What A&M item has been impossible to find?

Steven J. Gross

Well-Known Member
There is always something that the collector or fan wants but continues to miss. Be it a single or LP, or something else "A&M"- let's hear about it! One item or a list. (It does have to exist).
For starters, I'd like to locate a copy of the single "The Whistle Song" by Herb Alpert & the TJB...
 
Steve, I could probably digitize it for you. El Bimbo is another rare TJB side from the never-completed third album. ... I once had a copy of Tamba 4's "California Soul/Berimbau" and lost it in a fire. I see it's available from time to time on GEMM, but at some ridiculous price. That's what you can buy me for Christmas.
 
I'll keep my feelers out for a copy of that single for you Richard- it will probably go on sale for 99 cents from a uninformed seller (with a little luck)! :thumbsup:
 
Great idea for a thread.

Things I'd like to find:

Herb Alpert - two CDs have eluded me, though I have digital copies: BRASS ARE COMIN' and BEYOND, both rare Japanese imports. Also, a rumored compilation LP from Australia that has "Yo Soy Ese Amor" in stereo.

Dore Alpert - the last single he did as 'Dore'. I've forgotten the name and it's not in our single listing page. It was on A&M, and I have a digitized copy of it. [edit: actually it IS in our thorough database, in withe the A&M stuff since it appeared on the A&M label. I was looking for it in the Pre-A&M section, silly me!]

Carpenters - the British compilation YESTERDAY ONCE MORE on CD. I have the LP, but the CD has been elusive.

Lani Hall - not sure if it exists, ES FACIL AMAR on CD. I have the LP and cassette.

Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends - the LP. I have the CD in multiple iterations, but would like the original vinyl.

Harry
...who'll likely think of more later, online...
 
These A&M items have proven elusive:

Richard Carpenter - TIME on CD. I have the LP and cassette, but have never seen the CD. Was it released on CD in Canada?

Karen Carpenter - IF I HAD YOU promo CD single.

Carpenters - OFFERING LP, made in Canada by Quality records. Fortunately, I do have a USA copy.

Carpenters - CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT original mix CD, made in Germany. I have a digital copy, but have been unable to find an original.

Murray
 
I can only think of a few '45's. One was in a store that wouldn't sell it to me until someone could get a PRICE figured out...By the time I could get back, someone BOUGHT it! :rolleyes:

There is at least one someone beat me to on an eBay auction. :cry:

I guess vinyl-wise and CD-wise, I Have, Had or Have Had It With Everything A&M. :D

Dave

...Thankful, online... :angel:
 
Elusive A&M releases, eh? Hmm ... well, we can rule out vinyl copies of "Whipped Cream and Other Delights"! :tongue:

How about the ultra-ultra-rare picture disc of GHOST IN THE MACHINE that lights up when you put it on a turntable? Oh, wait, we're talking about items we can REALISTICALLY obtain? :tongue:

Being mainly a 45 collector, I'm finding that a lot of should-be-easy-to-find-A&M Top 40 hits from the '80s are proving really surprisingly elusive on 45. Herb's "Making Love in the Rain" is one I've never run across a 45 of, in all the years I've been collecting records, oddly enough! Ditto for Bryan Adams' "Hearts on Fire" and "Victim of Love." Never seen a 45 of either. Go figure.

Jeff F.
 
For me, it's simply the TJB CDs that I've been told were issued in other countries but not here (S.R.O., Sounds Like, Brass Are Comin').
As far as "Making Love In The Rain", when I was collecting Herb Alpert and A&M 45s a couple of years back I had 3 copies of that 45. But I sold both collections again on eBay when I needed some cash.
 
For me the toughest items to find have been:

The Sex Pistols A&M Promo -- easy to find at auction sites at extremely high prices.

Spririt & Worm -- most probably the rarest A&M LP.

Phil Ochs "Bwatue"/"Ngomba..." released as a 45 by "A&M Records Africa" (I do have a limited edition repressing on an indy label, but would love to have the A&M of Africa version). In fact, ALL of Ochs' 45s are hard to find, especially the radio promo of "Small Circle..." on which one side has the word "marijuana removed and the other side deletes the entire verse in question.

