This month we turn the Capitol 6000 spotlight on the legendary Yardbirds axeman Jeff Beck, and in particular his solo career following his departure from The Yardbirds (one of the best ever 1960s Canadian Capitol groups). Since 1965, The Yardbirds have enjoyed a loyal following in Canada, and this short article continues the Yardbirds Story in Canada (www.capitol6000.com/yardbirds.html).
The end of the incredible Pop musical year 1966 had had brought some major changes... Paul Jones had left Manfred Mann, The Beatles had stopped touring, Pete Quaife had (briefly) left The Kinks, and Phil Spector had fallen off his producer's throne following the failure in the USA of River Deep Mountain High. In the wake of these changes in the British Pop Scene though came new acts like The Cream, The Pink Floyd and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
By late 1966, the The Yardbirds were facing division. Paul Samwell-Smith exited. Jimmy Page joined. Chris Dreja moved to bass. During that year the group had enjoyed top 10 hits and had recorded their first successful studio album. But Jeff was just not happy with his lead guitarist role on The Yardbirds, even when he had shared twin lead guitar status with his good friend Jimmy Page. Boredom?
The Yardbirds' 1966 Montreal gig had been cancelled. By early 1967, the eye-popping Michaelngelo Antonioni film "Blow Up" was hitting the theatres across Canada. In the mostly silent film, filmgoers could see Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page performing The Train Kept A Rolling in London's Marquee club with The Yardbirds. Looking back now, this film was way too cool for its time.
For contractual reasons or not, Jeff Beck carried on with producer Mickie Most when he decided to go solo. His first 45 Hi Ho Silver Lining from The / Beck's Bolero appeared hot on the heels of The Yardbirds own (Most produced) Little Games / Puzzles 45. Two very interesting releases appearing at the same time - within the last week of March 1967. Now most definitely this was the ultimate fork in the road for The Yardbirds. They would never again catch the authenticity of sound that they had found in 1966.
The Attack, an excellent British group that featured guitarist (and future Nice-man) Davy O'List, were hot on the heels of Jeff's A-side with their own version which got a Canadian London release (London L.1013). That record is also a scorcher well worth looking for.
Beck's Bolero is, for my money, the song The Yardbirds should have recorded and released as a single in 1967 on the Capitol 72000 series in Canada. On well. In the studio with Jeff on that record were Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, John Paul Jones, and Nicky Hopkins. No vocalist ... but the guitar half of Led Zeppelin!
But Jeff Beck was not a solo artist for long. The "Jeff Beck Group" was quickly formed for both live and recording purposes, and around Jeff were the best of the best available in London at the time:
Drums - Aynsley Dunbar (from John Mayall)
Bass - Ronnie Wood (from The Birds)
Vocals - Rod "The Mod" Stewart (from Brian Auger's Steampacket and The Shotgun Express)
(Nicky Hopkins would be added later on piano for the second album. Mickey Waller and then Tony Newman would replace Aynsley Dunbar on drums).
I highly recommend the following detailed book for those who would like to know more about Jeff Beck and The Jeff Beck Group (and beyond):
Christopher Hjort and Doug Hinman, "Jeff's Book", Rock'n'Roll Research Press, USA, 2000
The book includes all the known dates that the Jeff Beck Group played in Canada, starting with The Rockpile in Toronto, Ontario on October 27, 1968. It is available from the Amazon web site.
45 Jeff Beck - Hi-Ho Silver Lining / Beck's Bolero - Epic 5-2278 (March 1967)
(oddly, the US Epic release number was 5-10157)
(NOTE - Jimmy Page is normally given the writing credit for the song)
45 Jeff Beck - Tally Man / Rock My Plimsoul - Epic 5-10218 (August 1967)
45 Jeff Beck Group - Plynth (Water Down The Drain) / Jailhouse Rock - Epic 5-10484 (May 1969)
45 Donovan With The Jeff Beck Group - Barabajagal (Love Is Hot) / Trudi - Epic 5-2307 (release number differs from US Epic number)
45 Donovan With The Jeff Beck Group - Barabajagal (Love Is Hot) / Trudi
(Note - second press with credit on label for The Jeff Beck Group) - Epic 5-10510
45 Donovan With The Jeff Beck Group - Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love Is Hot) / Trudi
(Note - second press with NO credit on label for The Jeff Beck Group) - Epic 5-10510 (but GOO GOO was added to the title!)
45 Jeff Beck Group - Hi-Ho Silver Lining / Definitely Maybe - Epic 5-10938 (1972)
LP Jeff Beck - Truth - Epic BN 26413 stereo (early copies have the Parr’s logo on the spine) (August 1968)
(The Jeff Beck Group appears on this album un-credited, no mono copies were issued. And, folks this is where Led Zeppelin really starts ... they took this album and went to town as they say.)
