Casablanca's Curious 1st 12" (??) : Donna Summer's WINTER MELODY / SPRING AFFAIR

[remicks]

*****

Was this Casablanca's first 12"
commercial or otherwise ????

A Casablanca Disco Single

Donna Summer

side a) WINTER MELODY 3:58

side b) SPRING AFFAIR 3:39

What's the story on this anyway ?????



Why would Casablanca put out this "disco" knock-off of her new LP featuring two of the but four songs appearing on it ???

And why would this "disco" release feature greatly reduced in length versions of each song ?? :icon_confused:
Hard to imagine Casablanca in 1977 was that far out of touch as to what the purpose of a 12" mix typically was about ?????

And .....notice the cover gives no clue as to the songs' lengths. :icon_rolleyes:
How'd YOU like to have bought it then ...only to find out what you expected would deliver a good lengthy 12 " of music ....
instead only measured out to 7" worth ...?


It baffles me....


OK Stephen .........take it away !!! :icon_mrgreen:.......:icon_cool:


*****

[tmob]

I'm not Stephen...but I'll jump in anyway. It certainly wasn't their first promo 12"--there were the Hugh Masekela and Margaret Singana 12"s before this, for example. I'm reasonably sure it's their first commercial release--I've never seen any earlier commercial Casablanca 12"s. It has the "NBD 100" numbering system (which was only also used on the Heart & Soul Orchestra 12"); after these two, they converted to the familiar "NBD-201XX" system.

It's hard to explain why they went with the short versions but my guess is that they didn't want to cannibalize LP sales too much. As you noted, it wasn't until after you purchased it that you realized it contained single versions. I also seem to recall this 12" going to cut-out fairly quickly. It is kind of a stumbling start for a label that was rapidly building its fortunes on disco.

[the disco kid]

I always thought it was intended for Radio Stations, hence the short versions.
"winter melody" was huge on the radio back in the day.

[PierreConstantin]

What's more, "Winter melody" is a ballad and not an up-tempo number for discotheques.

[tmob]

I always thought it was intended for Radio Stations, hence the short versions.
"winter melody" was huge on the radio back in the day.

That would seem to make sense, but given the fact that Casablanca was doing 7" 45s marked "for radio station play" around that time, that doesn't seem likely. I wonder if they were just testing the waters to see if they could sell something that was essentially a 45 single for $2.49.

[remicks]

I always thought it was intended for Radio Stations, hence the short versions.
"winter melody" was huge on the radio back in the day.

I'm not sure if huge is the right word ....it failed to crack the Top 40 and on the Soul chart it fell short of the Top 20. I wonder if Neil was getting at all worried that Donna might be a one hit wonder ? After LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY Donna struck out with five single releases ...WINTER MELODY and SPRING AFFAIR both being amongst them.

What's more, "Winter melody" is a ballad and not an up-tempo number for discotheques.

Oh ya there's that other little detail .
Casablanca's proudly labeled "DISCO SINGLE" featured a ballad (!) that was 3:58 in length ! :icon_razz::icon_razz:

...It has the "NBD 100" numbering system (which was only also used on the Heart & Soul Orchestra 12"); after these two, they converted to the familiar "NBD-201XX" system.

(My # on my copy reads: NBD- 20100)

It's hard to explain why they went with the short versions but my guess is that they didn't want to cannibalize LP sales too much. As you noted, it wasn't until after you purchased it that you realized it contained single versions. I also seem to recall this 12" going to cut-out fairly quickly. It is kind of a stumbling start for a label that was rapidly building its fortunes on disco.

Stumbling start is right!!
(Question is: Will this fledgling label recover !!! )



*****

[SandraDee]

Incidentally, 'Winter Melody' was quite a big pop hit here in the UK, while her more disco stuff didn't go down so well here at that time. With the exception of Could It Be Magic I'm not even sure whether any Donna disco tracks were released as singles in the UK between LTLYB & I Feel Love which is odd when she was the 'queen of disco'! Strange then that no Donna compilations ever seem to feature Winter Melody.:icon_confused: Was it not a hit anywhere else?

