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Co-authors John Townson and Gordon Minto recently published 'ELVIS UK Extended - The Ultimate Guide to the Elvis Presley's EPs 1957 - 2001'. Based on 40+ years of research, and with contributions by insiders providing previously unknown perspectives and background knowledge on the production, marketing, musical and other aspects of "just" 22 original Extended Play's and 3 EP box-sets, this impressive book is the definitive word on Elvis' UK EP releases. Reason enough for Kees Mouwen (Elvis Day By Day) and Piers Beagley (Elvis Information Network) to virtually sit down with both authors to find out more about the story behind the research and writing of this new book. The two gentlemen also slipped in some interesting news on future projects. EDBD / EIN: Gentlemen, nice to talk to you again. For those who have been living under a rock, or new to collecting UK releases, can you introduce yourself, what got you hooked on Elvis? John : Thank you, it’s really good to be able to speak with you again. Hard to believe that the last time was several years ago when ‘Elvis UK3 The Ultimate Guide To Elvis Presley’s British CD Releases 1983-2005’ was released. - - - (see interview here) Gordon : Hi from me too! To start with the last part of your question, that’s easy! I was ten years old when I first heard Elvis’ singing voice and his incredibly different way of presenting a song, that I found captivating and uplifting - as I still do nearly 60 odd years on. John : My parents bought me a second-hand record player and with it came a pile of 78s - all Elvis - from ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ to ‘A Big Hunk O’ Love’. The best present ever! But turning to your main question, as many may know, our relationship dates back to the very early 1980s when we first met and decided to collaborate on a project. I’d contacted Gordon by letter and he visited me. Although initially interested in Elvis’ recording sessions, we ruled that out as Ernst had already cornered that market. We then hit on the idea of investigating Elvis’ UK catalogue considering factors such as record label variations and the back stories behind each release. Gordon : Basically, what we wanted to do was break new ground, by collecting information about things that no one had done before. First though, we needed to decide what we were trying to achieve and its scope. This involved much research to gather the evidence we needed to provide as much detail as possible. We also needed to devise ways of checking our theories about label variations and the correct order in which they appeared. Bear in mind that we both worked, had responsible and demanding jobs, family commitments etcetera, and lived 120 miles apart! John : We contacted and met many collectors and checked out their records, looking for label or sleeve differences. En route, I met George Richardson, who lived locally and had started collecting Elvis-stuff long before we had and who offered to assist us. At this stage, we were simply collecting information and data, writing up things as we progressed which included all the background detail we could find for each release. Incidentally, RCA was of no help whatsoever, though certain individuals were very helpful. Gordon: Actually, much of the background detail about the record industry came from research at libraries (pre-Google!) and that provided the backbone of the whole enterprise, which is how we uncovered the significance of the tax codes that featured on many record labels and their link to tax and price changes. This major breakthrough helped us determine the order in which variations were issued. John : And later, when ‘Record Collector’ magazine praised our work very highly, acknowledging that no one had ever produced anything like it before for any artist, let alone Elvis - and suggesting that it would provide a benchmark for others to follow – that was very flattering - though they did question our sanity!
EDBD / EIN: To complete the introduction, can you share something about your earlier work? What made you start writing “Elvis encyclopedias”? What was the motivation? Gordon: Without wishing to be pedantic, our books are not discographies or even encyclopaedias - that simply implies producing a list of releases with minimal explanation or narrative content, something we have always felt to be vitally important in our work. Providing data such as chronological or alphabetical lists, or even label scans, is of limited value or interest. John: As collectors ourselves, we believe that what others wanted was as much relevant detail as possible to enhance their understanding of what had gone on and why, supported by as much visual evidence as possible - mindful that not everyone is interested in just label scans or album artwork, though many people are, as they keep telling us! Gordon : And so we strive to produce a coherent, interesting narrative. Basically, we are telling a story which provides a comprehensive historical perspective of whatever we are writing about. Our guiding ethic is to ask ourselves one simple question: is this the kind of thing we’d like to know more about? If our answer is yes, then it’s included. John: In writing ‘Elvis UK’ we wanted to offer something new and different - to explore an area of collecting that had, hitherto, never been done before. We believe that there’s no point in doing something that someone else has done unless you have a new angle, new information, or are able to do it much better. And so, when revisiting Extended Plays for ‘Elvis UK Extended’, we avoided simply copying what we had said before and tried to find a new or fresh way into the topic. The original EP section ran for about 50 pages but 500 in the new one. Not only have we uncovered many more variations (the holy grail to avid collectors) but we’ve offered a wealth of previously unpublished background information. Gordon: Going back to ‘Elvis UK’. We secured a publishing contract quite quickly but with that, came some serious constraints, particularly with respect to the length of the book. We had to edit and condense the material which meant leaving things out. But it was that or risk losing the whole project. However, we did all of our own writing and editing of the text, while the publisher designed the layout. Interestingly, at one point, the project was at serious risk of being abandoned owing to spiralling costs and the increasing complexity of the detail and actual layout. Happily, that nightmare outcome was averted but that involved making changes and compromises to protect the project. John : Fortunately, publishing ‘Elvis UK2’ ourselves in 2002 allowed us to follow our own instincts and gave us the freedom to shape our books precisely as we want them to be without any outside interference. We have complete control of what we write and how we choose to write it - which includes the layout and design. Gordon : Often, we are asked, why do you do it? Why write these highly detailed books? Well, it’s certainly not for financial gain - that’s never been the case. Our prime motivation is to share information of common interest with fellow collectors.
