New find

Your blogster has been busy on several different projects over recent years and no longer has the time or energy to collect budget records. However he hasn't entirely forgotten about them, and in idle moments still has a browse around the internet, just out of curiosty. The odd find is made, and duly added to the ever-expanding database.

Which leads me to this new find - one so amazing to me that I thought it deserved some kind of spotlight - not just another unnoticed addition to my Top of the Pops website. So here it is...

 

What is it? None other than a unique edition of Top of The Pops Europe Edition, Volume 1. It even has the same catalogue number, EHM 3001. This is how it usually looks:

This is in fact a copy of the Lebanon issue, on their Empire label, and came out in 1971. The track listing is exactly the same as normal - but check out that cover. So unlike what we are used to. 

In fact, I do wonder if the image on the front is from the same shoot as this - it's hard to be certain...

Equally surprising is that this Lebanon LP was accopanied by a trailer single consisting of two of the tracks, 'Help (Get Me Some Help)' / 'One Way Wind' - issued on the same Empire label. Here are the 45 labels:

 

And here's a mock-up of what it would have looked like, inside one of the company singles sleeves. 

There you go. See you in 2030.