[tmob]

(My # on my copy reads: NBD20100)

Interesting...that made me pull my copy out again to double check. On mine, both the label and spine use NBD-100.

[remicks]

****
The spine on mine is indeed NBD 100 as well

****

[Disco Funk]

Oh ya there's that other little detail .
Casablanca's proudly labeled "DISCO SINGLE" featured a ballad (!) that was 3:58 in length ! :icon_razz::icon_razz:
*****

That can be annoying. My Quickest Way Out 12inch has a dance number on one side, but the flipside is a ballad, which is the same length as the 7inch release, yet they indicated 'DISCO MIX' in bold letters under the 3 1/2 min running time. This one was on Warner Bros.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

That can be annoying. My Quickest Way Out 12inch ......

Disco Funk

aww .... you're jes' bragging!!! :icon_razz::icon_razz::icon_razz::icon_razz:
{and I'm jes' jealous !! }

I hope i someday come across the German 7" picture sleeve:



:icon_eek:


*****

[Disco Funk]

She looks like she's either lying down or in the middle of a hold-up.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

She looks like she's either lying down ....

Disco Funk

This photo was secretly taken at the same time Giorgio secretly recorded her love parts for LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY *




*ok ok its NOT true ... don't some snippity outsider show up to scold me for messin' with the facts!! :icon_razz::icon_evil: I'm jes' channeling Johnny Carson and his humour right now .....mkay !?



Actually I think she just fell off Paul Jabara's clock tower and this was taken as she passed the seventh floor :icon_eek: :icon_mrgreen:



*****

[PierreConstantin]

By releasing that 12", it seems that Casablanca was just greedy and lying, and that is kind of common when it comes to 12" singles.

The main problem is that the lp has only four songs and a timing inferior to 30 min. (28:40 without the "Spring reprise" which is a repetition). That's more an EP than a LP so 12"s eventually cannibalise the album. Sadly many disco lp's are short in timing; the worst are those under the 30 min. mark like Lorraine Johnson's "Learning To Dance All Over Again" (26:30 :icon_evil: with a different remix on an additional 12"), Freddie James' "Get Up And Boogie" (29:00) or the absolute worst like Musique's "Keep on jumpin'" (three songs, 21:30, with an instrumental version as a filler and a different version on the 12"), MTL Express' self-titled album (three songs, only 9:30 on the A-side, 26 min. for the whole album) or the first Village People album with a total timing of 21:00 (a Morali/Belolo special, Ritchie Family's "American generation" is 16:30 + 11:00).

And sometimes it's true that buying a 12" which features 50% of the album could seem ridiculous; that is the case of Frantique's "Strut your funky stuff", Lipps Inc.'s "Funky town" or Peter Jacques Band's "Walking on music" (at least on some pressings)... What's the point in releasing an album and a 12" in this particular case? An interesting answer came from Prelude and their "Special Package for disco dj's" (the album spread over two 12"s). I remember Peter Jacques Band's "Fire Night dance", France Joli's first album and Musique's second one got that treatment. Why Casablanca didn't choose that option? They could've released two 12"s, splitting all four songs on two records. For the second one, "Summer Fever" could have been a good choice; personally, I've always liked this song and I never understood why the record company didn't see any potential in it.

But, the main issue here is "Is the 12" a format for ballads?" An extended remix was out of question (the song is already 6:30). Besides, for a mysterious reason, very few ballads have extended versions. The only example I can think of is Whitney Houston's "You give good love" in 1985; and the song only gained 15 seconds (4:35 to 4:50, another mystery :icon_smile:). Diana Ross' "Muscles" exist indeed in a 12" extended (from 4:30 to 6:30) but is this song a ballad? Generally record companies coupled the ballad with another song: staying with Whitney Houston we have "Didn't We Almost Have It All" coupled with "For The Love Of You" (this song passing only from 5:30 to 6:10, another little mystery). I would say that the solution was only found 20 years after "Winter melody" when remixers transformed ballads in up tempo numbers like Toni Braxton's "Un-break my heart" or Donna Summer's "Whenever there is love" (maybe they did it before 1996 but I can't remember earlier examples right now).

