Surely they were hits really

[GoldenStreet]

Yes, spot on, Rob! According to Paul Pelletier's Complete British Directory of Popular 78/45rpm Singles 1950-1980, Columbia DB 4418 was the final number to be issued on 78. It would be interesting to know what EMI's release policy was at that time, as practically all other issues by then were 45rpm only.

Cliff's A Voice In The Wilderness (DB 4398) was available on 78, whereas, for example, the John Barry Seven's Hit And Miss (The Juke Box Jury signature) and released at the same time as Royal Event was 45rpm only (DB 4414).

Bill

[howarddobson]

That's what I call a deleted record!

[UlrichS]

In Britain, it was just Feelin' Fine, Jet Black and Saturday Dance.

Hi Ivo, hi Clive,
I am sorry to object, but only the very first Drifters/Shadows single Feelin' Fine (DB 4263) was released in the 78rpm format. It might have been confusing that the Cliff & Shadows single A Voice In The Wilderness (DB 4398) was issued in 78rpm format and knowing that DB4411 was the latest 78rpm release some people might have thought that all releases up to this date came out in both formats. But this is not correct. If one has a look in the cited Paul Pelletier's Complet British Directory of Popular 78/45 rpm Singles 1950-1980 - Volume One - Columbia / Decca / H.M.V. you find all releases including the information in which formats they were released. Only Feelin' Fine is listed with both formats.
Of course, the Five Chesternuts single Teenage Love (DB 4165) and the Vipers single Summertime Blues ( R 4484) came out as 78rpm singles, too.

For completeness, Shadows 78rpms were pressed in India, South Africa, The Philippines, Pakistan and Turkey (to my knowledge).
From Turkey I know of Apache (RT 7576) and from Pakistan of Kon-Tiki (KCF-65) only.
All Shadows singles in India up to The War Lord (DB 7769) and in South Africa up to Kon-Tiki (DSA 400) were also released as 78rpm.
The Philippines is a bit difficult to tell as they released apart from original single tracks also LP and EP tracks as 78rpms. The latest release I am aware of is Atlantis (DB 7047). But I am far away from being able to give a complete list of the Philippine 78rpm releases.

Best wishes,
Ulrich

78rpm(GreatBritain).jpg

78rpm(Turkey-Pakistan-Philippines).jpg

[Arpeggio]

Great photographs and information Ulrich. Ulrich is quite correct. Initially I was only pointing out that the very last 78 rpm on UK Columbia was DB 4418 (March, 1960) - thereby ruling out everything after that Cliff / Shads - wise - I didn't 'go back' to comment on the 1959 releases. As a general rule of thumb, most mainstream UK labels seem to have decided to phase out 78rpms by June / July 1960 (with a handful of exceptions). Although - if the idea was to maximise sales by only producing 78 rpm releases for the perceived most successful artists....then it's difficult to fathom why they ended Cliff's run of 78s so early in the year. Curiously - Ray Charles' "Georgia" came out on HMV on 78rpm in late December / early November. It took nearly half a century of research to discover why.....it seems that the 78 rpms had been pressed up in the summer (banking on the fact that the record had been an enormous success in the USA)...but...here in the UK there was, apparently, some kind of legal problem to do with either composer credits or copyright issues. This took several months to resolve...affecting the release schedule. I guess that EMI (HMV) decided that, as they already had a stockpile of the disc on 78rpm...they might as well still go ahead and release it on that format. For many, many years it was assumed that Embassy pressed up the very last UK 78rpm release in December, 1960 - but it now transpires that they very last authenticated / documented UK 78 rpm release was by the Phil Tate Orchestra - being their version of Elvis' "Are You Lonesome Tonight " on Oriole CB 1601 in February, 1961. His, more or less simultaneously released "Mazurka" (CB 1602) wasn't on 78rpm & nor were other Oriole discs in 1961. UK 78 rpm expert Greg Butler (from whence this information came) opined - "I guess someone at Oriole hoped they might sell a couple of hundred or so on 78...so it was worth using up their final stock of shellac on it!"

Rob

[GoldenStreet]

Thanks, Ulrich and Rob, fascinating stuff which I certainly couldn't add to... other than just to mention that, latterly, there were 78s pressed in vinyl (certainly on the Mercury label, that I recall), during the later period that 10" LPs were being produced.

Bill

[Fenderman]

It's interesting there that one of the records 'Gonzales' was released on Parlophone and not Columbia.
Strange that 50 years on that very same record was released on that very label!

[Martin Page]

The 2010 Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide says that Saturday Dance/Lonesome Fella was issued as a 78. It gives a price of £200 for a copy in mint condition.

Martin.

[GoldenStreet]

Somehow, I doubt this. Would that not be the price of a mint copy 45rpm?

Bill

[Martin Page]

Somehow, I doubt this. Would that not be the price of a mint copy 45rpm?

Bill

The mint copy of a 45 is given as £50.

[GoldenStreet]

Martin, it seems, as you say, it was in 78rpm format as well. I don't suppose Paul Pelletier's listings can be a hundred percent accurate!

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/single ... _fella_f2/

Bill