Double LP strange side orders

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Bguzaldo

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I have a few double LPs that have sides A and D on one disc and B and C on another. What's the purpose of this? A buddy of mine said that it was usually a mistake but I dunno about that... I figured it was for if you wanted sides B and C to flow better, but you still gotta flip the record, there's still a break in the album. Just curious if anyone knows anything about this..

Thanks,
-Barrett
 
In the days of the record changer you'd stack the two discs on the spindle, side A first then side B. When they were done you'd pull them off and flip the stack and it would play sides C and D without having to reorder the stack.
 
What he said. I remember those days. We used to put the album on the turntable or changer (I was more serious, and had a manual, one-platter turntable, and I would turn up my nose at changer owners...) and LISTEN TO THE WHOLE THING, STRAIGHT THROUGH, TRYING TO DISCERN SOME GREATER MEANING TO IT. Why were the songs arranged in that particular order? Was the intended "hit" single always the first song on side A- or the last song on the "final" side?

Just yesterday, I played ELO's "Concerto For A Rainy Day" for my girlfriend, who remembered "Mr. Blue Sky" but had never heard the whole concerto. I began to get nudgy about 2/3rd the way through- it was hard to imagine that I used to listen to FOUR times that length of programming, in one sitting.

Hey, does anybody remember the ACCU-TRAC? I almost bought one, JC Penney's carried them when they were making a play at stocking serious audiophone equipment. the salesman advised me not to- he said that, yes, it carried JCP's 5-year warranty (that was on all of their audio equipment, at the time,) but he promised me it would spend more time in the shop than in my house. These things would, via REMOTE CONTROL, play any track on up to seven LP's (but only one side- it could not flip the LP over, like a juke box did to 45's) in any order, either pre-programmed, or on the fly.
 
Ah this all makes perfect sense now. My band use to cover Mr. Blue Sky, the drummer was a huge ELO fan so we had to appease him, but after hearin it for the first time I was hooked. I got to do the low "PLEASE TELL US WHY" It was a lot of fun to play.

Thanks for the answers guys,
-Barrett
 
Eh, with a little BBQ sauce they go down a little smoother
 
Interesting history of the double album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_album

I had always thought that Chicago Transit Authority was the first rock double. It appears that Bob Dylan beat them to it by a couple of years with "Blonde on Blonde". My favorite double of all time is by a band from Minneapolis, the self titled "Gypsy" released in 1970. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_(album)
200px-Gypsy_debut_album.jpg
 
I always found it interesting to listen to a double - I can still make the time stretch work & if the cover's worth a cracker it helps too. There were too many vanity/cynical doubles though - milk the punter when the artist thinks they're on a winning streak. As a format? Unbeatable when the work was up to it!
There are a many doubles that were fine as doubles but, in my mind, would've made brilliant single LPs - that's where cassette tapes came in handy.
Physical Graffitti cuts down to a brilliant single LP (oh & on that line LZ IV with out SWTHeaven is KILLER!), as does London Calling and Tommy is a terrific single album.
Electric Ladyland doesn't though.
The Wall would make a great EP - actually no, I don't like the title track either so it'd make a good 7".
Still love my plastic & play it when I can - my wife bought me a brand spanking new Thorens turntable in July. She's a sweetie!
 
Richard King said:
Interesting history of the double album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_album

I had always thought that Chicago Transit Authority was the first rock double. It appears that Bob Dylan beat them to it by a couple of years with "Blonde on Blonde". My favorite double of all time is by a band from Minneapolis, the self titled "Gypsy" released in 1970. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_(album)
200px-Gypsy_debut_album.jpg
Click to expand...
I have a Gypsy album but I'm not sure if it's that one ...... been quite a while since I played it.
I remember liking it though.
 
rayc said:
There are a many doubles that were fine as doubles but, in my mind, would've made brilliant single LPs - that's where cassette tapes came in handy.
Physical Graffitti cuts down to a brilliant single LP (oh & on that line LZ IV with out SWTHeaven is KILLER!), as does London Calling and Tommy is a terrific single album.
Electric Ladyland doesn't though.
Click to expand...

Haha I would definitely agree with you on Electric Ladyland. That's actually the record that brought up this discussion!
 
Lt. Bob said:
I have a Gypsy album but I'm not sure if it's that one ...... been quite a while since I played it.
I remember liking it though.
Click to expand...

Gypsy was a Minneapolis band that went to LA and got signed there (to Metromedia and then RCA). They spent about half their time in each city for the next couple of years. They were the house band about a block from where I used to live (when they were in Minneapolis). I would see them just about every weekend. Their harmonies were probably the best that I have ever witnessed in a live setting (and up there with anyone on record). Their first album was the double one pictured.
 
Richard King said:
Gypsy was a Minneapolis band that went to LA and got signed there (to Metromedia and then RCA). They spent about half their time in each city for the next couple of years. They were the house band about a block from where I used to live (when they were in Minneapolis). I would see them just about every weekend. Their harmonies were probably the best that I have ever witnessed in a live setting (and up there with anyone on record). Their first album was the double one pictured.
Click to expand...

the more I look at it, the more I think that's the one I liked so much.
I have around 6000 albums so I'm not sure but I'll probably make a half-hearted attempt to find it now.
 
stevieb said:
What he said. I remember those days. We used to put the album on the turntable or changer (I was more serious, and had a manual, one-platter turntable, and I would turn up my nose at changer owners...) and LISTEN TO THE WHOLE THING, STRAIGHT THROUGH, TRYING TO DISCERN SOME GREATER MEANING TO IT. Why were the songs arranged in that particular order? Was the intended "hit" single always the first song on side A- or the last song on the "final" side?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I remember those days showing up at a friends house with some new album by some new group for a thumbs up or thumbs down....

Just yesterday, I played ELO's "Concerto For A Rainy Day" for my girlfriend, who remembered "Mr. Blue Sky" but had never heard the whole concerto. I began to get nudgy about 2/3rd the way through- it was hard to imagine that I used to listen to FOUR times that length of programming, in one sitting.
Click to expand...

:D

Hey, does anybody remember the ACCU-TRAC? I almost bought one, JC Penney's carried them when they were making a play at stocking serious audiophone equipment. the salesman advised me not to- he said that, yes, it carried JCP's 5-year warranty (that was on all of their audio equipment, at the time,) but he promised me it would spend more time in the shop than in my house. These things would, via REMOTE CONTROL, play any track on up to seven LP's (but only one side- it could not flip the LP over, like a juke box did to 45's) in any order, either pre-programmed, or on the fly.
Click to expand...

I had an Accutrac turntable. THere was teh changer and the single disk model, I had the single disk version, nice novelty, moving tracks around, required a different stylus so the eye could see the track separation, i replaced it at some point and just used it as a manual turntable. the remote control was ultrasonic rather then the ubiquitous ir we have these days. It would freak out my cat and dog if they were near it. At some point it completely crapped out and I got rid of it.


Some great compilations:


Jefferson Airplane - Flight Log
Doors - Weird Scenes inside the Goldmine
Who - Hooligans
 
I have a Johnny Winter album with three sides,the fourth side is smooth with no label.
 
My only other "weird" album I have is the Parlophone version of Sgt.Pepper,it has a recording on the inner groove of the recoprd that repeats itself.
 
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