All that said, the bottom line is that when Casablanca released this "Winter Melody" 12" they were completely clueless and they were testing the waters in a very strange way: record executives aren't generally very bright finally, but they are all greedy :icon_lol:.

The records:
Freddie James Get Up and Boogie (LP): DiscoMusic.com
Village People Village People (LP): DiscoMusic.com
Ritchie Family American Generation (LP): DiscoMusic.com
Musique Keep On Jumpin' (LP): DiscoMusic.com
MTL Express - Dance All Night / Disco City (12") at Discogs
Lorraine Johnson - Learning To Dance All Over Again (LP, Album) at Discogs
Peter Jacques Band Fire Night Dance (2 x 12 LP): DiscoMusic.com
France Joli - France Joli (2x12", Promo) at Discogs
Musique - Musique II (2xLP, Promo) at Discogs
Peter Jacques Band - Walking On Music / Fly With The Wind (12") at Discogs
Frantique - Strut Your Funky Stuff / Getting Serious (12") at Discogs
Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown / All Night Dancing (12", Maxi) at Discogs
Diana Ross - Muscles (12", Promo) at Discogs
Whitney Houston - For The Love Of You (12") at Discogs
Whitney Houston: "You Give Good Love" [UK 12"]: http://991.com/Gallery/11515b.jpg
And of course Donna Summer - Four Seasons Of Love (LP, Album) at Discogs

[Disco Funk]

By releasing that 12", it seems that Casablanca was just greedy and lying, and that is kind of common when it comes to 12" singles.

What, Casablanca being greedy? Remember they cornered the market on one-sided, one track 12inches. I doubt those were 1/2 the prices of 2 track recordings. :)

Another LP that is too short for comfort is the USA-European Connection first record. That's really a 12inch, but somehow Midney was able to get away with having it labelled an LP. And even funnier was the fact there was a 12inch single release of that LP.

Disco Funk

[Salsoul1975]

I seem to recall Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" album to be quite short as well.

[Chap2Power]

Getting my former DJ hat on here, and boy was that a long time ago, many of us back in the day used to play a slow song once in a while.

Because Donna was becoming a fascination with the disco community at that time, my guess is that this was a release for the holiday season as a Christmas song that never really clicked. And it was a 12" single in a day where Donna NEVER had 12" single releases. Perhaps because there was no need.

There was also a valentine card edition of Love To Love You Baby as well.

An even stranger thought: no one has ever covered it to my knowledge (and if so, I stand corrected), but it's an amazing song and should have been by now...

[kdavid13]

And the tag "disco single" was simply a term used to explain the 12" format used in this case...and not actually describing the song itself.

I'm sure Donna fans and collectors bought it - no matter what was on it.

[remicks]

By releasing that 12", it seems that Casablanca was just greedy and lying, and that is kind of common when it comes to 12" singles.

The main problem is that the lp has only four songs and a timing inferior to 30 min. (28:40 without the "Spring reprise" which is a repetition). That's more an EP than a LP so 12"s eventually cannibalise the album.
..............
All that said, the bottom line is that when Casablanca released this "Winter Melody" 12" they were completely clueless and they were testing the waters in a very strange way: record executives aren't generally very bright finally, but they are all greedy :icon_lol:.

I like your summation the best ! Gritty and real !!

I don't think Neil Bogart ever intended to herald the "best" disco label ....just the most "successful" And if sticking a ballad on a 12" and calling it disco sell$$$$ .... bingo!!

