Four Sonics - Easier Said Than Done

[Theothertosspot]

Hi, this one may be easy to answer from someone.

How many variants of the layout of the Sport label are there of this record. 

Are there variants because of coming from different pressing plants.

Any info appreciated thanks.

[Eddie Hubbard]

I’ve only ever seen the styrene demo release emulating out of Detroit .

[Benji]

Interesting questions. I always thought I had seen yellow issues of it. But Discogs lists a white demo and a white issue. only difference between them seems to be the "promotional copy" lines on the demo. both pressings are styrene.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Benji

[Eddie Hubbard]

6 minutes ago, Benji said:

Interesting questions. I always thought I had seen yellow issues of it. But Discogs lists a white demo and a white issue. only difference between them seems to be the "promotional copy" lines on the demo. both pressings are styrene.

Yes ,you’re correct ,demo and issue look the same apart from the promotion copy type 

[Wheelsville1]

3 minutes ago, Benji said:

Interesting questions. I always thought I had seen yellow issues of it. But Discogs lists a white demo and a white issue. only difference between them seems to be the "promotional copy" lines on the demo. both pressings are styrene.

White promos and light blue stock copies,after the previous release had some success locally a deal was done with Amy - Mala -Bell and the styrene is different to the other sport releases.It also has the same number as the Appreciations its better to cry,it was a case of Detroit not communicating with Charlotte north carolina.

[Benji]

thanks. didn't know that. Do you have scans of the light blue stock copy? might be worth adding them to the discogs database.

[Wheelsville1]

1 minute ago, Benji said:

thanks. didn't know that. Do you have scans of the light blue stock copy? might be worth adding them to the discogs database.

Sorry no i don't but if you look on the net there is one,i had a stock copy years ago but sold it.As i said,the styrene is a better quality than used on the other releases.

[Theothertosspot]

Thanks for replies.

Reason I asked is because the copy I have is slightly different to the one Eddie has posted above. It's a Bestway press if that helps.

 

[Wheelsville1]

2 minutes ago, Theothertosspot said:

Thanks for replies.

Reason I asked is because the copy I have is slightly different to the one Eddie has posted above. It's a Bestway press if that helps.

 

Not scene that one before.

[Supercorsa]

My stock copy uploaded to you tube some years back.

 

 

[Wheelsville1]

12 minutes ago, Supercorsa said:

My stock copy uploaded to you tube some years back.

 

 

My stock copy was the other design.

[Chalky]

From 45cat...the same as the one I had years and years ago...

[Mal C]

Thats the same as my old Issue copy, my old demo was the same as Eddie's (Below) I have see the different designs about over the years, as far as I can tell they were only on that release, 'Easier said Than Done'. In terms of press, both mine were 'Bestway', so they re pressed it for sure.

[Theothertosspot]

14 hours ago, Wheelsville1 said:

White promos and light blue stock copies,after the previous release had some success locally a deal was done with Amy - Mala -Bell and the styrene is different to the other sport releases.It also has the same number as the Appreciations its better to cry,it was a case of Detroit not communicating with Charlotte north carolina.

Didn't know that Four Sonics and Appreciations shared the same record number.

May that contribute to the rarity of the Appreciations

[Wheelsville1]

1 hour ago, Theothertosspot said:

Didn't know that Four Sonics and Appreciations shared the same record number.

May that contribute to the rarity of the Appreciations

Yes,it did get some air play though in the carolinas.Moses Dillard was the guitarist on it and i think Willie Mitchell was involved as well.

[Theothertosspot]

On 31/10/2023 at 08:35, Mal C said:

Thats the same as my old Issue copy, my old demo was the same as Eddie's (Below) I have see the different designs about over the years, as far as I can tell they were only on that release, 'Easier said Than Done'. In terms of press, both mine were 'Bestway', so they re pressed it for sure.

"same as my old issue copy", is that refering to Supercorsa's post?

If it was re-pressed (presumably for demand?) why change the label format (if both Bestway press) and which format would have been on the initial run?

Any ideas

Edited November 1, 2023 by Theothertosspot
Added too

[Tlscapital]

Andrew Shelley Haims seemed to have some recourent issues first noticeably with his Sport 103 released twice and twice wrong. One time for the artist credits on the A side then a second time on the B side. With the First Four Sonics 45 for Sport 110 that was issued locally first in August 1967 then picked-up for national promotion and distribution by the Amy-Bell-Mala group in December 1967. It was then pressed by Best Way pressing plant.

By February 1968 the Appreciations released their second Sport 45 recorded in North Carolina this time (nothing Detroit in there but Willie Mitchell's still under heavy Detroit influence) on Sport 111. While subsequently Andrew Shelley Haims still in a ball of confusion again for this last but sublime May 1968 Four Sonics attributed wrongly the same catalog number Sport 111 to the recently released locally Appreciations 45.  Mistake noticed likely too late.

This last Four Sonics was pressed at Best Way pressing plant and is seen mostly as the white promotional label and as the pale blue (apparently some believe it to be white but it's pale or very pale worn / washed out maybe but not white) stocker. Then there's the rarer Monarch promotional white label copy as shown by 'theothertosspot' that do pop-up on the market from time to time. But then we're yet to see a Monarch stocker of it if ever it exists...

Hence that this last Sport 45 ever was the only one from his catalog that never had a local self distributed pressing. It only got an Amy-Mala-Bell distributed release. All of this could have participate in the mayhem confusion that took place simultaneously between his office and the Amy-Bell-Mala one. Was all this too much for him to drop out of the game (Boss and Sir-Rah became silent too) rather than a supposedly withdrawal of the Appreciations 45 ?

Edited November 2, 2023 by Tlscapital

[Theothertosspot]

7 hours ago, Tlscapital said:

Then there's the rarer Monarch promotional white label copy (as shown by 'theothertosspot' that do pop-up on the market from time to time.

Apologies, I did post earlier that the copy I posted was Bestway, but only just realised upon looking again that "Bestway is scratched out" and there is a Monarch stamp

[Tlscapital]

19 hours ago, Theothertosspot said:

Apologies, I did post earlier that the copy I posted was Bestway, but only just realised upon looking again that "Bestway is scratched out" and there is a Monarch stamp

Interesting so pressed at Monarchs but using the Bestway masterings and masters. Must admit my Bestway copy does sound amazing.

FWIW here's my little correction with a now seen Monarch light blue stocker like featured in 'supercorsa' video here above DOH ! ;

Edited November 3, 2023 by Tlscapital