Elvis Presley - Way Down b/w Pledging My Love (1977)

"Way Down" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley. Recorded in October 1976, it was his last single released before his death on August 16, 1977. The song was written by Layng Martine, Jr. and was later covered by Status Quo and Cliffhanger. Elvis recorded the song at his home studio in Graceland in late October, 1976.
Released as a single (with "Pledging My Love" on the B-side) on June 6, 1977, it was his single at the time of his death. It initially peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated August 6, 1977 and had fallen to No. 53 on the chart for the week ending August 27, 1977. Thereafter, it reversed direction and reached an even higher peak at No. 18 on 24 September – 1 October 1977. "Way Down" reached No. 1 on the American Country chart the week he died. 
The recording also featured J.D. Sumner singing the words "way on down" at the end of each chorus down to the note low C (C2). At the end of the song, this phrase is octaved, reaching a double low C (C1, three octaves below middle C). According to the Guinness Book of World Records it is the lowest recorded note ever produced by the human voice, first accomplished by Sumner in a 1966 recording of the hymn "Blessed Assurance."

Tracklist 

A - Way Down  (2:37)
     Written-By – Layng Martine Jr. 

B - Pledging My Love (2:50)
     Written-By – Don Robey, Ferdinand Washington 

Companies, etc.
Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis

Credits 
Executive-Producer – Elvis Presley
Producer [Associate] – F. Jarvis
Vocals [Accomplished By] – J.D. Sumner & The Stamps Qt., K. Westmoreland, M. Smith, S. Nielsen

Notes
Released: 1977
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll
Label: RCA Victor Records

Catalog# PB-0998

The Don Harrison Band - Sixteen Tons b/w Who I Really Am (1976)

The Don Harrison Band were a 1970s American roots rock band that featured Don Harrison on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Stu Cook on bass and piano and Doug Clifford on drums and percussion. Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford were both former members of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The line-up also included Russell DaShiell formerly of Crowfoot on lead and rhythm guitar, piano and vocals.The band merged elements of folk, country, rhythm & blues and rock & roll in a sound reminiscent of CCR.

"Sixteen Tons" is a song about a coal miner, based on life in coal mines in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. It was written and first recorded by Merle Travis at the Radio Recorders Studio B in Hollywood, California on August 8, 1946. Cliffie Stone played bass on the recording. It was first released by Capitol on the album Folk Songs of the Hills (July 1947). The song became a gold record.
The line, "You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt," came from a letter written by Travis' brother John. Another line came from their father, a coal miner, who would say, "I can't afford to die. I owe my soul to the company store."
A 1955 version recorded by Tennessee Ernie Ford reached number one in the Billboard charts, while another version by Frankie Laine was released only in Western Europe, where it gave Ford's version competition.

Tracklist

A - Sixteen Tons  (2:59)
     Written-By – Merle Travis

B - Who I Really Am  (3:03)
     Written-By – Don Harrison 

Companies, etc. 
Made By – Negram

Credits 
Bass, Piano – Stu Cook
Drums, Percussion – Doug Clifford
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Don Harrison
Engineer – John A. Flores
Producer – The Don Harrison Band

Notes
Released: 1976
Genre: Rock
Style: Southern Rock
Label: Atlantic Records

Catalog# ATL 10749

The Assembly - Never Never b/w Stop/Start (1983)

