS/ ANIMALISMS LK4797 (-66) UK MONO

This has nothing to do with the US "Animalism" album except the name. American version issued two months later on MGM only had two tracks in common ("Outcast" and "That's All I Am To You") but the versions are totally different from the ones appearing here. I will post on US version later, but in comparison that had a more adventurous style, in a way leading on to the "New Animals" incarnation. The UK LP is more in the same vein as their two first with corresponding choice of songs and production. It's more secure and developed than the previous and a good album, but still similar to last years procedure. It seems the conservatism fitted the English market and made this the groups most sucessful so far, reaching #4 on the UK list. It was their only LP on Decca and the last as "The Animals". No singles were released from the album, but Decca issued "Help Me Girl" from US only "Eric Is Here" LP as a '45 at the same time. Very first UK with ridged label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (ÄNÄ*)

ERIK BURDON & THE ANIMALS/ERIC IS HERE E-4433 (-67) US MONO

The oddest of all Animals LP:s. Recorded as a gap filler between the old and new Animals, but musically it got nothing to do with any of the groups incarnations. It's not R&B, rock or psych, just an ordinary orchestrated cover album, partly saved by Burdons special voice. Rumour say a few members from the old group participates, but apart from Burdon and the orchestra only drummer Barry Jenkins is confirmed. Generated a US top 30 single "Help Me Girl" wich also reached #14 in UK. Produced by Tom Wilson and arranged by Horace Ott it is well done and as far as I can hear the mono mix is dedicated, but the music way too mainstream to my taste. The album was only issued in USA, on MGM, the UK single came on Decca. (ÄNÄ*) (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)

THE KINKS/KINDA KINKS NPL 18112 (-65) UK MONO

Their 2nd UK LP but the first to establish the groups identity as it would show for the coming years. Ten of the twelve songs are self-penned and performing more self-reliant. Four of the tracks were recorded 1964, the rest was rushed in the studio after a big Asian tour, produced and released within two weeks. The band was not satisfied with some of the final cuts, but time pressure got it released uncorrected. Ray Davies has said he thought producer Shel Talmy went too far in trying to keep a rough edge. Nevertheless it reached #3 on the UK album list and the single "Tired Of Waiting For You" topped the charts. I don't agree with Davies here. To me the edges, flaws and errors, combined with top sound quality, is what makes it so appealing. One exemple - it's one of countless covers of "Dancing In the Streets", but what makes this one stick is the unbridled vocals coming through as totally unrehersed. I like this album a lot and listening to it always leaves me with a big smile. The US issue (Reprise R/RS 6173) dropped "Tired Of Waiting For You", "Naggin' Woman" and "Come On Now" and replaced them with "Set Me Free" and "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy". (KYX*) (PÖY*)

YARDBIRDS/HAVING A RAVE UP WITH THE YARDBIRDS! LN 24177 (-65) US MONO

(For further background on this, check my posts on "For Your Love", "Five Live Yardbirds" and Jeff Becks "Truth" mono.) Another very good US Yardbirds album. Side 2 is from the already released Five Live... sessions, but side 1 has a few of their best studio recordings. After Clapton left the group and Beck got in there was a lot more experimenting in style and form. A few of the songs here are perfect exemples of early psychedelia ("Heart Full Of Soul" and "Evil Hearted You") and their version of "The Train Kept A-Rollin" resembles the hard-rock Jeff Beck a few years later would try on "Truth" LP. They may not have been the biggest selling group back then, but certainly one of the most influential. The tracks here are all original mono mixes and sounds great. This was their best selling US album and spent over six months on the lower half of Billboard list, reaching low fifty as best. Also released in fake stereo (BN 26177). Have been re-issued numerous times on vinyl and CD, with same or different tracking. (YÄB*)(JÄBÄ*) (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)

HOLLIES/FOR CERTAIN BECAUSE PMC 7011 (-66) UK MONO

In UK and America Hollies was most successful with their '45:s, many of them reaching top ten on both sides of the Atlantic. The LP:s did not sell as well, two top tens in UK and non in US. They did better in Scandinavia and on the European continent. In Sweden, where they toured a lot, the group was more popular than the Beatles sporadically. This was the first Hollies LP I bought and the one that made me discover the group and liking them for the rest of the sixties. It's their 5th album, but the first with all tracks self-penned and also the most adventurous so far. I still think it's good and my two favs remains the same - "Stop Stop Stop" and "Pay You Back With Interest". I've never heard another version of the record than the UK mono, but with the groups and producer Ron Richards other contemporary works in mind I don't think a stereo would be worth my money or effort - to my taste early Hollies is always better in mono. It was re-titled "Stop! Stop! Stop!" for the US market, but with the same tracking (Imperial LP9330/LP-12330. First UK had label as shown here and laminated f/o cover with flips. (HÖLY*) (PÖX*)