I'm going to disagree with Kris here and guess that the public was very unhappy with this misleading purchase , Donna fans or not ... which is maybe why it disappeared so fast .... I mean if you're going to pay the 12" price you certainly don't expect 7" product ...
and the non-disclosure would certainly piss me off (as in "money back please!" :icon_razz: )!!!

Back to Neil Bogart ...notice how after Casablanca fell apart and he went on to establish his new Boardwalk label, he didn't do so to champion the dance scene that had formally been his cash cow ...
Once again he stuck his finger in the air and tried to follow where the musical wind was blowing.

(Makes him smart in this manner ....not evil )


*****

[Chap2Power]

I'm going to disagree with Kris here and guess that the public was very unhappy with this misleading purchase , Donna fans or not ... which is maybe why it disappeared so fast .... I mean if you're going to pay the 12" price you certainly don't expect 7" product ...
and the non-disclosure would certainly piss me off (as in "money back please!" :icon_razz: )!!!

Back to Neil Bogart ...notice how after Casablanca fell apart and he went on to establish his new Boardwalk label, he didn't do so to champion the dance scene that had formally been his cash cow ...
Once again he stuck his finger in the air and tried to follow where the musical wind was blowing.

(Makes him smart in this manner ....not evil )


*****

I'll defend Kris here, Remicks, only because Canadian mastered albums were sometimes so awful that you had to crank up EVERYTHING in order for it to be heard in a club, and in this case, I also have this in my collection and I bought it just to have it. I think the moniker of "special disco version" was the fact it was on a 12" single, and it was the first of any commercial releases to be issued by Donna...

I see your point, but I guess it's a question of whether or not you had to have it...

Also, Bogart may have not mentioned it, but Love Town by Booker Newberry III was a big club hit, perhaps more on the funk side, but big nonetheless on Boardwalk.

[remicks]

I'll defend Kris here, Remicks, only because Canadian mastered albums were sometimes so awful that you had to crank up EVERYTHING in order for it to be heard in a club, and in this case, I also have this in my collection and I bought it just to have it. I think the moniker of "special disco version" was the fact it was on a 12" single, and it was the first of any commercial releases to be issued by Donna...

Well, of course I'm not saying no one bought it ... and overall it would've been moreso Donna's fans that would've .... so I guess in that sense I am now also agreeing with Kris ....it would've been primarily the best of Donna Summer fans that would have purchased this and put up with it. It did disappear off the market unusually quickly (pulled?) it seems despite such fan based support . I suspect Neil had hoped for a broader reaching debut result along the lines of SALSOUL's first commercial 12" release.... especially from such an expensive custom package featuring The Donna.

Also Vince , considering the poor sound quality of the LP which had the longer version ......as a DJ , weren't you particularly po'd/disappointed that the 12" had only an edited version on it ? Didn't that make it virtually unusable?? :icon_confused:
(Now, purely as a collectible ....now years later ...I love mine)

Also, Bogart may have not mentioned it, but Love Town by Booker Newberry III was a big club hit, perhaps more on the funk side, but big nonetheless on Boardwalk.

Good point.. there were several 12"ers released on BOARDWALK by Tierra, Invisible Man's Band etc.... so I'm not saying Neil went anti-disco after CASABLANCA ( I'm sure he'd sign any potential "hit" no matter the genre)....
My point is Bogart had never been some kind of dance music fanatic who therefore swore to re-rise from the ashes and as god was his witness .... to someday once again provide the music the dance floors awaited .... He wasn't creating BOARDWALK for it to become the new WEST END .

I think it was for him more like, "disco... that was fun: just as bubble-gum music was before that .... OK : next !!! "


*****

[PierreConstantin]

Another Donna Summer 12" in the same style with two 7" versions: "Rumour has it" [3:50] and "I love you" [3:17]:




Alec Costandinos "Romeo & Juliet" has two 12"s: the first (NBD 20111) with the 13:45 version and the second (NBD 20115) with the 4:10 edit.

