Elmo & Patsy-Grandma Got Run Over By...

aaronk wrote: jimct wrote: At this moment, to me, the #1 most burning issue is to unearth further details of a possible (perhaps likely, even) second Oink 45, that features exactly what would later appear on the Epic 34-04703 45. It would surely have a unique 45 stock #, right? As I put all of the above information together, I'm pretty sure that #4 from John's list is exactly what you're looking for--the 1983 Oink "remake." Hopefully he can chime in to tell us for sure, but it would make sense if that 45 is what Epic reissued in 1984.

You are correct, Aaron. The 1983 Oink remake is the same version that Epic reissued in 1984, and I've added that clarification to my earlier post. As for the confusion Oink caused by retaining the 1979 release's catalog number, the answer probably rests with Grandma.

Interestingly enough, the Epic 45 doesn't sound nearly as good as the '83 Oink 45. It's cut a bit quieter, with highs and lows attenuated. The pig beats the eye in this race, even if the pressing quality isn't quite on par.

Jim, my promo copy of "Christmas Millionaire" is a double A-sider, on a green label, pressed on vinyl by PRC. It came in a clear plastic sleeve, to keep the record, its sleeve and the wraparound title card together.

I was never serviced with any Oink LP.       

jimct wrote: Today, I acquired the 1982 Oink LP, that 80smusicfreak was thankfully razor sharp to spot for us. (It went unsold at an expired eBay auction last week, so I contacted the seller, who kindly reposted it for me, as a "Buy It Now" item.)

So, I actually helped make a contribution to your vast music collection, jimct??? Who'da thought??? :-) Glad you got it...

jimct wrote: Luckily, I bought 3 different "Grandma..."-related items on Friday morning: The Oink LP, the "Christmas Millionaire" 45 (thanks for the double A-side info, John; now I know what to expect there), and an Oink 2984 45 on the white label, simply because I didn't previously own a copy of it on a white label.

Since you now seem to be in "completist" mode when it comes to this Christmas classic, in the spirit of giving, I just thought I'd go ahead and point out that there's still another label variation of the 45 that you missed, and that's just from checking the two copies w/ the cream-colored labels on Oink 2984 that you steered Yah Shure toward!

Let's start w/ the $4.49 one you recommended, from eBay seller "nokomis_fan": Cream-label variation #1 Look at the very bottom of the label - the last line is an area code (707) phone no. for Oink, which represents the label's hometown of Windsor, CA...

Now let's go to the $4.00 one from eBay seller "annie3857", which I assume is "the *one* eBay merchant that [you]'ve had multiple instances of them way overstating the actual condition of their 45s": Cream-label variation #2 Again, look at the very bottom of the label on their copy - seems this one ALSO has an area code (415) phone no. (for San Francisco), in addition to that (707) no.! You really didn't notice that??? Seems your collection is still incomplete, jimct... ;-)

(*sigh*) In no way did I intend for my last post to be confrontational, jimct. So I apologize if it might have come across that way. (Geez, I even said "peace" at the end of my post to you yesterday.) I'm certainly a "completist" when it comes to certain artists, too, no question about it! And I really was being genuine about the size/scope of your music collection - while I've always admitted I'm not a huge fan of vinyl, that doesn't mean I don't think I'd have a blast if I could spend a whole day looking through it. :-) I honestly thought I'd spotted something new that would interest you (didn't say I already knew about it), because the label difference immediately jumped out at me when I checked the listings on eBay...

Jim, thanks for providing the information about that cream-colored label eBay listing, but I've done a tremendous amount of research on the subject, from which I've determined that admitting to owning any more than five copies of "Grandma" tends to make other people look askance at said individual in public, in addition to insisting that their kids maintain a safe distance of at least a hundred yards. This would cause a major scene at the Mall of America this time of year. Security tends to frown on such things, and, unlike the individual who recently tossed a thousand $1 bills from the fourth floor of the mall's rotunda - unannounced - on Black Friday, I'd rather not risk being banned for a year. Therefore, I must sadly leave any further detective work to you. ;)

There is another factor to consider in sorting this all out: the private-press aspect of the Oink 45(s). Like any other small-scale performers on a shoestring budget, Elmo 'N'/'n/& Patsy pressed up just enough copies to satisfy demand, based on their gigs and distributor/retail orders over the course of several years. That meant an initial pressing run of 500, then perhaps another 500, maybe another thousand or two, etc. Consequently, they would farm out their business to various manufacturers, depending on how many copies they needed at any given time and the associated per-unit costs (of the three Oink label 45s I have - including "Christmas Millionaire" - each one is pressed by a different manufacturer.)

When it came time to re-record "Grandma," it probably made sense to E&P/Oink to retain the original catalog number and matrix numbers. It wasn't as though they had a plethora of other Oink singles vying for the marketplace; all they really cared about was having a record of "Grandma" available. Elmo no doubt felt that the re-recording significantly trumped the original, making it a better, more accurate representation of how the duo's sound had evolved, in addition to giving Oink a legs-up on the older version Soundwaves/NSD was still actively marketing. From a forward-thinking artist's standpoint, it made perfect sense: the new "Grandma" was the only one that mattered henceforth. Just be thankful Elmo didn't team up with Richard Carpenter!

Given the press-on-demand nature of the Oink single, the white label copy you bought might not necessarily be the same version as the one I have. Remember that Clickettes record I mentioned upthread? "Grandma" on Oink is a much bigger roll of the "dice" than even that record. We're talking Forrest-Gump's-box-of-chocolates territory here. "Grandma" is arguably the textbook example of a truly grassroots-level recording effort that took several years, two versions and three different distribution channels to evolve and snowball into the runaway hit it became. It's a fascinating story, and we may never know exactly how many different incarnations of the Oink pressing there actually were. As you said, Jim, there's a first for everything.

I'd say the most reliable way to determine an Oink 45's true lineage is by playing it. It's almost like sorting out the hog market reports on the radio years ago. Attention: Elmo and Richard Carpenter! Here's your next hit: "Barrows, gilts and grandmas always get me down...." ;)

Edited by Yah Shure

Gordon, those are hilarious!!

The video of "Calling Grandmas" could easily be set in a retirement community. Golf carts masquerading as UFOs... I'm in!

Looking forward to the CD.   ;)