Does anyone know how to identify the bootleg version of Mary Wells' "My Guy" that was pressed by Raynoma Gordy/Singleton? 

Thick thick bad looking (as sounding) vinyl press with uneven partly rugged label. Silver lettering is of poor quality an label colors uncanny. Last there's a 'R' (registered) in  an 'O' logo on top of the Motown logo (top right). 

Are you sure that's a RSG pressing of "My Guy"? I thought she was pressing them while the record 

was a hit. The copy you show is a reissue from 1970. 

Edited June 21, 20204 yr by The Yank

39 minutes ago, The Yank said:

Are you sure that's a RSG pressing of "My Guy"? I thought she was pressing them while the record 

was a hit. The copy you show is a reissue from 1970. 

It was booted by Raynoma as you rightly say whilst it was hitting the streets initially.  

Agree ... when I met up with her in L.A.  She told me about it and just laughed it off ... and said at the time she just had to do what she had to do to try and keep the NY Motown operation going  .... I then asked Eddie as this was the first time I’d heard about her pressing up copies of ‘My Guy’ ... it was part of a very broad conversation about life and times ... he didn't laugh that much about the whole situation .. he clearly was still very upset and angry about the way Miss Ray had  been treated by Motown ... airbrushed out of the history of Motown in my opinion ... but I am biased

Andy

Bootleggers word or laugh... Where's the difference ? FWIW while I can't say better, those Motown/Gordy 'HIT' bootlegged copies while being poorly made an looking doggy as sounding bad with the continuous runs of OEM represses made me believe these where actually them unworthy (re)-boot presses. 

There is a white label one, no demo markings etc that someone suggested could be the one RS did?

13 hours ago, Chalky said:

There is a white label one, no demo markings etc that someone suggested could be the one RS did?

I've seen the post on Discogs suggesting that this copy could be the Raynoma copy as the labels don't quite match up with other Motown releases from the same time with the catalog number formatting, the lack of "promotional/audition copy", and the drill hole, but there is a post on 45cat where someone believes it to be a promotional copy specifically for jukeboxes. Someone has to know? 

 

I went through my box of Motown promo's from the 60's and I would say at least 90% had either

promotion copy or audition copy or disk jockey copy. I did find 2 Supremes promos with no 

promo/audition/disc jockey copy on them. I don't think Motown would make special copies 

for jukeboxes and not mark them.

 

The artist and song title text on the white label copies from above are the same style as on most Monarch and later ARP (my ARP pressings from around this time use a shorter and thinner font) pressings. The credits and label text looks the same as most ARP pressings. But there are no pressing plant identifiers in the run-out grooves on these copies, just the master numbers etched. A quick look on eBay shows several of these for sale, all from east coast sellers. Also, all of the completed sales I'm able to find that have WOL only have the former owner's name or a price written - no radio station or distributor stamps or stickers. I'd say it's a good guess that these are the Raynoma copies, but would love if someone was able to confirm. 

What's the sound quality like? In her book "Berry, Me And Motown", Raynoma said she used a copy from a Times Square Record shop as her master. 

35 minutes ago, The Yank said:

What's the sound quality like? In her book "Berry, Me And Motown", Raynoma said she used a copy from a Times Square Record shop as her master. 

Hard to tell. Doesn't sound as present as the two other pressings that I have, but it's not noticeably poor quality. 

If she was getting 5000 pressed to sell in shops why would she give them white demo labels ... 

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Edited June 23, 20204 yr by Sebastian

51 minutes ago, Woodbutcher said:

If she was getting 5000 pressed to sell in shops why would she give them white demo labels ... 

possibly because white label / black text is cheaper to print than the intricate coloured motown label

11 hours ago, Woodbutcher said:

If she was getting 5000 pressed to sell in shops why would she give them white demo labels ... 

The ones above have no demo markings and plenty of other white label issues.  As said the cost is less with very little artwork or colour.