POLYDOR 2459 337
GERMAN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE ROCK REPORT [WEST GERMANY]
A: 2459337 S1-2 1[P IN A CIRCLE] 1971 K71 ¯K [N ON ITS SIDE] >0<>0<[LOOKS MORE LIKE AN X OVER A NUMBER] >2<>4<>8<>0< >0< >0<>2<>7=2< >S<>1<
B: 2459337 S2-3 15^ [P IN A CIRCLE] 1971 C71 ¯V [K ON ITS SIDE] >0<>0<[LOOKS MORE LIKE AN X OVER A NUMBER] >2<>4<>8<>0< >0<>2<>7=3< >S<>2<
MACHINE STAMPED
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POLYDOR 2459 397
DUTCH PRESSING RELEASED 1971
A: 2459337 S1-2 [P IN A CIRCLE] 1971 K71 :0:0: :2:4:8:0: :0:2:7: =:2: :S:1: 3
B: 2459337 S2=4 320 3 2
MACHINE STAMPED
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POLYDOR 2480027
NEW ZEALAND
A: 2480027-1
B: 2480027-2
HAND ETCHED
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TRACK RECORDS 2408 101
RELEASED 1971
A: 2408101 A//1 1111
B: 2408101 B//1 1111
MACHINE STAMPED
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REPRISE MS 2034
ORIGINAL US RELEASE 1971
A: MS-2034 31184-1 [STERLING STAMPED] RL [10 STAMPED]
B: MS-2034 31185-1 [STERLING STAMPED] RL [10 STAMPED]
HAND ETCHED
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REPRISE MS 2034
ORIGINAL US RELEASE 1971 TWO TONE LABEL. Spine clearly reads 1970 for this Record Club Dynaflex pressing. This copy also has the original inner sleeve with the "loss leaders" cut out coupon.
A: 31184 1S R104240A IB1
B: 31185 1S R104240B 1D1
MACHINE STAMPED
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REPRISE MS 2034
FIRST PRESS CANADA 1971 BLACK LABEL WITH PROMOTIONAL POSTER, SEE Articles and Comment | JMHVINYL FOR PICTURES.
A: MS-2034 [COL STAMPED ABOVE] 31184-1[STERLING STAMPED] RL
B: MS-2034 [COL STAMPED ABOVE] 31185-1[STERLING STAMPED] RL
HAND ETCHED
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BARCLAY 080.433U
THIS FRENCH ALBUM HAS 1970 AS RELEASE DATE
A: BAR 80433 A
B: BAR 80433 B
MACHINE STAMPED
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SONY LEGACY / EXPERIENCE HENDRIX 88843091781
RELEASED 2014 THE EU PRESSING WHICH HAS 88843091781 ON THE LABEL STICKER AND IS 180 GRM
A: 88843091781 –ESA BEG1474-01 A1 BG
B: 88843091781 –ESB BEG1474-01 B2 BG
HAND ETCHED
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SONY LEGACY / EXPERIENCE HENDRIX 88843091781
RELEASED 2014 THE US PRESSING WHICH HAS 88843091781S1 ON THE LABEL STICKER AND IS 200 GRM NUMBERED ISSUE ****
A: 88843091781 –ESA BEG1474-A RE1 BG
B: 88843091781 –ESB BEG1474-B RE1 BG
HAND ETCHED
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SONY MUSIC / LEGACY / EXPERIENCE HENDRIX / FNAC 88843091781
RELEASED 2018 AND CARRIES A COVER DATE OF 2014. FRENCH VIA FNAC COLOURED VINYL, BLUE.
A: 88843091781-ESA BE61474-01 A1 BG
B: 88843091781-ESB BE61474-01 B2 BG
HAND ETCHED
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REPRISE MS 2034 PROMO
WHITE LABEL “REPRISE RECORDS RADIO STATION SERVICE” STICKERED COPY
A: MS-2034-A 31184-1A [STERLING STAMPED] RL [SCRATCHED OUT D] E
B: MS-2034-B 31185-1A [STERLING STAMPED] RL [TINY C?]
HAND ETCHED
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POLYDOR 2480 027
MEXICO 1971
A: 17-05-1593-1A
B: 17-05-1594-1A
HAND ETCHED
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Picture run through: Polydor German issue, front / rear and label and Polydor Holland [German printed cover] front / rear, inner sleeve and label. Track Records brought a gatefold sleeve, front / rear / inner gatefold and label. Reprise tan label with front / rear and Reprise two tone [dynaflex] record club issue, front / rear, inner sleeve and label. The inner gatefold to these Reprise pressings remain the same across all the copies shown here and shown with the next copy. The Reprise Records white face promo shows front / rear / inner gatefold and label. Experience Hendrix / Legacy – Music re-issued this album in 2015, shown here are the initial US, EU front / rear inner gatefold to both and later EU colour vinyl which has the same cover as the standard black counterpart, shown here the different shrink-wrap sticker. Not forgetting the Barclay Records which like the Reprise Promo shows a release date of 1970. Added, New Zealand and Mexico pressing
N.B. It is important to highlight that while the initial set of Backtrack releases, those from #1 through to and including #6 were actually issued in Jimi’s lifetime the series did run on past his untimely death with both [as part of] compilations and complete recordings. Rather than spread this material across two pages and making it less “readable” it is presented as a whole on the “early posthumous” page. At some point a full as possible overview of all the releases and content [Hendrix of course] will be presented here too.