EDBD / EIN: Talking about your previous publications. Almost 40 years have passed since ‘Elvis UK’ was published. Looking back now, what are your observations in regard to the Elvis collector’s world in general, and the UK collectors world in particular? Gordon: I’d like to answer that. Unquestionably, the Elvis market has changed dramatically - not only in its size (it is now much reduced in terms of volume sales - a trend that will continue) but also in its character. Older collectors (like us) find the current scene bewildering as it seems to place a strong emphasis on what we might call ‘false collectibles’ - things that don’t really fit into the traditional idea of collectibles (things such as accidental misprints, demos that were never intended for public consumption, and the like). It seems that many things are manufactured simply to make money. John : Our mantra is simple: what you offer should be good value for money which is why we try to make our books as affordable as possible.
EDBD / EIN: Between 1957 and 1967 HMV and RCA released “just” 22 Elvis Presley EPs, yet we now hold a 500-page book in our hands, 500 pages on 22 EPs, Gordon, John, 'What Happened'? John: Well,it’s not just 22 EPs that we cover - there’s the two EP collections in 1982 and the International EP set from 2001 to factor in too, though the bulk of the book does focus on the original releases. John : Of course, we had to factor in the countless label and sleeve variations we uncovered or that were shared with us by like-minded collectors. That was very important too for the avid collectors. EDBD / EIN: What distinguishes your books from others is that you also dive deep into the business and production aspects of your books subject. What did you learn writing this volume? Gordon: You’re right - and that’s deliberate. Delving into the business and production side of record releases is vitally important because it helps everyone understand how it worked - and its impact on what was or wasn’t released. There’s no value in simply repeating what someone else has said unless we can offer a new perspective or updated information. But that’s not always easy when dealing with historical matters and we can’t speak with many of the people involved originally or contact the company in question. This requires hard work and rigorous research. John: As for what we have learned, obviously there’s the insider information that we were privy to - which is always exciting to find out and share - but taking an intense look at EPs throughout the years has enhanced our understanding of the medium itself and its place in the history of Elvis releases in the UK and beyond.
EDBD / EIN: This is such a comprehensive book on UK Elvis Presley EPs and their history - due to the complementary information on the business, marketing, printing of the sleeves, price codes etcetera - what was the hardest information to track down. John : A good example of this relates to who exactly pressed certain orange label re-pressings in the late 1960s, early ‘70s (the popular view is that it was RCA). Actually, at various times, they were pressed by Decca, RCA and CBS. That was a time-consuming exercise, as was trying to fathom company policies. This often involved trying to access private information (not available to the public) or material that had been lost. EDBD / EIN: Even the earliest EPs were still being repressed in the early seventies, what does this say about Elvis’ popularity in the UK or how his record company handled his catalogue? Gordon: Elvis’ popularity was extremely strong. RCA, which had taken over the management and, later, production of its own catalogue at the end of the 1960s in the UK, felt that these items still had earning potential. Although not an infallible guide, it’s safe to say that if a particular release was not selling - then there was a process by which the company would look at that and decide whether or not it should be deleted to make way for newer or more saleable product. That’s simple economics and makes good business sense. John: Occasionally though, certain items remained on catalogue as the company was not always consistent though most of the lightweight film soundtrack material in the late 1960s was deleted - but usually only if there were plans to re-issue it on say, budget label LP albums.
