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jimct
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| Posted: 22 April 2010 at 12:50pm | IP Logged
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A "who owns the U.S. rights to this song" dispute between Atco (Atlantic) and Fontana (Mercury) wasn't resolved in court until well after the song's hit run was finished, resulting in two different 1966 commercial 45s. (Fontana ultimately emerged in court as the legal U.S. owners of Troggs recordings, which is why their 1968 smash, "Love Is All Around" appeared only on Fontana.) In the end, consumers probably preferred the Atco 45, since its flip side also ended up being the group's follow-up hit, "With A Girl Like You". (FYI, the Fontana 45's flip was "From Home".) Here are the particulars from each of the two 45's:
-The Troggs-"Wild Thing" (confirmed as Atco 6415) (listed time (2:35); actual time (2:34)) (my 45 is vinyl, with deadwax of "6CC - 10128 - 2".) FYI, the Atco 45 shows the song's writer as "Presley", in error. Reg Presley was the Troggs' lead singer, but this song was actually written by Chip Taylor. "Wild Thing" was actually a remake of a song first released in 10/65, by the U.S. group "The Wild Ones", on United Artists 947.
-The Troggs-"With A Girl Like You" (confirmed as Atco 6415) (listed time (2:08); actual time (2:07)) (my 45 is vinyl, with deadwax of "66C - 10127 - 1".)
-The Troggs-"Wild Thing" (confirmed as Fontana 1548) (listed time (2:30); actual time (2:29)) (my 45 is vinyl, with machine-stamped deadwax of "YW-38069-1".) (**please note the :05 actual run time difference between the Fontana and Atco 45 releases**)
Finally, not to be left out on the group's follow-up hit, Fontana also released "With A Girl Like You", albeit on a separate 45 (Fontana 1552). I have just added this stock # to my want list, and, unless someone else kindly beats me to it, I will also add this 45's details to this thread when I obtain it.
Edited by jimct on 22 April 2010 at 12:58pm
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Yah Shure
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| Posted: 22 April 2010 at 4:11pm | IP Logged
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Jim, my Fontana 1552 stock copy of "With A Girl Like You" has a listed time of (2:07) and an actual time of (2:06)... (2:06.5, to be exact.) Deadwax on this styrene pressing is "YW 38656 4".
When I went to buy "Wild Thing" after it had just come out, all the copies at the local Musicland store were the Fontana version, pressed on vinyl by RCA. Normally, that would have been cause for celebration, but RCA used the most awful reground plastic imaginable: "You move me...crackle crackle crackle..." :(
I liked "With A Girl Like You" even more, once it got airplay. Imagine my surprise when the copy I bought at Target was on Atco, with "Wild Thing" on the flip. How cool was that to have a recent hit on another label? That particular copy has been sitting atop a stack of 45s in the hallway for weeks, but, of course, now that I'm actually in need of it... (sound familiar?)
I have a couple of other Atco copies - all pressed by Plastic Products - and the first one I did find differs from yours in that it does credit Taylor as the writer of "Wild Thing." It could be a pressing plant difference, or in all likelihood, this one was corrected in time for the "With A Girl Like You" run up the charts.
The listed time on my Atco copy of "With A Girl Like You" is only (2:03). Weird.
There is a big difference in sound quality between the Fontana and Atco 45s: Unlike either of the Fontana releases, both sides of the Atco single are very heavily compressed. That's not at all a bad rap against Atco. In the case of "Wild Thing," that extra compression pumped the "snotty meter" up to eleven, making an already instant classic into an enduring one.
Edited by Yah Shure on 22 April 2010 at 4:22pm
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jimct
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| Posted: 22 April 2010 at 6:02pm | IP Logged
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Many thanks for your Fontana "With A Girl Like You" 45 details/additional insight, John!
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PopArchivist
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| Posted: 24 March 2020 at 12:40pm | IP Logged
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Looking around for a stereo version of Wild Thing....any chance anyone have one or know where to find one domestically or on an import?
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"I'm a pop archivist, not a chart philosopher, I seek to listen, observe and document the chart position of music."
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davidclark
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| Posted: 24 March 2020 at 9:04pm | IP Logged
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Rich,
Wild Thing has never been stereo on a commercial release. I have a sync-up
that was sent to me ages ago, but it's bad IMHO, so I don't listen to it.
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TallPaulInKy
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| Posted: 28 March 2020 at 6:40am | IP Logged
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PopArchivist wrote:
Looking around for a stereo
version of Wild Thing.... |
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I have read the multi tracks still exist in England.
However, the British record industry, as a rule, does
not believe in revisionism. Therefore if a song was
originally only issued in mono then it probably should
stay that way.
Not saying I agree, but I do understand that view. With
the latest advances in stereo rechanneling maybe one of
those companies will issue a DES version one day.
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Topic: Troggs-"Wild Thing/With A Girl Like You"
