None&Done @ A&M: Unissued Catalogue Numbers: 1962-70

[JOv2]

Here’s a list of LP catalogue numbers from 1962-70 (SP 4101 to approx. SP 4280) that were apparently never used for commercial release. (A huge thank you to LPJim for filling in 85% of the gaps! Hope I got the content straight...)

It’s not unusual for a label to have occasional gaps in its alpha-numeric catalogue number sequence. (For instance, Columbia CS-9125—9127 remain unassigned. According to Both Sides Now, these were most likely reserved for Andy Williams who at the time (1965) had recently bought his old masters from Cadence for a potential re-release of 5 LPs; however, only 2 were issued at the time.) Compared to other labels, however, A&M seems to have a relatively high number of unissued catalogue numbers — particularly in 1970. Devoid of detailed company information case-by-case rationale remains unknown. For those discussed by LPJim, Both Sides Now, Discogs or Scat45, I’ve included information. Otherwise, any additional info is welcomed.

The one bit of conjecture that is most likely accurate is that each unused number was surely officially assigned to a project that, at the time, was fully intended to be released. What remains unknown are the specific project-to-project issues as to why a given project was put on hold: be it to be re-worked, temporarily shelved, or abandoned out right. There may be unknown business reasons specific to A&M for not re-assigning numbers from cancelled projects.

• SP 4127: The Parade
  • LP not completed:
    • Now Sounds/UK released a comp (2008) of the group’s A&M recordings
• SP 4186: STRAWBS
  • I believe this was intended to be their debut LP, which was rejected by Gil Friesen. The original album was issued as Of A Time (2012) by Witchwood Media/UK
• SP 4192: Ronettes
• SP 4193: Manfredo Fest
• SP 4231: Children Of God / This Is Our Time
• SP 4226: Under Milkwood
  • LP completed:
    • LP sequenced
    • Cover art completed
• SP 4234: Contemporary Giants
• SP 4244: Willie BoBo / Getting Heavy
• SP 4255: Joanne Vent / Muscatel
• SP 4256: Reggae Chartbusters (?)
• SP 4263: Joe Cocker
• SP 4275: Punch
• SP 4278: Bryndle
• SP 4283: Phil Ochs / Live In Vancouver or Gunfight At Carnegie Hall
• SP 4285: Lambert & Nuttycombe
• SP 4286: Jimmy Cliff / Wild World
• SP 4289: Alternate cat # for Carpenters / SP 3502
• SP 4290: Alternate cat # for Burt Bacharach / SP 3501

 

[LPJim]

This is a favorite topic of endless fascination. Leaves one wondering about albums that could have been. For starters, a word about the Strawbs initial efforts. While the debut album had an unused domestic catalog number, the second album did not. 'DRAGONFLY' was a U.K. and Canada release and the first to feature Rick Wakeman (keyboards). It was reissued as 'EARLY STRAWBS' as a double LP with the self titled debut later. Some earlier recordings with their brief association with Sandy Denny (later of Fairport Convention) came out as a non-A&M import.

STRAWBS and DRAGONFLY were reissued on CD by the Siwan label of South Korea, separately in digipacks.

JB

 

[Harry]

For THE PARADE, I have the Japanese 1995 edition (POCM-2014). I picked it up sometime in the late 90s, and I recall a DJ from out of town being very interested in getting a good stereo copy of "Sunshine Girl".

The Parade - The Parade

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1995 CD release of "The Parade" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[Rudy]

I have this by The Parade:



Very odd that the Roger Nichols Trio track "Montage Mirror" has never appeared on any of the Nichols releases, as other Roger Nichols Trio tracks were bonus tracks on his lone A&M album reissue on CD. (I've added it to my digital copy to correct that oversight.)

 

[Harry]

I've always hated that red coloration on the Japanese version of THE PARADE that I have. Other iterations have that same picture but in natural color, so by combining the pictures, I get: