Let's see and hear about your coolest 12" singles:

Mr. Lin

Lunatic Member
To clarify, by "coolest" I mean according to you, regardless of what other people generally think about a particular example. If you're able to post pictures of the records in question, that would be nice too. And no, it doesn't matter if they play at 45rpm or 33rpm, nor does it matter if there's no b-side, but instead another mix of the single (personally that's usually a turnoff for me).

I expect to see a lot of interesting things in this thread, as I'm among fellow record junkies. :smoke:

In my record collection, a few of my favorite 12" singles/e.p.s are by The Cure, which is my favorite band. I'll have more for this thread later, but to start:

This is the single/e.p. for the song "Catch," off their 1987 album titled Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss me. In my experience as a record collector and hunter - and I almost always check the "C" section first in record stores :) - this is one of the less common Cure singles, and I believe it was a U.K.-only release. In other words, no U.S. counterpart like they did with some of their other singles throughout the years. That album yielded several singles that were very successful in the U.S., but I don't think "Catch" was really one of them.

As is typically the case with my favorite 12" singles, this one qualifies as an e.p.. The way I look at it, the "b-side" to the song "Catch" is the melancholic, bitter-sweet and highly atmospheric love song called "Breathe." Heavy on the synths, as was their style for the album I mentioned above. But this song is actually on side A, after the single.

On side B they included two live versions of slightly older songs, specifically "Kyoto Song" (from The Head on The Door, 1985) and "A Night Like This" (same), taken from the official live video release from 1986 called "In Orange" (their best live video release IMO). Both of these live ones are solid songs and good live versions of them, and it's a soundboard recording so the sound quality is not bad.

This one plays at 45rpm, and with only four songs that means something we vinyl lovers really enjoy: wider spacing for better sound quality! It's far from reference quality, but not bad, and AFAIK Kiss Me was their penultimate album to be recorded in analog. However, the songs from these sessions benefit from the better vinyl format as they tend to be too bright and at times even strident.

Also, I like the cover. Last picture is the back cover.

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...
 
Metallica - Creeping Death
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To F***
New Order - Blue Monday

All originals & 12" 45rpm

:guitar:
 
One of the only times we can say we have the Big Pink Twelve Inch. Very popular single, Stones doing disco???





You had to know this single was going to get mentioned.
 
I'll bite. My 3 favorites:

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Black Task - s/t. USA 1985, private pressing, 33 RPM, 4 tracks, 10 minutes. Basically a live rehearsal recording pressed in a few hundred copies for promotion. Totally raw, crazy thrash metal with zero production value and 110% energy. Killer stuff.

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Malibu Barbi - Rude Girls. USA 1987, Neon Records, 33 RPM, 2 tracks, 6 minutes. All-girl heavy metal band fronted by the lovely Leather Leone (Chastain). One of the finest female voices in rock.

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Parabellum - Sacrilegio. Colombia 1987, Discos Fuentes, 45 RPM, 2 tracks, 14 minutes. The most vile, disturbing recording on the face of the planet. A guitar tone that peels wallpaper, totally bizarre song structures, godawful recording quality but with an absolutely chilling atmosphere. Add some overtly Satanic lyrics (in Spanish) in a strange grunted echo-y voice and we have a winner.

:D
 
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British release only on the Charisma label. Flip side is Abacab. It was released in both 7" and 12" versions with paper sleeves. As you can imagine, the grooves are much ... groovier ... on the big platter. <G>
 
Even though the package you see here is kind of mundane, this one's pretty cool. Or rather Pretty Pink

It's a 12" 45 of Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink, backed with Mack The Knive (yes, that Mack The Knife) and Soap Commercial.

When I bought it new in ~1982 it came sealed with a pink t-shirt. I don't know if I ever wore the shirt more than once, as I think it was too small or at least shrank out of shape right away. I have not seen the shirt since ~1983, but it would sure be nice to still have it, and maybe valuable too.

 
A few years back at a thrift store,I came across two dozen or so imported reggae 12"ers.
Here are a few of them:
 

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I've been away from the computer for a bit, we've got some nice ones in here so far.

One of the only times we can say we have the Big Pink Twelve Inch. Very popular single, Stones doing disco???





