Alexander72 wrote: October 27th, 2025, 3:07 am
JohnnyByeBye wrote: October 25th, 2025, 11:08 am
I will continue this series of confirmed BBJ pressings by adding two UK titles that were probably pressed before the green label International series was started. At least the No.2 is also available with 100% identical sleeve but with an orange label...but be aware that the orange labels were not mastered by BBJ.
This title was also available with green label,as shown in @Alexander72 's image of his complete green label collection here:
viewtopic.php?p=907#p907 Maybe Alexander or someone else that owns the green label versuon can confirm whether it was mastered by BBJ?
These pressings below have Bobbin' Bob Jones on the deadwax, are both mono, and they sound just great. In the old forum I compared these mono pressings to US mono pressings from the 50's as well as later stereo effect pressing and these BBJ pressings sounded way better. Who would have thought?
Rock'n'Roll (SF-8233, UK, black label)
Same songs as in the LPM-1243
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Rock'n'Roll No. 2 (SF-7528, UK, black label)
Same songs as in the LPM-1382
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What is noteworthy about these Black label releases is that it these were released with the stereo-prefix (SF) and the label still mentions "Electronically Reprocessed Stereo" - while the content clearly is freshly mastered mono. Bob Jones ignored the standard set by RCA and stubbornly followed his vision that mono should be presented in mono.
Doing so, Jones's influence extends far beyond the UK catalog and has shaped the way we listen to Elvis's 1950s catalog today. With his freshly mastered mono releases Jones would lay the groundwork for a reappreciation for mono, that would prompt RCA USA in August 1984 to release Elvis's 1950s catalog in glorious mono for the first time in decades (resulting in the series with the AFM prefix). Thus, Jones's influence seeped into the entire Elvis catalog. So Jones' influence went far beyond the UK catalog alone. That is the true significance of these 1979 black label releases: it set the standard for decades to come.
With regards to the UK black label and International pressings, at the time, it wasn't common knowledge that the majority of these titles were significant upgrades. On the face of it, they were simply budget priced reissues, and they were advertised as such.
In fact, whilst I was happy to pick most of them up as a young fan back then, I would have preferred to get earlier pressings as they appeared to carry more value, and it was natural to assume they would have been better.
Of course, I wasn't listening on high end equipment, so whilst it was pleasing to get nice, clean pressings rather than worn out second hand titles from the local record exchange, I still didn't realise just how good these Boppin' Bob pressings were.
Likewise, I don't recall anyone penning glowing reports in the UK based fanzine Elvis Monthly either. That said, I don't think collecting variations was that much of a thing back then, so if an older fan already had an original copy of King Creole for example, I doubt they would be interested in buying a new one just because the labels and sleeve were a little different.
Nevertheless, the whole industry has changed now, with upgraded audio being a major selling point for new vinyl releases. It's strange to think therefore, that we could buy albums that rivalled or even surpassed the originals (or subsequent expensive reissues) for the princely sum of just £2.99 each back in the early '80's, due to the dedication of one Mr Bob Jones.
Who knew, eh...