LP The Jeff Beck Group - Beck-Ola - Cosa Nostra - Epic BN 26478 (early copies have the Parr’s logo on the spine) (June 1969) (Note that the cover painting of the Apple was by Belgian painter Rene Magritte)
The Jeff Beck Group were somewhat overshadowed by Led Zeppelin in the 1969-1970 period but both groups created their own terrific sound regardless. If you have any updates to the content of this article, please send us a note... or email.
The US dollar has strengthened a lot against the Canadian dollar in recent weeks. This currency exchange rate change has not been so good for Canadian record collectors when buying things are priced in US dollars. But perhaps as a result, some rare Canadian records have been sold to US buyers for "record" prices (pardon the pun). Two good examples from recent weeks are as follows:
Verve (Quality) V10458 X - The Mothers Of Invention - Trouble Comin' Every Day / Who Are The Brian Police? (sold for $504 US)
PYE 803 - The Koobas - Take Me For A Little While / Somewhere In The Night (sold for $120 US)
Some other interesting 45s and LPs have also caught our attention.
Stone 45 - SX 720 - Bobby G. Griffith And The New Movement - Tough Guy / Yes It's Me
PYE 45 - 7N 17277 - The Checkmates - Juicy / Chattanooga Choo Choo (blue label, Astral)
PYE LP - Cyril Stapleton And His Choir And Orchestra - Dance In - Pye NSPL-18285 (includes Hey Jude)
A special nod of thanks to "our man in Montreal" Frank Manley who helped greatly with this article.
For now, we hope you enjoy the summer weather wherever you are ... and please remember to take some time to spin some of those great old vinyl discs while you do so.
We always like to hear from our readers so please keep in touch.
See you next month.
This month we are continuing our grand tour (odyssey !) of original Canadian pressed records from the 1960s. Firstly, we look at the evolution of Atlantic records in Canada in the late 1960s. Secondly, we take a look at the unique area of "textured album covers".
In early 1968, Atlantic Records scored a massive hit with Otis Redding's "Dock Of The Bay". One of the best singles of all time. But there was change in the air with Monterey Pop from the previous summer and the senior execs at Atlantic saw that their limited roster of Rock acts needed a refresh. Atlantic had branched out slowly from its strong R&B and Soul roots. They had already signed The Rascals (based in New York) but by the end of 1968, the label looked beyond its own backyard to greener pastures.
Over the next year, Atlantic took on some terrific new acts. They signed Led Zeppelin from England and Crosby, Stills And Nash from California. For me, the move into "Progressive Rock" was very rewarding. By late 1969 and early 1970, I was buying records by Led Zeppelin and King Crimson (and these two British bands were light years away from the Atlantic stars like Ray Charles, The Drifters and The Coasters). A few months later, "with it" teens were listening to other great British groups like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. Amazingly all of these bands had been signed to Atlantic during the 1968-1969 period. Timing is everything, and Atlantic did well from these bold moves. Many of the progressive rock bands, especially Led Zeppelin, were huge sellers in the early to mid 1970s.
The history of Atlantic Records in Canada stretched from its roots with London Records Of Canada in the 1950s all the way through to the 1970s when many large record labels were amalgamated under one corporate umbrella called WEA (Warner, Elektra, Atlantic).
Quality Records of Toronto had been issuing Atlantic records in Canada since the early 1960s (before that time they were released and distributed in Canada by London Records Of Canada Ltd.). One of the last Atlantic LPs to be pressed and distributed by Quality was Led Zeppelin's first album. It is a deep-groove, heavy-gauge pressing.
From their first album (Led Zeppelin, Atlantic 8216, January 1969), Quality released a "mono only" single by Led Zeppelin:
45 Led Zeppelin - "Good Times Bad Times / Communication Breakdown" - Atlantic AT 2613X (March 1969)
The initial Quality 45 pressing, along with the Quality pressed LP, are now extremely rare because only limited numbers were pressed before Quality passed the Atlantic label over to Warner Brothers - Seven Arts in Canada.
After the move to Warner Brothers - Seven Arts Records Of Canada Ltd., these great singles were issued in Canada:
45 Crosby Stills And Nash - Marrakesh Express / Helplessly Hoping - Atlantic AT 2652 X (July 1969)
45 Crosby Stills And Nash - Suite Judy Blue Eyes / Long Time Gone - Atlantic AT. 2676 X (Sept. 1969)
45 Led Zeppelin - "Whole Lotta Love / Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)" - Atlantic AT.2690 (Jan. 1970)
(I first heard the B-side of this great single played on CFRA's late night underground show by DJ Brian Murphy. And I bought the single before I had even heard the other side... Whole Lotta Love!)
