VINYL INTERNATIONAL - (CONT.) EUROPEAN DECCA 45s

Slightly different format for this entry - as I'm just concentrating of the sleeve art of these three european 45s and one LP - all released on Decca in the 60s.

ARTIST: Lulu & The Luvers; TITLE: Shout; LABEL: Decca; FORMAT: 7"; Cat. No.: DL 25 148; YEAR: 1964; COUNTRY: NED.
First up is this 1964 offering.  Which I think is the  Dutch issued version of Lulu's debut - and here still credited alongside her backing band The Luvers.  And a cracking version of the Isley's tune - which I fairly certain most people SHOULD know!

ARTIST: Lulu; TITLE: Can't Hear You No More; LABEL: Decca: FORMAT: 7"; Cat. No. (Not Given); YEAR: 1965; COUNTRY: NED.
This second one from Lulu is from around 1965 - and def is Dutch - having picked up a couple of Dusty Springfield single form this favorieten express series the last time I was in Amsterdam, and is the Goffin & King penned "Can't Hear You No More" - which carrying on with the Dusty connections also crops up her 2nd LP 'Everything's Coming Up Dusty' issued around the same time as this single.

ARTIST: The Who; TITLE: Out On The Street; LABEL: Decca; FORMAT: 7"; Cat. No.: 45-GO 6409; YEAR: 1965; COUNTRY: NED.
The next one is this Dutch issued single from The Who "Out On The Street - and the opener to their debut LP 'My Generation'.  Interesting to note that it's part of Dutch Decca's 'American Series' - were the marketing people attempting to push the band as a US/black R'n'B act I wonder?

ARTIST: Them; TITLE: Them (One More Time); LABEL: Decca; FORMAT: LP; Cat No.: (Not Given); YEAR: 1965; COUNTRY; NED.
Last up is the sleeve of this Dutch LP from Them - and I'm guessing is the follow up to the debut 'Angry Young Them' as the track listing's comprised of single A & B sides and the tracks their EP's issued in the UK.  And the fact that tracks like the cover of Dylan's 'It's All Over Now Baby Blue aren't listed.

THE 3 TEMPTATIONS OF THE ROLLING STONES

Like most bands who started in the 60's the Stones did their amount covers in their early years - obviously in the case of Jagger and Co it's mainly blues, but like The Beatles before them they also did a fair amount of Soul stuff too.  There's a version of Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike" on the 1965 'Out Of Our Heads' LP (Decca SKL 4733) (along with versions of Don Covay's "Mercy Mercy"and Barbara Lynn's "Oh Baby (We Got A Good Thing Going)"), but what I'm concentrating on is the 3 cover of tracks by The Temptations spread over a 12 year period - i.e. 1967-1978.

Artist: The Rolling Stones; Title: Flowers;  Label: DECCA/NOVA; Year: 1967; Format: LP; Cat. No.:6.21.407;  Country of Issue: Germany.
First up is "My Girl" which appeared on the non-UK album 'Flowers' issued in 1967. The track is unreleased for the session for 1966's 'Aftermath' LP and was my own introduction to the song - having heard this ahead of the Otis Redding version and then eventually the Temptations' original version.  It's a good version and Jagger treats it with the respect it deserves.  It finally made its UK debut on the 1971 'Stone Age' (SKL 5084) comp that Decca put out after the Stones had set up their own label via Atlantic.

Artist: The Rolling Stones; Title: Ain't Too Proud To Beg; Label: ROLLING STONES/ATCO/CONTINENTAL; Year: 1975; Format: 45; Cat. No.: 3-05-101-004; Country of Issue: Brazil.
Next up is 1975 version of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" - which I hadn't realized they'd done - and from the 'It's Only Rock 'n' Roll' LP and again unissued as a single here in the UK.  And rather good it is too - well worth checking out - as the previously owner of this Brazilian copy, someone called Vitor thought too, as he was happy to put his name to it twice!!!!

