The most difficult disco record to find?

[JussiK]

I could have swapped my copy of "Expansions" for a 7" of Pretty Maid Company's "Pretty Maid" any time. Ever since I first heard it on the island of Majorca in August 1976 I've been under the spell of the tune, unable to shake the sound of the violin intro off my brain. The El Terreno club was called El Exegano or thereabouts and floor was made of stainless steel. We shuffled, hustled and grinded thru the night to Ritchie Family's Arabian Nights Medley, Moving Like A Superstar by Jackie Robinson, Volare by Al Martino, Sweet Corazon by The Sunshine Combo and went into convulsions ( of laughter) when we heard the Pretty Maid track. Next morning it was off to the record store to try and buy the tunes. This was not necessarily an easy thing to do as in Spain they used to translate the titles - Pretty Maid would have been what, La Chica Linda? Anyway, the Maids I could not find until later. In the confusion of the dj years to follow my copy got lost and up until last year the only version I used to have of this euro fave was on a compliation album. For two decades I searched and searched in vinyl stores everywhere. Then a certain You Know Who You Are sent it to me! I'm now a proud owner of an Ariola America copy and it feels wonderful.

[Leatherman]

Discodisc - I live in the UK too and I think all the records on the UK 12" I compiled are indeed rare. Maybe 5 years ago you would have been able to get those records cheap if you scoured the second hand shops , but now I'm not so sure. Most of them are either very early 12"'s that were pressed up in small quantites or re-issues no-one bought at the time. Mandre is a very scarce 12", there is just more chance of me or you finding it in a local shop for 20p than seeing one of the scarce US 12"'s. I would estimate the value of that at £500.

Obviously, something like Striplin is far more desirable on the US Uno Melodic 12" as it is the original issue. If, however, it was only on the LP in the US and the 12" was a UK only thing It would be very desirable iterm to own. I have grown to quite like the packaging on some of our disco era UK 12"'s and too the US guys those records look as exotic as a Heavenly Star 12" does to us.

[Bernie]

DISCODISK,

Have you ever come across the UK 12 inch Disco single of Ben E. King's "Supernatural Thing" on Atlantic? About two years ago a friend sold that to an exec at Time Warner for $300.00. None of us had ever seen one before and it was absolutely mint.

I guess we shouldn't be too quick to discount certain records based on preconceived notions... Heck, I'm still kicking myself for throwing out a then new copy of "Rude Movemtns" by Sun Palace cause at the time I didn't get into it. Now I've grown to love the song and can't afford it. Bought it new in the 80's for $4.99.

As for American 12 inch Disco singles, the white label "Love Machine" is definitely a rare one, but what about Brass Construction's "Movin'" on UA. The last time I saw one it too went for $300.00.

[QUINNY]

Leatherman: Solar Flight - Mandre - $500.00. Unbelievable!!! I'll have to guard my copy more closely then. I always imagined the early Atmosfear Elite 12" 'Dancing In Outer Space' would be my most valuable.

[Giovanni]

Some comments:

Marky,
that Bryan Adams disc is absolutely easy to be found!!! Cannot understand how a music fan like you is not able to find it... If you can't find I'll get you a copy. I continuosly see it.

Discodisk,
all the records you name are REALLY hard and go for big bucks in every record fair, list or ebay sale. Happily I have a couple, but all of them are almost impossible and outrageously expensive. Don't know how much you paid for those promos on ebay but higher and low prices depend on everyone's method of judgement. I can get a 12" of Dr Togo here in Italy for about $ 30 and sell it to some crazy frenchman or japanese for about $ 100. I go crazy thinking of a Mandre UK only 12" selling for $ 5........

Marcio,
Battlestar Galactica is not difficult to be found here and in the US too. Browse the web!!!

Mixmachine,
your suggestions are hard to be found too!!! Sometimes you can see these records but you really need money to buy them!!! I also only recently bought the Sharon Ridley album with that absolute gem of "Changin". By the way, I saw only 2 copies of the famous test pressing 12" of this song, but I've been told there are some fake copies around. In case one find a copy it would be good accurately check the matrix number over the vynil
In general, I don't like test pressings too much....
How much you paid for the Crusaders "Street life" promo??

