Vinyl Albums - Comments by Henry Bell

Vinyl Albums - Comments by Henry Bell

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Henry Bell 26th Feb 2022		Vinyl Album Cliff Richard - Cliff Sings (1959)	Although this was a mono only LP it became available in stereo when the whole album was released in a series of EPs. Unlike the LP these EPs were released in both mono and stero. It seems that EMI were testing the new stereo format and for some reason pushed stereo EPs. Some other contemporary LPs were treated similarly.
Henry Bell 26th Feb 2022		Vinyl Album Brenda Lee - All Alone Am I (1963)	THis LP was also issued in stereo: BRUNSWICK STA 8530
Henry Bell 21st Aug 2021		Vinyl Album The Beatles - 1967-1970 [The Blue Album] (1973)	The first inner sleeves of the blue and the red sets did not have a producer credit. This information was added on later print runs.
Henry Bell 17th Jul 2021		Vinyl Album Simon And Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)	I obtained my copy as a birthday present (Feb 14th 1970) It was given to me by a friend who worked in a local record shop. The album had just been released. I can assure you that very early copies have a glossy front sleeve and matt back. There is no mention of Acuff-Rose on the cover but it gets a credit on the label. The label on side two is identicle to those posted and illustrated. However side one has major differencs. All tracks are attributed to -P Simon- Under El Condor Pasa there is no mention of (Trad: Arr Jorge Mitchberg/ Paul .Simon). Track one does not have that lone P Simon credit and the -P Simon credit under the titles is set slightly lower than those illustrated above. The inner sleeve has never been swapped over and therefore also an original. The front has advertising in black and white - including "Bookends" and Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" The other side of the sleeve is a full page article (also used by Columbia in the US) extolling the virtues of "Long Playing Records" - 8 reasons for buying them, no less.
Henry Bell 5th Jun 2021		Vinyl Album Buddy Holly - My Greatest Songs (1963)	Great typo on the rear sleeve. Take a close look at the title of Side 1 - track 4
Henry Bell 23rd Mar 2021		Vinyl Album The Kinks - Kinks (1964)	Some record guides have stated that this was for export only. Just to reinforce that this LP was indeed issued in stereo in the UK it is advertised with both mono, and stereo. catalogue numbers in the Octber 2nd issue of The New Musical Express. Also advertised on the rear cover of the KINKSIZE SESSION EP. as being available on (Momo) NPL 18096 NSPL 83021 (Stereo) The stereo version has the typical PYE group mono cover with a stereo sticker on the front and also one covering the mono number on the rear with the stereo number. Labels are dedicated stereo with the word stereo and the stereo number. The stereo sound is rather primitive, being mostly music centre and vocals panned to left and right speakers. You Really Got Me is the mono mix but given a dollop of echo which merely makes it sound a bit messy.
Henry Bell 25th Feb 2021		Vinyl Album The Hollies - Hollies' Greatest (1968)	The version of "Yes I Will" released on the original single begins with a drum and guitar intro. This was also used on the mono GREATEST HITS LP issued in 1968. The version with no instrumental intro was used on this stereo version issued at the same time . There are some very poor stereo mixes on this LP "I Can't Let Go" is a mess and "Bus Stop" has a weak vocal in the first half of the track. . Some others sound much less powerful than their mono counterparts. Having said that, many of the tracks have superb stereo mixes e.g. "Just One Look" and "I'm Alive"
Henry Bell 25th Feb 2021		Vinyl Album The Hollies - Hollies' Greatest (1968)	Just to confirm for BEATLEJOHN The version of "Yes I Will" released on the original single begins with a drum and guitar intro. This was also used on the mono GREATEST HITS LP issued in 1968. The version with no instrumental intro was used on the stereo GREATEST HITS issued at the same time.
Henry Bell 11th Feb 2021		Vinyl Album Various Artists - Phil Spector's Christmas Album (1974)	This UK only version was available in blue vinyl (as illustrated) and also in standard black vinyl.