Artist: The Rolling Stones; Title: Some Girls; Label: ROLLING STONES/EMI; Year: 1978; Format: LP; Cat. No.: CUN 39108. Country of Issue: UK.
The 3rd Temptations cover they did (as far as I'm aware) is the version of "Just My Imagination" that's on 1978's 'Some Girls'.  Again a creditable cover and like the version of "My Girl", my own first experience of the song.

DELIA & THE DOCTOR

Artist: Delia Derbyshire & The BBC Radiophonic Workshop; Title: Dr. Who (Theme); Label: Decca; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: F.11837; Year: 1964; Country: UK.

Today's post celebrates the unsung genius of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop - namely the late, great Delia Derbyshire, and the one tune that's indelibly linked & associated with her - namely the "Doctor Who" theme.  And quite apt as the second half of the current series gets underway at the end of the month - 27th August according to the Facebook Doctor Who page.  BBC One in the UK, and BBC America in the US.

Released on Decca in 1964 this still has to be one of innovative (as well as most recognizable) TV themes created - and one the first to be done through electronic means.  Composer Ron Grainer's reaction was such for him to attempt to get Delia credited as co-composer, only to fall foul of BBC policy of not allowing company employees to profit from their creations, and the attitude of keeping the actual members of the Workshop effectively anonymous. (The other classic case in terms of Doctor Who being the designer behind the look of the Daleks Raymond Cuisick.)

Vinyl trivia for the B Side - as it features a Bert Berns produced (done whilst supervising the sessions for Them perhaps?) version of "This Can't Be Love" by Brenda & Johnny.  Who were...?

Next up is the 1973 reissue of the "Doctor Who" theme - this time in stereo on the BBC's own label - RESL 11, and which this time does give the 'Realised by Delia Derbyshire' credit on the label (and on the 1976 reissue of this actually credited on the sleeve.  Although somewhat ironic as she'd left the BBC by this point.  The flip side of the has "Reg" composed and performed by Paddy Kingland - who fufilled a similar in the 70's at the Radiophonic Workshop as Delia had done in the 60's.

Valuewise - you're looking at £30 for a mint copy of the original Decca issue, £10 for the 1st issue of the BBC version in the Tardis picture sleeve, and £6 for the 1976 reissue in its picture sleeve.

FRANCOISE SINGS THE SHIRELLES (AND BURT)!

Artist: Francoise Hardy; Title: L'Amour S'En Va; Label: Vogue; Format: 7"EP; Cat. No.: EPL. 8076; Year: 1963; Country: France

Kind of sticking my neck out on this one a little bit - but if I'm wrong then so be it!  Today's post is this 1963 EP from la belle Francoise.  The lead track is "L'Amour S'En Va" ('Love Goes Away' for the non-french speakers out there) and is the song that she sung when she represented Monaco in that year's Eurovision song contest, and the thing that stands out is that her voice is stronger with the jazz-flavoured backing and production of Marcel Hendrix. Good, but not as excellent as the subsequent UK recorded material with Charles Blackwell - which Francoise rates as her best work of the 1960s.  Side One's rounded off with "Je Pense A Lui" - English title 'Wonderful Dream' and again with the french translation penned by FH herself.

Side Two opens with the track that's the focus for this post - the excellent "L'Amour D'Un Garcon".  Written by Bacharach and David as 'The Love Of A Boy' and released by Dionne Warwick (B Side to her 2nd single issue in the UK on Pye International) this version sounds like Francoise's being very close attention to the work of The Shirelles, and her phrasing is pure Shirley Owens (lead Shirelle).  And here's my problem - after doing some digging I'm unable to come across a released Shirelles version of it - so whether they only cut a publishers demo, which Francoise subsequently heard (which would be ironic as Dionne Warwick famously started out doing demos for the bulk of Burt & Hal's tunes) is the best solution I can come up.  The last track on the EP is a Francoise original "Comme Tant D'Autres".

THE LOVE THAT WE SPOKE OF FOREVER - A SONG FOR ST. SWITHIN'S DAY

Artist: Billy Bragg; Title: St. Swithin's Day/Between The Wars; Label: Go! Discs; Cat. No.:107 067; Year: 1984; Country: Germany.


