12" Singles - Comments / Reviews by Stereobitch

12" Singles - Comments / Reviews by Stereobitch

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Gonzalez - Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet (1977)	A UK production and track and was released by EMI as the first title on their new but not very long lasting dance-suedo USA style discotheque imprint of Sidewalk. Gonzarles had actually been there with EMI since the launch of the genric EMI label. Naturally Capitol were shipped tapes and paperwork and they didn't start dancing yet! It's kinda cheesy now and slots in with other safe non edgy bland I remember this one stuff, Dance Yourself Dizzy, Dancing Tight, I was made for Dancing, Ring My Bell, Now Is The Time, all "nice productions" but of their time, and just do not cut the mustard or credabilty. Great Jackie Compilation CD fodder. It's too nice, too euro, too camp, too catchy too annoying. I have only kept my copy as it's a promo and is sidewalk 1 and the sleeve and flyer have been autographed when they did a PA.
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Discotheque - Intro-Disco By Discotheque (1979)	Sorry but you mean floor clearer possibly the worst waste of PVC pellets and the worst ever pressed record to have come out of the factory. Absolute flop and absoulute garbage! The only thing good about it are the two birds on the sleeve, wonder what the satins are, I'm sorry BUT who ever was in charge of Mercury A&R at Phonogram at that time should have been taken outside and shot! When this was mailed out, I think this was the only record from Phonogram I ever sent back, so it actually cost me money! Heaven's above thank god, Crown Heights Affair, Charles Erland, and Ranni Harris were just around the corner.
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Miquel Brown - Symphony Of Love (1978)	Ahh that sleeve the first Steppin' Out's Grey scale on thin white paper ! The Original home to and sleeve of Roy Ayres Running Away (7" die-cut sleeve too) GG I Will Survive (7" die-cut sleeve too,) JB Sex Machine (1st 12" release) (the 7" of this was a bit before the Steppin' Out campaign so was a standard red generic polydor die-cut) I
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single The Brothers Johnson - STOMP! (1980)	This 12" release (pressed for A&M by CBS Aston-Clinton Aylesbury Bucks) was never shipped or came with a white die-cut paper inner-sleeve. The pressing/Run came with the Custom design A side labels (sadly a small unobtrusive 45 in red would have been nice touch. (Nothing at all is better than some idiot's thick black marker pen 45 RPM as I saw written on a tatty copy at a recent Car Boot, ) The 12" custom art sleeves were double die-cut in two runs at the printers with each cut punched out off true centre of the sleeve and at seperate angle/positions, The effect was clever easy to do and very effective. A&M were very inavitive with their releases, the 12" singles often came as limited editions in coloured vinyls virgin clear vinyl 10" editions custom artwork labels shaped discs etc. The biggest mistake their Marketing dpet made with the BJ's was NOT having the UK pressing of Strawberry Letter in a run of Strawberry red vinyl , both the USA Promo and Commercial 12"s came in red vinyl. This release would have really hit the spot in a matching red-pink vinyl, (would really be nice to know what CBS's rates were for coloured vinyls, bearing in mind that the regular vinyl used is carbon-black which in it's self is a colour "Carbon" being the key word, Virgin and original vinyl pellets are clear, ANY PVC that is NOT clear has had a colour/pigment added. A picture disc is virgin un-coloured vinyl with a double side printed 12" die cut paper design sandwiched in the middle of two clear cakes/bisquits/pucks. The actual track is an absolute classic club floor filler. great track, great vocalists, produced by a serious legend and with the helpful writing tallents of the UK's very own ex-Heatwave member Rod Temperton, who, along with Mr "Soul Bossa-Nova" Jones would team up with Michael "before the damage" Jackson. Enough said.
