Elektra Records Master Discography: Browse
Various Artists The Folk Box
Elektra EUK 251/2 (Mono)
Released: 1966
Production: Jac Holzman
Engineering: Mark Abramson
Side 1 - Songs of the Old World and Migration to the New
- Cynthia Gooding: Greensleeves
- The Ian Campbell Folk Group: Down In The Coal Mine
- Ewan MacColl: Geordie
- The Irish Ramblers: Whiskey In The Jar
- Susan Reed: Irish Famine Song
- Ed McCurdy: Gypsy Laddie
- Jean Redpath: Tae The Weavers
- African Traveling Song
- Navajo Night Chant
- Gene Bluestein: Skada At America
Side 2 - Settling, Exploring and Growing in the New World
- The New Lost City Ramblers: When First Unto This Country
- Susan Reed: Springfield Mountain
- Ed McCurdy: Good Old Colony Times
- Oscar Brand: Jefferson And Liberty
- Pete Seeger: Darling Cory
- Jack Elliot: Jesse James
- Leadbelly: Rock Island Line
- Woody Guthrie: Oregon Trail
- Erik Darling: Swannanoa Tunnel
- Ed McCurdy: Kentucky Moonshine
- Alabama School Children: Green Green Rocky Road
Side 3 - Work Song
- Leadbelly: Pick A Bale Of Cotton
- Seafarers Chorus: Haul On The Bowline
- Pete Seeger: Paddy Works on the Railway
- Harry Jackson: I Ride an Old Paint
- Cisco Houston: Zebra Dun
- Horace Sprott: Field Holler
- Koerner, Ray & Glover: Linin' Track
- Willer Turner: Now Your Man Done Gone
- Josh White: Timber
- Negro Prisoners: Grizzly Bear
Side 4 - Many Worshippers, One God
- Marilyn Child & Glenn Yarbrough: Mary had a Baby
- Josh White: Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dyin Bed
- Blind Willie Johnson: Dark Was the Night
- Judy Collins: Twelve Gates To The City
- Theodore Bikel: A Zemer
- Glenn Yarbrough: Wayfaring Stranger
- Ed McCurdy: Simple Gifts
- Leadbelly: Meetin' at the Building
- Bob Gibson: You can Tell the World
- Christian Tabernacle Church: Down By The Riverside
Side 5 - Country Music - From Ballads to Bluegrass
- Willy Clancy: Sligo Reel/Mountain Road
- Eric Weissberg: Old Joe Clark
- Clarence Ashley: Coo Coo Bird
- Tom Paley: Shady Grove
- Eric Weissberg & Marshall Brickman: Flop-Eared Mule
- Jean Ritchie: Nottamun Town
- Doc Watson and others: Amazing Grace
- Doc Watson: Cripple Creek
- The Dillards: Pretty Polly
- George Pegram & Walter Parham: Yellow Rose Of Texas
- Dián and the Greenbriar Boys: Green Corn
- The Dillards: Old Man at the Mill
Side 6 - Nothing but the Blues
- Sonny Terry: Lost John
- Big Bill Broonzy: I Wonder When I'll Get To Be Called a Man
- Leadbelly: Black Snake Moan
- Blind Lemon Jefferson: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
- Hally Wood: House of the Rising Sun
- Mark Spoelstra: France Blues
- The New Lost City Ramblers: Carter Blues
- Dave Ray: Slappin' On My Black Cat Bone
- Dave Van Ronk: Don't Leave Me Here
- Josh White: Southern Exposure
Side 7 - Of War, Love and Hope
- Ed McCurdy: John Brown's Body
- Frank Warner: Virginia's Bloody Soil
- Theodore Bikel: Two Brothers
- Judy Collins: Masters of War
- Theodore Bikel: Blow the Candles Out
- Jean Redpath: Love Is Teasin'
- Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson: Sally Ann
- Jean Ritchie: Little Devils
- The Limeliters: The Hammer Song
- Woody Guthrie: This Land is Your Land
Side 8 - Broadsides, Topical Songs, Protest Songs
- Pete Seeger, Almanac Singer with audience: Which Side are You On?
