Passage: An A&M Foreplay Special*

[Lynda]

I was finally able to find a copy of “A Foreplay Special” promo. It is the first time I have seen a 7” record with more than two tracks. This has the tracks from Passage with the exception of “All You Get From Love Is A Love Song.” Anyone know why this track was excluded?

 

[A&M Retro]

Wow! What a beautiful copy. Great find. I'm thinking the reason 'All You Get From Love Is A Love Song' wasn't included was because it had already been a single prior to the release of the LP. It certainly should have been highlighted, though, because it's one of the best tracks on the album.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I was finally able to find a copy of “A Foreplay Special” promo. It is the first time I have seen a 7” record with more than two tracks. This has the tracks from Passage with the exception of “All You Get From Love Is A Love Song.” Anyone know why this track was excluded?

I had forgotten about A&M's "Foreplay Specials". A&M Retro is right about "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song"---that single was issued five months before the album. The purpose of these was a sampler, to whet the appetite for an upcoming album among record retailers and radio stations.





If you pull the record from the sleeve, you'll see there is only one track. The seven songs from the album are excerpts, cross-faded if I recall, with a total running time of 7:12.


A&M usually issued the Foreplay samplers on 12-inch vinyl. This may be the only one released on 7-inch (it plays at 33 1/3).

 

[Lynda]

Wow! What a beautiful copy. Great find. I'm thinking the reason 'All You Get From Love Is A Love Song' wasn't included was because it had already been a single prior to the release of the LP. It certainly should have been highlighted, though, because it's one of the best tracks on the album.

This makes complete sense!

 

[Lynda]

I had forgotten about A&M's "Foreplay Specials". A&M Retro is right about "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song"---that single was issued five months before the album. The purpose of these was a sampler, to whet the appetite for an upcoming album among record retailers and radio stations.





If you pull the record from the sleeve, you'll see there is only one track. The seven songs from the album are excerpts, cross-faded if I recall, with a total running time of 7:12.


A&M usually issued the Foreplay samplers on 12-inch vinyl. This may be the only one released on 7-inch (it plays at 33 1/3).

I found it so interesting that it was released on 7-inch. Thanks for the additional information!

 

[kprather]

Did anybody else read the thread title and think they were on the wrong board?

 

[Harry]

Did anybody else read the thread title and think they were on the wrong board?

Heh. I fixed it (so we don't attract the wrong kind of people)!

 

[Lynda]

Is there a reason why these were named "foreplay special?" I mean was it a play with the word within the context of what most people would be thinking about?! I understand why it was used ("preview" to the main event. lol) but why choose that word??

 

[Harry]

Is there a reason why these were named "foreplay special?" I mean was it a play with the word within the context of what most people would be thinking about?! I understand why it was used ("preview" to the main event. lol) but why choose that word??

It was considered "edgy" I suppose, but consider that these records were only released to record stores and radio stations for auditioning future records that were coming their way - before play - "foreplay."

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Is there a reason why these were named "foreplay special?" I mean was it a play with the word within the context of what most people would be thinking about?! I understand why it was used ("preview" to the main event. lol) but why choose that word??

Sex and sexual connotations were used much more freely in the 70s than they are today---especially in music marketing. There was quite a bit of innuendo and outright nudity in advertising and promotion pieces in trade magazines like Billboard and Radio & Records than was used to reach the general public.