‘Record Club’ LPs

[H.E. Pennypacker]

7 minutes ago, keyse1 said:

I know this is completely off topic but I can’t let someone extoll the virtues of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band without asking do you know this one

Not just a great record but one of historical importance being the first gathering of traditional crew cut whiskey drinking old time country music players and the long haired dopers of young people I love with country music

Some of the best acoustic music you will ever hear

This was absolutely in my house growing up... Dad would have had it cranking on the Apogees growing up.

 

Have added to the want list in Discogs for a NM (I’m actually rebuilding my parents record collection they ended up giving away).

[keyse1]

My copy bought at the time was one of the most beautiful records I ever owned along with a Neil Young compilation which was similar in layout

Very thick cardboard with great colour photos of the musicians in the studio a lot of short paragraphs and because it was 3 records I think it all sort of pulled apart revealing more photos

you might be able to google it with a bit of time

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Just now, keyse1 said:

My copy bought at the time was one of the most beautiful records I ever owned along with a Neil Young compilation which was similar in layout

Very thick cardboard with great colour photos of the musicians in the studio a lot of short paragraphs and because it was 3 records I think it all sort of pulled apart revealing more photos

you might be able to google it with a bit of time

 

I’ll just buy one when a NM 1st press pops up (only VG atm)...

 

As much as I love good packaging, I’d take a NM with no cover at all.

[audiofeline]

The artwork on many Australian World Record Club releases is fantastic, especially given that they were often two or three colour runs. 

 

Some images and info:

 

https://recollection.com.au/collections/world-record-club    (hover your mouse over the b/w images to see colour)

 

https://www.geoffhocking.com/worldrecordclub.html

 

 

[audiofeline]

13 hours ago, furtherpale said:

I have one ‘club’ lp, specifically: https://www.discogs.com/Nitty-Gritty-Dirt-Band-Uncle-Charlie-His-Dog-Teddy/release/6334051

 

Picked it up for about $10, and it sounds pretty decent (the guitars in particular)... 

 

Whats the story with club LPs as they are often a fraction of the price of their non-club counterparts?

The linked LP is from a US record club, "Columbia House".  They would lure people to join with the offer to buy 8 records for one penny, then fulfill minimum number of purchases over a stated period (I recall the World Record Club had similar offers in Australia in the 60/70's).

 

There are lots of articles about the business operation of Columbia House, and their products were often not quite to the standard of the retail versions (eg. CD booklets were replaced with a folded 4-page sheet). 

 

An amazing insight into the operations of this company during it's CD boom time is given by Chris Wilcha in his first-person documentary The Target Shoots First (the streamed video can be found about halfway down the article in the link below).   It's as described, a bit like The Office, but this is real life, but every way as dysfunctional as the TV fiction. 

https://music.avclub.com/four-columbia-house-insiders-explain-the-shady-math-beh-1798280580

 

 

 

[aussievintage]

23 minutes ago, audiofeline said:

The linked LP is from a US record club, "Columbia House".  They would lure people to join with the offer to buy 8 records for one penny, then fulfill minimum number of purchases over a stated period (I recall the World Record Club had similar offers in Australia in the 60/70's).

So did some Australian companies, like CBS IIRC.  I was a member for a while.  After the initial buy, they also sent you the "record of the month" unless you told them not to, and billed you.  I forgot one month and ended up with the David Wigg interviews of the Beatles.  What a yawn.  Record of the month? Yeah sure!

[audiofeline]

50 minutes ago, aussievintage said:

So did some Australian companies, like CBS IIRC.  I was a member for a while.  After the initial buy, they also sent you the "record of the month" unless you told them not to, and billed you.  I forgot one month and ended up with the David Wigg interviews of the Beatles.  What a yawn.  Record of the month? Yeah sure!

Wasn't the David Wigg Beatles interview record a double?  I agree, not riveting listening.  As it probably didn't sell many copies, I imagine it would be quite valuable to Beatles fanatics.  Unlike other Beatles records,  I don't think MFSL remastered it, nor do I recall a 5.1 SACD remastering. 

[aussievintage]

9 hours ago, audiofeline said:

Wasn't the David Wigg Beatles interview record a double?  I agree, not riveting listening.  As it probably didn't sell many copies, I imagine it would be quite valuable to Beatles fanatics.  Unlike other Beatles records,  I don't think MFSL remastered it, nor do I recall a 5.1 SACD remastering. 

Yes, each side was one Beatle.     The further ripoff was that it was supposed to contain music, and it was some lame instrument cover of a few songs - not the Beatles.

[H.E. Pennypacker]

1 minute ago, aussievintage said:

Yes, each side was one Beatle.     The further ripoff was that it was supposed to contain music, and it was some lame instrument cover of a few songs - not the Beatles.

Do you still have it?

[aussievintage]

31 minutes ago, furtherpale said:

Do you still have it?

Yes.  I am a bit of a hoarder, as once it placed in my collection, with a number and entry in the database, a record usually stays there  

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

1 minute ago, aussievintage said:

Yes.  I am a bit of a hoarder, as once it placed in my collection, with a number and entry in the database, a record usually stays there  

 

Bummer you’re not down in Canberra... I imagine it would be interesting enough for one listen.

[aussievintage]

Just now, furtherpale said:

Bummer you’re not down in Canberra... I imagine it would be interesting enough for one listen.

I estimate I have listened to it twice - and I got it in the 70s  

[audiofeline]

1 hour ago, furtherpale said:

Bummer you’re not down in Canberra... I imagine it would be interesting enough for one listen.

If you want a single listen you will be able to find it all uploaded to YouTube, in sections. 

[stevoz]

On 13/12/2019 at 10:09 AM, surprisetech said:

I always assumed the club LPs were the same product, just with some different labelling.  I never took out a record club membership, but looked into it a few times over the years.  The ones I looked at sent you an album every month.