Another great single followed just a month or so later, the first (and only ?) by King Crimson, and this time the Atlantic label carried the text "Warner Bros. Records Of Canada Ltd.". Gone were the "Seven Arts"!
45 King Crimson - The Court Of The Crimson King (long version) / (short version) - Atlantic AT.2703 (Feb./Mar. 1970)
45 Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young - Ohio / Find The Cost Of Freedom - Atlantic AT.2740 (RCA pressing) (June 1970)
45 Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song / Hey Hey What Can I Do - Atlantic AT.2777 (RCA pressing) (Nov. 1970)
45 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Lucky Man / Knife Edge - Cotillion COT.44106 (RCA press) (Feb. 1971)
For these next five singles, the label credits feature "Kinney Music Of Canada Ltd."
45 Yes - Your Move / Clap - Atlantic AT 2819 (Nov. 1971)
45 Led Zeppelin - Black Dog / Misty Mountain Hop - Atlantic AT 2849 (stereo) (Dec. 1971)
45 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Nutrocker/ The Great Gates Of Kiev - Cotillion COT 44151 (March 1972)
45 Yes - Roundabout / Long Distance Runaround - Atlantic AT 2854 (April 1972)
45 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - From The Beginning / Living Sin - Cotillion COT 44158 (August 1972)
I have attempted to define when each label format above was in existence. There were other affiliated labels like Chrysalis etc. If you have any refinements to the approximate dates above, please send them along and we will update. Often, such corporate reorganizations took months to implement, and it is difficult now to get a precise date as to when label text changed.
During the 1960s, another unique attribute of Canadian records was the use of textured front covers on some album jackets.
It seems like textured covers were pretty much the domain of London Records Of Canada and were used on their labels which included London, Parrot, Fontana, Philles, Smash, and later on, Deram. Perhaps the most collectible of these original textured jackets would be The Rolling Stones. So far, I have documented textured front slicks for these original Canadian Rolling Stones albums:
LL.3375 - England's Newest Hitmakers - The Rolling Stones - mono
PS 375 - England's Newest Hitmakers - The Rolling Stones - stereo
LL.3402 - 12 x 5 - The Rolling Stones - mono
LL.3420 - The Rolling Stones, Now! - The Rolling Stones - mono
LL.3429 - Out Of Our Heads - The Rolling Stones - mono
PS 429 - Out Of Our Heads - The Rolling Stones - stereo
LL.3451 - December's Children (and Everybody's) - The Rolling Stones - mono
PS 451 - December's Children (and Everybody's) - The Rolling Stones - stereo
LL.3457 - The Andrew Oldham Orchestra - The Rolling Stones Songbook - mono (* very rare)
PS 457 - The Andrew Oldham Orchestra - The Rolling Stones Songbook - stereo (* very rare)
(note - plain front covers were also issued for many of the LPs above)
Some LPs , like the Pretty Things LP Get The Picture?, were issued with 3 different front slicks;
1. Flat/plain finish,
2. Textured finish
3. Laminated finish.
I always thought that the textured covers were nice and over the years I have documented quite a few of these cool textured covers. Some "other" favourite Canadian textured front (and some back) slicks include the following:
The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things - Fontana MF 27544 (mono)*
(* to confuse things, two different colour front slicks were used for the mono LPs - one with a brown background and the other with a green background)
The Pretty Things - Get The Picture ? - Fontana TL.5280 (also plain and laminated front slicks)
The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling - Philles PHL.4007 (mono) (also plain)
The Zombies - Featuring She's Not There, Tell Her No - Parrots PAS 71001 (stereo) (also plain)
Them - Them Featuring Here Comes The Night - Parrot PA 61005 (mono) (also plain)
Them - Them Again - Parrot PA 61008 (mono) and PAS 71008 (stereo)
James Brown - Grits and Soul: The Instrumental Sound Of The James Brown Band - Smash MGS 27057 (mono) and Smash SRS 67057 (stereo)
The Troggs - Wild Thing - Fontana MGF-27556 (mono) and SRF-67556 (stereo)
Procol Harum - Procol Harum - Deram DE.16008 (mono) (both front and back slicks are textured)
Procol Harum - Procol Harum - Deram DES.16008 (electronically re-processed stereo) (both front and back slicks are textured)
And there were many others. However, The Beatles and Beach Boys albums issued in Canada by Capitol did not use textured front slicks. But has anyone seen a textured or laminated front cover for The Beatles Canadian album Ain't She Sweet on Atco ? Please send us an email if you do!
