Twist And Shout? Spiral Scratch? Corey duBrowa celebrates the best and rarest EPs ever made

The first EPs appeared in the late ‘40s and ‘50s (Frank Sinatra, Elvis) hitting a magical sweet spot between the album and the single and they’ve cast a spell ever since, an exotic reminder that record labels are part of the packaged goods business. Music writer Corey duBrowa stumbled across one by Oingo Boingo in the original Licorice Pizza store in Long Beach, California, when he was 13 and began a lifelong collection that eventually led to ‘An Ideal For Living: a Celebration of the EP’, a book full of fabulous sleeve art and seven decades of 3- and 4-track classics. He talks here about every aspect of EP World and flags up some favourites, among them ones by the Goons, the Beatles, Donovan, Alice In Chains, Buzzcocks, the Clash, the Stones, Ice Cube, ‘A Factory Sample’, the Pogues, the EP that topped the album chart and a Joy Division disc worth $7,000.
Order ‘An Ideal For Living’ here:
hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/
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[@murreygellmann7708]

Poison Idea- Pick Your king

[@Voidoid77]

After, "Spiral Scratch" e.p., etc., my favourite punk/post-punk/etc., e.p.'s out of so many released around that time were: Gang of Four "Damaged Goods" e.p. on Fast Product (early issue w/ photo negative-style printed sticker) & the very first Killing Joke release on their own Malicious Damage label - "Nervous System" 10" 4-trk. ep. which just had two seperate inserts for front/back sleeve put inside a poly bag w/ 3 or 4 little hand-printed inserts. "Turn to Red" dub version is still an absolute monster of a mish-mash of dub/post-punk majesty. (In my humble opinion). Love the show, Mark & David! -from a v. infrequent commenter from Japan (ex- Scotland - 60+ yrs. >>> and counting). Cheers!

[@a34rwl]

Great episode

[@davidfanning1600]

Bowie did a great versioin of Round and Round

[@sianwarwick633]

Super-vintage chat.

[@nkchannelone4866]

As a child in the very early 70s I recall budget price EPs featuring various artists (probably sharing a label/publisher) but I can find no evidence of these on-line. I'm thinking of artists of the era such as New World, bubblegum era Sweet, Lobo etc. I'm starting to think I imagined the whole thing. Anyone else?

[@david_g_barron]

US Release Date of Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane - Monday 13th February 1967 with the latter reaching Number One in the Billboard Hot 100 Charts on Saturday 18th March 1967 for one week before Happy Together by The Turtles being number one for Three Weeks.
US Magical Mystery Tour LP released on Monday 27th November 1967 and obviously the only US Album to be considered Canon by The Beatles.
If you need proof of it being released in earlier in 1967 the Promotional Videos of both Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane were shown on American Bandstand the reaction was not great when Dick Clark asked some of the audience.

[@billsharkey9365]

EPs were very popular in Australia when I was growing up in the 60s/early 70s . I have a few , the Beatles one you said had Slow Down on it , was called "More Requests" had same cover but the tracks were Slow Down , Matchbox , Till There Was You and I Wanna Be Your Man , cost me $1.59 . Also Ob LA DI OB LA DA / While My Guitar Gently Weeps was a No 1 single in Australia , does that exist anywhere else ??

[@thesunreport]

Discogs should be able to tell you.

[@garyrigby21]

Elvis Presley the pop singer

[@apolloc.vermouth5672]

Never bought many EPs myself, used to love those EP collection comps that See For Miles used to put out though.

[@MrBrindleStyle]

2 Live Crew - Yakkity Yak - don’t talk back! The 12 inch.

[@PamK36]

Michigan is pronounced "Mishigan".