- The New Lost City Ramblers: No Depression in Heaven
- Woody Guthrie: Talking Dust Bowl
- Big Bill Broonzy: Black Brown And White
- Oscar Brand: Talking Atomic Blues
- Hamilton Camp: Girl From The North Country
- Judy Collins: The Dove
- Tom Paxton: High Sheriff Of Hazard
- Phil Ochs: The Thresher
- Pete Seeger: We Shall Overcome
Compiled and annotated by Robert Sheldon.
A boxed set of 4 discs with a 48 page booklet with the assistance of Folkways Records. For the UK market the discs were pressed locally but the booklet and box were imported and stickered.
UK issue of EKL 9001.
Whereas the American version had custom labels, persumably reflecting the joint venture with Folkways, the UK release had Elektra labels.
Elektra first issued LPs in the UK through Audio Fidelity, starting in 1960, both local pressings and distribution of American product. Discs were also licensed through (and on) Pye's Golden Guinea label and, in the case of the Beefeaters single,through Pye International. Four singles, including two by Love, were licensed to London American for UK distribution around 1966. Joe Boyd arrived in London (according to Billboard ... but surely Joe was already here) to work as Elektra's UK-based production supervisor late in 1965. He was setting up a pressing and distribution deal with Decca which probably explains the London singles. Elektra finally closed its London office in 1994.
Various Artists A Cold Wind Blows
Elektra EUK 253 (Mono)
Released: 1966
Production: Joe Boyd
Recorded: Edinburgh, Newcastle and London
Side 1
- Cyril Tawney: Five Foot Flirt
- Alasdair Clayre, Peggy Seeger and Martin Carthy: Hawthorne Berries
- Matt McGinn, David Speirs: Get Up, Get Out
- Johnny Handle: Dust
- Alasdair Clayre, Peggy Seeger: Tiny Newman
- Matt McGinn, David Speirs: The Champagne Flows
- Johnny Handle: The Trepanner Song
- Cyril Tawney: Monday Morning
- Matt McGinn, David Speirs: Mr Rising Price
Side 2
- Johnny Handle: Fill up the Pints Again
- Alasdair Clayre: Old Man's Song
- Matt McGinn, David Speirs: I've Packed up my Bags
- Cyril Tawney: Sammy's Bar
- Johnny Handle: The Old Pubs
- Alasdair Clayre, Peggy Seeger: A Cold Wind Blows
- Matt McGinn: Jeannie Gallacher
- Johnny Handle: Because it Wouldn't Pay
- Cyril Tawney: The Oggie Man
'Songs in traditional styles' it says on the cover. Some good 'classic' folk here, but I'll make a special mention of Cyril Tawney since this is the place to find two of his most iconic and whistful songs, 'Sammys Bar' and 'The Oggie Man'.
Incredible String Band The Incredible String Band
Elektra EUK 254 (Mono) EKS 254 (Stereo)
Released: 1966
Production: Joe Boyd
Engineering: John Wood
Recorded: Sound Techniques Studio, London
Side 1
- Maybe Someday
- October Song
- When The Music Starts To Play
- Schaeffer's Jig
- Womankind
- The Tree
- Whistle Tune
- Dandelion Blues
Side 2
- How Happy I Am
- Empty Pocket Blues
- Smoke Shovelling Song
- Can't Keep Me Here
- Good As Gone
- Footsteps Of The Heron
- Niggertown
- Everything's Fine Right Now
Original UK release. Stereo copies exist numbered EKS 7254. For some reason the US version had a different cover photo. Earlier copies of this had a white label with green lettering whereas later ones reverted to a more usual orange/red label with black lettering.
Alasdair Clayre Alasdair Clayre
Elektra EUK 255 (Mono)
Released: 1967
Production: Joe Boyd and Alasdair Clayre
Engineering: John Wood
Recorded: Sound Techniques
Side 1
- The Invisible Backwards-Facing Grocer Who Rose to Fame
- Snow
- Adam and the Beasts
- Lighterman
- Night Song
- Tied to the Line
- The Professor and the Girl
Side 2
- A Gentle Easy-Flowing River
- The Gormless Maid
- The Wayward Way
- Irish Girl
- Lament for a Writer
- Old Couple Walking
- Lullaby & Come Afloat
Some copies include a printed insert.
