BEST OF THE STRAWBS - VERSIONS
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COVER NOTES
Outer cover
The outer sleeve cover photography is by Mark Hanauer, a striking image of a hand coming out from under some strawberries to clutch a mandolin, with the discs being inserted at the top and bottom as scanned here. Musically a bit inaccurate though, as mandolin doesn't feature on many recorded Strawbs tracks ... Sleeve notes written by Michael Hooker, dated Spring 1978. Released with silver A&M label.
The UK, Dutch and Australian releases use yellow lettering on the outer cover, US and Canada opt for a more readable white. The scan of the whole outer cover at the right of this text is the US promo copy.
Inner spreads
Inside spread (except for the Australian release - see below) has album covers of Antiques through to Nomadness (the US sleeve versions with A&M logos bottom right/bottom left or top right - most UK releases had no A&M logo on the front - except for From The Witchwood, the UK version of which is included on the UK version), plus personnel and recording details for each one (on the UK version, with details of cassette versions available in 1978).
So, there are three different inner spreads (and the Australian release - see below).
I think I need to get out more .... !
UK VINYL
UK releases
Vinyl album (UK): AMLM 66005 (A&M, 1978, 2LP). Gatefold sleeve, outside features hand reaching from under a covering of strawberries to grasp the neck of a mandolin (though such an instrument featured on the Antiques And Curios cover, a mandolin rarely appeared on a Strawbs recording ... go figure!). Title lettering and sleeve notes on back are in yellow. UK inner spread (see above).
Front and back covers
Autographed copy
This signed album, which was gifted to me, was almost certainly autographed, along with several others, at Strawbs gig in April 1989 at the Bonnington Theatre, Arnold Leisure Centre, Nottingham.
UK inner spread
Labels
Repress/variant labels (*)
Spotted online, UK pressing with different labels. Only particularly significant change is that, instead of Record 1, Side 1 etc, the sides are simply numbered 1-4. Not certain whether this was a variant or a repress, or if so which came first.
US VINYL
US release
Vinyl album (US): SP 6005 (A&M, 1978, 2LP) . Gatefold sleeve, as UK version with US addresses etc. Unlike most releases other than the Australian release - see below), the US version is pressed with sides 1 and 4 on one disc and sides 2 & 3 on the other.
Labels, sides 1 & 4
Labels, sides 2 & 3
US promo release
Vinyl album (US): SP 6005 (A&M, 1978, 2LP) . Gatefold sleeve, as UK version, with US addresses, US catalogue numbers inside. The liner notes on the back cover are in white against a darker than usual reproduction of the strawberry background and much easier to read than the UK and especially the Dutch version. Two different types of promo sticker. US inner spread (see note above.)
Blue Angel sticker
Some copies also sported a sticker to promote the fact that "Blue Angel" (hitherto unreleased in the US) was included. This has been spotted on both promo and release copies.
US inner spread
Labels, sides 1 & 4
Unlike most releases other than the Australian release - see below), the US version is pressed with sides 1 and 4 on one disc and sides 2 & 3 on the other.
Labels, sides 2 & 3
Stickers
Stamp
Spotted online, copy with promo stamp on back cover
US promo release (variant, possibly later release)
Vinyl album (US): SP 6005 (A&M, ??date, 2LP) . Same as above, except that promotional wording is horizontal rather than round the rim and as this takes up less space, there is more space around the spindle hole.
Labels sides 1 & 4
Labels, sides 2 & 3
CANADA VINYL
Canadian releases
Vinyl album (Canada): SP 96005 (A&M, 1978, 2LP) .There are two known releases of this on silver labels, not certain whether some are first issues or re-issues. On the front cover the Canadian catalogue number is overprinted in white on a black panel to cover up whatever number was previously there (probably the US, as it features the US inner spread).
Variant 1 - labels
Variant 2 - labels
Vinyl album (Canada): SP 96005 (A&M, 1978, 2LP) .Differences in label typography from release above. Sleeve looks pretty much the same.
Canadian promo release
Note: this promo matches variant 2 release below - same silver label design with "Promotional Copy Not For Sale" additional wording. There may have been a promo copy matching variant 1 - anyone have it?
Canadian silver label reissue
Vinyl album (Canada): SP 96005 (A&M, 1978, 2LP) . Looks like later silver label re-issue, but not certain. Comes with nice French/English protective inner sleeves. There's also a subsequent black label reissue.
Silver label re-issue - labels
Canadian black label reissue
Inner sleeve
EUROPE VINYL
Netherlands release
Vinyl album (UK): AMLM 66005 (A&M, 1978, 2LP).. The Dutch cover looks a bit washed out and the typography on the back is a bit indistinct as though it has been poorly photographed from the US edition. Title lettering and sleeve notes on back are in yellow though, whereas the US/Canada used white. The catalogue number is the same as the UK. but set out differently on the front cover bottom right. There's a strange logo at the bottom right of the back cover ("LC 0486") and another top right ("Bx2" in a circle). The inner spread is the Dutch version (see above) - with UK catalogue number and US addresses and spellings). The labels are much smaller type than UK or US.
Labels
German release?
(*) May also have been released in Germany - anyone got this
ASIA PACIFIC VINYL
Australian release
Vinyl album: L45821 and L45822 (A&M/Festival, Australia, 1978, 2LP).. Gatefold sleeve. The outside is near identical to the US release - white typography - with Festival catalogue details are top right and bottom right of the back cover (adjacent to spine). BUT, the inside cover is the inside cover for Canada's Classic Strawbs! Very pretty, but, a number of issues:
Classic Strawbs inner spread
Unlike most releases other than the US release - see above), the Australian release is pressed with sides 1 and 4 on one disc and sides 2 & 3 on the other.
Labels, sides 1 & 4
Labels, sides 2 & 3
Korean release
Vinyl album (Korea): B133 (HighStereoLight, 2LP) . Single green tinged sleeve, very nasty. Almost certainly a bootleg.
Front cover
Sample Label
CASSETTE AND 8-TRACK
Canadian cassette
(*) Can cass: CS 6005. It came out on 8-track and was reissued as budget price (see below), so presumably it came out on cassette originally at first release - anyone got one?
Canadian cassette reissue
Can 8trk: CS 96005. Single cassette. Track running order same as the vinyl.
Canadian 8-track
(*) 8trk: 8T 6005, Can Spotted online.
Pictures
Running order
Same order as vinyl, except "Lemon Pie" and "Part Of The Union" trade places in Programs 3 and 4.
Program 1
Hero And Heroine (Cousins)
Tears And Pavan: Tears; Pavan (Cousins)/ (Hudson/Ford/Cousins)
A Glimpse Of Heaven (Cousins)
Round And Round (Cousins)
New World (Cousins)
Program 2
Benedictus (Cousins)
Shine On Silver Sun (Cousins)
To Be Free (Cousins)
Where Do You Go (When You Need A Hole To Crawl In) (Cousins)
Autumn: Heroine's Theme; Deep Summer's Sleep; (Hold On To Me) The Winter Long (Hawken)/(Cousins)/(Cousins)
Program 3
Don't Try To Change Me (Lambert)
Little Sleepy (Lambert)
Song Of A Sad Little Girl (Cousins)
Down By The Sea (Cousins)
Lemon Pie (Cousins)
Program 4
Part Of The Union (Hudson/Ford)
Lay Down (Cousins)
Heavy Disguise (Ford)
Blue Angel: Divided; Half Worlds Apart; At Rest (Cousins)