MOTOWN MEMORIES

Part 4: Dave Sallis celebrates the highly collectable UK EPs

At a recent Brighton record fair, a stall-holder was selling off his personal collection of EPs. He had accrued an amazing collection that covered many genres of music including rock and roll, soul and pop. He told me he had collected little else, ignoring the more familiar formats of singles and albums. Looking at the vast assortment of incredibly rare and beautiful items on display, it was hard not to see his point of view.

A generally overlooked aspect of record collecting, EPs, with their distinctive packaging and often unique images, have attracted a cult following among discerning buyers. They rarely sold in large quantities, as many featured tracks were already available as singles or on albums. Once EPs had served, or failed to serve, their purpose they were quickly deleted, a fate bestowed on many Motown EPs, which is why some are almost impossible to find.

It appeared the EP format had two distinct functions. Firstly, it was used by record companies, rather cynically, to maximise record sales on established artists like The Beatles, Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley. However, from my research, the act that enjoyed most sales, more than any other, was, surprisingly, The Shadows! On rare occasions, certain EPs actually sold sufficient amounts to qualify for the singles chart; boosted by buyers unable to afford a whole …

by Dave Sallis
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