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Hamilton Bohannon - Let's Start To Dance Again (1981)	Review This was a very signifcant and important and very sad release from "London" Polygram had bought out the rappidly fading Decca Record Company just weeks before it's previous owner and master Sir Edward Lewis died in his bed in his home in Chelsea across the river and oposite his beloved Decca House on the Albert Enbankment. Polygram had sadly been pressing Decca's product for quite sometime, This release represents the final genuine original UK London imprint title and shares it's UK parentage and legacy with Decca Records and all things London right from 1948 and that shared USA and UK 10" shellac title from of all people Universal Pictures. Now as UMG and owners of Polygram and the world! the rather late in proceedings vinyl launch day for the Decca Record Co, The stereo records launch day for Decca Records in 1959 specally including 4 exclusive stereo titles on the London imprint. The end of Decca's tri-centres, the end of shellacs, right they way through. This was Polygrams final original London imprint title a very reflective take on an icon the silver tops. The sleeve was the same as previous Polygram London 12" title cheap and rather shabby a buck standard Polygram white thin card 12" die-cut (what is a centre holed??? the record?) The same white 12" die-cut sleeves used to house all those Polygram pressed label blanks over printed in blacks with an animated 1 and 2 as pairs. These die-cuts just over printed with red ink with the scripted london logo. (these being the 2nd "Generic" die-cut London sleeves). The pressing also shared the london past of those titles that came out as the labels changed from silver on black scripted logo to the equally revered and loved silver tops" of having a second label, just as the change from all black and text to the silver tops was dramatic and really classic so the new Polygram London label would be, (nothing could ever be as dull as Decca's 1967 boxed logos! Not only was the label striking and a really excellent take on what the London brand was and incorporating Decca's FFRR ear logo trade mark, the London logo now re encased in the 1950's retail record shop advertising and promotional sign boards that utalised a take on a coffin shape box . and the FFRR roundal at the top centre, all sent on top of a maroon coloured inverted triangle, with the whole design set on top of three horizontal silver grey bars. They indeed looked stunning and look fantastic revolving at 45rpm on a turntable. Effort was also put in to the matching generic die-cut sleeves using the maroon and grey and large London coffin boxed logo at the bottom with a large weged box with an animated12" in white text., a blank white 2" band across the top for over printing of artist and titles and mixes. Polygram also did a 7" generic die-cut of this sleeve.both in the maroon and grey and as a very touching acknoledgement and reminder of vinyl day for London in 1954 with a sea-green over the silver grey. (Sea Green was the base colour of the first London 45 sleeves, the sea reverence clearly to the Atlantic and USA. The only really tradgic part of Polygram's relaunch of London and the new LON and LONX for 12"s and the final few HL+ releases as this one was that ALL the 7" pressings were IEP's (Integral Embossed & Painted) paited with silver paint. Luckly there were to my knowledge NO Polygram IEP 12" pressings from the mainland plants shipped and sold in the UK I have yet to see one. To ANY London lover collector BOTH this retired label pressing and the new design are essential, only bother with the 7" if you are a compleatist. The representation of the silver tops made an actual and very welcome re-appearence on the 12" Sugarbabes release AND wonderfuly the promo pressing was a 7" only, however the real absoilute gem of this project was that it was not only a silver top label but also dinked with a cutting head leaving a legendary and iconic Decca Record Company UK 3pin tri-centre. The commercial 12" could have, but did not carry a printed representation of a Tri. This was the second "take" that HB had done to "Le's Start the Dance" the 1st version also came out via Polygram but on the Mercury imprint of Phonogram. HB in all did 3 "takes" on his very very catchy 4 bar melody. The various elements and vocals and raps do vairy between the 3 productions. stand out call for me is " Bohannon! Make It Funky!! which this pounding chugging ditty is. Roll back the carpet and start the dance! 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Wings - Maybe I'm Amazed (Mono) (Short Version) (2013)	Is there/was there any point at all of this release? It had had an original EMI single teaser release to the tripple "Over America" album , the record carried the same custom labels as the album. IMHO McCartney could have and should have given us the withdrawn Wings single Love Is Strange/I amYour Singer. I know that these were not live recordings and this was put out to promote the re-mastered DVD of the much aired concert. I like the custom labels and it's a 12" but what is the point of a mono version as this will have been just a regular fold down of the stereo mix a mono button on a hi-fi amp will do much the same thing. a lot of money for something every McCartney fan already would have. The pressings done for UMG will be excellent. not so sure of all the content!
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Diana Ross - Touch Me In The Morning (1979)	4 Tops/Temptations Motow 25 medley was not a reissue ! 4 Tops (vile) mega mix was also not a reissue RCA-Ariola/BMG stupidly used a re-tweaked EMI Tamla-Motown silver on black Album label with an exciting silver rim band and no "animated" 45 logo and the 33 1/3 print semi-blocked over!!! What the RCA-Ariola/BMG custodians did do was some 12" "Motown" titles had the new A side track(s) using the original EMI designed Motown label and the B side IF using back catalogue couplings would use their tweaked take of the original EMI silver on black morpfed Tamla and Motown UK label. some of the EMI 7" Tamla-Motown TMG 900's + promo pressinges had unique promo Motown labels some all blue some all geen tinted. It was under EMI that Motown had it's Prodegy and Mowest inprints released and under RCA-Ariola/BMG the "G" part of TMG prefix finally had it's UK imprint Gordy To be fair to RCA-Ariola/BMG apart from the awful ZT -ing of everything and then the euro numbering and the evental silver painted 7" IEPs. BOTH they and then UMG/Polydor have kept the morphed Tamla-Motown brand and label very much alive and quite often on new titles.
