The most difficult disco record to find?

**Rab** · February 14th, 2003, 03:50 PM

What is the most hard to find disco record for avid collectors? I have wanted to own a 12" of "Whistle Bump" by Deodato for the longest time. So few on ebay, and seems when this song was out way back when nobody really liked it that much?

**markydefad** · February 14th, 2003, 03:59 PM

I could never find the A&M 12" of "Let Me Take You Dancing" by Bryan Adams. After Adams got his success, he musta bought up all the copies and burned them. (His voice was sped up and a disco arrangement was added to the original record. He was not pleased.)

**BrunoRepublic** · February 14th, 2003, 04:17 PM

"Hardest to find" or "Ones that will cost you the most if you ever manage to find them?"

Anything on small local labels like Red Greg or P&P that have gone on to cult status will be up there. Most 12"s made before 1977. Also mixes that were promo-only, especially if very few copies were pressed. Records that flopped at the time, but went on to become underground hits years after the fact, like "Delerium" by Francine McGhee. (or McGee?)

But there are plenty of things that aren't worth any money that are still very hard to find, like much the stuff put out by AVI, Butterfly, etc...

**DISCODISK** · February 14th, 2003, 06:28 PM

theres so many that are hard to find and big money now
LOVE MACHINE-miracles motown promo
MY WHOLE WORLD ENDED-david ruffin motown promo
NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO-jobelle & the orchestra de salsa-jan
HOW CAN I TELL HER-curtis-charm city [some years after this was released i was so desperate to own this i wrote to the label that must have folded by then kindly asking them to sell me one somebody replied and said they had a couple of copies left send 4 dollars inclusive of postage so i did and it arrived postage stamped $4.44 !! never seen one since]
I WANT YOU FOR MYSELF-george duke-epic promo
UNDER THE SKIN-brothers -r.c.a promo
SCRATCHIN-magic disco machine-tower canada
PHILLY JUMP-instant funk-t.s.o.p promo
IF YA GONNA DO IT-peoples choice-t.s.o.p promo

THE BEST OF BRITISH
most english 12" disco you cant give away though there are exceptions
NINE TIMES-moments/RIMSHOTS-do what you feel-all platinum promo [the first u.k 12" i saw' only a handfill pressed,an anthem in u.k since its release never spoken about here ,the moments best! pounding disco soul complete with telephone rings and guy begging the operator to speak to his baby,with the exception of the one i found about 15 years ago not two minutes from where i live for 15 cents :P ive NEVER seen one of these for sale, in 27 years !![IN ALBUM "SHARP"]
BABY IM STILL THE SAME MAN-james wells-polydor promo[james first and best super rare]
BREAKAWAY-ernie bush-contempo [scepter u.s]

Marcio** · February 14th, 2003, 10:46 PM

"Music from Battlestar Galactica" by Giorgio Moroder is rare (in Brazil of course) .

.

**Mixmachine** · February 14th, 2003, 10:57 PM

Like Graham mentioned, pre-77 12” are very hard to get and can be very pricey, even though I’ve been collecting since ‘75 (mainly 7” and LP) most early 12” versions were only promo and not available to the public, only in recent years after exploring Ebay and other sites did I become aware of many favorites that I didn’t know existed on 12”.

This are some titles I’d like to get on 12”vinyl.
“Always there”- Side Effect
“Always There”- Willie BoBo
“La Balanga” Bimbo Yet
“Funky Nassau” Beginning of the end
“Let’s do the Latin Hustle”- Eddy Drennon
“Jealously” Natural Order
“Rock Creek Park” BlackBirds
“More More” Andrea True (lost my copy long ago)

Recent 12” Finds
“Touch and Go” Ecstasy, Passion and Pain (76)
“Street Life” Crusaders
“How can I forget” Realistics (75)
“Cathedrals” D.C. Larue (75) (second Copy)
“Love Hangover” Diana Ross (made in France, USA copy very expensive)
“Strangers in the Night” Bette Middler
LP’s
‘Best of Spinners (motown) with “It’s a shame”
Sharon Riddley with “Changin" this one I missed back then and picked up after listening on the 5AM site and because of members praise here.(there is a 12” test Pressing version)
Creative Source’s “Who is He and what is he to you” didn’t know about this long version, also there is a small label 12” selling for big $$$

**BrunoRepublic** · February 14th, 2003, 11:17 PM

Originally Written by Marcio

"Music from Battlestar Galactica" by Giorgio Moroder is rare (in Brazil of course) .

Also rare in Canada, but I bought a NOS ("New Old Stock", as in "sitting in a warehouse for 25 years") copy from a US online retailer a year or two ago.

**QUINNY** · February 15th, 2003, 05:44 AM

I'm glad I'm not an avid collector, especially someone who is snobbish?/stupid? enough to think that only US copies are worth collecting.
I suppose there are a couple of 12's that I'd like to have, just to square the circle, but I'm not going to get paranoid about it.
Here's a few I'd like to have, but I'd rather have them on a compilation CD (yes, I do know that Sammy Gordon is on one).
Nature Zone - Porcupine - London 1976
Sammy Gordon & Hip Huggers - Makin' Love - Red Greg 1976
Crown Heights Affair - Dancin'/Dreaming a Dream Goes Dancin'? - De-Lite - 1977 (had this, but lost it)
Karma - Funk De Mambo - A&M Horizon - 1976

If you're not too bothered with having US copies, things like Delerium ( a big, big disco hit in the UK), Whistle Bump are likely to be on 2nd hand UK dealers lists.