STATUS QUO/STATUS QUOTATIONS MAL 1193 (-69) MONO NEW ZEALAND

Posting a quicky on this mono since many collectors don't even know it exists. It's a compilation of numbers from the first two LP:s plus two odd '45 tracks ("Make Me Stay A Little Longer" and "To Be Free") , originally issued late -69 as both stereo and mono on UK Pye's budget label Marble Arch. The album tracks sounds like fold downs, but some from the first LP comes through better here, calmer and more collected. I haven't heard the first press '45 versions, but these may be the dedicated mixes. This New Zealand issue has the same features as the UK one - tracking, label and a stereo cover with a "monaural" sticker. I don't often use the word "rare", it is one of the most misused concepts among record collectors, but I can say this mono is not common. (Also check my posts on the groups first two mono albums.)(DÖW*) (PÖY*) (STÄQ*)

KING GEORGE DISCOVERY/MUSIC IS MUSIC AL 02 (-68) SWEDEN

George Clemens moved from Virginia to New York in the early sixties and started to sing in Harlem clubs, performed with Don Convay and contributed back-ground vocals on the legendary "Have Mercy" single. He also recorded with Ray Charles band and played with King Curtis at the same time as Jimi Hendrix. The two bonded a friendship wich lasted till Hendrix' death. At the same time Chas Chandler brought Hendrix to England King George got an offer from a Scandinavian agent to settle in Sweden and sing with "Harlem Kiddies" - a black soul band touring Europe. After working with them for a while he hooked up with a bunch of Swedish young musicians and started the group "Discovery". It's clear the whole concept was inspired by Jimi Hendrix Experience - black US artist surronded by young local musicians, the name itself, and parts of the music. They quickly became famous in Scandinavia by excessive touring - I heard a lot about their great live act back then, but unfortunately never got to see them. The album is hard to describe - has good soul numbers and fine vocals in a traditional style, all written by King George, but also lots of psych guitars and wild drumming. Sound quality is OK, but wrapped in a rather primitive garage feeling. So maybe "Psych Soul Garage" is the right depiction. Pressed in Germany for domestic and Scandinavian markets, issued as compatible stereo only, but sounds good either way. I don't know of any other original issue, but group also released a '45 on Bell label in Italy with two non-LP tracks. This was the gangs only official LP. Guitarist Anders Nordh and bassist Paul Sundin later went on to progressive group "Life". King George has worked with many American and European artists since and released a large number of albums and singles, solo or in different constellations. First press came with label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SWÄU*)(ÖGÄ*) (SCÄ*)(CCÖ*)

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD/GOLDEN HITS BL 7737 (-66) UK MONO

She's been gone for thirteen years now, but that misty almost mystic voice is still heard a lot in my room. Her version of "Son Of A Preacher Man" is the most perfect soul vocal ever from a white artist - so sexy but still so vulnerable you just wanna hear it again and again. That however was her last really big success. She didn't sell well in the seventies and eighties and had to work as background singer for artists as Elton John and Anne Murray. She picked up in the nineties with a couple of more hits, but lost to breast cancer 1999. This is a perfect guide to early Dusty, including her best songs from 1963-66. All are original '45 mixes and sounds great. The US issues differed a lot from UK, but Philips LP "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" (PHM 200-210) has a few titles in common. First UK with structured label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (FÄV*) (TÖZ*)

BRUNNING SUNFLOWER BLUES BAND/ I WISH YOU WOULD SAGA 8150 (-70) UK

For background information about the group and their previous issue, please check my post on the "Trackside Blues" LP. This was Brunnings fourth and last recording for UK budget label Saga. Even if uncredited guest star Peter Green hightened the quality on their previous one, this is all together a better piece of work. It sounds more mature and from a steadier ground. Still traditional blues, but with addition of brass and flute on some numbers and overall secure playing. Especially one track - "Uranus" - has a very good guitar with familiar licks. According to back cover text it's played by guest guitarist "Peter Blue" (it don't take a genious to figure that out). All brass and flute was provided by John Altman - multi-talanted musician, composer and arranger who also worked with Fleetwood Mac, Hendrix, Bob Marley, Clapton, Jeff Beck and Little Richard. Maybe his presence helped tighten things up and make this Brunnings best effort so far. (SÄGÖ*)(FXÄC*)

