By the end of 1968, all PYE product in Canada was being distributed by Phonodisc. Beside the Kinks, one of the best British bands on PYE in the late 1960s was The Status Quo. Their early records feature plenty of phasing and are terrific examples of British Pop Psych. They had a major hit in Canada with Pictures Of Matchstick Men which charted on CHUM in Toronto in August 1968. It was also a big hit in Ottawa and I heard it many times on the radio there during the spring and summer of 1968. By their fourth 45, they were just known as "Status Quo".
This month we feature a very rare PYE 45 RPM record that was brought to our attention by collector and expert record dealer Jamie Anstey in Vancouver. Jamie tells us that he acquired this record in a stash of un-played late 1960s promo releases from Phonodisc. The 45 was scheduled for release in England but was withdrawn. Oddly, the record received a Canadian release at the end of 1968. Around the time of the Beatles' "White Album" double LP.
PYE 835 The Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstick Men / Gentleman Joe's Sidewalk Cafe (red label, early 1968)
PYE 840 The Status Quo - Ice In The Sun / When My Mind Is Not Live (red label, August 1968)
PYE 7N.17581 The Status Quo - Ice In The Sun / When My Mind Is Not Live (blue label)
PYE 7N 17650 The Status Quo - Technicolor Dreams / Paradise Flat (blue label, November 1968)
PYE 7N 17665 Status Quo - Make Me Stay A Bit Longer / Auntie Nellie (blue label)
PYE 7N 17728 Status Quo - Are You Growing Tired Of My Love / So Ends Another Life (blue label)
PYE 7N 17825 Status Quo- The Price Of Love / Little Miss Nothing (blue label, February 1970)
PYE 7N-17907 Status Quo - Down The Dustpipe / Face Without A Soul (blue label)
The following two British PYE singles are not confirmed on a Canadian release:
PYE (TBD) Status Quo - In My Chair / Gerdundula (TBD)
PYE (TBD) Status Quo - Tune To The Music / Good Thinking (TBD)
PYE PC 4012 Status Quo - Mean Girl / Everything (blue label)
PYE NSPL-18220 The Status Quo - Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The Status Quo (blue label, non-gatefold sleeve) (PYE loved long album names around this time ... The Kinks Village Green and Arthur are more good examples of this desire for long album titles !)
PYE NSPL-18301 The Status Quo - Spare Parts (blue label, non-gatefold sleeve)
It is hard nowadays to find these Status Quo Canadian discs ! The easiest 45 RPM records to find are copies of Matchstick Men on the red Pye label. The later blue Pye 45 RPM releases are scarce and near mint copies are highly desired. Many thanks again to Jamie Anstey for this month's Pye find.
In 1972, the following David Bowie single was also issued by Phonodisc in Canada. He was charting with his new RCA discs in England and Pye rushed out some of his old singles from the 1960s.
Pye 7N 8002 David Bowie And The Lower Third - Can't Help Thinking About Me / Do Anything You Say
This great David Bowie single may have also been issued in Canada in early 1966 on the red Pye (Allied) label. Possible Canadian release numbers are Pye 793 and Pye 795. Right around the time of The Kinks' A Well Respected Man (Pye 792). More information please!
We try and fill in all of the holes for these great Canadian labels, but we always need your help to do that so please send us your finds!
One great new update is for a "TBD" in our Immediate Canadian 45 Discography.
From a record seller in Dollard-Des-Ormeaux comes this great update for the missing entry in our Canadian Immediate discography. The record was pressed by Compo (Cornwall, Ontario) and was most probably issued in July 1967. Because of this Small Faces confirmation, it is also now probable that the predecessor release by PP Arnold (Immediate E-1901, The First Cut Is The Deepest / Speak To Me) was also pressed in Canada by Compo (also likely July 1967). These records would have been issued with a plain brown sleeve common to the Compo pressings of the smaller (niche) labels at the time.
Immediate E-1902 - Small Faces - Here Comes The Nice / Talk To You
As a follow up to last month's Stone article, Thomas Stone provides the proof that his older brother Bob placed The Santells "So Fine" disc with Sparton Records of London, Ontario in November of 1965. This was just a few months before his own Stone label was fully up and running.
Thomas also sent along a few more great label images.
Stone SX 706 - Jimmy Cliff - Give And Take / Aim And Ambition (February-March 1967)
"Now" was another of Bob Stone's labels and the Stone logo appears on the right hand side of each Now label. David Whatmough has listed these seven 45 rpm titles for the Now label:
RS 600 British North America Act World Would Understand / Joe Cool
(a wonderful garage psych release from 1968 - both sides - by this great group from Montreal)
RS 601 Luvin Kind Without Her / Missy D.M.
RS 602 Kelly Jay Got To Get Myself Together / Curlers And Cream
RS 603 Backstreet Garbage Can I'm Clueless / By My Side
RS 604 Corporate Image Road To Katmandu / Feedbag Rag
RS 605 Steve Harris On Tour / Silent Rain
RS 606 Dee Depaul Remember Me / Come Dance With Me
Labels for the first two "Now" releases are show below.
Only one album was ever released on the Now label and that was from 1969 as follows:
Now RSS 6700 - The British North America Act - In The Beginning (stereo)
This is definitely one of the best garage psych Lps ever issued in Canada during the 1960s.
We are always amazed at what gets discovered in terms of Canadian pressings. Keep those updates coming !
We are ALWAYS interested in hearing from YOU !