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hth aus version
gday fellas
just wanting to know a bit more about the aus hth flames version lp. anyone know why the band released different versions (and for that matter, the ddddc and ltbr records too).
would the flames version be more rare than the standard release? (as in more of a collectors item and more expensive) im lead to believe the flames version was the origional release cover (in aus at least). what would you be willing to pay for a second hand copy of it?
Okay, Powerage (with the exception of the rare UK mixes) was the first record to see a unified release.
Highway To Hell was no exception...with the exception of the cover.
With Dirty Deeds and Let There Be Rock, the Australian albums had songs not on the Int'l releases. It could be that Atlantic chose not to include Jailbreak to avoid confusion with the Thin Lizzy album released that same year. Crabsody In Blue was cut from Let There Be Rock likely for the reason that it is very explicit in being about crabs.
My best guess is that Atlantic just wanted to make AC/DC seem a little more mainstream than Albert (who was it that hired Mutt Lange? Albert or Atlantic?) and the Australian version of the cover would definitely have attracted more negative attention for the band here in the States.
I can answer on the CD side of things. I think what travis says seems true because althought the LTBR and DDDDC Australia covers are still active, HTH has been deprecated when the 1995 Digital Remastered CD's hit the stores (secretly having the flames cover on the CD now).
There is also another thought.I have a HTH CD that claims Australasia on the back cover but is actually made in UK.1995 remastered with the flames on the CD only.That is not the case for LTBR and DDDDC(UK releases are UK releases), so my guess is a global company mix up that splitted the marbles between European cover and Australian CD.
Hmm, oddly enought, i don't seem to have a 1995 remastered powerage to check....Ah, ok i have the Europe and US but i was almost certain i had the Australian....Ah, so i actually have it as part of an Australian 2 disks box set but the CD cover is gold so this is something else...
righteo. thanks for the replies fellas.
trav, cant see what's wrong with releasing the aus versions in the states. the ddddc cover with ang giving the two fingered salute is a perfectly good way to get publicity! same with crabsody in blue! haha. those were the days.
Even the Beatles couldn't catch a break with overseas releases (Capitol Records constantly made their own Beatles albums versus the UK versions) so maybe Atlantic had a contract that allowed them to make "their" albums different if they saw fit. Perhaps it required less aproval from Malcolm and the boys. Dirty Deeds on Atlantic had a song not released in Australia (Love At First Feel) and Rocker and Problem Child (from T.N.T. and Let There Be Rock).
I really wish Sony, when they did the remasters, had restored the Australian sequences of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Let There Be Rock and had released T.N.T. and High Voltage as well as the albums as previously released on Atlantic. With the exception of the previously mentioned Powerage UK alternative mixes release and the Highway To Hell alternative covers, everything from 1978 on was unified...(the rare 2 CD Live album with the bonus track notwithstanding).
For regular on the market CD's, there are also some differences with the First Mini LP replicas Japan CD's (made in Germany unfortunately).
Back in black tracks order is different from the regular CD's and in Live 2 CD's some tracks are missing. Probably they simulated the LP's here.
ok, interesting. i guess the bottom line is that money talks, and also, i dont know, but are us aussies more laid back and sorta don't give as much a stuff as others?
anyway, sort of back to my other question, how rare would you say the hth flames version is? does anyone know how many copies were made of it?
Talking about the LP or CD?
I can't help on LP's.
The HtH LP with the flames was the only version in Australia for quite a long time - the CD came out in 1987 with the same cover (and badly mastered, missing the very start of the 3rd track!). So not uncommon (at least in Australia!).
Different pressings would have different values though. The 1st pressing in mint condition - I'd say around $150...
1979 1st pressing - blue label with yellow strobe lines on outside
1981 2nd pressing - black label with yellow strobe lines
1983 3rd pressing - plain red label - copyright info all around label
1987 4th pressing - plain red label -copyright info around top half
1989 5th pressing - plain red label - copright info around bottom half
In other words, here is the site with all the Australian releases edelx3 was referring to with photos:
http://www.discogs.com/master/view/8522
ok nice thanks very much edel and shake. some good info there. i am pretty sure my copy is a 1981 second pressing. the label isn't black black, but more a muddy black, and you could say it looks a little blue, but comparing pictures, i'm pretty sure its the second pressing. it's got a noticable crease line on it and a 'record ring line' from where the lp has sat in the case. got her for 30 bucks, so i dont think that sounds too bad.
thanks again for all your input fellas.appreciated
The matrix numbers on mine (bought in 1982, black label) are
Side 1 - APLP 040 A
Side 2 - APLP 040 B
I wonder if they used the same stamper for different pressings?