AMM AMMMusic
Elektra EUK 256 (Mono) EUKS 7256 (Stereo)
Released: 1967
Production: Harry Davis and Jac Holzman
Side 1
- Later During a Flaming Riviera Sunset
Side 2
- After Rapidly Circling the Plaza
Improvised 'electronic' music using both conventional instruments and 'found' sounds. It was, and presumably still is, unusual to carry out live performances of electronic musical forms and in the pre-sampler days such music was painstakingly assembled using cut-and-paste tape techniques. The group included Cornelius Cardew and there is a photo of Jac on the sleeve (looking rather bemused by the whole affair). This is a rare Holzman cameo appearance on an Elektra sleeve ... apart from one of the early 70s liners ... the others (AFAIK) are on the first Dalliance Cover and Theo Bikel's 'Songs of a Russian Gypsy'.. There were other pieces recorded at the same performance: Ailantus Glandulosa; In the Realm of Nothing Whatever; What Is There in Uselessness to Cause You Distress?; Silence ... these and the tracks on this album were all brought together on a CD reissue.
It is possible that all copies were stereo with mono matrix numbers but this is unconfirmed.
The Incredible String Band The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion
Elektra EUK 257 (Mono) EUKS 257 (Stereo)
Released: 1967
Production: Joe Boyd
Side 1
- Chinese White
- No Sleep Blues
- Painting Box
- The Mad Hatters Song
- Little Cloud
- The Eyes Of Fate
Side 2
- Blues For The Muse
- The Hedgehog's Song
- First Girl I Loved
- You Know What You Could Be
- My Name Is Death
- Gently Tender
- Way Back In The 1960's
Later UK copies have catalogue number EKS 7257 although the matrix (at least on the copy seen) has the EUKS prefix. US release on EKS 74010.
The Incredible String Band The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
Elektra EUK 258 (Mono) EUKS 258 (Stereo)
Released: 1968
Production: Joe Boyd
- Koeeaddi There
- The Minotaur's Song
- Witches Hat
- A Very Cellular Song
- Mercy I Cry City
- Waltz of the New Moon
- The Water Song
- Three is a Green Crown
- Swift as the Wind
- Nightfall
Later UK copies have the catalogue number EKS 7258. US release on EKS 74021.
Various Artists Fantastic Folk
Elektra EUK 259 (Mono)
Released: 1968
Side 1
- Phil Ochs: Hills of West Virginia
- Tom Paxton: Bottle of Wine
- Martin & Neil: Dade County Jail
- Mark Spoelstra: France Blues
- The Incredible String Band: Maybe Someday
- Dave Ray: Baby Please Don't Go
Side 2
- Hamilton Camp: Girl of the North Country
- Judy Collins: Pack up your Sorrows
- Spider John Koerner: Duncan and Brady
- Charles River Valley Boys: I've Just Seen a Face
- David Blue: So Easy She Goes By
- Tom Rush: On the Road Again
Various Artists Good Time Music
Elektra EUK 260 (Mono) EUKS 260 (Stereo)
Released: 1967
- Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Spoonful
- Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Off The Wall
- Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Lovin' Cup
- Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
- Paul Butterfield Blues Band: One More Mile
- Eric Clapton and The Powerhouse: I Want To Know
- Eric Clapton and The Powerhouse: Cross Roads
- Eric Clapton and The Powerhouse: Steppin' Out
- Lovin' Spoonful: Good Time Music
- Lovin' Spoonful: Almost Grown
- Lovin' Spoonful: Don't Bank On It Baby
- Lovin' Spoonful: Searchin'
- Al Kooper: Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes
- Tom Rush: I'm In Love Again
This is an early UK release of 'What's Shakin'' - EKS 74002 - presumably issued to match the psychedelic house style of the other EUK compilations. The disc was soon superceded by local copies of EKL 4002/EKS 74002.
