Pink Floyd Non-UK CD Rarities

[The Piper]

Record Collector Article on Non-UK CD Rarities

Subject: Record Collector October 1992
To: echoes (Echoes)
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 13:24:14 GMT
From: Martin


I found the disk at last! Here it is, the article on CD rarities from
outside the UK, painstakingly reproduced without permission. I would
disagree about some of the prices mentioned here - if you can find Relics
for 15 pounds, I want to know about it! Also note that due to the crap
system set up here, all the pound signs seem to have disappeared. All
prices are in UK pounds.



PINK FLOYD CD RARITIES
Kevin Whitlock highlights compact disc rarities
from the U.S.A., Australia and Japan

With their history of sonic experimentation and studio
perfectionism, Pink Floyd were ideally suited to the digital
format of the CD - even if their material hasn't always been
transferred to compact disc as well as it might have been.
Back in February, we looked in detail at the Floyd's U.K. CD
releases. In this followup piece, we're examining some of the
more interesting and collectable overseas issues concentrating
on the U.S., Japan and Australia. These CDs mightn't be as easy
to find as their British counterparts, but they are of great
interest to Floyd collectors, because they often offer the only
chance of finding some of the band's rarest material on compact
disc.

U.S. CD SINGLES

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART TWO (Edit)/ONE OF MY TURNS
(Columbia 38K 03118,1988)
This 3" CD single comes in a little plastic holder that fits
into a 7" x 3.5" cardboard sleeve. Now deleted, a Mint copy with
all its packaging intact will set you back about 20. This
particular release is currently the only way of getting the
'single' version of "Another Brick" on CD.

RUN LIKE HELL/COMFORTABLY NUMB (Columbia 13K 68657,1989)
Also deleted, this 3" disc again sells for about 20. Like the
"Another Brick" single, it comes packaged in a 'long' sleeve,
except that it doesn't have the plastic holder. Both cuts are
full-length album versions.

U.S. ALBUMS

All of Floyd's U.S. CD releases are virtually identical to
their U.K. counterparts. However, there are some interesting
variants. All the albums from "Wish You Were Here" onwards are
on Columbia rather than Harvest or EMI, and many can still be
found in long boxes. Pre-"Wish" albums are all on Capitol but
have identical catalogue numbers to the U.K. issues.

Catalogue numbers for the standard Columbia CDs are:
WISH YOU WERE HERE (Columbia CK 33453,1983)
ANIMALS (Columbia CK 34474,1984)
THE WALL (Columbia C2K 36183,1984)
A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON (Columbia CK 40599,1987)
DELICATE SOUND OF THUNDER (Columbia C2K 44484,1988)

The following CDs are particularly worth noting:
WORKS (Capitol, 1987)
Not only is "Works" (originally released on LP in the U.S. and
Japan in 1983) the best Floyd compilation, but it also features
a number of 'must haves' for any serious collector. Firstly, it
contains the demo version of "Embryo" (unreleased apart from its
appearance on the rare U.K. Harvest sampler "Picnic", which was
withdrawn soon after its release in 1970; legend has it that the
Floyd were furious at the unauthorised appearance of this
'unfinished' track). Secondly, it boasts a number of remixed
tracks. The versions of "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" are from the
quadraphonic mix of "Dark Side". "Brain Damage" in particular
features more guitar; while "One Of These Days" mixes the
heartbeats from the beginning of "Dark Side" into its wind
opening. Thirdly, it's the only way of getting "Arnold Layne" and
"See Emily Play" on CD unless you buy the Australia-only CD of
"Relics" (see below). Widely available in import shops for around
15-16, "Works" is an essential addition to any Floyd
collection.

MEDDLE (Mobile Fidelity UDCD 518,1988)
Mobile Fidelity is an American label which issues vinyl LPs,
cassettes and CDs of the highest quality. The company rightly
takes pride in the standard of packaging, presentation and sound
quality of its products.
The CDs are a case in point. This reissue of "Meddle" boasts
special 'lift-up' packaging, a sturdy plastic 'long box' and a
CD made from 24K gold rather than the usual aluminium. The result
is a disc which actually sounds better than standard issues, as
well as boasting superior packaging. Only available in the U.K.
on import, this CD will set you back in the region of 25.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (Mobile Fidelity UDCD 517,1988)
Another 24K gold CD which will cost collectors around 25;
again, it boasts superior sound quality and packaging to the
standard CD releases.

