Witchseason Productions Ltd.
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Scallywagjazz1 16th Dec 2018
| | Interesting thread this - John Martyn's 'Angeline' was the first commercially released CD single. Dire Straits 'Brothers in Arms' (at just 700 copies sold on tour) was never commercially released.
As Steve Kelly 1st has said there were no rules or guidelines in the early days of CD singles, it being such a new format, so Martyn (or Island) were able to get away with five tracks. Not sure why he mentions later that a 'single' is 15 or 24 minutes max and then adds a link to a website which clearly states 25 minutes max.
Twenty-five minutes and four tracks was introduced as the onslaught of 12" singles in the early 80s with a variety of mixes and number of tracks ended up making it difficult to determine what constituted an album and or a single.
Steve 'Silk' Hurley had a UK No. 1 with 'Jack Your Body' in January 1987 with 12" sales included when the 12" single was 27minutes 53 seconds long and therefore an album. It seems that no-one noticed it at the time. Compare that to the Beach Boys' albums Wild Honey and Friends for example which were both under 25 minutes in length. |
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Quad5point1 SUBS 19th Mar 2018
| | Nod to Steve Kelly1st, I've added a tidier disc scan + close up of the hub with "Manufactured By Sonopress In Western Germany" |
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Fokeman 21st Sep 2017
| | One clue might be the size of jewel case it came in... |
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mister_tmg 21st Sep 2017
| | You're sitting on a goldmine there then, Henry. |
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henry29 24th Mar 2017
| | This was the very first commercially released CD single and the first non-promo one I had. H. |
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Steve Kelly1st 23rd Mar 2017
| | You're right.
These days there are clear guide lines as to what does, and what does not, qualify as being a CD single. It's either 15 or 24 minutes. I've added a link.
Of course in 1986 it was all virgin territory and entirely artificial given that a CD could play for 74 minutes - unlike a vinyl 45 rpm record which could contain far less music.Chart Rules |
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Quad5point1 SUBS 23rd Mar 2017
| | For some reason there's a 17 minute thing in my head as a factor for what should determine a single or a mini album. The John Martyn cd comes in at 24:39 and the Peter Gabriel cd comes in at 25:16 |
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Steve Kelly1st 23rd Mar 2017
| | Yes there was, but since it was such a new format - on such a relatively new medium - there weren't any real guidelines.
It was certainly promoted as a single.
Also believe that a Ruby Turner release around the same time also laid claim to being the first CD single ....... |
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Quad5point1 SUBS 22nd Mar 2017
| | Was there not some debate about this disc being called a "Single" on it's release as it had 5 tracks on it, people were saying that it was either an EP or a Mini Album. I think the same thing happened to Peter Gabriel's Big Time as well |
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Steve Kelly1st 22nd Mar 2017
| | Additional artwork and disc scan of first ever CD single in the UK. |
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Magic Marmalade 1st Mar 2015
| | I read in Record Collector yesterday that this was the world's first commercially available CD single... is that correct?
I knew it was early, but bit sceptical of this claim (surely another, bigger selling artist would have had that honour?) |
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