**Leatherman** · February 15th, 2003, 07:18 AM

The ones I've seen to go for $700 + are -

Denice La Salle "I'm so hot"
Barrabas "Woman" Red vinyl 12"

Lots of others like The Brothers, Boing, Clyde Alexander, Skip Jackson and some of the above mentioned reach the $300-$500 mark.

Quinny the Dancin 12" is often on e bay

**BrunoRepublic** · February 15th, 2003, 08:52 AM

Originally Written by QUINNY

If you're not too bothered with having US copies, things like Delerium ( a big, big disco hit in the UK), Whistle Bump are likely to be on 2nd hand UK dealers lists.

Well, if you're obsessed with US copies, then you'll never find Delerium. :) It was only released in the UK and Canada.

**QUINNY** · February 15th, 2003, 12:36 PM

Graham: Perhaps that makes Delerium the hardest to find. Never knew it wasn't released in the US as a 12" as I'm happy with my three UK copies and never had to go looking for it. :o
I take it Francine was Canadian, otherwise why no release in the US, especially after it did really well in the UK and was a galloping record more suited to the US anyway? One of life's mysteries, eh?

**Leatherman** · February 15th, 2003, 03:10 PM

THE BEST OF BRITISH
most english 12" disco you cant give away though there are exceptions
NINE TIMES-moments/RIMSHOTS-do what you feel-all platinum promo [the first u.k 12" i saw' only a handfill pressed,an anthem in u.k since its release never spoken about here ,the moments best! pounding disco soul complete with telephone rings and guy begging the operator to speak to his baby,with the exception of the one i found about 15 years ago not two minutes from where i live for 15 cents :P ive NEVER seen one of these for sale, in 27 years !![IN ALBUM "SHARP"]
BABY IM STILL THE SAME MAN-james wells-polydor promo[james first and best super rare]
BREAKAWAY-ernie bush-contempo [scepter u.s][/quote]

There are now loads of UK only 12"'s which go for big money - just off the top of my head -
"Cosmic Lust" Mass Production
"Funky Nasseu" Begining of the End
"Solar Flight" Mandre
"Let me Love You" Bunny Mack
"Hi Jak" Herbie Mann
"Don't take away the Music" Tavares
"Expansions" Lonnie Liston Smith
Aswell as various Elite, Ebonite and other obscure UK productions on small labels.

I think there are many other killer cuts that were only ever on UK 12", as time goes by these will become more known and therefore collectable on a worldwide basis. Take obvious things like Charles Earland "Let The Music Play" or Narada Micheal Walden "I Should have Loved Ya" - as far as I know there were never on US/Canadian.

**DISCODISK** · February 15th, 2003, 07:16 PM

LEATHERMAN as i said there are exceptions,the three i quoted i believe are really rare simply because i know the quantities they were pressed in and they never come up for sale.some of the titles you talk about may go for big bucks on e.bay but are not that rare here,e.bay aside and using record dealers u.k prices are around..expansions [though it is getting scarce] $20 mass production 12"s usually sell for around $15 to $20 i saw mandre recently on promo for $5 yes things will change with the passing of time and you could be right with narada currently $15 but charles earland you can find them in the streets. what i was saying was most collectors dont want u.k 12" [with exceptions] as they are so dull, thin sleeves,genrally no inner sleeves they just arnt sexy, example sylvia striplin IS rare on english i put one on e.bay two weeks ago,i got about $30 for it id have got 2/3 times that on import, and the guy wasnt even english he was dutch !one of the best labels for promos in the u.k was warners the LV series[mid to late70s] some great stuff and THEY are hard.you seem to have a keen eye on e.bay i shall have to watch you!but nobody seemed to be on e.bay last sunday i bought loads of promos,four below zero/dazzle/flashlight/detroit emeralds and lots more for really low prices days for me on e.bay like that dont happen very often :P

**Mixmachine** · February 15th, 2003, 10:14 PM

Yes 'Expansions' is another one I'm chasing, hard to get and pricey, I didn't know "Funky Nassau" was British, no wonder I never saw a domestic label(?)12".
I've seen the 'Uno Melodic' label of "Give me your love" sell for as much as $62.00 USD.
"Funk the Mambo" is a nice cut, it has a very original cover with nice graphics, I loved this song but it never became a club hit for me.
"I'm so Hot" 12" is very rare, I have the LP only, this cut is a candidate for the best Lyrics thread, under 'extreme sleaze!'

**MPS** · February 16th, 2003, 10:16 AM

Family Tree - Family Tree 12" on Anada Records just went on eBay for $450, but a year and a half ago, it was sold for $720... that would be nice to have :lol:

Other rare 12" that I would like to obtain, would be:

Family - Hubert Laws
The Real Thing - Sergio Mendes
Could Heaven Ever Be Like This? - Idris Muhammad (I only have this on french pressing Kudu)

I actually have the original (not the reissue) Motown 12" of Diana Ross'es Love Hangover, but only in vg condition... :-?

**JussiK** · February 16th, 2003, 10:20 AM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 10:33 AM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 11:33 AM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 12:07 PM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 12:30 PM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 12:53 PM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 02:29 PM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 03:35 PM

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** · February 16th, 2003, 04:02 PM

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?