Various Artists Select Elektra
Elektra EUK 261 (Mono) EUKS 261 (Stereo)
Released: 1968
- The Doors: Light my Fire
- Love: She Comes in Colours
- Tom Paxton: Leaving London
- Cosmic Sounds: Aries
- Incredible String Band: First Girl I Loved
- Tim Buckley: Morning Glory
- Clear Light: Black Roses
- Judy Collins: Suzanne
- Tom Rush: Shadow Dream Song
- Butterfield Blues Band: Born in Chicago
- Earth Opera: Home of the Brave
This disc features an amazingly psychedelic sleeve design and liner notes by top UK DJ John Peel, whose manager coincidentally was head of Elektra in the UK at the time. It seems that Jac Holzman was not over enthusiastic about Elektra UK's release of compilations with 'colourful' sleeves but the tactic was chosen to try to give Elektra some identity in the UK market.
Various Artists Begin Here
Elektra EUKS 262 (Stereo)
Released: 1969
Side 1
- David Peel and the Lower East Side: The Alphabet Song
- Nico: Lawns of Dawn
- David Ackles: Be My Friend
- The Incredible String Band: Mercy, I Cry, City
- Love: Your Mind and we Belong Together
- Tom Paxton: Talking Vietnam Pot Luck Blues
Side 2
- Love: Laughing Stock
- Tim Buckley: Phantasmagoria in Two
- Eclection: Confusion
- Fred Neil: Handful of Gimme
- The Holy Modal Rounders: Dame Fortune
Possibly the most boring Elektra sleeve design ever! This was another Elektra UK attempt to show how good the catalogue was: the sleeve notes are brim full with praise of the artists from the music and other press. However, I'm not sure that describing David Peel and co as being "like the Fugs only without their literary qualities" was a compliment or not.
Love had a cult following in the UK, hence the inclusion of both sides of the final 'original line-up' single on this compilation. Some copies include a poster.
John Welsh and Patrick Magee Patrick Kavanagh at the King's Head
Elektra K 32003 (Stereo)
Released: 1973
Production: Jonathan Clyde and Alan A Freeman
- JW: On Raglan Road
- PM: Dark Ireland
- JW: Inniskeen Road
- PM: Stony Grey Soil
- JW: Plough Horses
- JW: Come Dance with Kitty Stobling
- PM: Shancoduff
- PM: From the Great Hunger (Section 1)
- JW: Innocence
- JW: Irish Stew
- JW: Kerr's Ass
- PM: To the Man After the Harrow
- PM: Who Killed James Joyce?
- JW: Spraying the Potatoes
- PM: Rowley Mile (The)
- PM: War and Peace
- PM: Reading from Collected Prose: 'Self Portrait'
- JW: From the Great Hunger (II)
- PM: On Looking Into E V Rieu's Homer
- PM: I Had a Future
- JW: Gold Watch
- PM: Memory of my Father
- JW: Christmas Childhood (A)
- PM: Epic
- PM: Sanctity
- JW: Hospital
- PM: Lines Witten on a Seat ...
- JW: Canal Bank Walk
- PM: News Item
- JW: If You Ever Go To Dublin Town
- JW: Thank You, Thank You (Epilogue)
Recorded at the King's Head, Islington (a Public House for the non-Brits among you). The poems here are taken from Mr Kavanagh's Collected Poems published in 1964. The final track, called 'Epilogue' on the sleeve and 'Thank You, Thank You' on the label, was recorded in the studio for the record release.
Jonathan Clyde, who co-produced the record, was label manager for Elektra in the UK at the time. Alan A Freeman is not the famous English DJ of almost the same name.
Dorothy Morrison Brand New Day
Elektra K 42094 (Stereo)
Released: 1971
Production: Lewis Merenstein for Inherit Productions
Side 1
- Hi De Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)
- Top of the Mountain
- Fire and Rain
- (The) Border Song
- Brand New Day
Side 2
- Black California
- Spirit in the Sky
- Peace Brother Peace
- Can You Believe
- Get High on Jesus
Dorothy was the lead singer on the famous 'Oh Happy Day' recording by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. I have to admit that I have no idea why this disc was released on Elektra in the UK but on Buddha BDS 6067 in the USA. The American release is dated 1970.
