[78-L] Tennessee Ernie Ford promo Background

[agp]

...or 'Why does Capitol repeatedly screw everything up?'

Just got my hands on a copy of a special promo item that Capitol 
released in February 1969 to commemorate Tennessee Ernie Ford's 20 
years on Capitol. I'm sure you've all seen it. Its a 10 inch vinyl 78 
-- yes pressed in 1969 -- of Sixteen Tons b/w I've Got the Milk 'em 
in the Mornin' Blues.

So,what's the background on this release, apart from acknowledging 
the ol pea-picker's 20 years at the tower? Oh -- and I'm not sure 
what stylus to play this with 78/ lp -- green or red :-)

That's said -- sheesh Capitol -- you guys need to get a clue. First, 
you put Sixteen Tons from 1955 down as the A-side, and put Milk 'em 
from 1949 as the b-side. Wouldn't ya think that Milk 'em should be 
the topper as that's the anniversary you're crowing (or moo-ing) about.

Second -- a plain black label that looks nothing like any other 
Capitol label, well maybe a little like the promo/radio station-only 
thingies you put out. You couldn't even dig out a retro 1949 style 
label with a full size dome on it?

Third, mastering -- and I guess this is minor, but you have a 78 size 
label stuck to a raised label area sized for an lp. Okay, so maybe no 
one at that time could properly do this up. But I note that this 
isn't the only time you messed this up. In the UK you did a 10 inch 
78 in 1990 for Dave Edmund's tune King of Love and put an lp sized 
label on that.

And on the subject of master-- actually matrices. Hmmm -- I guess you 
opted to keep this one simple. The matrix on Sixteen Tons is EFS Side 
1. The flip, EFS Side 2. I won't go looking for a catalogue number 
like PRO 12345 as you normally did -- nope you just put S 1 and S 2 
on the label.

Well, coming from the label that added reverb to the Beatles stuff, 
hacked up their lps, and passed off duophonic as stereo, I guess I 
shouldn't have expected better.

Y