Some of the items others list here intrigue me: Police "light up" record? are you serious? Another Dore record? (My list has "Special Kind Of Love"/"I'd Do It All Again" as the last Dore release).

A lot of those mid to late 80s singles did not get 45rpm treatment and were ONLY released as cassette singles... So don't despair if you can't find them.

--Mr Bill
 
I have to say that, other than TJB on CD, most of my A&M wishes have been fulfilled. Unlike many of our members, I don't consider myself a collector...I will buy one of an artist's work, and then if a better format comes along (and I like the record!) I'll buy it again, but I'm not into getting every possible variation of everything.

I own many A&M's on CD that I never dreamed would ever come out in that format...especially in the Sergio Mendes category.

I guess if I wanted to stretch a bit, I would put the Carpenters OFFERING LP on my list. I have the TICKET TO RIDE version (on LP and CD) of course, but have never seen an OFFERING in the flesh. So that's my entry onto this list.

Oh, and the Cheryl Dilcher albums BUTTERFLY and the followup (which I forget the title of). Both have some great tunes and I can't find the dagnab things anymore!

Thought of one more: Renee Armand's THE RAIN BOOK. That came out on CD once but I missed it.
 
Mr Bill said:
[Some of the items others list here intrigue me: Police "light up" record? are you serious?

Yeah! There's a picture disc of GHOST that supposedly lights up when you placed on a turntable. (Exactly how that WORKS is beyond me, but I'd love to see it!) From what I've read, there were less than ten copies pressed, so that would definitely be in the "Police collectibles I'll never own" department! :tongue:

Mr Bill said:
Spririt & Worm -- most probably the rarest A&M LP.

I was wondering when somebody would bring up SPIRIT & WORM! :laugh:
Never seen a picture of the album, don't know a thing about the album (other than that it goes for an insane amount of money) - but I've always been really curious about it. Does anyone here know much about it? Why was this album - I'm assuming - pressed in such small quantities?
 
The last Spirits & Worm I saw on eBay closed at over $900, and it did not meet the reserve price. No interest here--if I'm not familiar with an artist, I don't go out of my way to own their LP.

I might get around to owning all of the TJB 45s one day, but it's not a big priority. I can see why the songs were b-sides: they are NOT that good. Interesting to own, but it's not like finding a long-lost treasure either. :wink:

The biggest priority for me is to collect all of those LPs in the A&M Audiophile series. Beyond that, there really isn't much in A&M I'm looking for. I'm trying to find a few of the A&M/CTi titles on vinyl. But honestly, can't think of much else. I collect far more of other artists that never recorded for A&M, so those areas are getting more attention right now.
 
jfiedler17 said:
I was wondering when somebody would bring up SPIRIT & WORM! :laugh:
Never seen a picture of the album, don't know a thing about the album (other than that it goes for an insane amount of money) - but I've always been really curious about it. Does anyone here know much about it? Why was this album - I'm assuming - pressed in such small quantities?

LP Jim is the only person here I know who actually owns a copy of the A&M vinyl version. He also has an Italian CD reissue (which he was kind enough to copy for me. Ooops! Did I just accuse Jim of piracy?) He's also corresponded with the producer (or his son) and has a great many tales of the trials and tribulations of this (nearly) forgotten A&M act.

And here's a picture for you:
sp4229.jpg


--Mr Bill
 
If that TJB golddisc from Mobile Fidelity was actually ever pressed, I would certainly covet that! But I doubt that it got as far as production. Does anyone here know for sure?
 
Far as I've discovered, that TJB MoFi never got any further than being assigned a catalog number.

Actually, the Brasil '66 MoFi LP I've only seen once in my life...and that's my copy. The day I saw it new back in the 80s, I bought it. :thumbsup:
 
For me the hardest thing to find is the Dore Alpert 45 "Special Kind Of Love/I'd Do It All Again". I have a cassette of those songs, but never could find the actual 45.