Quinny,
I think collectors search for original pressings, and, you know, almost every disco collectible is US press. I have had that "Porcupine" at least 8 times in the years and used to trade. But it is not impossible! Sometimes it will show up again.
US and UK copies of "Whistle bump" are different.... I have both. Francine McGhee is becoming harder and harder to be found. I paid about US $ 45 for my copy about 3 years ago

Leatherman,
those ebay prices are absolutely crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, is there someone here who can explain me why that Denise Lasalle 12" is so expensive?!?! The version is the same than the album...... There's no an instrumental on the flip..... why?????
About the UK only 12": all collectors know their stuff.... the records you are talking about are rare because collectors know they exist only that way. I dying after that UK only 12" of Mandre...........
Even rarer are those German only pressing of Grace Jones' "La vie en rose" or italian only of Decimo's "Shaft".

And now some other rare to find 12":

Bill Brandon: We fell in love while dancin' (Prelude)
Ahzz: New York movin' (Land of hits)
BT Express: Does it feel good (Columbia remix 12")
Blair: Nightlife (Solar Sound)
Panache: Sweet jazz music (Rota)
Ralph McDonald: Jam on the groove (TK)
The band that fell to earth: Starflight (Shaggy Dog)

[Leatherman]

I have the Supernatural Thing UK 12". The only problem with it is that is fades out half way thru and then fades back in again. Litterally parts 1 + 2, but not edited together.
I have Changin on US 12" (as far as I know Movin was never on US). The UK Movin/Changin 12" came out in 1980, 5 years after it's parent LP.

Denice La Salle is a mystery to me too. Exactly the same as the LP - which is worth about $10! I've seen it sell for $600+ several times. I think it only takes a few people to really want something and it pushes the price up on e bay. Then we see it going for big money and put it on our own wants list too.

I'm suprised by the Miracles being so collectable. OK, it might be rare but it such a poppy track that I wouldn't imagine train spotters would go for. i don't have this but I'm not at all bothered about it.

Quinny, if you have the original UK Motown 12" of Mandre I can put you in contact with an american collector who really wants it and you could get some good stuff of him for it. I'm not that crazy about the track myself but it was re-issued on BBE recently (with Denice La Salle on the flip).

[MPS]

Giovanni:

I payed $60 for a mint original US pressing promo copy of Crusader's Street Life 12" single

I recently payed $20 for a mint original US pressing copy of Nature Zone's Porcupine 12" single. By the way, this is on London Records, but pressed in NY. Has London Records anythong to do with UK? Was Nature Zone a US or UK group?

[DISCODISK]

BERNIE-havnt seen a ben e king for years but LEATHERMAN has mentioned more.youre talking about a u.s promo of brass construction right ? there was a mint u.k copy on e,bay last monday i have one but i still bid on this it was one of those that ended at an inconvenient time 4 in the afternoon i left $45 on it and it went for $50

GIOVANNI i paid $20 for DAZZLE -you dazzle me,$20 for FLASHLIGHT-bewhere shes pulling my strings you cant get cheaper than that! and FOUR BELOW ZERO-=e.s.p was $50.also the mandre 12" wasnt sold i think i can retrieve that its a long story!

MPS family tree 12"was reissued a year or so ago

LEATHERMAN re THE MIRACLES poppy? you wouldnt want one? jeez i would,youre english where do you live??

a few others ive bought from e.bay recently that i think are really rare -the first two i didnt know existed on 12"
MARBOO-what about love-midland international
CLIFFORD CURRY-body shop-buddah 107 [76] a strange one this both labels dont mention the artist they just say body shop instrumental on the wax is actually the long disco version off the 7" what a find !
MYSTIQUE-what would the world be like without music/keep on playing the music along with the awesome if youre in need,also i bought in england a couple of scepter test pressings at good prices
BOBBY MOORE-anything man/try to hold on
SOUTHSHORE COMMISSION-train called freedom :P

[Leatherman]

I got the Marboo on e bay about a year ago, it seems to crop up fairly regularly and doesn't sell for very much, so I'd assume it is not super rare. Do u like it? I wasn't that impressed but I can't remember much about it. Same with Bobby Moore, sounded better on paper than in reality from what I remember. Clifford Curry, I was suprised/pleased to find a 12" of that too. Mystique - good philly vocals, best tracks of the parent LP.

On a similiar tip, have you got Heywood Cash "Give it up", Pratt & McClain "Whatchasign?" or Willow Man "Willow Man"?

I try not to collect things purely for the rarity. It's like Abba "Dancing Queen" is sort after on US 12" - if I saw it for £5, cool, but it's not on my wants list. Same with Miracles I suppose. I'm in London - u?

