Whether i'm browsing Discogs, reading the discography of an artist from yesteryear, or hunched over crates of used vinyl in one of my favourite record shops, i'm always struck by the sheer amount of multiple versions of singles: 12"s, picture discs, coloured vinyl, free posters/badges/stickers/postcards/boomerangs*, different artwork, laminated sleeves, free 7"s with tracks unavailable elsewhere (until the age of the cd reissue, that is)..... the list goes on. It goes without saying that, aside from providing fans with collectables, all these limited editions were essentially a marketing ploy to lure people into buying several copies of basically the same single, thereby pushing both the 45 up the charts and more cash into the record companies coffers. At some point in the eighties the compilers of the charts got wise to this and started putting restrictions on what counted as an eligible sale, probably after ZTT put out a half a million versions of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Relax" to keep it in the charts. But in amongst the multiple mixes and punters deceived by the same record in different sleeves (copyright Morrissey), there are some real gems if you know what to look for. Whilst some artists were content to let their record label do whatever they wanted, others took it seriously and assumed creative control over their releases. One of my personal favourites is XTC. Band leader Andy Partidge had an artistic flair that went beyond the songwriting and got involved in the artwork and design of their record sleeves, and several of their 7" s are quite collectable. Their first Top 40 hit "Making Plans For Nigel" contained a Chutes and Ladders board game unique to the details of Nigel's life in the song, one side for him to play and the other for his controlling parents. "Towers Of London" came as a double 7" , with both paper sleeved singles in skyscraper silhouetted artwork inside a semi-transparent plastic sleeve a more historical skyline of the capital. "Sgt. Rock" came with an insert which turned the lyrics of the song into a Beano-style comic strip. By far the most creative is one of their less well known 7"s, the non-charting "No Thugs In Our House". The final single to be taken from their most commercially successful album (and one of many creative highpoints) English Settlement, the back sleeve presents the song as a musical in 3 acts, and the sleeve opens up into a "theatre" with separate cardboard figurines.
Obviously these limited edition singles aren't cheap, not if you want them in decent condition, but shop around and you may find a bargain. I was lucky enough to pick up two of the aforementioned XTC 7"s on a recent crate digging trip for around a tenner each.
*The boomerang in question was made of cardboard and hidden inside the sleeve of comedy punk band Splodgenessabounds' cover of Two Little Boys.