Judy Collins Both Sides Now
Elektra K 42098 (Stereo)
Released: 1971
Side 1
- Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
- Since you Asked
- Both Sides Now
- My Father
- Someday Soon
- Suzanne
- In my Life
Side 2
- Who Knows Where the Time Goes
- I Think it's Going to Rain Today
- Sunny Goodge Street
- I Pity the Poor Immigrant
- Sisters of Mercy
- Albatross
- Hey, That's no way to Say Goodbye
A UK compilation which does not include 'Amazing Grace'.
John Barham and Ashish Khan Jugalbandi
Elektra K 42129 (Stereo)
Released: 1973
Production: John Barham
- Jugalbandi (Duet)
- Nat Bhairav
- Brindavani Tilang
- Marwa
- Mishra-Kalavati
- Nat Bhairav
- Ragmala
- Mishra Jhaptal
John Barham is a jazz musician who worked with George Harrison (who in turn wrote sleeve notes for this album ... as did Ravi Shankar). This disc is an Indo-European fusion.
Plainsong Now we are Three
Elektra K 42136 (Stereo)
Production: Sandy Roberton and Plainsong
- Old Man at the Mill
- Urban Cowboy
- The Fault
- Swinging Doors
- Keep on Sailing
- Miss the Mississippi
- Home
- The First Girl I loved
- Save Your Sorrows
- Nobody Eats at Linebaugh's Any More
- The Goodnight Lovin' Trail
- All Around My Grandmother's Floor
Test pressings exist of this finished, but unreleased, second Plainsong album but, AFAIK, no sleeve has surfaced. Iain told me that they did have artwork (based on Shepherd's Pooh artwork I think) for approval but it was never sent to Elektra in Los Angeles and would seem to be lost. Most of the tracks appeared on Ian and Andy's albums and 'Goodnight Lovin' Trail' appeared on the UK Elektra sampler 'The One That Got Away'. The plain white sleeve on my copy says 'Plainsong 3' as the title (no Plainsong 2 of course) but Iain and Andy confirmed that the title would have been Now we are Three.
Andy Roberts Urban Cowboy
Elektra K 42139 (Stereo)
Released: 1973
Production: Sandy Roberton
- Charlie
- Big City Tension
- New Kerenski
- Urban Cowboy
- Elaine
- Home at Last
- All Aroung my Grandmother's Floor
- Richmond
- Baby, Baby
- Poison Apple Lady
Although a Londoner, Andy Roberts was a sidekick of the Liverpool poets and was a member of the band The Liverpool Scene in the 1960s. He was later part of Plainsong, and when Iain Matthews went off to the US Andy went solo for a while.
Andy Roberts Andy Roberts and the Great Stampede
Elektra K 42151 (Stereo)
Released: 1973
Production: Sandy Roberton
- Speed Well
- Clowns on the Road
- Lord of the Groves
- Bottom of the Garden
- Kid Jealousy
- The Great Stampede
- High Time
- Home in the Sun
- (53 Miles from) Spanish Town
I am possibly biased as Andy was a mate at the time, but this is a cracking good album.
Various Artists New Magic in a Dusty World
Elektra K 22002 (Stereo)
Released: 1971
- Harry Chapin: Could You Put Your Light On Please?
- Veronique Sanson: Amoureuse
- Bread: Baby I'm A-Want You
- Carly Simon: That's the Way I've Always Heard it Should Be
- Micky Newbury: An American Trilogy
- Judy Collins: Amazing Grace
- The Doors: Hardwood Floor
- Plainsong: Yo-Yo Man
- Casey Kelly: Poor Boy
- The Ship: The Man
- Goodthunder: Sentries
- Aztec Two-Step: Persecution and Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On the Road)
- Curt Boetcher: The Choice is Yours
A budget-priced UK sampler LP. The label boringly gives the titles as just this: Elektra Sampler. The sleeve title, showing the newly-introduced butterfly, is better. The disc was issued as part of a campaign to repromote Elektra in the UK at the time the buttterfly label was introduced. Plainsong had been signed and their first album was part of the push so, for once, Elektra had a British face to promote.