[MPS]

Discodisc:

Yes, I have the reissue. Only, I can't help myself wanting the original anyway :lol: It's simply sexier!

[QUINNY]

Record collecting is so personal. Bobby Moore - Call Me Your Anything Man brings back such sweet feelings for me. It was one of my faves and beautifully sums up that era for me. However, I'd still probably rather buy it as part of a compilation CD (and it is on one). I'm just not so in love with vinyl I guess.
Ref: Mandre - Although it's worth big bucks I'd never part with it. These records are the very fabric of my life.

I've only ever bought records on 3 occasions with the intent of keeping them to sell at a later date.
Therefore, I have a lot of copies of T. Connection - Do What You Wanna Do on UK 12", About 10 copies of sealed, US one sided YMCA - Village People (another 20 years and they might be worth something) and I think ('cos they're probably lost in the attic of my parents house) maybe up to 50 copies of Mel & Tim - Backfield In Motion( US Bamboo, both pretty label and plain red & white ) along with maybe a few copies of Jo Jo Benson & Peggy Scott - Soulshake (SSS), both of which are still common.

[Giovanni]

Guys,

you know that stuff!!!

I thought I was the one to know that wonder record of Pratt & McClain!!!!!
By the way, this thread is becoming a precious pool of info for avid collectors like me!

A point on Ebay prices and how the record market changes: Ebay has changed the market, since who has a rare record, only sells it on Ebay now.
But, being an auction game, prices of the same records are very variable. I saw the same NM copy of Bohannon's promo 12" "Let's start the dance" sell on Ebay for US $124 and a week later for US $54.
Discodisk, a couple of years ago I won a promo copy of Four below zero for $ 19, and the guy who sold it, sent me another copy as a gift !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was oubidded on a Gabor Szabo "Keep smilin'" promo that sold for $ 76 and a bought it later for $ 35, but also paid aroud $ 100 for Change "The glow of love" and a friend of mine bought it for $ 39.
A couple of years ago I did not bought the Pam Todd album because $ 80 seemed too high to me, and now it sells for about $ 200.
About 6-7 years ago all the James Brown productions were so rare and so expensive and now you can easily find almost everything (not reissues).

[Mixmachine]

Giovanni:
I paid 23.75 USD with shipping from UK for the Crusaders ‘US disco mix” 12”, My copy is temporarily in a warehouse that’s why I’m not sure if it is the original US pressing or not, this copy has a plain white cover with big black letters across, I’ve seen other copies for sale with a picture cover, this version features a nice break not available in the LP version.
Ebay is a tricky place, prices can wildly fluctuate from one auction to the next, I make it a habit to never get into a ‘bid war’ with anyone, this only tends to raise the final sell price, using an automatic bidding software helps with late night bids, and finding auctions ending on late Sundays/Monday mornings (Easter US time) or long Holydays weekends can yield some bargains.
The last copy of “Funky Nassau” sold for 305.00 USD, and I already mentioned the “Woman” Mexican 12” that sold for 1000 + USD not too long ago, some one claims that only 5 copies are known to exist. I have no way to verify this claim; in any case the LP is good enough for me..
I agree, this thread is full of good collectors info, I own many of the tittles mentioned here but others don’t ring any bells, I’ll be adding those to my ‘want list’ but first I need to check my own stash for forgotten/ignored goodies.

[Nitro]

I'd have to say that Intimate connection from Kleeer on 12" vinyl is darn hard - or even next to impossible - to find.

-Marc-

[ladyboygrimsby]

Is there really a 12-inch of Pratt & McClain? Is the mix longer than the 7-inch? I've only got the 7. (PS They did the theme to Happy Days, didn't they?!)

The ones I'd love to get are
Cerrone - Hooked On You (even the bloody album's going for £25+ these days)
Lee Dorsey - Night People (ABC) (I'm not sure whether this is rare or sought after, but I've never seen it in years of looking)
Chuck Armstrong - Something Gotta Hold On Me (Konduko)
Kitty Grant - Glad To Know You (Safari 12-inch) (not rare, but elusive!)
King Sunny Ade – The Message (Island 12-inch)
Methusalem – Robotism
Mellrose - Don't Want To Start Again
Munnings, Tony – It Could Happen To You/Funky Nassau (Tammi 12-inch)
Symphostate -You Know What I Like (Ze 12-inch)

PS I've got a copy of Bryan Adams. I think it's shit so I'd happily trade it.