Two of the book's ten pages that look at Elvis' 'Such A Night' EP and variations
EDBD / EIN: Leafing through the new book we can only compliment you on how clean, crisp, informative, and easily accessible the book looks. Can you tell us something about the structure of the book and your thoughts behind the presentation of the material? Did you do everything yourself? What was the hardest part of producing this latest volume in the series? Gordon: Thanks very much for the compliment about the general design and layout of the book. We believe that if something is pleasing on the eye then it increases the chances of someone reading it. Accessibility is a key factor in any book - helping readers find out what’s in it and then guiding them to information quickly and easily. It’s important to engage – and keep - the attention of the reader. For me that’s the essence of good writing. John : As for the structure, we adopt a logical approach to this, discussing what we ought to include, going away to do write-ups, then subsequently placing the various components in the order which makes the most sense and guides the reader - seamlessly we hope. We are mindful that not everyone reads a book like ours from cover to cover (though a surprising number have told us that they do just that!) but rather dip into in randomly, as is common in reference books. Gordon: The most challenging aspect is maintaining a clear overview of the various elements that go into each book and ensuring that when assembling each of them that we have maintained a consistent and accessible narrative, as well as making it eye-catching and attractive. It’s an on-going process until we reach a point where we are both happy with the result. While we fully acknowledge the very important contribution our friends and contributors make, our books are self-produced in every respect. EDBD / EIN: Could you outline the key elements to the book, what can readers expect? Gordon: Although our press release covers this in more detail, broadly speaking, it stated the following: (Big breath!) that 500 pages of comprehensive text and illustrations provides the ultimate guide to Elvis’ UK EPs (1957-2001), it eclipses all of our previous work on EPs. John : The book is in full colour throughout, includes hosts of scans, adverts, EP covers and also many images of Elvis himself. Each EP is described in scrupulous detail, including scans of every known label and sleeve variations, along with relevant material from contemporaneous newspapers and magazines. ‘Elvis UK - Extended’ traces the history of EPs generally, including their rise to fame and then their demise, features a wealth of background information about each release and describes the importance of features such as tax codes and label changes. The book chronicles each change in company logo, looks at technical issues around manufacturing, including the role of matrix numbers and their significance and hitherto unpublished information from company files as well as presenting first hand input from the likes of Bob Jones and Roger Semon. Also included is a full song and spoken word index and where each appeared. Finally, there’s a short section on demo EPs. Gordon: Basically, everything anyone wants to know about any aspect of UK EPs!
EDBD / EIN: Looking back at your previous books, how does the new volume compare to previous releases that contained EP releases. John: There’s very little comparison with our original work in terms of presentation. While proud of what we achieved all those years ago, our most recent works deal with the various topics and sections that we addressed previously in an infinitely more detailed and comprehensive way, and represent a vast improvement in every respect. For example, while Bernard Roughton’s original photos were very good (we have the prints to prove it) they were not re-produced at all well in ‘Elvis UK’ - but this was the publisher’s fault, not Bernard’s. Gordon: The idea of reprinting ‘Elvis UK’ was never viable - because we had so much more material that we needed to include - so we decided to break down certain sections or themes in the book and take another more in-depth look at things we had included originally but - importantly - avoid repeating ourselves. Where there’s repetition of information, we always tried to adopt a new and fresh approach. This allowed us to expand greatly the range of material we could include in a discrete book about EPs. EDBD / EIN: What new information did you discover for this book that you previously didn't know? John: Hard to quantify but we’d say that Roger’s information about the alternative cover for the EP collection and Mike Walker’s inside information about working at RCA ranks highly - as does the revelation that some mid-‘60s EPs had a clear plastic inner sleeve.
One of the unbelievable Production Errors listed in the book.