In the late 1960s, gatefold sleeves became the norm for many progressive rock albums and textured sleeves were no longer limited to London releases. For example, textured wraparound gatefold front slicks were used for concept albums by Traffic, The Moody Blues, Ten Years After, and King Crimson.
We hope that you have enjoyed these brief diversions, and we hope that you can send us your updates and observations. See you next month!
These will be added to the Beatles Canadian Discography Matrix Chart For Beatles Records for the next revision of the eBook edition. We have received cool updates for 3 albums; Twist And Shout, Beatles '65 and Revolver.
Here is a new one for me:
Capitol ST-6201 - Introducing The Mexicana Brass Of Mario Patron - September 1966 (mono and stereo)
Now this is a weird "M.O.R." LP... a Mexican jazz musician copying an American (Herb Alpert) who was trying to be very Mexican sounding. Still, very rare on the Capitol 6000 and a bargain for a dollar at "Ransack The Universe" on Bloor Street West in Toronto. The cover is a "cheezy" facsimile of one of Herb Alpert's popular early album covers. Mario Patron was a respected Mexican jazz musician in the 1950s. And the music on this album is first rate, especially their Alpert-like version of La Bamba. Hopefully you can also find it for the same price as a Herb Alpert album...
And one of our "regulars" saw the sale of an odd REO 45 by Them (1968, post Van Morrison) to a Canadian collector. An odd release this is... because both sides were released on (Side 2 of) the album Capitol ST-6278 "Now And Them" from June 1968. So why not a Capitol 72000 release? Strange!
REO 9002X - Them - Walking In The Queen's Garden / I Happen To Love You (issued on Tower in the US)
Seems like we have the same release by The Easybeats on two different Canadian labels in 1969. One of them on Rare Earth (Phonodisc) and the other on Polydor. Neither release dented the charts in Canada.
Rare Earth 45 R-5009 St. Louis / Can't Find Love - Phonodisc sleeve, confirmed
Polydor 541.069 St. Louis / Can't Find Love - Polydor red sleeve
Polydor 2001.028 Rock And Roll Boogie / (Who Are My) Friends? - Polydor red sleeve
We received lots of nice feedback about the Phil Spector article from April. And they included several really nice updates to the growing list of Phil Spector productions. Keep these coming!
Barry B-3172X - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans
Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart? / Dr. Kaplan's Office (from Michael Fishberg)
(A very weird "transition from London to Quality" release as this was also released as London 17290. The Quality/Barry release predated the London release).
Philles PH.122 The Crystals - All Grown Up / Irving (Jaggered Sixteenths) (from Michael Fishberg)
Phil. 1 Veronica - So Young / Larry L. (1965) (from Jamie Anstey) (VERY RARE)
The Pye label continues to "crop up" all over the place. Here are a few new entries for both 45s and LPs.
PYE 45s
Pye 35024 - Joe Brown And The Bruvvers
What A Crazy World We're Living In / Pop Corn (white label, Astral)
Pye 7N.25488 - Sam Sklair
Zulu Warrior / Phata Phata - blue label, Phonodisc
Pye PC 4012 - Status Quo
Mean Girl / Everything - blue label, Phonodisc (confirmed)
PYE LPs
Pye NPL-18061 - Emile Ford Presents The Checkmates
Pye NSPL-30122 - Tony Hancock
The Blood Donor / The Radio Ham (RCA, red label, Allied, stereo release,1968)
Pye NSPL-30130 - Tony Hancock
This Is Hancock (RCA, red label, Allied, stereo release, 1968)
Pye NSPL 18273 - Woody Kern
The Awful Disclosures Of Maria Monk (RCA, blue label Phonodisc, 1969)
(includes a cover of Spirit's Gramophone Man, see scary front cover and Side 2 label below)
Marble Arch MALS-1157 - The Foundations
The Foundations, Marble Arch Stereo MALS 1157 (RCA, yellow label, Phonodisc)
We noticed earlier this month that the great discography site BNS Pubs is previewing a new Capitol 6000 list which looks a lot like our list but they are aiming to include track listings. A good idea... we think.
www.bsnpubs.com
Global Dog Productions has been publishing David Whatmough's Canadian discographies for some time (no labels) and these "discogs" include the Capitol 72000 series.
www.globaldogproductions.info
We think our listings are the best and we hope you will agree.
Barry Norris is selling some really nice Capitol 6000 LPs! Check out his web site:
www.barrysdiscs.com
And we have noticed that quite a few people have compiled their own lists of Capitol 6000 "wanted" LPs. Oddly, most people who collect Capitol 6000 LPs do not have a separate list of 72000 series 45s wanted... probably because there were just too many in the series and collecting them all would take... a long time.