Capt. Bacardi
 
jfiedler17 said:
Herb's "Making Love in the Rain" is one I've never run across a 45 of, in all the years I've been collecting records, oddly enough!

I've got one of those, and even the rarer 12" from Great Britain with an instrumental version, and the "Herb Alpert CD Megamix" on the flip side.

Here's one with a picture sleeve currently available on eBay:




Harry
...keeping his eyes open, online...
 
Not So Hairy said:
Here's one with a picture sleeve currently available on eBay...

Thanks Harry! That's one of only a handful of Alpert 45s I was never able to find (all my local shops were strictly cassette single vendors by that time). Hoepfully I'll find it someday without losing a a ton of $ on eBay.

Do you recall which Dore Alpert single you were talking about earlier in this thread? That megamix is one I wouldn't mind owning (though I DO have a cassette copy courtesy of a fellow corner-ite).

--Mr Bill
 
"Making Love In The Rain" 45...I should check one of my local places. I'm sure I've seen a copy or two there. I know I saw a couple of "Diamonds" in pic sleeves last time I went.

Anyone here have three-disc red, blue and clear promo set of 12" singles from Keep Your Eye On Me? I already had the singles, but it's a neat set. Another local place had about four of those when I bought mine.
 
I've never managed to find the red, white and blue Alpert 12" set. Whenever I see it on eBay, the seller wants a fortune for it, and like Rudy, I already have the audio on other 12"ers, so I'm unwilling to spend big bucks for colored vinyl. Though it is one I'd like to have someday.

Mr. Bill: the Dore Alpert that I'm missing is "I'd Do It All Again/Special Kind Of Love", number 729. Earlier in this thread. when I went to check our database here at http://www.tijuanabrass.com, I looked in the pre-TJB section and it wasn't listed. Now I realize that it's listed in with the regular A&M singles, since it appeared on A&M. I have the audio of that one (courtesy of Paula), and dubbed it myself to CD, but have never found the actual vinyl.

Harry
...with his missing pieces, online...
 
Harry said:
I've never managed to find the red, white and blue Alpert 12" set. Whenever I see it on eBay, the seller wants a fortune for it, and like Rudy, I already have the audio on other 12"ers, so I'm unwilling to spend big bucks for colored vinyl. Though it is one I'd like to have someday.

If I ever get back to that side of town, I'll take a look and see if he has any still available. They weren't any more than $10. He used to stock a TON of Alpert LPs, mono and stereo for TJB, and had a few of the Longines boxes there as well for $10 or less. Should invite him to the forum while I'm at it--he always would comment how much he enjoyed A&M and Herb Alpert when I would go up to the register with my stack of goodies. :)

I thought there may have been something unique about one of the singles in that set, but I'd have to dig it out again and compare to the others I own.

Now it's off to zee dentist with zee kids.... :wink:
 
Webmeistro Rudy said:
Now it's off to zee dentist with zee kids....

"Is It Safe? Is It Safe?"

--Mr Bill
thyinking about Marathon Man and Little Shop Of Horrors
 
Must have been safe--they didn't scream, and they came back with the same teeth they went in with. :D
 
I'd say one album that ranks with the Spirits & Worm LP, would be Emmitt Rhodes' American Dream, with the "alternate cover"-- Burgers 19¢...! :wink:

Dave

...who had a chance to snatch up a lot of these "Hard to Finds", loooong ago...!:cool:
 
Mike Blakesley said:
Oh, and the Cheryl Dilcher albums BUTTERFLY and the followup (which I forget the title of). Both have some great tunes and I can't find the dagnab things anymore!

The follow-up was called MAGIC; All I can remember on it are a couple songs: "It's A Secret" and "Who's The Captain Of Rock 'N' Roll"...

Mike Blakesley said:
Thought of one more: Renee Armand's THE RAIN BOOK. That came out on CD once but I missed it.

I had it on CD, but found a good promotional copy on vinyl, recently.

Dave
 
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