Question About A Promo 12" By Geri Granger

[Disco Funk]

I just got my hands on a copy of the 12" 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You' b/w 'Hot To Trot'.

My question is about the cover it came in and what does it indicate. It's a blank white cover with a sticker on the top right hand corner saying 'Allen Zentz Mastering' and gives a Hollywood address. Does that mean this was better pressed or received more TLC (if you can call it that) than a commercial LP or 7"? This is an early 12", so there isn't any comparable commercial version. The vinyl inner groove has 'AZ' scratched in it, in addition to the other identifying marks.

It's a 20th Century 12" from '75, so I don't if they all featured the same markings.

Disco Funk

[the disco kid]

DF

the early 20th century 12" singles were promo only, and came in white jackets, usually with a piece of paper taped to the front with the song title, length, producer etc...

as far as i can tell the mastering of promo copies and commercial copies was the same, it wouldn't have been cost effective to remaster them again.

here's a list of the early promo only ones I have:

no cat #) FRANKIE VALLI "SWEARIN' TO GOD" / (same) 1975 (this later came out commercially, but was an edited version, the promo 12" has and added instrumental breakdown at the very end of it, that was cut off of the commercial copy for some reason.)

TCD-1 ELEVENTH HOUR "HOLLYWOOD HOT" / (same) 1975

TCD-51 RITCHIE FAMILY I WANT TO DANCE WITH YOU (D 1975

TCD-52 GERRI GRANGER CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU 1975

TCD-54 B. C. G. (BOB CREW GENERATION) "STREET TALK" / (3 mixes) 1976

TCD-59 LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRAMY SWEET SUMMER SUITE 1976

TCD-60 BARRY WHITE DON'T MAKE ME WAIT TOO LONG 1976

also the promo only copy of "My Sweet Summer Suite" by the Love Unlimited Orchestra is the one that features the nearly 2 minute long percussion intro that was also dropped from the commercial release. (they never changed the timing on the label however!)

there is a Canadian Commercial pressing of it that retains that incredible groove, why they decided to chop it off on the U.S. commercial copy is beyond me, I have heard that Barry White wasn't fond of it, but it was released on CD while he was alive on a box set of his greatest hits in all of it's disco glory, and also on the LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA'S greatest hits CD as well. BTW that CD also contains an instrumental version of "Let the Music Play"

Hope this answers at least a part of your question.

[Disco Funk]

Thanks, it was very informative!

Swearin To God - I remember downloading that 12" mix off of Napster before I bought the LP, and noticed that the LP version definitely fades out. The version I had downloaded keeps going until the song ends cold (I think its slowly fading out in the seconds before it ends).

I love Let The Music Play from Barry White. Such a great song! Sometimes I prefer the instrumental version to songs over the vocals because I rarely listen to lyrics, but this song NEEDS it's lyrics. He's telling a story, which doesn't have the same effect as on the instrumental mix. The mixing of the LP version is also brilliant, the way his voice fades out when he sings 'on and on and on', then come backs at full volume at the next section. And then the track runs out as an instrumental for about a minute, with the drums hitting nice and hard (harder than the rest of the song).

Disco Funk

[disco-disc]

Hi DF, just pulled my copy to check...I don't have the outer sleeve U mention, but the AZ is there on the run-out plus the other text.

[the disco kid]

I love Let The Music Play from Barry White. Such a great song! Sometimes I prefer the instrumental version to songs over the vocals because I rarely listen to lyrics, but this song NEEDS it's lyrics. He's telling a story, which doesn't have the same effect as on the instrumental mix. The mixing of the LP version is also brilliant, the way his voice fades out when he sings 'on and on and on', then come backs at full volume at the next section. And then the track runs out as an instrumental for about a minute, with the drums hitting nice and hard (harder than the rest of the song).

Disco Funk

DF

I couldn't agree more, Barry's vocal and especially the intro conversation, before he goes into the club, and then the song explodes into the chorus, it's perfection as only Barry White could do.

[Mixmachine]

This 12" just sold yesterday for $88.00 on Ebay. A bit to much for me, so I stayed away.

Good find Disco Funk, I own the 7" only, I'm pretty sure I don't have any of those 20th Century promo 12", this were very rare, I chased the " Sweet summer suite" for years and never could get my hands on it, (remember it was like $200.00 a pop) only the retail copy, finally sometimes in the 90's got that version on a Mercury best of CD.

"Let the music play" is one of my fave Barry white tunes ever, I used to sing along with this one all the time :icon_smile:, although I don't recall to much Disco floor action, but I could be wrong, I believe the instrumental is also on the 7" flip, and also in the Best of Mercury release with "Sweet Summer suite"

[Disco Funk]

The copy I have is, I'd say, VG+. The cover is completely blank (i.e. no mention of 20th Century) except for that mastering company's sticker (the logo is half white on the bottom, and the top half is black with white grooves, like a record). It looks like someone had written something in marker on the sleeve underneat the sticker, but I can't make it out.

Someone, I think it was a woman, wrote "G. Granger" in very small writing on the top right hand side.

$88 on Ebay? Wow. I paid just over a quarter of that amount. I jumped on it because it was the first time I'd seen the 12" for sale anywhere.

I have a few that I've been looking to get my hands on that have been difficult to get.

Disco Funk

[Mixmachine]

The copy I have is, I'd say, VG+. The cover is completely blank (i.e. no mention of 20th Century) except for that mastering company's sticker (the logo is half white on the bottom, and the top half is black with white grooves, like a record). It looks like someone had written something in marker on the sleeve underneat the sticker, but I can't make it out.
Disco Funk

here is a scan of the original TDC-52 release. Your copy sounds like a test pressing.. Is it 45 RPM??

[Disco Funk]

here is a scan of the original TDC-52 release. Your copy sounds like a test pressing.. Is it 45 RPM??

My copy looks exactly like yours, including the 45 rpm running time. It doesn't say anything about a test pressing. Then again, I've never owned a test pressing, and have only seen pictures of the Wand ones on Ebay.

I didn't realize we could include attachments! Here's a scan of the top part of my record's cover. I'm not going to scan the disc since it looks the same as your scan.

Disco Funk

[Disco Funk]

Someone posted the B side to this 12 inch. It features the drumming of Ed Greene, the regular Love Unlimited Orchestra drummer on record during the 70s. I'm not sure if the other LUO regulars played on this cut.



Disco Funk