Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

DEAR JERRY: I just bought the 45 of "Skyfall," with the Adele/James Bond picture sleeve.

I want more Adele vinyl, but cannot find a complete list of her U.S. and UK vinyl releases.

I would also appreciate your estimates of their current selling prices.
—Bernard Atkinson, Patterson, N.J.

DEAR BERNARD: Between the States and Great Britain, there are a dozen vinyl singles, and that includes seven, 10, and 12-inch discs.

Also, each of Adele's three LPs were available on vinyl in both countries.

Fortunately for vinyl Adele-o-philes, everything on this list is readily available, with some even selling for about the same as their original list prices.

Her vinyl releases are chronological, with a price range reflecting recent transactions:

SINGLES
2007 "Hometown Glory"/"Best for Last" (Pacemaker 1) UK
Seven-inch single, limited edition of 500, includes picture sleeve
($30-$60)

2008 "Chasing Pavements"/"That's It, I Quit, I'm Moving On" (XL 321) UK
Seven-inch single, with picture sleeve
($20-$25)

2008 "Hometown Glory"/"Best for Last" (XL 346) U.S.
Seven-inch "Collector Edition" single, with picture sleeve
($20-$30)

2008 "Cold Shoulder"/"Now and Then" (XL 358) UK
Seven-inch single, with picture sleeve
($15-$20)

2008 "Hometown Glory"/"Fool That I Am" (XL 374) UK
Seven-inch single, with picture sleeve that is completely different from sleeve issued with XL 346
($15-$20)

2008 "Hometown Glory (High Contrast Remix)"/"Hometown Glory Instrumental (High Contrast Remix)" (XL 374) UK
12-inch single, a promotional issue available only from Hospital Records
($50-$75)

2008 "Make You Feel My Love"/"Painting Pictures" (XL 393) UK
Seven-inch single, with picture sleeve
($50-$75)

2008 "A Del (sic) Axwell Remixes": "Hometown Glory (Remode Remix)"/"Hometown Glory (Axwell Vocal)" (Bye 002) UK
12-inch single
($30-$50)

2011 "Adele Rolling in the Deep Remix By Jamie XX": "Rolling in the Deep (Jamie XX Shuffle)" (XL 521) UK
12-inch, single-sided disc
($20-$30)

2011 "Adele Rolling in the Deep": "Rolling in the Deep (Native Racket Mix)"/"Rolling in the Deep (Key-a-Pella)" + "Rolling in the Deep (Original)" (XL 4-Sheela) UK
12-inch single
($10-$20)

2011 "Adele Rolling in the Deep Remix By Jamie XX": "Rolling in the Deep (Jamie XX Shuffle)"/"Rolling in the Deep (Live at World Café)" (Columbia XL 34 787267) U.S.
10-inch single, limited to 4,000 made for 2011 Record Store Day
($20-$30)

2012 "Skyfall"/"Skyfall (Instrumental)" (XL 593) UK
Seven-inch single, with picture sleeve
($30-$60)

ALBUMS

2008 "Adele 19" (XL 313) UK
($20-$30)

2008 "Adele 19" (Columbia XL 730624) U.S.
($20-$30)

2011 "Adele 21" (XL 520) UK
($15-$25)

2011 "Adele 21" (Columbia XL 7447699) U.S.
($20-$30)

2015 "Adele 25" (XL 740) UK
($15-$20)

2015 "Adele 25" (Columbia XL 75176771) U.S.
180-gram vinyl
($15-$20)

DEAR JERRY: In the episode titled "A Certain Samaritan" on the British mystery series "Vera" (PBS), Vera listens to a short portion of a folk song on a 1960s cassette tape.

Vera reminisces about it, but doesn't mention the female singer or the title.

Of course, there is no mention of music in the closing credits. Can you come to my rescue and solve this mini-musical mystery
—Mindy & Al Ashmore, Ripley, Ohio

DEAR MINDY & AL: First, I do find it a bit offbeat that we transition from one single-named, extremely popular British woman (Adele) to another (Vera).

Unless you were in the UK in late 1962 or early '63, this tune, titled "Island of Dreams," would not likely have rung a bell with either of you.

Written by Tom Springfield, "Island of Dreams" was a huge hit in Britain, by the Springfields.

And the female vocalist you heard is the legendary Dusty Springfield.

The trio disbanded in October 1963, and Dusty began her hugely successful solo career with "I Only Want to Be With You" (Philips 40162).

That single, and many more that followed, were best sellers on several continents.

After the Springfields folded, Tom Springfield went on to become a very successful writer and record producer.

In 1966, while Tom was producing the Seekers (featuring Judith Durham), they recorded an outstanding version of his "Island of Dreams."

You'll find that track on their "Georgy Girl" album (Capitol 2431).

IZ ZAT SO? The success of the Springfields' "Island of Dreams," and "Silver Threads and Golden Needles," are polar opposites. What you were exposed to depended on which side of the Atlantic you were at the time.

Released in November 1962, "Island of Dreams" (Philips 326557) was their biggest hit ever in the homeland. It remained on the UK charts for 26 weeks, and peaked at No. 5.

While "Island of Dreams" was still riding high in the UK, Philips issued it in the U.S. (#40099). Unfortunately, it flopped.

The tune hovered near the bottom of the charts for just three weeks, peaking at No. 86.

Meanwhile, "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" (Philips 40038) climbed into the Top 20 in the U.S., and was the Springfields' biggest American hit.

Yet the UK single of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" (Philips 326522) did not chart at all.

Other than "Island of Dreams," none of the Springfields' other four UK hits charted in America, and none of their other four that appeared on a U.S. chart ranked at all in Britain.

This type of unplanned autonomy in the record industry is extremely rare.


Return to "Mr. Music" Home Page