The Assembly were a British synthpop project formed in 1983 in Basildon, England, by Vince Clarke (songwriting, keyboards, backing vocals) and Eric Radcliffe (songwriting, production).
Feargal Sharkey was hired as a guest vocalist for the A-side of the group's only single, "Never Never". Clarke and Radcliffe had planned to use a different singer on each track the group recorded, but the group disbanded after the release of "Never Never", and no other vocalists were employed by the duo.
Clarke founded The Assembly shortly after disbanding Yazoo (featuring vocalist Alison Moyet), upon completion and distribution of Yazoo's 1983 album, You and Me Both.
The Assembly marked the most involved phase of Clarke's long-term professional relationship with sound engineer Radcliffe, who had contributed significant influences to the recordings of Clarke's previous bands, Depeche Mode and Yazoo. However, the Assembly project never became a full-fledged band and resulted in only one single release, the UK hit "Never Never". It featured a sampled guitar track triggered note for note on a Fairlight CMI). The sound was augmented by session musician Clem Clempson on electric guitar.
Former Undertones frontman Feargal Sharkey was hired to sing on this track. Clarke and Radcliffe had planned to use a different singer on each track the group recorded,but none were released after "Never Never".
The other track on the single, "Stop/Start," was an instrumental, featuring Clarke's signature songwriting style with syncopation that gradually became the downbeat of the musical phrase.
Despite the commercial success of the single, The Assembly was no longer a functioning entity by the end of 1984. Clarke went on to form Erasure with vocalist and co-songwriter Andy Bell in 1985. Although Erasure worked with Radcliffe on some of their early work, they eventually began working with other producers and engineers, including Flood. Sharkey, for his part, began a successful solo career in 1984 and achieved his only UK number one single in 1985 with "A Good Heart".

Tracklist 

A - Never Never  (3:44)
      Guitar – Clem Clempson
      Vocals – Feargal Sharkey
      Written-By – V. Clarke 

B - Stop/Start  (2:59)
      Written-By – E.C. Radcliffe, V. Clarke 

Companies, etc. 
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Mute Records Ltd.
Copyright (c) – Mute Records Ltd.
Recorded At – Splendid Studios
Published By – Sonet
Published By – Remote (3)
Mastered At – The Town House
Pressed By – Lyntone Recordings Ltd. – LYN-13795
Pressed By – Lyntone Recordings Ltd. – LYN-13796

Credits 
Design – Martyn Atkins
Performer [The Assembly] – E.C. Radcliffe, Vincent Clarke
Producer – The Assembly

Notes 
Recorded at Splendid Studios.
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop
Label: Mute Records

Catalog# 7 tiny 1 

Buzz Jefferson ‎- A Lonely Christmas Without Elvis Presley b/w Instrumental (1977)

Zanger, gitarist en songschrijver Henk van Broekhoven (Tilburg, 1945). Was ook Hank Brooklyn met band The Dynamic Rockers. Gebruikte o.m. de namen Hank, Johnny Rock, Buzz Jefferson, Piraten Billy, John Fender, Andy Dawn, Henk van Tilburg en Rockin' Ronny. Betrokken bij The Billboard Band en Popeye.

Tracklist

A - A Lonely Christmas Without Elvis Presley  (2:55)
      Written-By – J. Spencer

B - A Lonely Christmas Without Elvis Presley (Instrumental) (2:48)
      Written-By – J. Spencer

Notes
Released: 1977
Genre: Ballad / Christmas
Label: Monopole Records

Catalog# s 618

Prince - Controversy b/w When You Were Mine (1981)

"Controversy" is a song by American musician Prince, the lead single and title track to his 1981 album. The song addresses speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, gender, religion, and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity surrounding him.
The song has two main verses, a few choruses, with the title repeated throughout the track. Towards the middle he recites the Lord's Prayer in full, which fueled the fire for some to say the song was blasphemous. Toward the end is a repeating chant of "People call me rude / I wish we all were nude / I wish there was no black and white / I wish there were no rules." The song is straight funk with a steady 4/4 drumbeat, synthesized bass, guitar, and keyboards. The song was backed with "When You Were Mine", from his previous album, Dirty Mind.

Tracklist 

A - Controversy  (3:39)
      Written-By - Prince

B - When You Were Mine  (3:44)
      Written-By - Prince

Companies, etc. 
Licensed From – Wea International
Manufactured By – WEA Records B.V.
Distributed By – WEA Records B.V.
Manufactured By – WEA Records SA / NV
Distributed By – WEA Records SA / NV
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Published By – Ecnirp Music Inc.
Lacquer Cut At – Dureco

Credits
Lacquer Cut By – C
Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Performer – Prince

Notes 
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic Pop
Style: Soul / Funk
Label: Warner Bros. Records

(side A) From the Warner Bros. Album BSK 3601 CONTROVERSY 
(side B) From the Warner Bros. Album BSK 3478 DIRTY MIND 