Anyway, please keep in touch and please keep sending us these updates - they are always appreciated.
See you in June.
Capitol 6000 LPs
www.capitol6000.com/6000
Polydor
www.capitol6000.com/polydor
Pye LPs
www.capitol6000.com/pyelp
Pye 45s
www.capitol6000.com/pye
Easybeats discography
www.capitol6000.com/easybeats
Phil Spector productions - See article below from April 2015.
The Phil Spector story is now a very tragic one as we know, but for April we would like to pay tribute to the incredibly BRILLIANT work that he did in the studios of Los Angeles and elsewhere from 1958 onwards, that led to a huge number of records being sold in Canada. His production work with The Beatles' Get Back tapes was, of course, controversial. Phil travelled with The Beatles to New York City in February 1964. He also made a very cool guest appearance in the 1969 film Easy Rider.
Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to introduce myself to Ellie Greenwich in New York City. The "Grande Dame" of Pop if there ever was one, as Ellie co-wrote many of the best songs ever issued as Phil Spector productions, including Be My Baby, Da Doo Ron Ron, Not Too Young To Get Married, Baby I Love You, Then He Kissed Me, and River Deep, Mountain High. She also co-wrote great hits for other artists, including Chapel Of Love, Do Wah Diddy Diddy, and Leader Of The Pack. Looking back now, I sort of wish I had asked her about her relationship with Phil Spector.
Amazingly, Phil Spector was only 21 when he started his very own record label with Lester Sill. By 1962 he had bought out Sill. The Wall Of Sound that he created in the studio became his claim to fame, influencing The Beach Boys and many others. And he had such great songs. He didn't bother with B-sides though, as he considered those to be mere filler. The top sides were best heard on the AM radio - in your car, at the beach, or anywhere else. The failure of River Deep, Mountain High to top the US charts in 1966 was a defining moment for Spector. Perhaps he tried to regain his crown with The Beatles in 1970. For anyone interested in more detail than what we present here, I highly recommend the Rob Finnis book "The Phil Spector Story" (Rockon, London, UK, 1975).
Phil Spector was a member of The Teddy Bears who scored a massive hit in Canada in 1958 with his song "To Know Him Is To Love Him". The single was issued in both 78 RPM and 45 RPM formats by London Records Of Canada. The song was about Phil's father...
45/78 Dore 503 - The Teddy Bears - To Know Him Is To Love Him / Don't You Worry My Little Pet (London Records)
There were quite a few independent productions before the Philles label was etsablished. Four of the best of these charted in Canada between 1959 and 1961 and show-cased the early Spector production techniques. And these four discs established him as a serious hit (and money) maker.
45 Quality 1248 X - Ray Peterson - Corina, Corina / Be My Girl (US Dunes 2002, 1959) ( Yes, a perfect Pop song for its time if there ever was one - the string passage shows us how Phil could really enhance a Pop song)
45 Quality 1318 X - Curtis Lee - Pretty Little Angel Eyes / Gee How I Wish You Were Here (US Dunes 2007, 1961)
45 Quality 1349 X - Curtis Lee - Under The Moon Of Love / Beverly Jean (US Dunes 2008, 1961) (1961)
45 London 17197 - The Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me / All Through The NIght (US Gregmark 6, 1961)(The Paris Sisters were a great sister trio pre-dating The Beach Boys family vocal style and once again a string arrangment was used for maximum effect.)
And then the US Philles label was created and the initial singles were pressed in Canada by Quality and London:
45 Quality 1368 X - The Crystals - There's No Other (Like My Baby) / Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby (US Philles 100) (Perhaps this first release for the label was the very best release !)
