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.
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).
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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.
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And now the actual albums we found so
far in numerical order:
6360
011
BLACK SABBATH - ATTENTION! (?)
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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
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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)
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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
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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)
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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
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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 163CITY BOY - BOOK EARLY (1978)
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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 629KRAFTWERK - EXCELLER 8 (1976)
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An extremely rare Kraftwerk sampler has been spotted! |
9102
012
THIN LIZZY - JOHNNY THE FOX
(1976)
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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
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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)
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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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