The 1971 pressing of 'A Touch Of Gold Vol.2' with 'I Just Can't Help Believin' label on the A-side EDBD / EIN: And for those fans / collectors who just bought the first volume of Paul Alner’s book, what extra excitements will they find here? What distinguishes each series, or is it a case that there is room for two publishers of Elvis UK discographies? Gordon : That’s not really for us to answer because, while we cover some of the same ground, our approaches are radically different. Basically, you have to compare like with like. John : While Paul’s latest book is well-illustrated and eye-catching it does not offer anything like the detailed background information ours contains, nor was that his intention, I imagine. He settled for providing basic information. Incidentally, no one ever raised the question of there being a collaboration on these projects though we both had some input on certain variations during the preparation of his book. Gordon : Also, while acknowledging that the original ‘Elvis UK’ was dated - and how could it be anything else after almost 40 years? - our latest books (published since 2021) are the most comprehensive ever produced on the various topics (including ‘Elvis UK Extended’ of course) and it would be misleading and unfair to imply otherwise. As we keep saying, these are emphatically not discographies. John: You ask: ‘is there room for two?’ The obvious answer is yes, just as there’s room for KJ Publishing to produce books on the same topics as FTD. There’s a market for both. They are not mutually exclusive. It all depends on what people want - and expect - from the books they buy. Buyers must make up their own minds about what each offers in terms of detail and choose which provides them with the best value for money. EDBD / EIN: Was this an “easy” book to write with just 22 EPs, contrary to the hundreds of CD releases you had to track down for a previous book. Gordon: None of them are easy to write! Each present their own problems though, in the case of the CD book, despite the number of main releases involved (450 officially) at least we had both collected compact discs from an early stage in their development and so had a lot of them already, whereas neither of us had collected EPs until a while after they were first released. In that regard, writing about CDs was slightly easier. John: Owing to its sheer volume of ‘Elvis UK3’ (just over 1,400 pages), we opted for a digital flipbook because the printing costs we received were unaffordable at the time - a problem exacerbated by uncertainties about how many people would buy it, along with horrendously high postage costs, especially overseas. Releasing a digital copy addressed that issue though we were keenly aware that many people would have preferred a physical copy.
UK's popular 'Elvis Monthly' magazine ran from 1960 to March 2000
EDBD / EIN: After close to 50 years of research on ‘UK Elvis’ releases, what makes the UK such a key country for Elvis fans? What distinguishes UK vinyl releases from other countries. Gordon: There’s no one definitive answer. Although a bit of a mystery, there’s always been a heightened interest in UK releases. Perhaps it was the existence of an avid and really extensive fan base in the UK, the publication of Elvis Monthly magazine (read almost everywhere), or the UK fan club in its hey-day which was widely respected around the world and had thousands of members. And the UK market has always been interesting and diverse (remember, Roger Semon worked for RCA from the 1970s onwards) - the HMV releases, then Decca-pressed RCA labelled discs and then RCA’s own orange label releases - but we would never claim that it was unique. Different, yes. John: Also, UK releases stood the test of time with lots of re-issues and re-releases. And despite some missteps along the way, there was always a vibrant and creative element to our ‘Elvis’ UK’ releases - from the revised copies of the first two LPs in the Golden Record series and other releases throughout the ‘60s, along with the likes of ‘The Sun Sessions’, a wonderful UK-inspired LP release in 1975. And then in the early 1980s, there were the various releases devised by Roger Semon - culminating in the first volume in the Essential Elvis series in 1986. The UK division was innovative and showed itself to be willing to challenge the parent company in the US at times. We applaud that and enjoy chronicling those innovations whenever we can. Gordon : What we’re saying is that there’s no shortage of things to write about - and to prove it we can ‘reveal’ that we have several other projects in preparation!
