...bit of a long shot this - but i was wondering if any UK collector out there had ever turned up an EMI white label test pressing or original UK acetate of the Isley Brothers' version of "That's the Way Love Is"?
Now, I'm not saying for sure that such a thing exists - but over the last few days I've been looking at the Top 40 charts of the former 'pirate' radio station, Radio London. The final Top 20 had the following Motown 45s positioned as follows:
11: Reflections/Diana Ross & the Supremes
12: Your Unchanging Love/Marvin Gaye
13: Everybody Needs Love/Gladys Knight & the Pips
14: That's The Way Love Is/Isley Brothers
15: Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby/Jimmy Ruffin
...only one of which made the National Top 20 - but I digress...
Anyway, as any UK collector knows, 4 of these 5 were released here. "Reflections" was TMG 616, Marvin TMG 615, "Everybody Needs Love" was TMG 619 and Jimmy TMG 617. I'm assuming that 'Big L' was playing all of these off either acetates or test pressings, as none of them had been released when the station closed down on August 14th 1967. I can recall hearing all four of those on Big L, but not "That's The Way Love Is" - which, incidentally, was the only record on the entire last Top 40 that never gained a UK release as a 45...
I don't think that there are any missing TMG numbers in the 500 or 600 series, but I'm sure that EMI must have been planning to release it if they were prepared to let Radio London hype it up their final chart. So, I'm wondering if anyone out there has ever come across a TP or white label of "That's The Way Love Is" and, if, so, what the planned catalogue number might have been...
...bit of a long shot this - but i was wondering if any UK collector out there had ever turned up an EMI white label test pressing or original UK acetate of the Isley Brothers' version of "That's the Way Love Is"?
Now, I'm not saying for sure that such a thing exists - but over the last few days I've been looking at the Top 40 charts of the former 'pirate' radio station, Radio London. The final Top 20 had the following Motown 45s positioned as follows:
11: Reflections/Diana Ross & the Supremes
12: Your Unchanging Love/Marvin Gaye
13: Everybody Needs Love/Gladys Knight & the Pips
14: That's The Way Love Is/Isley Brothers
15: Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby/Jimmy Ruffin
...only one of which made the National Top 20 - but I digress...
Anyway, as any UK collector knows, 4 of these 5 were released here. "Reflections" was TMG 616, Marvin TMG 615, "Everybody Needs Love" was TMG 619 and Jimmy TMG 617. I'm assuming that 'Big L' was playing all of these off either acetates or test pressings, as none of them had been released when the station closed down on August 14th 1967. I can recall hearing all four of those on Big L, but not "That's The Way Love Is" - which, incidentally, was the only record on the entire last Top 40 that never gained a UK release as a 45...
I don't think that there are any missing TMG numbers in the 500 or 600 series, but I'm sure that EMI must have been planning to release it if they were prepared to let Radio London hype it up their final chart. So, I'm wondering if anyone out there has ever come across a TP or white label of "That's The Way Love Is" and, if, so, what the planned catalogue number might have been...
Any thoughts, anyone?
TONE