🎵 AotW Million Dollar Sound Sampler SP-19001

[Harry]

MILLION DOLLAR SOUND SAMPLER
Various Artists
SP-19001

Side One:

Tijuana Taxi - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (SP4112)
Fly Me To The Moon - Chris Montez (SP4115)
Strangers In The Night - The Sandpipers (SP4117)
Dominique - Lucille Starr (SP107)
Daytripper - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (SP4116)

Side Two:

Comin' In The Back Door - Baja Marimba Band (SP104)
Somewhere Beyond The Sea - We Five (SP4111)
Meditation - Claudine Longet (SP4121)
We're Gonna Stand Up On The Mountain - Canadian Sweethearts (SP106)
Our Day Will Come - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (SP4119)

 

[Harry]

This was the first sampler issued by A&M. It obviously dates from around the time of Claudine Longet's album SP-4121, since that's the 'latest' number represented in the ten tunes presented here.

This album eluded me somehow for quite a long time, as I only managed to find sometime in the past few years. I've heard that it's quite often found in used record stores and flea markets, yet for some reason, I found it to be rather elusive.

If I'm not mistaken, it was issued around the time of Herb Alpert's first TV special, as an offer from Singer, the sponsor, likely to get people into the stores.

Though only ten tracks long, this is a pretty good sampler with some geniune 'hits' on it, and some good representative tracks by some of the bigger artists on the label at the time.

Oh yeah - and it also boasts one of the largest-ever A&M logos on an album cover.

Harry
NP: Million Dollar Sound Sampler

 

[LPJim]

I bought the mono version new when it came out in 1967. One of my neighbors was manager of the Singer outlet in my home town. I'd sure like to have some of the window display material they once had. I recall a sewing machine with SAMPLER cover flats all around it.
During that promotion you could buy any A&M album between 101 and 121, with the exception of 102 and 105, at Singer.
As a kid I mostly bought mono albums, which usually cost $2.87 while stereo versions were a buck more. Many years later I found a stereo SAMPLER at a flea market.
Ah, memories.
JB

 

[Mr Bill]

For those who missed it earlier, here's a side-by-side comparison of the original SP19001 and an early 90's spoof of it (on CD) featuring 90s' era A&M acts...

--Mr Bill

 

[jimac51]

I used to mark purchase dates on my LPs,but this only has 4/67 on it-probably bought the following Saturday after the first TJB special-and,yes,Harry,it was at the Singer store on 69th St.,Upper Darby,Pa. Never thought I'd go into a sewing machine store to buy LPs,but they did have those A&Ms and I remember a promotion with MGM for their two-fer 24-Karat Gold series and I think they did a Sinatra tie-in and/or a Tony Bennett special,too. The Bacharach show was 1971,though I did not have TV access at the time. I think most of the TV specials were Gary Smith/Dwight Hemion productions. My original M$SS was the mono 9001 but I have never upgraded this to stereo even though I have tripped over tons of copies of this over the years. Now if I decide to find a stereo copy,I wonder how elusive it will be? Love that huge logo on the cover. Mac

 

[Harry]

Question for you mono copy owners: Does this album contain the single version of "Tijuana Taxi?"

Harry
...doing a 'laser drop' of this one as we speak, online...

 

[jimac51]

What a great question,Harry-the wheels are always turrning. It's the LP version. Mac

 

[W.B.]

For those who missed it earlier, here's a side-by-side comparison of the original SP19001 and an early 90's spoof of it (on CD) featuring 90s' era A&M acts...

--Mr Bill

Very interesting. The original cover used Optima Bold for the "RECORDS" line, while the later one substituted Bell Centennial Bold for that earlier font.

Naturally, I thought the earlier cover had better fonts (the fonts in those days seemed to have more character than the "digital" fonts out there now), and I prefer the earlier cover in general. But that's one man's opinion.

 

[Rudy]

Naturally, I thought the earlier cover had better fonts (the fonts in those days seemed to have more character than the "digital" fonts out there now), and I prefer the earlier cover in general. But that's one man's opinion.

Make that two.

 

[Harry]

What a great question,Harry-the wheels are always turrning. It's the LP version. Mac

OK, now, I have to ask: Is it the mono LP version, or a fold-down from the stereo LP version?

Harry
...wheels turning, online...

 

[Harry]

I'm opening a very old thread based on something I saw on eBay, and this is thread in which it belongs.

This is the listing on eBay:




The picture shows the actual record found inside the jacket, but it's a Columbia Special Products label, with "SINGER PRESENTS" as the title. My one and only copy has the usual A&M ochre label on it.

Harry

 

[bob]

hi Harry how you and the rest of the corner doing? the above sampler with the columbia label. as I never saw the lp with that label. I have both the mono and stereo versions of it with the A&M ochre label. and to answer your question it does have album version of tijuana taxi, but the mono and stereo versions are different. just like the mono version of tijuana taxi you do not hear the honk with the first rest. but on the stereo version you hear the honk with the rest.

 

[Harry]

Hi Bob,

That's why I posted that, because I found it so odd. Here we have an album proclaiming "MILLION DOLLAR SOUND SAMPLER" with the world's largest A&M logo ever, and the record itself is on Columbia?

I've only ever come across one copy of this album. As I recall I bought it from the late Wendell Johnson years ago in a swap of stuff between us. I've yet to see one in a used record bin or store.

Harry

 

[bob]

what I was thinking as it was posted as I remember wasn't some of the A&M records pressed at columbia at monarch pressing plant? I remember reading that somewhere.your right Harry, it does seem odd that A&M would use a Columbia. so maybe you got a rare collectors item.

 

[Mr Bill]

Could it be a Columbia Record club version???

--Mr. Bill

 

[Harry]

It's not mine - it's someone else's on eBay.

Harry

 

[bob]

Mr. Bill it could be.