THE WALL (Mobile Fidelity UDCD 2-537,1989)
Although it will leave you anything up to 40 out of pocket,
this particular Mobile Fidelity 24K gold "ultradisc" is well
worth seeking out, for unlike the two companion discs above, this
double set is a strictly limited edition. It has already been
deleted, and is sure to rise in price from now on - in years to
come, it is likely to be one of the jewels in any Floydian silver
disc collection.
The packaging is exquisite. The two discs are presented in a
slipcase and each has its own "lift-up" jewel box. All the
artwork (including full credits and lyrics) found on the LP issue
is featured in a separate 16-page booklet. MF's "Wall" also
boasts far better sound than the standard U.K. or U.S. issues -
and the accessing programming problems I mentioned in my last
Floyd feature are entirely absent here.

U.S. PROMOS

LEARNING TO FLY (LP Version)/LEARNING TO FLY (Edit) (Columbia CSK
2775, 1987)
An orange-coloured disc that came in a totally plain CD jewel
case, this promo now sells for around 20 - a price that seems
to be rising, despite the fact that it includes no rare material.

A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON OFFICIAL TOUR CD: DOGS OF WAR (LP
Edit)/ DOGS OF WAR (Live Edit)/ON THE TURNING AWAY (Live)
(Columbia CSK 1100,1987)
This disc has an incomplete tour-date listing printed on its
black side in purple letters. It comes in a jewel case with a
custom cover insert, featuring the famous beds arranged in two
parallel lines stretching down a tree-lined avenue, and a non-
removeable 'underlay' card. The two live versions are taken from
the Floyd's concert at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia on November
5, 1987. They are the same as those found on the U.K. "On The
Turning Away" and "One Slip" CD singles, released in November
1987 and June 1988 respectively. The current value of this item
is around 30.

COMFORTABLY NUMB/LEARNING TO FLY/TIME/ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
PART TWO (Columbia CSK 1375,1988)
This picture CD groups together four songs from the live
"Delicate Sound Of Thunder" album. Packaged in a totally plain
jewel case, its current value hovers around 16.

U.S. RADIO SHOW CDs

UP CLOSE WITH PINK FLOYD (MCA Radio Network, 1988)
This two-CD set is a profile of the Floyd, mixing narration
and studio tracks with interviews (mostly Gilmour) and a special
live track, "Run Like Hell" (recorded at the Omni in Atlanta,
Georgia on November 5, 1987). There are three different
pressings, the most valuable of which is the 1988 issue, with
pink-coloured discs. Like most U.S. radio shows, this item is
much sought-after and can fetch up to 100. The set was reissued
in 1989 and again in 1990: both these editions are far more
common than the original, as reflected in their asking prices of
60-70 apiece. These later issues have different commercials and
are not pink. When first released, this item was commonly
advertised for sale for up to 200, but prices are far more
realistic these days, perhaps due to the two sets of reissues.
The studio tracks featured are (in order): "One Slip",
"Learning To Fly", "On The Turning Away", "The Dogs Of War", "See
Emily Play", "One Of These Days", "Time", "Us And Them", "Money",
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Wish You Were Here", "Welcome To
The Machine", "Comfortably Numb" and "Another Brick In The Wall
Part II". The show concludes with the live track.

IN THE STUDIO #90 (The Album Network, 1990)
This is based around "Dark Side Of The Moon", with comments
by Dave Gilmour. The show was aired during the week of March 12,
1990. Segment One lasts 18'30" and features Gilmour along with
"Breathe" and "Time"; Segment Two (16'00") features Dave again
along with "Us And Them"; and Segment Three (20'40") has more
comments from Dave and the songs "Brain Damage", "Eclipse" and
"Money". It can be picked up fairly easily for around 40, but
be sure that you get a copy with a cue sheet and the custom "In
The Studio" cardboard sleeve.