Catalog#  WB 17.866 

The Marshall Tucker Band - Long Hard Ride b/w Windy City Blues (1976)

The Marshall Tucker Band is an American Southern rock/country rock band originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The band's blend of rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, country, and gospel helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s. While the band had reached the height of its commercial success by the end of the decade, the band has recorded and performed continuously under various lineups for nearly 40 years.
This single was taken from "Long Hard Ride" their fifth studio album released in 1976 and produced by Paul Hornsby. Guest performers included Charlie Daniels, John McEuen and Jerome Joseph. The title track was made into a short film that was played as a sort of movie trailer. It depicts the members of the band as a gang of cowboys. The album's cover features Frank C. McCarthy's painting "The Last Crossing".

Tracklist

A - Long Hard Ride  (3:48)
      Written-By – Toy Caldwell

B - Windy City Blues  (4:53)
      Written-By – Doug Gray, George McCorkle, Jerry Eubanks

Credits 
Producer – Paul Hornsby
Engineer – Kurt Kinzel
Mastered By – George Marino

Notes
Released: 1976
Genre: Southern Rock
Label: Capricorn Records

both songs taken from the album "Long Hard Ride" (Capricorn - CP 0170)

Catalog# 2089035

Electric Light Orchestra - Turn To Stone b/w Mister Kingdom (1977)

"Turn to Stone" is a 1977 song by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).
The song is the opening track to the double album Out of the Blue. It was the first song released as a single from the LP. The single reached No. 18 in the United Kingdom charts and spent twelve weeks on the chart. Out of four singles from the album, "Turn to Stone" was the only song not to reach the top ten in the United Kingdom singles charts. The song reached No. 13 in the United States and number one in Canada in early 1978.
The song was composed in Switzerland during Jeff Lynne's two week writing marathon for his double album. Lynne played the Moog bassline of the song.
"Turn to Stone" is orchestrated, computerized, epic rock music courtesy of Jeff Lynne." The song was  dynamic opener from the Out of the Blue album is a good example of Electric Light Orchestra’s skill for mixing string-laden pop hooks with driving rock and roll." He also stated "It also works in an array of swirling string lines that dart in and out of the mix and some dazzling falsetto harmonies that interact with Lynne's lead vocal in call and response style".

Tracklist 

A - Turn To Stone  (3:48)
      Written-By – Jeff Lynne 

B - Mister Kingdom  (5:50)
      Written-By – Jeff Lynne 

Companies, etc. 
Record Company – EMI-Bovema Holland
Phonographic Copyright (p) – United Artists Music And Records Group, Inc.
Pressed By – EMI-Bovema N.V.
Mastered At – EMI Studios, Heemstede

Credits 
Mastered By – HN
Arranged By – Jeff Lynne, Louis Clark, Richard Tandy
Producer – Jeff Lynne

Notes
Released:  1977
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Art Rock, Synth-pop, Symphonic Rock
Label: United Artists Records ‎

Side A - From The Jet Records LP "Out Of The Blue" JT-LA823-L2 
Side B - From The United Artists LP - "Eldorado" (UA-LA339-G) 

Catalog# 5C 006-60162 

The Shirts - Laugh And Walk Away b/w Maybe, Maybe Not (1979)

The Shirts are a New York-based American punk band, which was formed in 1975. The band’s early existence (1975 to 1981) was closely linked with CBGB, a music club in the Bowery, but it reformed with many of the early members in 2003 and is currently active.
Thorne chose to record the band’s second album, Streetlight Shine (1979), at Mediasound Studio in New York City. The resulting sound was much more eclectic than their debut album, and the album was again a financial and critical success in Europe, the single Laugh and Walk Away again charting high in the Netherlands. However, breakthrough in the US market continued to elude the band.

Tracklist

A - Laugh And Walk Away (3:05)
      Written-By – Lamonica, Racioppo

B - Maybe, Maybe Not (3:25)
      Written-By – Racioppo, Ardito

Companies, etc. 
Phonographic Copyright (p) – EMI Records Ltd.
Pressed By – EMI Uden

Credits 
Producer – Mike Thorne

Notes
Released: 1979
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock
Label: Harvest Records

Catalog# 1A 006-07136