45 Quality 1403 X - The Crystals - Uptown / What A Nice Way To Turn 17 (US Philles 102)
45 Quality 1441 X - The Crystals - He's A Rebel / I Love You Eddie (US Philles 106)
45 London 17262 - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah / Flip And Nitty (US Philles 107)
45 Quality 1499 X - The Crystals - He's Sure The Boy I Love / Walking Along (La-La-La) (US Philles 109)
45 London 17290 - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans - Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart / Dr. Kaplans Office (US Philles 110)
45 Philles (London) PH 111 - Darlene Love - (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry / My Heart Beat A Little Faster (US Philles 111)
45 Philles (London) PH 112 - The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home) / Git' It (US Philles 112)
45 Philles (London) PH 113 - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans - No Too Young To Get Married / Annette (US Philles 113)
45 Philles (London) PH 114 - Darlene Love - Wait Til' My Bobby Gets Home / Take It From Me (US Philles 114)
45 Philles (London) PH 115 - The Crystals - Then He Kissed Me / Brother Julius (US Philles 115)
45 Philles (London) PH 116 - The Ronettes - Be My Baby / Tedesco And Pitman (US Philles 116)
45 Philles (London) PH 117 - Darlene Love - A Fine Fine Boy / Nino And Sonny (Big Trouble) (US Philles 117)
45 Philles (London) PH 118 - The Ronettes - Baby, I Love You / Miss Joan And Mr. Sam (US Philles 118)
45 Philles (London) PH 119 - The Crystals (TBD)
45 Philles (London) PH 120 - The Ronettes - (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up / Big Red (US Philles 120)
45 Philles (London) PH 121 - The Ronettes - Do I Love You / Bebe And Susu (US Philles 121)
45 Philles (London) PH 122 - The Crystals (TBD)
45 Philles (London) PH 123 - The Ronettes - Walkin' In The Rain / How Does It Feel ? (US Philles 123)
45 Philles (London) PH 124 - The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' / There's A Woman (US Philles 124)
45 Philles (London) PH 125 - Darlene Love (TBD)
45 Philles (London) PH 126 - The Ronettes - Born To Be Together / Blues For Baby (US Philles 126)
45 Philles (London) PH 127 - The Righteous Brothers - Just Once In My Life / The Blues (US Philles 127)
45 Philles (London) PH 128 - The Ronettes (TBD)
45 Philles (London) PH 129 - The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody / Hung On You (US Philles 129)
(Another perfect Pop record.)
45 Philles (London) PH 130 - The Righteous Brothers - Ebb Tide / For Sentimental Reasons (US Philles 130)
Canadian pressings of US Philles releases after 130 are unknown/TBD.
To date, I have not verified any imported pictures sleeves for any of the Canadian 45 releases on the London Philles label.
Phil started all over again in 1968 with a contract with A&M Records.
Quality A&M 1040 X - The Ronettes - You Came, You Saw, You Conquered! / Oh, I Love You (1969)
Albums were never Phil's thing, singles were. The following is a list of his album productions that were issued in Canada:
LP Quality 1697 - The Crystals - Twist Uptown - blue Quality label (US Philles 4000)
LP Quality 1699 - The Crystals - He's A Rebel (US Philles 4001, a Quality or London LP release is TBD)
The following LPs were pressed by Compo (Lachine, Quebec):
LP London PHL.4002 - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans - Zip-A Dee- Doo-Dah - black label
LP London PHL.4003 - The Crystals - Sing The Greatest Hits Volume 1 - black label
LP London PHL.4004 - Various Artists - Philles Records Presents Today's Hits - black label
LP London PHL.4005 - Various Artists - A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records - black label (Without a doubt, this was the best Christmas Pop album ever made.)
The following LPs were pressed by Compo (Cornwall, Ontario):
LP London PHL.4006 - The Ronettes - Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica - black label
LP London PHL.4007 - The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - black label (note some covers are textured covers)
LP London PHL.4007 - The Righteous Brothers - Just Once In My Life ... - black label
LP London PHL.4008 - The Righteous Brothers - Back To Back - black label (note some covers are textured covers)
The following LP was issued by Capitol in 1968 and was pressed by Compo (Cornwall, Ontario):
LP Philles ST-90692 - The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - yellow and black label
The following LP was issued on A&M in 1969 but a Canadian pressing is TBD:
A&M SP 4178 - Ike And Tina Turner - River Deep, Mountain High
In May 1970, Capitol of Canada issued the terrific box set for The Beatles' Let It Be album. Phil Spector was listed as the producer for the album as notorious Beatles manager Allen Klein had given him the 1969 Get Back tapes to "Spectorize" in a London studio. Some liked what he did, while some did not. The two Beatles singles he produced did top the charts, which is perhaps the final nod in his favour.
Spector married Ronnie of The Ronettes in 1968 and their names appear in the run out area (dead wax) of the Beatles records he produced for Apple. "Phil + Ronnie" was a nice touch.
Spector could also act ! He appeared as his wonderful and crazy self in a 1967 episode of the TV show "I Dream Of Jeanie" (where Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart perform a song called Out And About with Barbara Eden on drums!). Perhaps if Sir Paul McCartney had seen this TV episode, he would have warmed up to him. Oh well.
(* nice Day Tripper riffs at the end)
As mentioned, Spector appears as a weird drug user/dealer in the 1969 film Easy Rider. He also produced great solo records for John Lennon and George Harrison in 1970.