Henry Bell 7th Nov 2020		Vinyl Album Buddy Holly - The Buddy Holly Story (1959)	Despite owning this LP for years; both the 1959 original and the c. 1963 revised cover. I have only recently noticed that "It's So Easy" does not have an asterix before the song title on the label of side 2. to indicate it was originally credited to The Crickets.. The error also appears on the US label..
Henry Bell 23rd Sep 2020		Vinyl Album Cliff Richard And The Shadows - Summer Holiday (1963)	The stereo mix of Bachelor Boy differs from the stereo mix on the EP released later in the year. The EP uses a slightly later mix that was made for the US stereo version of the LP. The main difference that the main vocal track is panned to the centre making a more natural stereo version as opposed to the "hard panning" of the LP version.
Henry Bell 5th Jul 2020		Vinyl Album The Beatles - Beatles' Greatest (1970)	A friend of mine brought this album for me in Israel in the mid 1970s. The cover is identical to this , clearly stating EMI Apple. The record, however, is on the PARLOPHONE label very similar to the Abbey Road Parlophone illustated in the Isreali version. It has one EMI box (bottom), Gramophone rim text, no country of origin on the label and unique stamped matrix numbers and codes.
Henry Bell 28th Apr 2020		Vinyl Album Joan Baez - 5 (1964)	My copy has the RECORDING FIRST PUBLISHED 1964 info on the label in tiny letters. rather than the presumably later P in a circle.
Henry Bell 14th Apr 2020		Vinyl Album Various Artists - The King And I (1956)	Some very early copies of this LP had a 5.6cm Capitol stereo colourband sticker on the front cover just below the album title.
Henry Bell 3rd Mar 2020		Vinyl Album Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home (1965)	I have an early release of this album with black stereo 360 sound label etc. It was bought along with an early Another Side Of and Times LPs. All very early pressings. There is no inner sleeve with these records.They are all housed in a clear polythene bag that was originally sealed. A serated line near the top could be pulled apart, Some careful owners cut along the top of the bag leaving the opening line intact. The decision on which inner to use (bag, plain or advertising) may have been made by whichever Columbia plant was used for pressing and assembly.
Henry Bell 9th Feb 2020		Vinyl Album Elvis Presley - A Date With Elvis (1959)	The reasons RCA terminated their licencing to HMV records had nothing to do with Elvis Presley. The decision to seek another outlet for RCA product was made earlier in the 1950s; due to EMI competing in the US. The EMI purchase of CAPITOL records in 1955 hastened the divorce. The two companies had "exchanged matrixes" for about 50 years and the RCA discs were embedded in EMI catalogues. In mid 1957 DECCA in Britain began manufacturing and distributing new RCA material. That;s why All Shook Up is on HMV and Teddy Bear just a few weeks later is on RCA. EMI were allowed to keep issuing and selling RCA sourced product until September 1958. After that it was RCA (Decca) all the way until the 1970s.
Henry Bell 24th Jul 2019		Vinyl Album The Kinks - Kinks (1964)	This album was also issued in stereo on PYE NSPL 83021. Some record guides have stated that this was for export only. Just to reinforce that this LP was indeed issued in stereo in the UK it is advertised as such on the rear cover of the KINKSIZE SESSION EP. (Momo) NPL 18096 NSPL 83021 (Stereo) The stereo version has the typical PYE group mono cover with a stereo sticker on the front and also one covering the mono number on the rear with the stereo number. Labels are dedicated stereo with the word stereo and the stereo number. the stereo sound is rather primitive being mostly music centre and vocals panned to left and right speakers. You Really Got Me is the mono mix but given a dollop of echo which merely makes it sound a bit messy.
