Alan Caddy - Japanese Avenue EP

Blog reader Holger Schoeler recently sent me some fantastic scans of an Avenue EP which was released in Japan in 1972. It's by The Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers. Holger's interest is not budget cover versions, but Apple Publishing, and he is currently researching global releases with the Apple Publishing credit in the small print - more of which, later. For the moment, let's look at the scans he sent:

What a superb record! There is no UK equivalent, needless to say. The release of 1972 coincided with a change in the UK policy, whereby the Avenue label was discontinued for the 7-inch format, and replaced by Forest.

As for the songs themselves, only four of the six are known in the UK discography. All of side 1 appeared on the LPs catalogue-numbered AVE 0101 and AVE 0102 (and their own spin-off EPs), while the last track turned up on the year's best-of LP, 20 Smash Hits of '72 (released in Britain on the Stereo Plus 3 subsidiary).

So far as I know, the recordings of "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Imagine" were never released in the UK.

An attractive feature of this Japanese release is the sleeve. It's an uber-cool gatefold, with a printed inner section, with English lyrics! There is also plenty of Japanese text, and a photo of somebody (maybe one of the label's other artists) although, not speaking Japanese, I cannot say what is printed here. These are the two panels which make up the inner part of the gatefold:

There was also an obi strip on the original release:

Thanks to Holger for sharing this with us. I will now turn to his own research/collecting project of Apple Publishing. As everyone knows, this was a part of the Beatles' Apple empire, which published many of the songs composed by the label's artists, as well as those signed up without a recording contract (Gallagher and Lyle being among the most famous). Holger wants scans of sleeves and labels of everything which includes an Apple Publishing credit on it. (This EP falls into that category courtesy of Badfinger's "Day After Day" on side 1.)

If you have any obscure records which fit the bill, please get in touch with us, and help the project along. Holger has done immense work so far, and will appreciate any contributions which come along.

As for Japanese cover versions by Alan Caddy - there are at least two more out there. Let's also hear from anyone with details of more!