EDBD / EIN: From all the EPs and variations listed, which is your favourite as a fan? And which rumoured releases, copies or versions couldn’t not track down or other subjects remained unsolved? Gordon: Again, this is tricky. For me though, the HMV ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ EP ranks highly as it was only in existence for a very short time and was deleted after HMV lost the rights to issue Presley material in the UK in September 1958 (a development that we explain in considerable detail at various points throughout the book as it is very important to understand the impact that had on subsequent RCA releases right across the board). But it also has an attractive cover and features some great tracks. John: The two volumes of ‘A Touch Of Gold’ rate highly in terms of cover design and content - as does ‘Jailhouse Rock’, a perennial favourite, and possibly the most well-known of the extended play releases in the UK. As regards label variations, while we’re fairly confident that we covered most, there were some that proved elusive. Certainly, we’ve never claimed to have found all of the variations in existence - that would be a rather foolish claim to make - but what we can say that we have uncovered the vast majority of them and they are illustrated fully in ‘Elvis UK Extended’. EDBD / EIN: Your books are qualified as the “the last words on their subjects and every Elvis fan should have them in their collection”. It’s quite a compliment, did that put any pressure on you guys, or do you see it as a challenge? Gordon: While we strive to make each of our books ‘the last word on the subject’, we didn’t say that ‘every fan should have them in their collection’ - that’s someone else. Nonetheless, we are gratified to know that people think of our work in those terms and humbled by what our readers think about it. John: The key bit for us is to provide as much high quality and reliable information as we can about whatever topic we are covering and do so in an entertaining, literate, and informed way. We are detail hounds and make no apology for that. Gordon : And yes, there’s pressure but that comes with the territory, and we are very aware that our readers rely on us to be accurate and consistent. Our challenge is to maintain the very high standard we have set for ourselves and the one that people have rightly come to expect from us. EDBD / EIN: Do you consider your books to be a blessing or a "devil in disguise" for Elvis collectors? You help them tremendously with a complete overview of what is known to exist, but at the same time, by showing some rarities of misprints that have escaped quality control - a 1963 pressing of 'Elvis In Tender Mood' with the RCA logo missing, versions of ‘Peace in the Valley’ with plastic inner sleeves, or a solid centre version of 'Tickle Me' - do these then exasperate collectors who want to have everything? John: Neither really. No one has ever complained about the new material we have presented; quite the reverse, they have congratulated us and told us that it has re-stoked their interest in collecting - which is still an exciting experience for many. Seeking out ‘new finds’ still thrills some people - as it does us, too. EDBD / EIN: Gordon, you were an English teacher, surely it should be 'Elvis In A Tender Mood'? Gordon: Grammatically speaking, yes, there should be an article before ‘Tender’. However, writers, publishers, filmmakers etc. are free to call their product whatever they want; they are not bound by grammatical conventions. Also, I wasn’t invited to proofread it!
EDBD / EIN: ‘Peace in The Valley’ EP had 32 reprints. Be honest, how many of these do you have in your combined personal collections? John: Actually, we showed 32 label variations which is different from repressings. As for us, we’ve never actually counted them but there’s a lot! Remember though, no single person is likely to own all of them. EDBD / EIN: The book is a limited edition run and so was Paul Alner’s ‘Elvis On Record Vol. 1’ with “just” 175 copies. Do you think these kinds of books have an appeal outside the hardcore UK fan base? Gordon: We can only speak for ourselves in this matter but it’s clear that the traditional collector’s market has reduced in size and has changed its focus too. Restricting the number printed makes good economic sense, owing to high production costs and attendant postage costs. John: As regards the breadth of their appeal, that’s hard to answer and quantify, though our books have always attracted considerable interest from overseas collectors, especially the digital versions, while the print copies have fared reasonably well too. Our experience is that some overseas collectors find our work appealing. But there’s no denying that this is a niche market, within a niche market! However, as long as folks keep on supporting us, we’ll continue to produce them. EDBD / EIN: Great to see you guys back on a physical format for book collectors. Will there ever be a digital copy of this EP book? Do you have plans for any further digital and / or physical ‘Elvis UK’ books? John: Happy to oblige! As for a digital copy, that’s unlikely. While producing digital copies helped us at the time ‘Elvis UK3’ appeared (because of prohibitively high print costs), we know that there was still a resistance among some collectors to go digital - which is why we looked again at the feasibility of providing print copies of some of our works last year - a change prompted by ‘nudges’ from a variety of sources!
John: However, the BIG news is that after some considerable discussion and planning, we can tell you that we are working on trying to release a print version of our Elvis UK CD book - which will now be called ‘Elvis UK – Compact’ and believe we have found a way (with help) of doing it. Whether or not that will come as a three-volume set or be made available one volume at a time is, as yet, undetermined. We will have to find a way of determining the level of interest, though whichever route we take we would include the complimentary CD that was available with the digital version. We have been working on this idea and how to make it happen for some time as we are both exceptionally proud of this particular piece of work and believe it deserves a much wider audience. EDBD / EIN: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? Is there a record you are still searching for where fans can help you for this or possible future projects? Gordon: No,I think we’ve covered the various topics very comprehensively and thanks for inviting us to speak to you - and your readers - directly once again. We appreciate your interest and support - and, naturally, that of our readers too. John: And if anyone out there has any unusual UK vinyl or has a query about any aspect of collecting UK releases, then please get in touch via our website - www. elvisukbooks.co.uk EDBD / EIN: Thanks, it's been great talking to you and we look forward to all your future publications. Now to spin some vinyl.....
Interview by Kees Mowen / Piers Beagley. Click here to comment on this INTERVIEW
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