IN THE STUDIO #107 (The Album Network, 1990)
On this disc (aired in the week of July 9, 1990), the subject
is "The Wall" and the host is Roger Waters. Segment One (20'47")
contains "In The Flesh?", "The Thin Ice" and "Mother"; Segment
Two (19'66") has Parts I and II of "Another Brick..." and
"Goodbye Cruel World"; and the final segment (19'29") contains
"Another Brick In The Wall Part III", "Empty Spaces", "Young
Lust" and "One Of My Turns" (listed as "My Turns" on the cue
sheet). Again, make sure you get the custom sleeve and cue sheet
before you part with the 45 or so you'll need to buy this item.

IN THE STUDIO #108 (The Album Network, 1990)
This disc is part two of the item described above. It was
aired during the week of July 16, 1990 and once again features
comments from Roger Waters. Segent One lasts 19'47" and features
"Hey You", "Is There Anybody Out There?" and "Nobody Home";
Segment Two (18'11") contains "Comfortably Numb" and "Waiting For
The Worms"; and the 23'56" third Segment has "In The Flesh", "Run
Like Hell" and "The Trial". Like its companion, this set is worth
around 45 in mint condition.
All three of the "In The Studio" packages are well worth
adding to any collection: they contain interesting and otherwise
unavailable insights into the records from the people who made
them. In all cases (as with the "Up Close" CD), both Waters and
Gilmour are far more revealing about their music than they are
in most interviews.

U.S. SOLO ITEMS

Many of the Floyd's solo records have so far eluded CD release
in the States, just as they have done in the U.K The exceptions
are: Dave Gilmour's excellent first solo album, DAVID GILMOUR
(Columbia CKS 35388,1986), and Nick Mason's lacklustre
collaboration with Rick Fenn, PROFILES (Columbia CK 40142). Both
of these are unavailable on CD over here but are relatively easy
to obtain in the better import shops. Roger Waters' solo albums,
THE PROS & CONS OF HITCH-HIKING and RADIO KAOS, as well as ABOUT
FACE, Gilmour's second stab at working on his own, are all
available in the U.S. on CD, the only difference being label
variations and the addition of the controversial American "long
box".

THE KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR: ALONE AT LAST (DIR Radio Network,
1987)
This is one of the most collectable solo CDs, featuring
extracts from live concerts by Phil Collins, Chrissie Hynde and
Dave Gilmour. Gilmour's part of the show comes from one of the
dates on his 1984 tour and contains "Run Like Hell", "Blue Light"
and "Comfortably Numb". The current value of this item - packaged
in a plain jewel case with a cue sheet - is around 30.
Gilmour's set from the concert held at the Albert Hall on
February 6, 1986, in aid of the Columbian Earthquake Fund,
features on another U.S. radio show CD. Backed by an eight-piece
band which included Michael Kamen and Mick Ralphs, David Gilmour
& Friends played "You Know I'm Right" and "Out Of The Blue" from
the "About Face" album and the Floyd favourites "Run Like Hell"
and "Comfortably Numb". All four songs appear here, and this CD
now sells for around 30.
Roger Waters, of course, has by far the most promo CDs to his
credit: all of the following are culled from his Berlin "Wall"
shows.

THE WALL - BERLIN '90: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART II/HEY
YOU/WHEN THE TIGERS BROKE FREE/THE GUNNER'S DREAM/5:06 AM (EVERY
STRANGERS EYES)/THE TIDE IS TURNING (Columbia CSK 2126,1990)
This was issued to radio stations across the U.S. to raise
awareness of the concert, and is particularly sought-after by
collectors because it features an otherwise unavailable track.
This is a newly recorded 5'28" studio version of "Another Brick
In The Wall Part II" which opens with the atmospherics from "Hey
You". However, the opinion among even the most dedicated Waters
buffs is that it's a very mundane version.
Collectors also value this item because it's the only way of
getting "When The Tigers Broke Free" on CD. Also included are
"Hey You" from "The Wall", "The Gunner's Dream" from "The Final
Cut" and "5:06AM (Every Stranger's Eyes)" from "Pros & Cons" and
"The Tide Is Turning" from "Radio KAOS" -- a rather strange
mixture that doesn't even showcase Waters' songwriting talents
adequately. A promotional video of the 'new' version of "Another
Brick" also exists.
When it first appeared, some unscrupulous dealers were
charging in excess of 35, nowadays this disc fetches around 25-
30, but it's worth shopping around, because it can be picked up
for as little as 20. When buying, make sure you're getting the
full package, which includes a four-page insert with a red hammer
motif; inside is a letter from Roger explaining the purpose of
the event. "I recorded this version of 'Another Brick In The Wall
Part 2' with the Bleeding Heart Band just for this special
event," says Rog in his letter. He goes on to address the DJs and
radio programmers to whom the disc was originally sent: "If you
in radio support the Memorial Fund by mentioning 'The Wall'
concert in Berlin on the 21st of July and the subsequent live
album when you play any of the cuts on this sampler, both Leonard
(Cheshire, founder of the Memorial Fund For Disaster Relief) and
I would be very grateful."
Interestingly enough, the disc was issued by Waters' old
American record company CBS, rather than Mercury, who eventually
released the "Live In Berlin" album.