Various Artists The One That Got Away
Elektra K 22005 (Stereo)
Released: 1973
- Don Agrati: Bloodstream
- David Gates: Clouds
- Andy Roberts: The Great Stampede
- Judy Collins: The Hostage
- Dennis Coulson: What Went Wrong
- The Doors: Riders on the Storm
- Dennis Linde: Hello I Am Your Heart
- Ian Matthews: These Days
- Court Pickett: Sad Thing
- Carly Simon: You're So Vain
- Stardrive: Rushes
- Plainsong: Goodnight Loving Trail
Various Artists Garden of Delights
Elektra ESP 9001 (Stereo)
Released: 1972
- Love: Alone Again Or
- Bamboo: Girl of the Seasons
- Koerner-Murphy: Magazine Lady
- Gulliver: Rose Come Home
- Zodiac: Aquarius
- Tim Buckley: Morning Glory
- Earth Opera: Home to You
- Incredible String Band: Air
- Delaney & Bonnie: In the Ghetto
- Tom Paxton: Mr Blue
- Roxy: Love Love Love
- Lonnie Mack: Why
- Paul Siebel: She Made me Lose my Blues
- Farquar: Start Living
- Eric Clapton: Crossroads Blues
- Stooges: Real Cool Time
- Butterfield Blues Band: In My Own Dream
- Tom Ruch: Circle Game
- Bread: It Don't Matter to Me
- Rhinoceros: Apricot Brandy
- David Ackles: Down River
- Crabby Appleton: To All My Friends
- Voices of East Harlem: No, No, No
- Judy Collins: Someday Soon
Double album released in UK and Japan. Japanese number is SJET-9513-4. The discs are not the same as those in the triple US promotional release of the same name, but the sleeve design is essentially the same.
Sydney Carter Lord of the Dance
Elektra EPK 801 (Mono)
Released: 1966
Production: Joe Boyd
Engineering: John Wood
Recorded: Sound Techniques, London
Side 1
- Lord of the Dance
- Bitter was the Night
- Friday Morning
Side 2
- The Devil Wore a Crucifix
- Son of Man
- George Fox
7-inch EP released in the UK only. Includes Martin Carthy on guitar (one of his first appearances on vinyl) and vocals by the Mike Sammes Singers.
Lord of the Dance is reputed to be the most-performed copyright hymn - Carter wrote the words to a traditional tune - and has nothing whatsoever to do with Irish dancing. George Fox was the founder of the Quaker movement.
Tom Paxton Tom Paxton
Elektra EPK 802 (Mono)
Released: 1967
Production: Paul Rothchild
Side 1
- The Marvellous Toy
- Beau John
Side 2
- Deep Fork River
- My Dog's Bigger than your Dog
7-inch EP released in the UK only.
Clive Selwood and Mike Hales Elektra radio station promo
Elektra PRO 5 (Stereo)
Released: 1970
Side 1
- Bread, Dorothy Morrison, Simon Stokes and the Nighthawks, Delaney & Bonnie, Roxy
Side 2
- Judy Collins, Tom Paxton, Incredible String Band, Dillards, David Frye, Paul Siebel, Lonnie Mac
Double-sided single. A selection of new release extracts presented by Clive Selwood and Mike Hales (who were executives at Elektra UK and Polydor) to try to get British DJs (other than John Peel and yours truly) to play Elektra recordings.
Various Artists Queen Elizabeth Hall (Promo)
Elektra SAM 8 (Stereo)
Released: October 1972
Side 1
- Plainsong: Amelia Earhart's Last Flight
Side 2
- Mickey Newbury: Remember the Good
- Harry Chapin: Could you Put Your Light on, Please?
Three-track EP tied to a concert at the QEH on October 20th 1972. This could have been given out at the concert. Extensive notes by the always-erudite John Tobler.
BBC Radio London 'Fresh Garbage' Series The History of Elektra (The Elektra Project)
Elektra No Number (Mono)
Released: 1973
Production: Andy Finney
- Selection of Elektra tracks from EKLP1 to Harry Chapin
- Interviews with Jac Holzman, Clive Selwood and others
This was a Radio Program presented by Andy Finney and Bob Harris and written by Andy Finney and John Tobler. A hundred or so copies of the Radio London 'Fresh Garbage' radio special on the history of the label were pressed by Elektra in the UK onto a double LP. A longer version was originally broadcast which was edited down for this LP.