DAVE COUSINS: TWO WEEKS LAST SUMMER - VERSIONS
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UK VINYL
UK release
AMLH 68118 (A&M, Oct 1972). Single sleeve, textured effect to simulate wallpaper, on which a calendar is hung (the calendar is not textured. No lyric sleeve or insert. Record released with brown A&M label and, as far as known, was never re-issued in UK with silver label. On the front cover, bottom left of the blue border of the calendar, the words "Printed In England appear" in very small print, which seems to have been repeated unwittingly on some other versions.
Front and back cover
Labels
UK corrected label
AMLH 68118 (A&M, Oct 1972). It seems that there was an error on the first pressing in relation to publishing rights, so at some point a revised brown label appeared. On the first pressing all tracks were credited to Summerland Songs, one of the publishing companies set up by Strawbs management for each of the band. The second pressing revised this, ascribing the first, tite, track to Strawberry Music, the publishing company set up by Dave and Tony some years before. There's also a change in typography for the three tracks listed above the spindle hole. On the first pressing, the lines of print were much closer, having to fit in three separate lines for the compnonent parts of "Blue Angel". On the replacement label, the three sections are listed in a single line and there's more space available between lines of type. On both sides, there's a bit more space between the album title and the track listing.
As far as I know there's never been a silver label UK reissue of this album.
Labels
CANADA VINYL
Canada first brown label release
Vinyl album (Can): SP 9008 (A&M Can, 1972). Brown A&M label. Same "spiky" typography as first silver release and the promo, obviously only the underlying label changed.
I've long thought it odd that all the Canadian copies I've seen of Two Weeks are on A&M's silver label, which was not introduced until early 1974, and this album was released in late 1972, around the time of "Lay Down" and before Bursting At The Seams, both of which were brown label issues in Canada. But now a brown label first release has emerged and is settling into the collection at Strawbsweb Central.
In many years of collecting I've never seen one till now. My guess is that the album was released in relatively small numbers in 1972, and bought by fans who even now aren't getting rid of it. As Strawbs built up their following in Canada, playing a celebrated show at Massey Hall, Toronto on 31 May 1974, and Hero And Heroine started climbing the charts, A&M were moved to re-release it, probably around the time they put Early Strawbs together, also in 1974.
Cover
The front cover is the same as the UK release, even down to "Made In England" at the bottom of the calendar. The back cover has "Manufactured and distributed in Canada" and the Canadian A&M address. Spotted online is a cover with an additional bright green sticker. Not clear whether this was origianl release or a subsequent reissue.
Label
Canada promo release
Vinyl album (Can): SP 9008 (A&M Can, no date - probably 1972). The sleeve is as per UK, but not as well put together (some white gaps on the back, and the Canadian address overprinted in black), Canadian number instead of UK number. Same "Printed in England" wording - it may have been then overprinted by A&M Canada. Or just a mistake. Copy I have comes with A&M "Listen To Your World" company inner sleeve.
Labels
Canada silver label reissues
First silver label reissue
Vinyl album (Can): SP 9008 (A&M Can, no date - likely 1974). See note above on brown label first issue. Silver A&M label. Typography matches promo above.
Label
inner sleeve
Further silver label reissues
Labels
Vinyl album (Can): SP 9008 (A&M Can, no date). Silver A&M label, looks as though it came out in the late 1970s.
Labels
Company inner sleeve
EUROPE VINYL
Italian release
Vinyl album: SLAM 68118 (A&M Italy).
Labels
ASIA PACIFIC VINYL
Australian release
Vinyl album: L 34964 (A&M/Festival Australia, 1973). Brown A&M/Festival labels, both label and back cover dated 1973.
Cover is textured over the whole surface. Front cover is full colour, back cover is only black and white. Festival catalogue number and licensing details on back cover. My copy came with a Festival catalogue flyer/order form.
Back cover and flyer
New Zealand release ?
Did this exist ?
Japanese release
Vinyl album: AML 164 (A&M/King Records, Japan).Solid card single sleeve, embossed slightly over its entire surface. Front as per UK release, with black A&M logo and King Records catalogue number at bottom right. Back same as UK except for King Records details bottom left and the King Records number replacing UK catalogue number in blue at bottom right.
No Obi on my copy, or booklet, so see notes on Japanese promo release below.
The label for side 2 could have done with some closer proofreading too: "When You Nere A Child" and "GoinO Home".
Label
Ad insert
Japanese promo
Vinyl album: AML 164 (A&M/King Records, Japan, 1973?). White labels. Solid card single sleeve, embossed slightly over its entire surface. Front as per UK release, with black A&M logo and King Records catalogue number at bottom right. Back same as UK except for King Records details bottom left and the King Records number replacing UK catalogue number in blue at bottom right.
Obi is like Bursting At The Seams with a flap on the back that folds back to see the top few items. The front is gold with red lettering (quite hard to read) and anniunces that the LP is in the A&M Singer Songwriter series". All text in Japanese, and no pics, so difficult to work out, but it appears the following are being advertised:
The booklet is 6pp, ie a 2xLP size folded (pp 1,2, 5, 6) with pages 3&4 on a single LP sized insert. After track listing and credits, some sleeve notes and track by track comments in Japanese, entitled "Enjoy the Cousins world!!" Sleeve notes are credited to Tsuneo Mori/Aquarius, dated 1972.12. There's a (p) date on p5 of the booklet (P. 1973), so it's likely this came out some time in early 1973.