Backtrack, as a series and a label.
Cheap, cheerful and random! That’s how they could be described and yet these 1970’s releases have thrown up some remarkable facts and that in turn presents us with some interesting questions that require some sort of address. The accuracy of that may be somewhat inaccurate at this point but further digging may well unearth support for those answers or present us with opportunity to dig deeper.
Track Record’s utilised the “Backtrack” logo as a vehicle in which to present compilation or complete recordings from the artist’s they had in their stable. While a Track various artist release was seen in 1969 with the release for what is termed a “sampler”, “The House That Track Built” this was little more than the fore runner of these Backtrack labelled releases. That ’69 release did have Hendrix content by way of the Dylan cover of “All Along The Watchtower” and his own composition of “Purple Haze”. As that record as it was not part of either the 99 Line or the Backtrack labelled releases is not covered here. Worth noting that David King designed the cover for this release, the same designer as that of the Axis. Bold As Love cover.
What is covered here are the three series that saw release as either being part of the initial Backtrack labelled releases, numbers 1-6 [though #6 had no Hendrix content] on the 99 Line of releases [by default I included Polydor Records “Super Groups” as that formed part of that initial set of releases as we find Hendrix related material included there, see the brochure pictures]. The second part of the Backtrack numbered series, distinctively different to what came earlier is reviewed despite [or maybe because of?] the fact the content of BT #10 and #11 has been covered many times before. Now we can cover BT #7 from that part of the series. Also included here are the later issued “Allsorts” series that came on the Backtrack label a little later that same decade.
“Allsorts” was a short run of four releases, of which only three had Hendrix content from circa 1973. With a cover concept shown as by “Butch & Wally” this series has been named after a well know sweet [candy] that was available then [and now!]. Bassetts, founded in 1899 the company utilised slogans such as “All sorts love Allsorts” and Bassett’s make ‘em best” during the 1970’s.
While both Coconut and Aniseed present their title on the front cover for the Peppermint you either need to be able to read Braille as it is set across the top of the rear cover or check the label of the record.
As can be seen in the brochure that was sent to retailers, the “99 Line” had three labels involved, Track, Polydor and Atlantic issue budget priced records. The “99” logo clearly based on the pending decimalisation in the United Kingdom was to become both a hindrance and a drawback. The 99 Line releases saw issue on Friday 15th May 1970, yet this new monetary system was still nine months away!
The records cost in that pre-decimalisation world 19 shillings and 10 pence [19/10] which would equate to 99 new pence once decimalisation occurred. What this 99 logo in fact did was tie in a price that didn’t take into account of inflation. So as will be seen all of the Backtrack series that ran from #1 - #7 showing that “99” logo would be reissued with the self same covers but with the logo removed.
While even the later BT’s [#7, 10 and 11] would be self-limiting as that price was set at £1 and again pre dating the decimalisation change by three months also included the term “Trackton. 100 new pence”. These though were never re-issued as different sleeve designs have never turned up.
Allsorts never had a price limitation set on them and were subject to the retailers set price from the outset.
As for the printers of the covers, here again we have a mixed bag! McNeill Press Ltd. London printed up the BT#1-5. The same printer provides us with the cover for Polydor’s Super Groups. Another familiar to us printer printed the series covers For BT #7, 10 and 11, E. J. Day Group, London & Brentford. The Allsorts set introduces to us a new printer by way of Garrod & Lofthouse International Ltd.
The labels on these sets again present some issues, some of which are compounded by track listing notes. It is fair to say just because a stereo symbol is shown it may not necessarily be that mix that appears in the grooves. More on this per record.