Perhaps one of the most colourful characters in Pop history, Spector changed the approach to the production of Pop music forever. To create his famous Wall Of Sound, he used some of the best session musicians ever to have walked the face of the earth (Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, Don Randi, etc.) and he used them in ways that had never been imagined. He bridged the 1950s and 1970s.
Will Pop history be kind to Phil Spector ? Surely, the music on the records will last forever regardless of what tragic mistakes were made by the mad genius who produced them.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is this time again, time for the recent sales column, time to paint another small part of the global portrait of the sales of our great Canadian pressings! The last column was quite a few months ago, so tracing back sales that occurred in the first part of 2015it was long overdue. You will find sales of classics as well as surprising rarities that only show up from time to time on the radar, from both famous bands like The Beatles, to more elusive title from the Canadian 6000 and 72000 catalog. Sit back and enjoy!
Let us start with and all time favorite when it comes to sales: the Let It Be Box Set, as usual, this copy sold for 225$, complete with the box, the book, the tray and all. Another all time favorite from the 69-70 era reach a whopping 245$: the mistake Come Together 45 with the Lennon track on the A-side was at the heart of a serious bid war, while another identical copy sold for even more a few days later, reaching 280$ Canadian dollars! Very thinning for the wallet, but nonetheless ended well for two lucky collectors who added a historical piece to their collection! The Canadian Sie Liebt Dich pressing is also a star when it comes to collector's interest, pressings reach high prices all year long, and this time was no different: a nice copy sold for around 400$ Canadian dollars after a 7 day bidding competition. On another front, an interesting fantasy item, a Canadian sleeve for the Roll Over Beethoven Canadian single sold for 41$. Last but not least, The rarest of them all, the Canadian pressing of My Bonnie on DECCA sold again last month, this time it was a G - VG copy that sold for 275$ to a VERY lucky Canadian collector.
A batch of sealed Beatles albums were sold not too long ago in a used furniture/antique store in the Toronto area, St Catharines to be more precise. Now, while we often see purple sealed repressings pop up on online auctions, this time most these albums seemed to be for the most part pressings from around 1968! The first was a copy of Help (1967 Parr's cover) stereo that sold for 150$. The other albums were sold to one collector for an undisclosed price. Among them were a stereo copy of Beatles 65 (possibly a red target copy) , Sgt. Pepper's , The White Album and Abbey Road . Other sealed items from that lot included later albums like Rarities and Love Song (black records). Another sealed copy of the unique Gold coloured record pressing of Love Songs changed hands for 250$ Canadian dollars, while it regular unsealed version sold for 60$ on the same day. This just shows that some original unplayed sealed albums are still out there! Now the question is: "would you unseal them to hear an original Beatles album in its most impeccable state, as it would have been in the late 60s, or would you carefully store it away to protect its historical significance? I know what I would Do!
A very interesting and hard to come by 45 by Jack London and the Sparrows (If You Don't Want My Love) in near mint condition found a new home for a surprising 8.50$. A very rare Jimmy Nichols 45 on PYE, Husky, found a new home for 50$, while the very first Apple 45 sold in Canada, Thingumybob by the Black Dyke Mills Bands reached an interesting 106$. Finally, a rare 1976 Starline pressing of the Pink Floyd Money 45 sold for 26$ while a scarce Canadian promo copy of their later When Tigers Broke Free 45 sold for 31$. A rare Gold Decca label 45 by The Who , titled Happy Jack sold for 20$.
A sealed copy of Freddie And The Dreamers Ready Freddie Go sold for 45$. In The Pink Floyd department, a very nice copy of the Canadian Wish You Were Here album sold in the original black shrink wrap for 30$, a very first pressing of Dark Side of The Moon with the rare "Pat Pending" cover sold for 30$ also with all the posters and inserts and a flawless copy of their Animals album sold for 25$ - finding copies with no wear on the top of the from cover is nearly impossible today! Finally, a retro rainbow pressing of A Saucerful of Secrets sold for 7$.
During the late 1950s in Canada, one of the largest record companies (Quality Records) found that they could split the 45 market between "current" chart product and "older" chart product, to make sales grow even further. A lucrative market was created by their clever record company sales people. The concept was quite simple - put two chart hits by the same artist on the same 45, and charge a full price for the double sided single long after both hits were off the charts. Some people referred to these records as "two-fers"... two hit records for the price of one.
Quality Records of Toronto was perhaps the earliest and the most astute at re-packaging popular 45s. Their oldies 45s series was launched as "GOLDEN TREASURES ON WAX" in 1958, just a couple of years or so after the label began to have charted hits on the 45 format. The initial Golden Treasure On Wax series used a numbering system starting with C-30000 which was a release by Jan August "Miserlou / Malaguena".