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Blondie - Rapture (Special Disco Mix) (1981)	Review The paper label pressings were the on;y UK run done by Polygram. The demand for the record was such that Chrysalis ordered a futher run, all that Polygram did as Chrysalis' manufacturers at that time was send the metal to a available free press on the mainland either Holland Germany or France and France got the job. The vile and revolting I.E.P. (Integral Embossed and painted, unpainted pressing are naturally just the colour of the vinyl used which across the board was agreed and standardised as carbon black, unless a colour was ordered, technically and actually carbon black is a colour. Virgin and unaltered vinyl pelllits are clear, which means all the clear vinyl records released and made are not very special or expensive editions as to the public they are insinuated, but in reality are pressd from the cheapest form of PVC pellets, un-coloured! The automated IEP pressings that Polygram thrust upon us progressed in Germany, France and Holland to cover 12" labels for LP's and Singles. Luckily Walthamstow was not tooled up for 12" IEPs just the even more revolting and lack lustre 7s. What a choice of paint colours they had: Polydor Mud-brown, Philips/Fontana/MGM blue, Avco/Charisma pink Spring green Stax yellow Mercury biege and the across the board utiltarian Silver. If vats of the colours ran low our out then there were any of the other colours to use! This rather revolting metalic sea-blue was quite a unique colour to the mainland plants. Polygrams Custom orders and manufactured only labels could select any of the exciting range of coloured paints Polygram used:- Chrysalis when first moving to Polygram used the Green then went to the Philips/Fontana Blue. Arista when moving to Polygram also used the wonderful Philips/Fontana/MGM blue as did their contract pressings for WEA and Pye. Pye also was asigned the Polydor Mud-brown red as was some of RCA's. Note that the 12" IEP's using the fantastic metallic silver came out reverse rolled/painted ie. the replacement label area is black only the embossed text and logos are silver. The saddest part of these IEP pressings was when EMI replaced their 7" presses in early 1980s to the fully automated (injection mould) IEPs as singles were no longer cost effecttive and the IEPs were so much cheaper to operate. (Thank goodness a couple of the original 7" presses were kept for various promo and limited edition paper label runs for both their own product and contracted product were paper labels were specific. There are very very few Polygram manufactured 12" pressings that were only automated IEP pressings contracted out of the UK. The one that springs to mind is Level 42 "Starchild" on Polydor If there was not a 300 copy blank label run done (using Polygram's standard white blank labels with just a large black text 1 and 2 on each pair to differentiate the sides then the only runs of this title for the UK market came from Polygram France pressed as 12" IEPs using the standard Polydor mud-brown-red paint. (Thank heavens for the USA 12" promo and commercial pressings with their superior and excellent paper labels). Chrysalis finally took it on the chin with Polygram due to the bombardment of complaints and switchboard calls regarding the 7" IEPs pressed for Two Tone titles using the silver paint, the fans only wanted the black and white paper labels. Chrysalis taking on board buyers complaints etc and much lost sales because of IEP's in the racks, went back to EMI for paper labels and dinked 4pin OC 45's. The paint on IEPs can be removed/rubbed off very easily. Not sure if the poor Blondie IEP 12" and 7" will ever be collectable OR of any value over the paper label equivilents. On the sonic side the pressings are naturally faultless, 100% centred on the stampers with no "swing" and well masterd and cut. When you look at these automated pressings and feel the bile swelling up, just remind yourself of what the USA buyers had to suffer in the 60's with Amy, Marla and Bell titles!! 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Norman Connors - Take It To The Limit (1980)	The image is not of the USA prom but the UK commercial pressing from the Polygram plant in Walthstow ( Arista had gone to Polygram for manufacture from EMI who had been their "hoasts" since the Bell-Arista launch) The USA promo label is the one shown on the YouTube video A nice track but not a patch on his Buddah releases Cpt Connors and You Are My Starship etc. Arista NY were the original USA distributors of USA Buddah 12" singles, so a relevant link both of Artiste and labels
Stereobitch 16th Aug 2013		12" Single Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires - ELVIS 18 UK # 1s (2005)	Note a very important point. The vinyl (pressed in Germany by BMG) were not sleeved/bagged at the presses but after in the sleeving/bagging dept. the individual numbers duplicated more than twice and do not and can not ever relate to the pressing number of the disc. sleeve number 0001 does not contain the first disc from the press etc etc. was a kind of nice idea by an ex-emi employee now installed in fullham high street trying to impress. just a great shame many elements were very poor and made Sony/BMG look very greedy and untrustworth and sadly with the 1st release and the free box "All Shook Up", totally incorrect and insulting the both the original UK buyers of All Shook Up both as 10" Shellacs and 7" vinyls that made it No.1 AND all the ex-staff that were at EMI Hayes and part of the H.M.V. label etc! The only real plus and bonus for the collector was that all the titles that had been recored and mixed for stereo were being cut and pressed that way. The mastering and cutting engineer did a great job with both the stereo and the mono mixes that came out. The sets do not have the collector's value OR interest as they should have had because of the multi runs of everything, the sleeving/bagging comming to light as a scam, fraud and joke. There is however an upside to this Sony/BMG legal and pr held an olive branch to both EMI and HMV retail. and two special 10" repro vinyls came out. 1. on green EMI-Columbia and one on the Plumb and gold text EMI-HMV (7" label) .