Roburt

The Baltimore Bomar label ..............

By early 1971, Redisco was unloading its old Bomar 7" mini LP's at discount rates to clear the 'back-stock' ....

The US never bought into the EP concept (always big in the UK, Europe & Sth America) .... the vast majority of the 4 track 7" LP's they put out were edited LP's or jukebox items to promote various artists LP's. I have a few various artist 7" US LP's that obviously weren't just being used to promote a single LP but they were still called mini or little LP's in the US .... By 1969, Baltimore's Bomar label had expanded into 45 releases itself ..........

Johnny Gilliam's Bo-Mar 45 .............

By 1972, Redisco seemed to have lost interest in their Bomar label & mini LP's ... ..... they had started pushing adult-content party 12" LP's .................

By 1971, an American based in the UK who ran a jukebox business had started importing US 7" LP's to place on his machines based in England .... ... I wonder why then so few used to seem to turn up here then (I'd think he would have fetched in mini LP's by decent artists and not all the MOR crap that so many US companies had put on the format in the early to mid 60's) ...

Johnny Gilliam had soon moved on from (Pittsburgh's) Bo-Mar Records & was later signed to West Coast based Kent Records ....

A bit of a side issue now ......... .... I know Bucky Buchman of Redisco & the Bomar label was close friends with the guys that ran the Pittsburgh based One-Stops ..... So could his Bomar label have any links at all with the Pittsburgh based Bo-Mar label that put out Johnny Gilliam's 45 in 1965 (Bucky perhaps taking the label name from the Pittsburgh outfit) .....

By 1968, London Records were also giving a big push to 7" LP's ....

In 1964, Kapp even had a go at selling their 7" LP's to the public via normal record stores ....

Seeburg & Rockola (Jukebox makers) marketed these mini LP's direct to their customers from the early 60's ...

But other outfits had bought into the concept quite a bit sooner. The likes of ABC, Chess, Duke, RCA, Kapp & others had tie-ups with manufacturers who made 7" LP's for them.

They were going all out to promote their 7" LP's to the business in 1968 .....

A few of the titles that they put out (they tended to be MOR things) ....

They got into the Mini LP business in the mid 60's and had quite a few titles available by 1968. Unlike many other companies that collaborated with big record labels, Redisco started their own label (Bomar) and released their 7" LP's under their own logo rather than under the original label's name.

There have been a couple of threads on here where US 7" jukebox mini LP's (7" size) have been mentioned recently. Coz of that I decided to look more into the activities of a few companies who put these out; one of these being Baltimore based One-Stop outfit Redisco. Redisco were certainly operating as a successful One Stop as far back as 1958 .....

.............. Champ 1225 Oliver Cheatham 'Celebrate' I already posted (most if not all of) that list as Post # 80 of this thread. The above 12" is actually a 1980's UK release on the Champion label (which has the release No. of CHAMP 12-25), so it has no connection at all to the US Champ label ...... https://www.discogs.c.../release/191308 I also noted in Post # 89 that the Minors "Lonely Boy" 45 (Champ 2004) dates from when the label was based in Johnson City (not Nashville). Champ was based in Johnson City in the early 50’s but may well have moved back there in the 60’s or for part of the 70’s. So the fact that the 2000 series have ‘higher numbers’ than other 45’s on the label may not necessarily make them later releases. As the Minors track has much more of a 60's feel to it, I guess it can't have been put out in the early 50's when Champ was 1st based in Johnson City. ....…AND … in post # 88, I made mention of the Three Saints & the Prince of Darkness 45 that has a cover of a James Brown song on its B side — however I believe they were a garage band rather than a soul outfit.

I like the Loose Change take on "Rising Cost .." ..... BTW, think Ady's on about Darrow's "No Limit".

Seems Grey & Hanks songs were very popular in the late 70's .... another version of "Rising Cost Of Love" .......

Seems that Darrow & Jean must have got the same tape of Grey / Hanks songs for consideration. She cut their song "Rising Cost of Love" & it was released in 78; Darrow also cut it & his version was released as a Atlantic / Crossover 45 in 79. Darrow cut one of their songs as early as 1970, whereas Jean cut 5 of their songs that went on her 1978 LP. Wonder which of the two of em cut "No Limit" & "Rising Cost Of Love" first; guess we'll never really know.

Breakwater - No Limit Arista promo 12” (in 1978) & 79 release as a 45 track (also 78 on their LP). Their LP has been reissued on both vinyl & CD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6jI7_9iCVc

Anyone know the full story behind this song ?? It's currently back in vogue due to Ady / Kent releasing Darrow Fletcher's previously unissued take of it on 45 / CD. However, it has long been a soul scene fave via the 1978 released versions by Breakwater & Jean Terrell. The song was written by stalwarts Zane Grey & Len Roy Hanks (multi-hit composers & sometime recording act Grey & Hanks). No doubt they cut the 'original' version but I haven't checked to see if their's was just a demo version to 'sell the song on' or if they cut a 'finished version' themselves for actual release purposes. ANYWAY, here's the long time UK MS scene play from Jean Terrell ........ ..... Jean Terrell — No Limit A&M 45 & LP track in 1978

Another show the Royalettes were on ..............

That was only about 95% certain !!

... and a show the Royalettes were on at the Howard Theatre in DC ...