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vertigo


ISRAEL

It seems unlikely that there were any very early Vertigo swirl releases in Israel. The first Black Sabbath album was issued on Phonodor (12182) and we have not yet heard of any releases from that period. We did find, however some records of a later date on the label. These were all licensed to Litratone, a record company in Haifa. A notice about this is to be found on the backcovers.

litratone

We did not yet hear of any single releases.

The(album) matrix numbers are the same as the Dutch ones, including country code 670 and in the same font, too. So, for the album below it reads like this:

AA 6360117 1Y 1 (P) 1975 670 1 1

This type of matrix numbers is to be found on all Israelian albums. The A-side label has ''side A'' on the second white circle (Britain has this on the third), but the B-side label clearly has its own typography (see scan below).


6360117ISRlbl

Information on the A-side at 9 o'clock and on the B-side at 5 o'clock, these are characteristics of Israelian swirl B-side labels. Note the Litratone notice above the Vertigo wording.



And now the actual albums we found so far in numerical order:



6360 011
BLACK SABBATH - ATTENTION! (?)


6360011ISR
6360011ISRlbl

The album ''Attention'' is in normal life a budget sampler from the first two albums, never released on swirl Vertigo, but not so in Israel. Apart from the astonishing fact that it was released with a swirl label, the musical contents are identical with the Paranoid album!! Also noteworthy: the matrix numbers have the British country code.

Matrix number A-side:
6360011 1Y//2/ 420
Matrix number B-side:
6360011 2Y//2/ 420

Rarity scale: R3





6360 050
BLACK SABBATH - MASTER OF REALITY (1971?)

Naturally both box cover and poster were deleted, but so was the negative colour scheme of the label, so this received a ''normal'' black on white print.



6360 098
STATUS QUO - HELLO! (1973)
Was for some reason released in the German cover version, complete with the "D"  in a square on the backcover.



6360 117
STATUS QUO - ON THE LEVEL (1975)

This is discussed in the section of  The Netherlands, please refer to that page.
There is one difference, however. The backcover has been tinted turquoise in Israel.



6360 128
STATUS QUO - BLUE FOR YOU (1976)


6360128ISR
6360128ISRlbl


Line-up: Andy Bown, keyb/ John Coghlan, dr/ Alan Lancaster, voc, bsgtr/ Richard Parfitt, voc, keyb, gtr/ Francis Rossi, voc, gtr./ Rob Young, harm.
Production: Status Quo.
Cover-design  by unknown.
Photography by unknown.
Liner notes: none.
Cover manufactured by A B Offset Printing Co..
Recorded at  Phonogram Studios.

Track listing A-side: Is There A Better Way (Alan Lancaster + Francis Rossi)/ Mad About The Boy (Francis Rossi + Rob Young)/ Ring Of A Change (Francis Rossi + Rob Young)/ Blue For You (Alan Lancaster)/ Rain (Richard Parfitt).
Track listing B-side: Rolling Home (Alan Lancaster + Francis Rossi)/ That's A Fact (Francis Rossi + Rob Young)/ Ease Your Mind (Alan Lancaster)/ Mystery Song (Richard Parfitt + Rob Young).

No Vertigo logo on front.
No running rime indications anywhere.

Matrix number A-side:
AA 6360128 1Y 1 670 1
Matrix number B-side:
AA 6360117 2Y 1 670 1

Rarity scale: R2


Frankly, we do not know what to say about the music.

They really look older now on the cover and its suits them remarkably well. Not that I now suddenly have grown to like denim, I wouldn't go that far. A close-up (all in blue, of course) of the gentlemen's trouser-belts is on the backside.
Corporate identity may be a big fat lot of good, but the lettering is too awkward to enjoy and its placing is as ungainly as it gets. There is neither a gatefold cover, nor a lyrics inner sleeve.

Notes: This was issued in Britain with cataogue number 9102 006.




6360 162
DIRE STRAITS - SULTANS OF SWING (1978)


63600162ISR
6360162ISRlbl


Line-up: John Illsley, bsgtr/ David Knopfler, gtr/ Mark Knopfler, voc, gtr/ Pick Withers, dr.
Production: Muff Winwood.
Cover-art by Chuck Loyola.
Cover-design  by Hothouse.
Photography by Paddy Eckersley.
Liner notes: none.
Cover manufactured by unknown.
Recorded at  Basing Street Studios.