Henry Bell 22nd Jul 2019		Vinyl Album Chris Barber's Jazz Band And Skiffle Group - New Orleans Joys (1954)	This LP was reviewed as a new release in Melody Maker magazine in the issue dated 29 January 1955. My copy has the older gold lettering on the label and the tax code is N (April 1953 - October 1955) The sleeve date code also fits in with a January/February 1955 release date being: CP. 55.2 The correct release date must be January / February 1955. Later copies with the silver lettering also carried the album title, artist etc on the back sleeve; vertically and close to the spine This album later provided Decca with the single that propelled Lonnie Donegan to stardom: ROCK ISLAND LINE in 1956.
Henry Bell 17th Jul 2019		Vinyl Album Elvis Presley - Rock 'N' Roll (1972)	As this record was designated stereo on the cover and labels. It would have put off some potential purchasers. The Elvis mono recordings were subjected to a truely horrendous "reprocessed for stereo" form - to be avoided. I bought this record when it came out and to my delight, and amazement, it sounds pure unadulterated original mono. It has a lovely natural sound, rather like the original His Master's Voice LP.. The sleeve is totally inappropriate and makes no attempt to show the original artwork. They even illustrate the RCA 1959 album that had most of the original HMV tracks on it. Silly and misleading sleeve but oh that lovely original sound.and the tracks in their original running order - brilliant
Henry Bell 9th May 2019		Vinyl Album Mr. Acker Bilk With The Leon Young String Chorale - Stranger On The Shore (1961)	This LP was first issued with the distinctive Light Green and Silver Columbia stereo label.
Henry Bell 8th May 2019		Vinyl Album Herman's Hermits - There's A Kind Of Hush All Over The World (1967)	This album is a UK issue of the MGM album released in early 1967. The correct release date should be October 1967. It was advertised in the NME on Oct 1967 including an illustration and was reviewed in the same paper on October 21st. This album has a very odd master number YMX 77-E1 / YMX 78-E1. Totally out of step with other UK Columbia LPs. Also out of step with UK LPs is that the album is mono (as is the MGM original). No discernable stereo effect. That may account for the -E1 (electronic stereo). At least in the UK buyers were not charged extra ($1 in the USA). Mikie Most was notorious for not issuing stereo LPs. Bear Family have released true stereo mixes taken from the original tapes.
Henry Bell 8th May 2019		Vinyl Album Herman's Hermits - There's A Kind Of Hush All Over The World (1967)	This album is a UK issue of the MGM album released in early 1967. The correct release date should be October 1967. It was advertised in the NME on Oct 1967 including an illustration and was reviewed in the same paper on October 21st.
Henry Bell 8th May 2019		Vinyl Album David McWilliams - Singing Songs By David McWilliams (1967)	This album did not as far as I know get a stereo release. . SMLP11 is for the volume 3 LP
Henry Bell 8th May 2019		Vinyl Album David McWilliams - Vol. 2 (1967)	There is also a stereo version of this LP SMLP10
Henry Bell 30th Mar 2019		Vinyl Album David McWilliams - Days Of Pearly Spencer (1968)	Furrball You could be right in that the US KAPP single and this album are the only way to get this superb recording. I have searched for it for years, even recent CD issues overlook it.
Henry Bell 30th Mar 2019		Vinyl Album David McWilliams - Volume Three (1968)	There is also a stereo version of this LP SMLP11
Henry Bell 30th Sep 2018		Vinyl Album Buddy Holly - The Buddy Holly Story (1959)	The first back cover of this LP has the title in red letters, soon altered to black.. In the mid 1960s the cover was altered with a slightly different portrait of Buddy taken at the same photoshoot as the original.
Henry Bell 30th Sep 2018		Vinyl Album Buddy Holly And Bob Montgomery - Holly In The Hills (1965)	There are also two different versions of the UK LP. The first version mistakenly had Reminiscing as the last track on side one. Later copies were corrected and we get Wishing as intended. I suspect most copies around are the incorrect pressing the corrected version was probably issued after the bulk of sales to avid collectors dried up.