[Chap2Power]

Well, of course I'm not saying no one bought it ... and overall it would've been moreso Donna's fans that would've .... so I guess in that sense I am now also agreeing with Kris ....it would've been primarily the best of Donna Summer fans that would have purchased this and put up with it. It did disappear off the market unusually quickly (pulled?) it seems despite such fan based support . I suspect Neil had hoped for a broader reaching debut result along the lines of SALSOUL's first commercial 12" release.... especially from such an expensive custom package featuring The Donna.

Also Vince , considering the poor sound quality of the LP which had the longer version ......as a DJ , weren't you particularly po'd/disappointed that the 12" had only an edited version on it ? Didn't that make it virtually unusable?? :icon_confused:
(Now, purely as a collectible ....now years later ...I love mine)



Good point.. there were several 12"ers released on BOARDWALK by Tierra, Invisible Man's Band etc.... so I'm not saying Neil went anti-disco after CASABLANCA ( I'm sure he'd sign any potential "hit" no matter the genre)....
My point is Bogart had never been some kind of dance music fanatic who therefore swore to re-rise from the ashes and as god was his witness .... to someday once again provide the music the dance floors awaited .... He wasn't creating BOARDWALK for it to become the new WEST END .

I think it was for him more like, "disco... that was fun: just as bubble-gum music was before that .... OK : next !!! "


*****

OK, now I'm on your side as well that the fans would have expected something more, I mean, even an instrumental would have been intriguing. I would like to say that this was a limited edition, but limited to what....2 million maybe ??? Those who were active record buyers in the US might know better, but when you're living and dying on the lifeline provided by importers, you bought it no matter what, because you had no idea when it was suddenly going to be impossible to find.

Actually the edit on the 12" single didn't bother us too much...thinking back to those times, it makes me wonder if anyone I encountered had an opinion at all. But I do remember warning customers that the version on the 12" was the same as on the album and pre-warning them, and they usually said 'they wanted it for their collection'..during that time I worked at a disco only record store as well.

Bogart experienced the early days of disco while at Buddah as well, but I think more than anything he was a rhythmic guy when he wanted to be. It's obviously in the family genes as well, since his son has produced Rihanna with great success.

Vince

[Chap2Power]

Another Donna Summer 12" in the same style with two 7" versions:




Alec Costandinos "Romeo & Juliet" has two 12"s: the first (NBD 20111) with the 13:45 version and the second (NBD 20115) with the 4:10 edit.

Pierre, the "A" side of the 12" single on R&J actually is an edit of both sides of the actual album put together. I personally hated it, of course, because the more Costandinos you can get, the more your dance floor would love you (well, at least I thought so...)

Vince

[remicks]

But I do remember warning customers that the version on the 12" was the same as on the album and pre-warning them, and they usually said 'they wanted it for their collection'...

during that time I worked at a disco only record store as well.

how cool that must have been !!!:icon_cool::icon_cool:

Those who were active record buyers in the US might know better, but when you're living and dying on the lifeline provided by importers, you bought it no matter what, because you had no idea when it was suddenly going to be impossible to find.

Vince

That was the same situation working mainstream record retail in The States. Especially for 12" and 45s ...you never knew when the availability would drop out . This was another problem for disco .....labels were really more interested in selling LPs than 12ers ..they saw the 12" as draining the LP sales , not in addition to ....

But how many countless times a record would be hot ( that limited time it happens) when it seems every other person wants that one record ....you order it and your invoice comes back with a "zero" next to it.

I always wondered how eschew that made the actual sales figures/ the charting success ....how many small labeled records especially didn't reach their full potential because they simply couldn't afford to print enough or distribute them adequately ..... trying to compete dollar for dollar with the bigger guys whose well honed pipeline placed their goods in the hands of the consumer more effectively .

***** .