PROCOL HARUM/THE PLATINUM COLLECTION PLAT 1003 (-81) UK MONO+STEREO

 After finding and falling in love with "The Platinum Collection Of The Move"  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-movethe-platinum-collection-plat.html  some time ago I was very happy to spot this in a bin just a week later. A twentyfour-track with another of my favourite sixties bands, just as they were back then. "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", "A Salty Dog", "Kaleidoscope", "Salad Days (Are Here Again)", "Conquistador", "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence", "Long Gone Geek", Homburg" and "Repent Walpurgis" all original mono, the rest true stereo. A to my taste stunning blend of gems, including 45 A:s and B:s combined with some of their best album cuts. A mix of sweet ballads, rock'n'roll, art music, melodic pop and hard core drama I doubt would leave any true music lover disappointed. Guess all tracks can be found on CD and/or as downloads, but if you're like me and want songs recorded for vinyl on vinyl and don't have access to all the originals, this is probably one of the best from the band you can get. And as vinyl compilations now suffer a decreasing popularity you probably won't have to cough up a lot if you can find a copy. Impossible to pick just a couple of favourites from such a cornucopia of wealth, but adding a few exemples below. To my knowledge this UK was the only issue. It had label as shown here in a fully laminated cover. (PRÖX*)  (FXÖ*)

                                                                                

                                                                                    

                                                                               

                                       
                                                                                        

                                                                                 

                                                                                 

                                                                                

   


 

 

20 ORIGINAL WINNERS OF 1964 R-25293 (-65) US MONO

 If you follow this blog you know by now I love all kinds of compilations and especially those who carry rare cuts, close to the fact. There may not be any outmost rarities on this, but most of them scarce if you want them on early LP and above all it's a stunning collection of goodies. You might think that cramming in ten cuts on each side would impair the audio, but this offers enjoyable listening all the way. So many classic oldies on here - Millie Small "My Boy Lollipop", Mary Wells "My Guy", Betty Everett "Shoop Shoop Song", Honeycombs "Have I The Right", Miracles "You Really Got A Hold On Me", Rivieras "California Sun" and Drifters "Under The Boardwalk", to mention some. I also get a few new to me, like Patty & The Emblems "Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl", The Exciters "I Want You To Be My Boy" and The Raindrops "What A Guy". Happy hearing all through, fitting for close listening, background to chores or party music. To my knowledge only released in US and Canada and on vinyl only. Can't seem figure out if this the US original or the somewhat later re-press, but it really doesn't matter to me. The music is there and it's good. Anyway it came with label as shown here in a fully laminated cover.  (YZÄ*)  (ÖXCÅ*)  (SÄM*)  (FÄV*)

                                                                                    

                                                                                  

                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                                 

                                                                                

                                                                                   

                                                                                  

 

THE ROYAL POLYNESIANS FEATURING CHARLES MAUU/POLYNESIA-NATIVE SONGS AND DANCES OF THE SOUTH SEAS T 483 (-54) US MONO

 When I spotted this sleeve in a bin a while ago I thought it might be something like the 1958 US "Voodoo Drums In Hi-Fi"  https://monolover.blogspot.com/2015/02/voodoo-drums-in-hi-fi-1296-58-us-mono.html  , where they'd caught live performances from cult gatherings just as they were, bringing absolute presence. But this is something different. A studio recording by Tahitian chief Charles Mauu and his band. Not sure how much of it is traditional Polynesian tunes and how much is later adaptations to please more modern listeners, but the result is good to the ears - very warm with an attractive mix of exotic and familiar conveyed by top audio. Obviously I don't understand a word of what they're singing, but the vocal rich language fits well to the tunes and also the rear sleeve offers a desciption of each song. Apparently all of them are poems about love - for persons, nature or the native land. To me both endearing and uplifting listening. Even if I don't get the words the overall message is clear - dont worry, be happy. Hard to pick favourites, like choosing just a couple of pearls out of a whole necklace, but why not the love poem "Mareva" and the dance song "Minoi Minoi". Released with eight tracks on 10 inch LP or 2xEP, or twelve tracks on 12 inch pretty much all over the world from 1953 into the sixties. To my knowledge never reissued on CD. First US 12 inch twelve track had label as shown here in a laminated cover with High Fidelity/The Protective Envelope inner. (YZÄ*)  (ÖXCÅ*) 

                                                                                    

                                                                                    

                                                                                  

                                                                                     

                                                                                  
                                                                                  

                                                                                        

 

THE MOVE/THE PLATINUM COLLECTION PLAT 1001 (-81) UK MONO + STEREO

 To my taste a very valuable compilation. A 2xLP with twentyfour cuts from one of the most innovative British sixties bands, pursuing various genres like pop, blues, rock, psych and baroque, always with a positive result. Seven of the cuts mono, the rest true stereo. A mix of 45 A:s and B:s and album tracks, even two from the very rare 1968 live EP "Something Else from The Move" - "Stephanie Knows Who" and "So You Wanna Be A Rock'n'Roll Star". It's cut very loud and the audio shifts a little between songs, but most sounds very good and non come out bad. I'm amazed how much catchy music these guys produced in just three years and it's impossible for me to pick out just a couple of the best tracks. The most obvious would be ones like "Blackberry Way", "Fire Brigade" and "I Can Hear The Grass Grow", but I also have other favourites, as "Curly", "Brontosaurus" and "Useless Information".  In the early seventies Jeff Lynne quit Idle Race and joined the band to continue as a trio together with Roy Wood and Bev Bevan up to 1972, when they turned in to Electric Light Orchestra. For more on Move, Roy Wood solo, Wizzard and early ELO, please check   https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=(R%C3%96WS*)  .  To my knowledge this was UK only, also as cassette (ZCPLT 1001). Vinyl had label as shown here in a fully laminated cover.  (RÖWS*)  (FXÖ*)