My Mum was a 'World Record Club' member for a short time in the early 60's and got a nice little collection of Classical LPs.

 

As for 'Uncle Charlie And His Dog Teddy'.  That's a genuine work of art.  The mix of full length songs, and the snippets of Uncle Charlies songs and words is just magic.

A muso friend of mine, Dave Diprose, says this record changed his life.

Is he related to Kirsten from the ABC?

[surprisetech]

On 14/12/2019 at 12:18 PM, stevoz said:

Is he related to Kirsten from the ABC?

I'll try and remember to ask!

[HKL]

The Australian World Record Society made their own lacquers in Australia. Some are very unique and perhaps better quality than the overseas original. WRS invariably commisioned their own art work. They also had a pretty good idea of how many they needed to make ahead of time, so there was no money wasted on overstock.

 

The various American Record Clubs, on the other hand, could be pretty shonky. I remember having to get 3 different copies of the first Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album before I found one where the grooves didn't run together on the first track. I was buying from a discount dealer who specialized in record club overstock. 

[The Blues]

3 hours ago, HKL said:

The Australian World Record Society made their own lacquers in Australia. Some are very unique and perhaps better quality than the overseas original. WRS invariably commisioned their own art work. They also had a pretty good idea of how many they needed to make ahead of time, so there was no money wasted on overstock.

 

The various American Record Clubs, on the other hand, could be pretty shonky. I remember having to get 3 different copies of the first Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album before I found one where the grooves didn't run together on the first track. I was buying from a discount dealer who specialized in record club overstock. 

Are you referring to World Record Club and there offshoot The Record Society? 

[HKL]

12 minutes ago, The Blues said:

Are you referring to World Record Club and there offshoot The Record Society? 

Yes. I don't know why I wrote "Society", that was dumb. 

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

[audiofeline]

The World Record Club in Australia was also the only way The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour album could be purchased over here.  EMI released the British double-EP.  The album was a US-Capitol compilation.  Therefore, the sleeve was unique to Australia. 

 

There were other albums the label released with their unique cover, I believe an early Beach Boys album is quite valuable due to the redesigned cover and limited pressing run. 

[HKL]

4 hours ago, audiofeline said:

The World Record Club in Australia was also the only way The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour album could be purchased over here.  EMI released the British double-EP.  The album was a US-Capitol compilation.  Therefore, the sleeve was unique to Australia. 

 

There were other albums the label released with their unique cover, I believe an early Beach Boys album is quite valuable due to the redesigned cover and limited pressing run. 

Quite so. In fact, The WRC release was the FIRST release in the world. EMI decided to put it out only after WRC's release was successful. I understand that EMI even used WRC masters. For a short time both releases were on sale in shops (WRC had its own shops for walk in subscribers).

[audiofeline]

1 hour ago, HKL said:

... For a short time both releases were on sale in shops (WRC had its own shops for walk in subscribers).

I believe it was in the Hartwell shopping strip (Toorak Road, in Melbourne).

[stevoz]

2 hours ago, HKL said:

Quite so. In fact, The WRC release was the FIRST release in the world. EMI decided to put it out only after WRC's release was successful. I understand that EMI even used WRC masters. For a short time both releases were on sale in shops (WRC had its own shops for walk in subscribers).

Not sure that is quite right

 

UK/Europe/Japan LP release from 1967...... https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Magical-Mystery-Tour/release/13982939

 

US LP release from 1967....... https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Magical-Mystery-Tour/release/464292

 

Australian WRC LP release from 1969...... https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Magical-Mystery-Tour-And-Other-Splendid-Hits/release/7591815

 

Notes on the Aust. WRC release:

 

"An Apple/E.M.I recording released exclusively in Australia by World Record Club in June 1969 as a non-gatefold. The front cover was taken from page 10 of the US LP/UK Booklet. This was the first time this album was released in Australia. Side 1 is in true stereo, but Side 2 is in re-processed stereo, like the US version. However, the reel-to-reel version was in true stereo.

This is the first pressing from June 1969, which is identifiable by the "Northern Songs" logo towards the top right of the label."

 

 

 

 

[HKL]

18 hours ago, stevoz said:

Not sure that is quite right

 

UK/Europe/Japan LP release from 1967...... https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Magical-Mystery-Tour/release/13982939

 

US LP release from 1967....... https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Magical-Mystery-Tour/release/464292

 

Australian WRC LP release from 1969...... https://www.discogs.com/The-Beatles-Magical-Mystery-Tour-And-Other-Splendid-Hits/release/7591815

 

Notes on the Aust. WRC release:

 

"An Apple/E.M.I recording released exclusively in Australia by World Record Club in June 1969 as a non-gatefold. The front cover was taken from page 10 of the US LP/UK Booklet. This was the first time this album was released in Australia. Side 1 is in true stereo, but Side 2 is in re-processed stereo, like the US version. However, the reel-to-reel version was in true stereo.

This is the first pressing from June 1969, which is identifiable by the "Northern Songs" logo towards the top right of the label."

 

 

 

 

 

I stand (sit) corrected. I read that same report somewhere and misunderstood it. The Aussie release was before the UK EMI release. EMI sent a bunch of stuff to WRC for review and they found MMT. When they queried EMI to ensure the really meant it, EMI said "yeah, we aren't going to issue that". Later EMI changed their mind and used the WRC masters for their own release. I didn't grok that it was 'only the UK release was beaten by the club release' part.

[H.E. Pennypacker]

On 13/12/2019 at 5:04 PM, keyse1 said:

Have a listen to the version of Mr Bojangles on this

David Bromberg played and toured with Jerry Jeff Walker and gives an explanation of how the song was written 

This is a weird record! I love it.

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by furtherpale