PIECES FROM THE WALL: YOUNG LUST/ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART
II/RUN LIXE HELL/BRING THE BOYS BACK HOME (Mercury CDP 318,1990)
A picture CD in a jewel case, this item can be picked up
relatively easily and cheaply. Pay no more than around 15. All
versions are as on the live LP apart from "Another Brick..." and
"Young Lust", which are both edited takes.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART II (EDIT) (Mercury CDP 342,1990)
This picture CD (which contains a 4'02" edit of the song)
actually forms part of a neat promo package. The custom cardboard
sleeve (which should have a special promo title sticker on it)
fits into a slot at the top of a foam brick which has the words
"Another Brick In The Wall" stencilled on the front in red
letters. The complete package is getting harder to find and is
currently worth around 25-30.

HEY YOU/ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART II (LP VERSION) (Mercury
CDP 349,1990)
A picture CD which comes in a plain jewel case, this is a
fairly common item which can be found for less than a tenner.

THE TIDE IS TURNING (EDIT) (Mercury CDP 367,1990)
Another common promo, this 4'33" edit comes in a jewel case
with a card at the back. It can be picked up for about 10.

AUSTRALIAN CDs

At the time of going to press, rumours were circulating that
an Australian company was negotiating with the Floyd and their
record label to release a limited edition box set of the group's
first five singles, from "Arnold Layne" through to "Point Me At
The Sky". It is alleged that the group have agreed to this,
providing the masters are not tampered with.
Should this proposed set ever see the light of day, it will
no doubt become one of the most collectable items in the Floyd
discography.

RELICS (Axis CDAX 701290, 1988)
One highly sought-after item is this release on EMI
Australia's Axis subsidiary. To this date, Australia is the only
country which has issued "Relics" on CD. Any collectors over-
whelmed with the urge to own "Paintbox", "Biding My Time" or the
studio version of "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" on CD should
be pleased to know that this particular disc is easily obtainable
through any good import shop for no more than around 15. As well
as being the only way of obtaining the aforementioned three
tracks on CD, the Australian "Relics" also features a different
cover to the U.K. LP or cassette; Nick Mason's doodles have been
replaced with a rather unimaginative shot of some ancient coins.

BOX SET
EMI Australia have also just issued a 4-CD, LP-sized box set,
containing the band's mid-period albums. It can be picked up for
around 40.

JAPANESE CDs

The clear difference that exists between the quality of
U.K./U.S. vinyl pressings and their Japanese counterparts is far
less pronounced with CDs. Therefore Japanese CDs (which can be
obtained here for around 18 apiece for single sets, 35 for
doubles) are only of interest to fanatical collectors. There are
apparently a number of compilations (featuring rather random
selections of tracks) which can only be described - at best - as
semi-legal.

A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON (CBS/Sony XDDP 93004,1987)
There is also a Japanese promo-only CD which has always been
very elusive - I've never seen one for sale, so it's impossible
to put any accurate valuation on it! It comes in a slipcase
featuring a 'beds on the beach' shot on the front and an orange
'PF' logo on the back. The booklet is also alleged to be
different, carrying a lot more technical information and credits,
as well as full Iyrics in English and Japanese.
Although it's still fairly limited at the moment, the market
for collecting overseas Pink Floyd CDs should grow over the next
few years. As regions like the Far East, South America and
Eastern Europe develop their own CD industries, the prospect of
all kinds of weird and wonderful releases appearing becomes more
likely. And with a bout of feverish Floyd activity (a new album
and tour are promised) likely to take place in 1993 collectors
should be kept happy (and poverty-stricken) by a new batch of
promos, singles and radio shows.