By the early 1960s, Quality was distributing many American labels in Canada, both large and small, and it could draw upon many "Top 10" hits from its back catalogue. The gold label reissues in the 1950s were shipped with Quality or related label sleeves (eg Mercury) with the Golden Treasury titles listed only on the back. By the early 1960s, the singles were shipped in special Golden Treasury stock sleeves that listed all of the "double sided hit" titles available on both the front and back of the sleeve. Releases comprised charted hits from the labels Barry, Cameo, Dimension, Dot, Parkway, Philips, Quality, and REO. Later on (1966-1967), after the series became a "cash cow", Quality issued the 45s in handsome yellow title sleeves with printed titles. The early (1963) and later (1966) sleeves for Del Shannon's Runaway appear below.
The series would prove to be so popular for Quality that they would carry the series into the 1970s and beyond. The yellow title sleeves appear to have been discontinued in the 1970-1971 time period. Some of the later issues (1968) using these special title sleeves included:
Quality MGM GC 176X - The Cowsills - The Rain, The Park & Other Things / River Blue
Quality ACGT.608X - The Bee Gees - Massachusetts / Sir Geoffrey Saved The World
We featured an article earlier called "Taming The Animals" and in that article we referenced a gold label issue of The House Of The Rising Sun (Quality QGT-069X). Oddly, the catalogue number of this reissue (069) was slightly later than the number for their later hit It's My Life (061).
The back of the title sleeve for San Franciscan Nights shown above, listed a couple of hit couplings for The Guess Who and also for their "mega-docious" seller of the 1960s ... Herb Alpert.
Capitol issued a series of "green swirl" 45s on their Star Line label. The first release 45-6001 was by Pee Wee Hunt (Twelfth Street Rag / Oh !). This was followed by double-sided hit packages from all the great Capitol artists ... Nat King Cole, The Kingston Trio, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, Nelson Riddle, Buck Owens, The Beach Boys, Edith Piaf, etc. and then in 1965, The Beatles.
Decca (Compo) issued a series of gold label 45s of their own in Canada, including double side hits by Bert Kaempfert, Brenda Lee and then later by The Who. The G prefix was used to denote the "Gold" series.
Decca G 21003 - Earl Grant - Ebb Tide / Swingin' Gently
Decca G 21006 - Burl Ives - A Little Bitty Tear / Funny Way Of Laughin'
Decca G 21008 - Guy Lombardo - Harbor Lights / Tennessee Waltz
Decca G 21010 - Carmen Cavallero - Arrivederci Roma / Moon River
Decca G 21013 - Grady Martin And The Slew Foot Five - Somebody Stole My Gal / City Lights
Decca G 21014 - Terry Gilkyson - On Top Of Old Smokey / Goodnight Irene (by Gordon Jenkins)
Decca G 21017 - Bill Haley And His Comets - Rock Around The Clock / Shake, Rattle And Roll
Decca G 21019 - Bill Anderson - 8 x 10 / Still
Decca G 21020 - Bert Kaempfert - Wonderland By Night / Afrikaan Beat (1966)
Decca G 21021 - Rick Nelson - For You / The Very Thought Of You
Decca G 21023 - Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue / Brown-Eyed Handsome Man
Decca G 21026 - Pet Fountain - Licorice Stick / Hello Dolly
Decca G 21027 - Bert Kaempfert - Blue Midnight / Red Roses For A Blue Lady
Decca G 21028 - Brenda Lee - Is It True (* with Jimmy Page) / Alone With You (1966)
Decca G 21034 - Bert Kaempfert - Moon Over Naples / Three O'Clock In The Morning
Decca G 21041 - The Who - My Generation / Happy Jack (special gold label, 1968)
Decca G 21044 - The Who - I Can See For Miles / I Can't Explain (special gold label, 1968)
While the "two-fer" singles were attractive for many, some record buyers in the 1960s (like myself) felt that these were "cash in" packages and preferred the original pressings of each hit. We sort of frowned on them in some ways when we saw them in the record shops. Artists, apart from the ones produced by Phil Spector for the Philles label, usually cared about their B sides. B-sides of the original hits were often pretty good. A good example is the cool B side of The Who's I Can See For Miles (Mary Ann With The Shaky Hands).
And for The Beatles, the coupling of Kansas City with Boys was a good "two-fer" record for young Beatles fans to buy instead of the much more expensive LP option of "Beatles VI" just for those two tracks. These two Beatles tracks had never been issued on the 45 format before this. They had not been hits in Canada... but hey, these were oddball Beatles tracks and this would prove to be the biggest selling "green swirl" 45 by The Beatles in Canada ! Lastly, just imagine what a picture sleeve for Kansas City / Boys would have looked like !