You had to know this single was going to get mentioned.

No, but that did make me laugh.

Even though the package you see here is kind of mundane, this one's pretty cool. Or rather Pretty Pink

It's a 12" 45 of Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink, backed with Mack The Knive (yes, that Mack The Knife) and Soap Commercial.

When I bought it new in ~1982 it came sealed with a pink t-shirt. I don't know if I ever wore the shirt more than once, as I think it was too small or at least shrank out of shape right away. I have not seen the shirt since ~1983, but it would sure be nice to still have it, and maybe valuable too.


I've never come across that Psychedelic Furs single on vinyl before, actually.
 
Metallica - Creeping Death
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To F***
New Order - Blue Monday

All originals & 12" 45rpm

:guitar:

Just saw this and remembered something - ever seen 24 Hour Party People? It's about Factory records, and at one point in the movie they have a laugh over the fact that they would be losing "five pence" for every one of those "Blue Monday" singles they sold because of the unique sleeve. I don't know if that's true or just made up for the movie, but it's kind of funny.
 
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British release only on the Charisma label. Flip side is Abacab. It was released in both 7" and 12" versions with paper sleeves. As you can imagine, the grooves are much ... groovier ... on the big platter. <G>

Doesn't the 12" have the non-LP Naminanu also?
 
From my Smiths period:

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That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, B/W Live recordings of:
Nowhere Fast, Stretch Out And Wait, Shakespeare's Sister and Meat Is Murder


The Smiths
Rough Trade


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Shoplifters Of The World Unite, B/W: Half A Person and London

The Smiths
Rough Trade


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Ask, B/W: Cemetry Gates, Golden Lights

The Smiths
Rough Trade
 
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Ask/Golden Lights

The Smiths
Sire


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The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, B/W: Rubber Ring, Asleep

The Smiths
Rough Trade


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William, It Was Really Nothing, B/W: How Soon Is Now?, Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

The Smiths
Rough Trade
 
I just spent too much money (they were having a sale and I finally broke down) at Eil to get the 12" remix of Real World by The Bangles. It was the last vinyl rarity I needed to complete my collection of Bangles records that were unrelated to the three Columbia albums.
 
I have 200+ 12" singles, mainly dance music from the 80's -2000's. A lot of mixes are not on cd or they are high $$$.

Mr. Lin - I have a handful of Cure singles on vinyl and another handful of "unofficial releases". They are one of my favorites and I've seen them plenty of times here in Texas.
 
Panic, B/W: The Draize Train, Vicar In A Tutu

The Smiths
Rough Trade

Damn man, The Smiths 12" singles are pretty awesome to begin with, I didn't even know about the clear and multi-colored vinyl versions. Never seen them before.

I have 200+ 12" singles, mainly dance music from the 80's -2000's. A lot of mixes are not on cd or they are high $$$.

Mr. Lin - I have a handful of Cure singles on vinyl and another handful of "unofficial releases". They are one of my favorites and I've seen them plenty of times here in Texas.

You probably know this but The Cure is apparently one of the most bootlegged bands in history. I have dozens of live show bootlegs from every tour on a hard drive, and some unofficial releases on CD and lp as well. My favorite tour by far is The Top Tour - it's hilarious and the music is fantastic.

I also have the Caterpillar 7" single picture disc, which was a gift from an ex-girlfriend and still one of the best gifts anyone's ever gotten me (shh, don't tell current girlfriend :D ). But this thread is about 12" singles so I'm not going to show that one here.
 
Another great Cure single: Charlotte Sometimes.

If you're a Cure fan who hasn't heard the original version of this song, especially on our beloved analog format, try to find a copy, I implore you. The b-sides aren't the best ever as far as Cure b-sides typically go, but they're still solid. "Splintered in Her Head" is a trippy, tom-drum-driven, high-strung affair, and the flip side of the lp leaves an entire side for another 2 hour long live version of "Faith." :D But the title track is just fantastic, and sounds like it's right off of the album Faith, which was written and released at just about the same time - yet strangely they chose "Charlotte Sometimes" as an independent single, and I say "strangely" because this is definitely not a radio-friendly song.

Again, this one is a bit uncommon but always pops up from time to time if you'e patient.

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