In 1987 John Townson and Gordon Minto published the landmark book ‘Elvis UK’, setting a new standard for "encyclopedic" discographies. For example, during their research they pioneered a system to place each release on the Elvis Presley timeline based on tax codes. Who would have thought that the tax department could be a blessing for collectors everywhere ...
The past five-plus years these two researchers have been systematically expanding both the depth and scope of their research for the first book, with the publication of almost two handfuls of standalone soft-backed books covering Elvis' releases on 78 RPM, Extended Plays, CD, the non-RCA releases, and even the vinyl cover art. In each of these, they have written the definitive word on the subjects covered.
Apparently one thing kept nagging these two gentlemen: their first book was due for an upgrade, color and content-wise. Landmark though it was at the time, that upgrade was all that seemed to be missing, even as the authors kept us engrossed with the aforementioned expansions on their first publication.
So many Elvis U.K. vinyl collectors may have cheered when the announcement was made that the upgrade was on the horizon. And what an update, their debut publication will be expanded from one to five volumes! The first volume - holding 462 pages - has been published, and offers collectors everything there is to know about the Elvis LPs that were released between 1956 and mid-1962 in the United Kingdom.
Design
The authors are as true to their design as they are to their format, so we get a black cover with the "trademark" "Elvis UK" logo and a title that could work as a summary of the book. Looking at the content, it is logical to use Elvis' U.K. debut release on the His Master's Voice label as the main illustration.
The content of this 462-page paperback is presented using a logical format, numbering each release. Each entry starts with the title and cover art, followed by the history and facts on the album. From there it moves through original advertisements, contemporary press coverage from newspapers and music magazines, paperwork, and label and sleeve variations, all drawn from a host of sources, including the record companies and people involved at the time. All of it is annotated in detail, pointing out what's important, relevant, or sometimes funny.
I especially enjoyed the retrospectives and newspaper round-ups for each year, as they provide both factual and social-historical context for the albums at hand. Over time you experience how Elvis grew as an artist, to a level no one could have imagined. But you also see how his image changed, from someone parents feared for their kids to an artist loved by both the kids, their parents and the press.
Along the way the authors try to place their research in perspective and infuse it with their observations and opinions and do so with some of that typical British humor. For example, in the chapter on 'Blue Hawaii' they pose the question of which album had the most impact on Elvis' career, and name the soundtrack album as their answer. Their reasoning: it steered his film and recording career in an (unintended) direction. It would not be my first choice, but it is food for thought, and you could build an argument for this classic soundtrack. These infusions of factual content make this book a joy to read and so much more than a "discography."
The authors love to do their research and write about it. The consequence is that the book holds “too much” information, you simply can't take it all in at once. But thanks to the pleasant way of writing, it isn't "too much." It is the kind of book you use as a reference or study-book.
Content
This book covers Elvis' British LP releases from 1956 to 1962, sixteen albums in total. It starts with the first three releases on the legendary His Master's Voice label, followed by the first thirteen titles on the RCA Victor record label. Every album is carefully cross-referenced to later re-issues.
The first 100 pages provide an introduction and context for the albums covered in these five volumes. They cover the making of the original 'Elvis UK' book, along with background on the research and methodology used, and developed, over the years. They also lay out all the necessary background information on producing records: the (inner) sleeves, the mechanical rights, the business side, the publishing, and more. This section almost could have been a book on its own.
Following the albums, the closing chapters offer a song title index of titles released between 1956 and 1962, including references to the albums and whether they were released in Mono and/or Stereo. It is important to note, though, that this is not simply a colored update of the 1987 book. It's completely built again from the ground up.
The authors have included all the known variations of a particular LP up to the point when it was deleted. Re-issues (old albums re-issued with new catalogue numbers, as happened with many at the beginning of the 1970s after RCA had launched its own label in the United Kingdom) then they are dealt with separately as, by virtue of having a different cat number (though the same tracks) makes it a re-issue. The authors discuss this at various points throughout the text and, of course, across the different volumes.
In previous reviews of these authors' work, I have already praised the authors on the meticulous research underpinning their books, and the same applies here. Take my word for it. The book is illustrated throughout with relevant photographs, advertisements and more. The details of label combinations, production errors, and other fascinating oddities will delight collectors!
In true English fashion, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating." With that in mind, I selected one of the most appealing and quintessentially English releases: the 1956 LP 'Rock and Roll No. 2,' to find out which variation I own, and what there was to learn about this collectable release.
Finding the album was easy thanks to the index. The page for this second Elvis LP release opens with the front and back of the first pressing. My copy of the second ‘Rock and Roll’ album was a first pressing, variation 1. Identification was easy, the positioning of the “HMV” was the identifier. Still, this variation had six sub-variations when you look at the positioning of the initials of the printer (“W.R.W”) on the back.
This illustrates the level of details featured in the book. Reading the information presented, you see where this book differs from other U.K. discographies, for example the ‘Elvis on Record’ books by Paul Alner, which contain the same factual information but not the detailed background details these books hold.
You could argue whether all the information about the recording session, and the details on the original color of the front cover image, belong in a reference book like this one. Similarly, one could ask the same of a chapter on the songs featured on Elvis' first two albums, the Decca Record Company and RCA record labels from 1957 to 1968. I would expect this kind of information in the introduction chapters, not in between 'Rock and Roll No. 2' and the 'Loving You' soundtrack. But there are more little chapters like this throughout the book, and they do offer additional information and a little variation when leafing through the pages.
On the one hand it is great to have everything in one place; on the other hand, much of the information presented would be great content for an in-depth analysis of the album. And although the book is very complete, I did learn that it still doesn't cover everything. The authors themselves also refer to their 'Elvis UK - Cover Story' book for more details on the cover art. I also found some images of a test pressing for this album in Alner's book that weren't featured in this book, and vice versa.
Here's where the two books diverge most. Take 'Loving You,' for example: Paul Alner identified 11 label variations up to 1963, while this book offers 19 different labels up to 1963. Alner's book shows variation 10, which is omitted in this book. Conversely, the text for "variation 9" in Alner's book mentions a variation he has no graphic evidence for, but it is shown in this book. And where the identified variations of 'Rock and Roll No. 2' were identical, this is not the case for the 'Loving You' example, as both books name the variations differently. Here collectors must choose which reference to follow for their collection.
Conclusion
As stated in previous reviews of books in this series, I would argue that these 'Elvis UK' books are the definitive word on Elvis' U.K. discography. Anyone who thinks these are "just" discographies is mistaken. They function as discographies, yes, but also as reference books and social histories of the era.
Comparing this volume to Paul Alner's 'Elvis On Record' (which will be expanded by two more volumes), I noticed that both authors followed their own research and methodology to present their findings. My conclusion is that there are some significant differences, both in content, methodology, and presentation, so collectors could opt to accept one of the two as "their truth" to structure their quest, or get both and draw their own conclusions.
And although the book holds pretty much everything there is to know and learn about each album, there are (still) more variations to be discovered and categorized. The quest continues, and I already look forward to delving into the next volumes.
This is what Sean Tarrant had to say about the book
Get the book
The print copy of Elvis 33 ⅓ RPM, Volume 1 costs £53 and can only be ordered via our website >>> Elvis UK Books website. You can also find details of all their other recent publications.