Track listing A-side: Down To The Waterline / Water Of Love/ Setting Me Up/ Six Blade Knife/ Southbound Again.
Track listing B-side: Sultans Of Swing/ In The Gallery/ Wild West End/ Lions.
All tracks by Mark Knopfler

No Vertigo logo on front.
No running rime indications anywhere.

Matrix number A-side:
AA 6360162 1Y 2 (P) 1978 670 1 1 1
Matrix number B-side:
AA 6360162 2Y 1 (P) 1978 670 1 9

Rarity scale: R2


We distinctly remember, how this (it is the first album under a logical alias) suddenly soared into the musical awareness of many people's minds, while we, somehow, didn't quite get what the fuzz was all about. So someone sung London songs in an American musical idiom and played a fluent guitar. Well, so what? Who were they fooling with their only rarely inciting mixture of J.J.Cale, Highway 61 revisited and guitar arabesques that surely sound compliant enough, but never seem to arrive really somewhere? Some thirty years later this still sounds as little arousing as back then. If only those tracks weren't so godawful long!

Nice and very atmospheric painting on the front is a bonus, sort of Hopper painting a Rothko. Even the border (usually a bad idea) works well and brings equilibrium to the overall image. The lyrics sleeve of the UK and USA versions has been omitted, but the lyrics are transferred to the backcover (where a big void invited one to do so).
To not disturb the utmost serenity of the painting, the lettering is rightly modest, but could have been even more so.

Notes: This was issued in Britain with catalogue number 9101 021 and in the USA on Warner Bros (BSK 3266).


6360 163
CITY BOY - BOOK EARLY (1978)

cityboyISRcaption
This is virtually identical to the Dutch press, please refer to The Netherlands. A caption with Hebrew lettering was added in the top right-hand corner.




6360 629
KRAFTWERK - EXCELLER 8 (1976)

cityboyISRcaption6360629lbl
An extremely rare Kraftwerk sampler has been spotted!





9102 012
THIN LIZZY - JOHNNY THE FOX  (1976)


9102012ISR
9102012ISRlbl


Line-up: Phil Collins, perc/ Brian Downey, dr/ Scott Gorham, gtr/ Philip Lynott, voc, bsgtr, gtr/ Brian Robertson, gtr/ Fiachra Trench, strings and brass arr.
Production: John Alcock.
Cover-art by Jim Fitzpatrick.
Photography by John Paul.
Liner notes: by unknown.
Cover manufactured by AB Offset Printing.
Recorded at  Rampart Studios.

Track listing A-side: Johnny (Philip Lynott) / Rocky (Philip Lynott + Scott Gorham + Brian Downey)/ Borderline (Philip Lynott + Brian Robertson) / Don't Believe A Word (Philip Lynott)/ Fools Gold (Philip Lynott).
Track listing B-side: Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed (Philip Lynott + Scott Gorham + Brian Downey)/ Old Flame (Philip Lynott)/ Massacre (Philip Lynott + Scott Gorham + Brian Downey)/ Sweet Marie (Philip Lynott + Scott Gorham)/ Boogie Woogie Dance (Philip Lynott).

No Vertigo logo on front.
No running rime indications anywhere.

Matrix number A-side:
10 AA 6360138  1Y 320
Matrix number B-side:
10 AA 6360138  2Y 320

Rarity scale: R2


Very serious rock on the brink of depression, tightly played and with all parts expertly executed, those are good conditions to start with. While despair seeps through at regular intevals, the compositions do not quite match the intensity of the playing. In fact, much of it sounds very much alike, at least too much for comfort. Some fine (sometimes double-tracked) guitar solos notwithstanding, the material is too average. Even a moving ballad like Borderline suffers of the same monochromatic treatment. We cannot readily find any real highlights here, but the unpromisingly titled Boogie woogie dance works best, because of its uncompromising heavyness.

Maya-inspired drawings frame the impressive painting of the fox, alone in a haggard landscape with an unwordly and giant white sun loomimg large on the horizon. This should have been more prominent in the overall image; still an interesting cover. A brown and white insert with credits is accompanying this release.
Simple and adequate lettering may not reach for the skies, but is next to best anyway.

Notes: The matrix number shows the disc was manufactured in Germany, as the other ones above were in The Netherlands. It also has the German catalogue number, differing from the Israeli one.
This was released in the USA on Mercury (SRM 1-1119).



WWA 005
BLACK SABBATH - SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH (1973)

WWA005lbl

The cover and the musical contents of this strange issue are virtually identical to the UK one, but the catalogue number surely is amazing enough. There is no Litratone mentioned on the label.








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