[78-L] Unexpected US Releases was Calling all Goonatics

[Michael Biel]

David Lennick wrote:
>
> Only Bluebottle Blues/I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas came out on a North 
> American release, London L1684. I'd be very surprised if they put it out in the 
> US although the site I cited earlier says so..the Goons weren't known in the 
> States at all at that time. Capitol didn't put out any of Spike's singles, but 
> they did bring out a few volumes of The Goon Show, in the dreaded fake stereo 
> and with the music cues chopped out. Parlophone imports were available through 
> Capitol Records of Canada so we got all the originals that way, including the 
> Sellers LPs before they were resequenced, remixed and with bits of tape stretch 
> thrown in for good measure by Angel.
>   

I know you are talking about Canada, but it was different in the U.S. 
from what indicate here.  The two Parlophone imports with the Odeon 
stickers did not arrive here until late 1962 or early 1963. These were 
strictly mono.  I think the first Public Radio package was also starting 
by then, so there was some knowledge in the U.S. by then.  The ONLY 
store I ever saw these in was The Record Hunter on 5th Ave at 42nd St.  
I bought them in Dec 63 when by British pen pals said I might like them, 
and on the same day at a store across the street I got the two Sellers 
Angels as cut outs for a buck along with Delirium In Hi-Fi by Elsa 
Popping and Her Pixieland Band -- perhaps the greatest album ever 
issued.    The Goon series on Pye and then BBC did not come out until 
1965, and we saw them mainly as U.S. pressings.  The two Angel Sellers 
and Sellers-Loren LPs were 1961.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com