BACKTRACK 1 TRACK RECORDS 2407 001
A: 2407001 A// 1>420 1 2 1
B: 2407001 B// 1>420 1 1 [PART STAMPED 8]
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BACKTRACK 2 TRACK RECORDS 2407 002
99 COVER
A: 2407002 A// 2>420 1 1 1
B: 2407002 B// 2>420 1 1 [PART STAMPED 2]
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BACKTRACK 2 TRACK RECORDS 2407 002
A: 2407002 A// 2>420 1 1 1
B: 2407002 B// 2>420 1 1 [PART STAMPED 8]
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 3 TRACK RECORDS 2407 003
99 COPY
A: 2407003 A//1>420 11 1
B: 2407003 B//1>420 11 3
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 3 TRACK RECORDS 2407 003
99 COPY
A: 2407003 A//1>420 11 1
B: 2407003 B//1>420 11 2
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 3 TRACK RECORDS 2407 003
A: 2407003 A//1>420 1 1 1 [PART STAMPED 3 or 5]
B: 2407003 B//1>420 13 7[0?] 2 1
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 3 TRACK RECORDS 2407 003
A: 2407003 A//1>420 1 1 12
B: 2407003 B//1>420 11 1 4
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 4 TRACK RECORDS 2407 004
99 COPY
A: 2407004 A//1>420 11 9
B: 2407004 B//1>420 119
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 4 TRACK RECORDS 2407 004
A: 2407004 A//1>420 1.1 1 0
B: 2407004 B//1>420 11 7
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 5 TRACK RECORDS 2407 005
99 COPY
A: 2407005 A//1>420 1 [REVERSED 2] [PART STAMPED 8]
B: 2407005 B//1>420 11 11
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BACKTRACK 5 TRACK RECORDS 2407 005
A: 2407005 A//1>420 1 [UPSIDEDOWN 5]] 5
B: 2407005 B//1>420 11 6
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 5 TRACK RECORDS 2407 005
A: 2407005 A//1s>20 1 [UPSIDEDOWN 5] 7
B: 2407005 B//1>420 11 9
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 7 TRACK RECORDS 2407 007
MIXED BAG
A: 2407007 A1 11 5
B: 2407007 B s1 11
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 7 TRACK RECORDS 2407 007
MIXED BAG
A: 2407007 A1 11 7
B: 2407007 B >1 111
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 10 TRACK RECORDS 2407 010 [MONO COVER / MONO LABEL]
A: [2407010 hand etched] 612001 A//2>420 11 3
B: 2407010 B//2>420 11 5
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 10 2407 010 [MONO COVER / STEREO LABEL]
A: [2407010 SCRATCHED] 612001 A//2s420 11 13
B: 2407010 B//2s420 11 3
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 11 TRACK RECORDS 2407 011 STEREO
A: 2407011 A>1 11 5
B: 2407011 B>1 11
MACHINE STAMPED
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SUPER GROUPS POLYDOR 2485 002
A: 2485002 A//1 > 421 11 [PART STAMPED 2]
B: 2485002 B//1 > 421 11 3
MACHINE STAMPED
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BACKTRACK 1 MUSIC FOR LEISURE NZ SP 137
RELEASED 1970? NEW ZEALAND
A: SP 137 A 418 700 [SQUIGGLE LINE]
B: SP 137 B 419 700
HAND ETCHED
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BACKTRACK 2 MUSIC FOR LEISURE NZ 167
RELEASED 1970? NEW ZEALAND
A: 2407002 A// 2 s420 12 04
B: 2407002 B// 3 s420 11 04
MACHINE STAMPED
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WHO / HENDRIX #1 POLYDOR 2484008
BACKTRACK 3 BY ANY OTHER NAME. NEW ZEALAND POLYDOR/PYRAMID PRESSING. RELEASED 1970?
A: 2407003 A//1s 420 11
B: 2407003 B//1s 420 12
MACHINE STAMPED
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WHO / HENDRIX #2 POLYDOR 2484009
BACKTRACK 4 BY ANY
OTHER NAME. PYRAMID SERIES NEW ZEALAND. RELEASED 1970?
A: 2407004 A//1s420 1[PART STAMPED 2]
B: 2407004 B//1s420 1[PART STAMPED 2]
MACHINE STAMPED
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WHO / HENDRIX #3 POLYDOR 248010
BACKTRACK 5 BY ANY OTHER NAME. RELEASED 1970? PYRAMID SERIES.
A: 2407005 A//1s420 13
B: 2407005 B//1s420 1[POSSIBLY 9]
MACHINE STAMPED
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Picture run through; The brochure set to retailer’s at the outset of the first of three series of Backtrack records. Then each of the series showing the front “99”, generic rear and none “99” covers. Each show label or labels, dependent if the JHE appeared on that side. BT #10 shown with labels showing the mono/mono and the mono/stereo variant. Plus the Super Groups title from Polydor.
New Zealand issued the Backtrack records in either the Pyramid series or the Who/Hendrix series, as shown. Covers and labels for the Music For Leisure [Backtrack #1 and 2] and Polydor Pyramid series from followed by the three Who/ Hendrix [#3-5].
99 Line Brochure
ANISEED ALLSORTS TRACK RECORDS 2409 205 STANDARD
RELEASED 1973 OR 1974
A: 2409205 A//1 420 0 1110 [PORKY HAND SCRATCHED]
B: 2409205 B//1 420 0 119 [TRISHPECK HAND SCRATCHED]
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COCONUT ALLSORTS TRACK RECORDS 2409 207
A: 2409207 A//1 420 0 11 7 [HAND ETCHED PORKY MEL]
B: 2409207 B*//1 420 O* 11 10 [HAND ETCHED PORKY MELO]
MACHINE STAMPED
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PEPPERMINT ALLSORTS TRACK RECORDS 2409 206 STANDARD
RELEASED SOMETIME FROM 1973 ONWARDS, DISTRIBUTED BY POLYDOR
A: 2409206 A//1 420 011 2[PORKY + MELLY HAND ETCHED]
B: 2409206 B[A CROSSED OUT]//1 420 011 5[PECKO + MELLO HAND ETCHED]
MACHINE STAMPED
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Picture run through; The Allsorts titles, of which we have four but just three contain Hendrix material. Shown alphabetically as these appear to have been issued on or around the same date. Shown front, rear and labels.
