Got a question to the other 'anoraks'  out there... with regard to the Gene Chandler - I Can Take Care of Myself  (or any other Constellation release) on the stars design label,

I) Is it really the first press?

2) Do these 'star design' Constellation releases have the ARP matrix machine stamped in them as well? (this one doesnt!) Also noticed some are darker than others...probably a regional press thing.

cheers all for any enlightenment on the subject!

Edited November 15, 20168 yr by foi

Probably of no interest, but both sides recorded at United Sound Systems, Detroit.

Both the "silver" (only/no white) imprint on blue paper label use the same label stamper on your example where only the logo design differs and as you pointed with the matrix they pressed in different pressing plants. So I doubt that one is really a first press. All (with few exception) the Constellation promotional copies then used the flat design. It was the "new" design. I guess that they had left overs of the old design pre-printed labels here and there and they were using the new as well as the old labels at the same time as in the different pressing plants. Most of the Constellation catalogue numbers from N°149 (mid 1964) to N°173 (late 1965) had both the star and flat label variation. Then you also have the 'Monarch' styrene pressings with the beautiful darker blue colored label with the real white logo and star sky.

10 minutes ago, tlscapital said:

Both the "silver" (only/no white) imprint on blue paper label use the same label stamper on your example where only the logo design differs and as you pointed with the matrix they pressed in different pressing plants. So I doubt that one is really a first press. All (with few exception) the Constellation promotional copies then used the flat design. It was the "new" design. I guess that they had left overs of the old design pre-printed labels here and there and they were using the new as well as the old labels at the same time as in the different pressing plants. Most of the Constellation catalogue numbers from N°149 (mid 1964) to N°173 (late 1965) had both the star and flat label variation. Then you also have the 'Monarch' styrene pressings with the beautiful darker blue colored label with the real white logo and star sky.

Thanks for the input its much appreciated. I always thought  the "star" design was not really "first press", only a variation of the label design due to different pressing plants. The fact that may well support this is that the "ARP" machine matrix stamp was used in the flat design whereas with the moulded label vinyl with "stars" design the release number scratched in the run out and there is no "ARP" which to me would denote a regional plant variation on the matrix system used at the time of pressing. There are also vinyl dark blue variations on with a moulded label that also did not have the "ARP" machine stamp used.cheers again for the reply

I wouldn't get too hung up on thinking in terms of which press was 'first'. Think of the releases in terms of several regional, simultaneous presses. The typesetting on the scan above is definitely ARP typesetting, so it's maybe unusual that it doesn't have the stamp from that plant. Could be a case of ARP providing label artwork for another of the plants which Constellation occasionally used, like Southern Plastics in Nashville.

Just looking at Google Images I can see a number of variations for this release—Monarch in LA (styrene, very dark blue labels with 'Constellation' reversed out in white), Sonic in New York (vinyl from a plant owned by the ABC Corporation again with the logo in white) and a definite ARP press (the blue, 'non-starred' label). This was anticipated to be a strong seller all over the country. Take the label copy stating 'Mfg. in Chicago Illinois' with a pinch of salt, as ironically none of these were. Constellation frequently used the Chess pressing plants too but seemed not to for this number.

The various plants would definitely press on existing labels they happened to have in stock, explaining the lack of consistency in label use.

Edited November 15, 20168 yr by garethx

7 hours ago, garethx said:

I wouldn't get too hung up on thinking in terms of which press was 'first'. Think of the releases in terms of several regional, simultaneous presses. The typesetting on the scan above is definitely ARP typesetting, so it's maybe unusual that it doesn't have the stamp from that plant. Could be a case of ARP providing label artwork for another of the plants which Constellation occasionally used, like Southern Plastics in Nashville.

Just looking at Google Images I can see a number of variations for this release—Monarch in LA (styrene, very dark blue labels with 'Constellation' reversed out in white), Sonic in New York (vinyl from a plant owned by the ABC Corporation again with the logo in white) and a definite ARP press (the blue, 'non-starred' label). This was anticipated to be a strong seller all over the country. Take the label copy stating 'Mfg. in Chicago Illinois' with a pinch of salt, as ironically none of these were. Constellation frequently used the Chess pressing plants too but seemed not to for this number.

The various plants would definitely press on existing labels they happened to have in stock, explaining the lack of consistency in label use.

cheers for the reply and info. I totally agree one should never get hung up on what is deemed as being a "first press", there are so many labels out there that distributed regional releases all over the USA that it would impossible to pinpoint a first press in every case. My impression has always been that is a regional variation of the Constellation label, another example might be the other Chicago labels, St Lawrence and Satellite, they have quite a few variations on their label designs and different releases.

Edited November 15, 20168 yr by foi