LES PAUL - MARY FORD/BYE BYE BLUES LCA 356 (-52) GERMANY

Don't know if this is of interest to anyone else, but it's a record I like a lot for different reasons, so here I go. It's a German 10 inch first issue of a -52 US Capitol LP (H-356). At this time most LP issues were in all ways adjusted to the new format with thinner records, picture covers and new style labels. Not this one. The weight, thickness and feeling of it resembles perfectly a thirties or fourties '78 RPM and the label has a style that could have crowned any of those. Cover also reminds of days past - no pics, just artists names, a songlist and a logo. The sound quality is amazing - I've had a few re-issues of older Les Paul recordings and non of them even comes close. If You ever heard a perfect '78 played on best modern equipment it's exactly like this. The warmth and directness - it just fits. (FÄV*)(FÖGÄ*) (GÖXÄ*)(NYFÖ*)

BEATLES/HEY JUDE CPCS 106 (-70) UK EXPORT

 

Although initially released in US this was not a Capitol project, but managed by Allen Klein for Apple records. Anyhow the compiling was done with American market in mind, choosing songs that not yet appeared on US Capitol albums. Although most of the songs wasn't on any UK Parlophone or Apple LP either it was not considered interesting enough to be issued in England at first and the domestic issue didn't show up there until 1979. There was however an export press made by EMI UK for other countries 1970, some on the Apple label and some on black/silver Parlophone. This first press Apple issue came on thick vinyl with stamped -1/-1 matrixes, dark A-side label and a fully laminated cover with thin spine. The first copies also had a label error - Revolution is spelled "Revolutions". (Also check my post on the Brazil mono version.) (BÄ*) (ÖXÄP*) (ÄPLÄ*) (LGÅ*) (HÄI*)

NO ONE'S GONNA CHANGE OUR WORLD SRS 5013 (-69) UK

Released for the benefit of the World Wildlife Found and compiled by Spike Milligan who also is behind two of the tracks. It's a rather dull sampler with most tracks previously released, but there are a few exceptions. First issue of first version of "Across the Universe" makes it a must-have for Beatles collectors. It is also first issue of The Hollies song "Wings", one of the last things they did by and with Graham Nash. And BeeGees "Marley Purt Drive" is always welcome in any surrounding. From an audiophile point of veiw it's smashing and some of the songs have never sounded better, but it is one of those I don't play from start to end - a few jumps and it's over. First with label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (BÄ*) (SÄM*) (HÖLY*)(BÅXÅ*)(SXS*)

JOHN LENNON/IMAGINE J64-04.914 (-71) ODEON SPAIN

Here's another Iberian oddity. In some countries Apple wasn't acknowledged at the turn of the decade so recordings there were released on other EMI labels, either as UK export or domestically. This is the Spanish 1:st issue on the "older" dark blue/silver label. At about this time the design was changed to a different bright blue/white label wich was used for a few years. That initially came with early matrixes, mothers and stampers and is also regarded as 1:st press. Made from the UK tapes, but has a darker tone and sounds more "collected", probably slightly altered to make a top compatible. This copy had a UK import inner when I bought it, but I don't know anything about other inserts. The vinyl is thick and unflexible and has stamped 1/1 matrixes and mothers. The cover is fully laminated with exactly the same quality as first UK including "pinched" spine, but also have "ESTEREO" front top right and EMI/ODEON top left (see below). It is an interesting high quality issue with a beautiful label. (BÄ*)(JYZÖ*) (SXÖX*)

ROLLING STONES/STICKY FINGERS HRSS 591-01 (-71) SPAIN

I guess many agree this is one of Rolling Stones best albums, made during a period when they were at the height of creativity. It's the first LP with Mick Taylor as a full-fledged member, premiere recording on their own label and producer Jimmy Miller at his best. It's one of those records you see as an accomplished piece of art, like "Sgt. Pepper" or "Dark Side Of the Moon", where no single piece can be messed with. Yet in Spain and a few South American countries cover and tracklist were considered inappropriate for domestic markets and alternative versions made. This Spanish version is well known - zipper cover was replaced by one actually showing sticky fingers and "Sister Morphine" omitted and replaced with a live version of Chuck Berrys "Let It Rock" (recorded in Leeds just before this issue and also appearing as B-side on UK "Brown Sugar" single). If You're looking for this LP, be aware it was re-pressed many times in Spain, USA and other countries. Early Spanish release came with label as shown here (I have also seen ones without the stamps, but don't know if that was very first issue or somewhat later). The label is ridged, vinyl very thick and unflexible and the matrix numbers are stamped. It has a thin, fully laminated cover and tounge insert with Spanish text. Songtitles are both in English and Spanish where they appear. Parts of front and back cover plus insert shown below. (RÅ*) (SXÖX*)