The lyrics are set out in Japanese and English, though it's not a bad job as Japenese lyric transcripts go, there are a few mishearings (easy problem to have - there was no lyric sheet in English and the lyrics for this album were notoriously difficult to transcribe). My favourites:
Obi(s)
On some copies there is a red second Obi, the back of which is blank.
Labels
Booklet
Page 6 is blank.
OTHER VINYL
South African release ?
There is some evidence online that there was a South African release, more info if I can get it. Picture is too small to be sure, but it doesn't seem to match typography of any of the known brown label releases. Anyone have any more info?
CASSETTE AND 8-TRACK
UK cassette
ZCAM 68118(A&M). Track listing for cassette is different:
Side 1 - October To May, Blue Angel, That's The Way It Ends, Going Home
Side 2 - Two Weeks Last Summer, The Actor, When You Were A Child, Ways And Means, We'll Meet Again Sometime.
8-Track release
Y8AM 68118 (A&M). This had previously not been thought to have been released on 8-track, but a copy has emerged.
Front and back
Outer and head
Running order
The 8-track has a very different running order:
Program A
Blue Angel
Program B
Two Weeks Last Summer
That's The Way It Ends (including The World)
Going Home
Program C
The Actor
When You Were A Child
Ways And Means (part 1)
Program D
Ways And Means (conclusion)
We'll Meet Again Sometime
October To May
CD
SDR UK CD release, 2003
CD (SDR/Witchwood Media, SDRCD 10/WMCD 2010, UK, 2003/2004): The earliest copies in 2003 have a catalogue number SDRCD 10, and SDR Records details on the outer tray. The later copies from 2004 on have catalogue number WMCD 2010 and Witchwood Media details on the outer tray. The later copies also have the Strawbsweb and Witchwood Records online shop urls on the back cover of the booklet. Otherwise the packaging is the same.
Attractive CD booklet following style of album cover. Includes 8 page insert, outer cover reproducing the album cover on the front and a track listing on the back. Inside, for the first time (the vinyl LP did not have a lyric sheet), lyrics for the songs in black and white against a background taken from the wallpaper detail. Back of the tray has the track listing along with the DC plus (Lambert's) dog photo. CD in blue and white, again incorporating the wallpaper design.
Booklet
CD and tray back
Muskrat Japanese CD release, 2004
Card sleeve Facsimile CD (Japan, Muskrat RATCD 4217, 2004): Mini LP sleeve CD, textured like wallpaper on both wallpaper and calendar (calendar should be untextured). They've used a slightly darker scan of the LP. OBI includes ad for Old School Songs which came out at the same time. Two sided insert featuring very garbled version of the lyrics which Muskrat have created themselves by listening to the album (I know it's difficult to work out the words in some cases, but there are some amazing interpretations). Also included a one-sided 2x2 CD sized b/w insert with track listing and Japanese text. CD comes in soft fabric bag.
Lyrics insert
CD, Obi and insert
Media Arte Japanese CD release, 2005
Facsimile CD, 400 copy limited edition (Japan, Media Arte MA-0031, 2005): Facsimile mini LP sleeve CD, with wallpaper textured as with original album. CD comes in a mini dustsleeve, with lyrics on both sides - however this is the garbled version of the lyrics, lifted from the Muskrat release. Obi has a brief excerpt in English from Strawbsweb on the front, ads for other releases on the back, including Old School Songs which came out at the same time. Also included is a 2x2 CD sized b/w insert: one side includes more from the Strawbsweb page on 2 Weeks, and some Japanese text; the other side reproduces the lyric sheet from the UK CD release, thankfully the correct lyrics this time. Though outer packaging doesn't say so, the info sheet includes bonus tracks which do not appear on the SDR release: "The Actor (alternative mix)" and "See How They Run".
English lyrics sheet and sleeve notes
Inner lyrics bag
Obi and CD
Airmail Japanese CD release, 2013
Facsimile CD (Airmail Recordings, AIRAC 1703, 2013): Outer cover is a reproduction of the original vinyl album, complete with texturing on the wallpaper, but not the calendar. The Obi has ads for Deep Cuts, Burning For You and Deadlines. Also included is a 2 sided A4 black and white sheet. On one side there is a general Japanese text piece about Strawbs and then information about this particular release. Also noted that this is a 24-bit remaster. On the other side, the song lyrics appear, the same poorly transcribed version as on the Muskrat CD. CD, which is got up to look like an A&M mustard label release, comes in a soft fabric bag. Though outer packaging doesn't say so, the info sheet includes bonus tracks which do not appear on SDR release: "The Actor (alternative mix)" and "See How They Run".
Insert and lyrics
CD and Obi
Vivid Japanese CD release, 2013
Facsimile CD (Japan, Vivid VSCD 6042, 2013): Facsimile mini LP sleeve CD, with wallpaper textured as with original album (with calendar not textured).
Nice Obi, with, curiously, the advert for the Muskrat CD Old School Songs which appears on the Muskrat release above. The CD itself is identical to the Media Arte release above as is the mini dustsleeve (garbled lyrics, both Media Arts and Muskrat) and the 2x2 CD sized b/w insert with Strawbsweb content and correct lyrics which come with the Muskrat release only.
On top of that there is a new single sided 2x2CD sized b/w insert of their own with track details and further sleeve notes credited to Masaru Konish and dated 25 Apr 2013. Includes bonus tracks: "The Actor (alternative mix)" and "See How They Run".
Vivid insert and Obi
CD
Esoteric Extended CD release
ECLEC 2701 (Esoteric, Nov 2019). Booklet style outer cover with CD tray glued to inner back flap. 16pp booklet, with new essay by Dave Cousins.
Cover and CD
Booklet