Didn't realize until I heard it on the radio this morning that today is St Swithin's Day - and suddenly remembered I had the song of the same name in the collection. So here it is - as today's post.

This 1984 german 45 is the first one the Bard of Barking Billy Bragg put out as a single (UK record buyers would have to wait for the 'Between The Wars' EP issued later in the year).  The song come his 2nd LP 'Brewing Up With Billy Bragg', and is a great poignant love song, and drawing on the fokelore tradition on what the weather will do for next 40 days dependent on how it is on 15th of July.  Listened to this just before writing this and it still holds up as a great tune - just shows what you can do with only a voice and a guitar - and I remember during the mid 80's just how bad music had gotten with yer Spandau Ballet, and the over produced PWL drivel.  Then this comes along like a complete (and very well needed) breath of fresh air.

The flip side is the Billy Bragg anthem that is "A New England", and comes from his 1983 debut "Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy".  I'd always found that title sliughtly puzzling till I read in an interview that it was the name he did his first solo gigs under after having got out of the army.  The song was of course a hit for the late great Kirsty McColl - and had an extra verse written for her to bring it up to the 3 minute mark; and in the process making it more radio friendly.  And it didn't do Billy Bragg's career any harm either!

THE MIRACLE OF MOTOWN

Artist: The Temptations. Title: "Check Yourself"; Label: Miracle; Cat. No.: MIR 12; Year: 1961; Country: US.


Today I'm featuring this 1961 single from the Temptations issued on the short-lived Motown subsidiary Miracle.  The label issued 12 single during it's lifetime stating with Jimmy Ruffin's 'Don't Feel Sorry For Me' - MIR 1, and ending with this one - MIR 12.  The label wasn't scapped, but it's changed to name mainly to avoid confusion with Smokey's group to that which most music fans will be immediately familiar with - Gordy.

The A Side "Check Yourself" is very much in the style of the time - with traces of doo-wop, and showing the influences of the period - specifically the Drifters, and was the Temptations 2nd issued single (their first being 'Oh, Mother Of Mine' c/w 'Romance Without Finance' - Miracle MIR 5), and also pretty well as a N Soul tune. It's pretty much the same story with the flip side - "Your Wonderful Love".  Which seems to have more of a proto-Soul feel to it.  And again highlighting the impact of the Drifters, alongside that of Jackie Wilson too - not too surprising considering Berry Gordy's connection to the latter.

Have to say a big thanks to Soulful Kinda Music for their exhaustive discographies which were invaluable in checking/confirming the info on release dates and catalogue numbers - and a site well worth visiting in its own right:- http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net

THE GOLD RIGBY & IRELAND SAYS 'LOVE ME DO' - SOME BEATLE ODDITIES

Artist: The Beatles; Title: "Eleanor Rigby"; Label Parlophone; Cat. No.: R 5493; Year: 1976; Country: UK

Couple of Beatle curios for today's post.  First up this "Gold" disc of the 1976 reissue of "Eleanor Rigby"/"Yellow Submarine".  Which some enterprising soul decided to take a standard copy of this single and paint it gold. Still plays fine, and the reason for buying it was that it caught my eye - and as I seem to remember I only paid a fiver for it Reddington's Rare Records in Brum, when they were directly opposite Moor Street Station back in the mid 80's.


Artist: The Beatles; Title: "Love Me Do"; Label: Parlophone; Cat. No.: R4949; Year: 1982; Country: Ireland

The second disc featured today is this Irish issued copy of "Love Me Do" which I found in Dublin a few years back.  The thing that immediately caught my eye is that label design is based on that used for the Beatles LPs issued in the UK from the late 70's through to the early 80's.  That, and the publishing's credited to McCartney's company MPL Communications Ltd.  I'm guessing this is the Irish equivalent of the 20th Anniversary release - although if anyone knows different then feel free to get in touch! And valuewise - £5 at a guess.