'THE FIRST FOUR' RARE ACETATE 45 "IT'S TOO LATE"/""EMPTY HEART" COOL GARAGE/SOUL

$

155

THE FIRST FOUR

'IT'S TOO LATE' b/w 'EMPTY HEART'

LABEL: WAYNE RECORDING SERVICE

Rt. 38 & CHURCH ROAD - CHERRY HILL, NJ

RARE (UNIQUE?) 45 RPM ACETATE DISC

RELEASED: MID 1965?

CONDITION: VG+ PLAYS GREAT! (SEE DETAILS BELOW) 

I found this at a garage sale in the Cherry Hill (Philly) area about 20 years ago when I was doing graduate school work in that area. It looked interesting back then but I couldn't find much info on it. At the time, I collected Rolling Stones vinyl (among lots of other records) and recognized the song title. I figured that it couldn't be THE 'Empty Heart', but it is, and a killer version as well. Now, years later, with the help of the internet, I've learned some more info about the song, the group and their recording history. 

The First Four was an obscure late 60s Garage/Soul band from the Southern New Jersey/Philly area. Group members included Ed Peabody, William Frederick and John Phillips. 

They released only 2 rare singles. One known single was for New York City based Claridge Records (CR 306) in 1966 that contained a gritty, garage rock, soulful cover version of the Rolling Stones 'Empty Heart' backed with a soulful cover of Otis Redding's 'One and Only Man.' It was produced by John Phillips for Bill Fox Productions.

On that 45 as well as on this Acetate, 'Empty Heart' has been turned into a gritty semi-funky garage classic with a great, almost psychedelic feel. Cool electric guitar, great harmonica work and nice gritty soulful vocals similar to Micks. Those few who have heard this rarity say it's the best cover version of the Stones classic. I have to agree. 'Empty Heart' also made it onto a rare garage comp album called 'What a Way to Die' on the Satan label released in 1983. 

On the Claridge single, the Otis cover is cool, soulful and laid back with a twangy electric guitar. The roughness in the Jagger-like vocals and the twangy guitar solo makes it sound almost like a surf song. Definitely in the garage style as well. I believe it can also be found on an obscure Comp album from back in the day. 

The only other known 'The First Four' single (Hurt Me to My Soul / That's Where Your Love Has Gone) was released in 1965 on Strata Records (Strata 103). It was more smooth and soulful and less gritty than the later Claridge single. Sort of in the Soul, Doo Wop, R&B, early Rock and Roll style of the day. 

This rare acetate seems to contain an unreleased, unknown song backed with the Stones classic. 

The A-side 'It?s Too Late' appears to be an unreleased garage/soul stunner. Upbeat, growly soulful voices, gritty harp and cool twangy electric guitar. Very surprised that this song seems to have never been released. It's great! 

The B-side is, I assume, based on the timing, the same take of 'Empty Heart' as the Claridge single. I don;t have both to A/B them but the times are identical making me think the takes are identical. 

Apparently a one-off Acetate 45 from 'Wayne Recording Service' in Cherry Hill, NJ, just over the river from Philly. Studio address and phone number printed on the label. No writing credits but it was produced by Bill Fox. No other info on the label other than titles and times. This information all appears to have been typed on by hand. I'm not certain what to call this record: Acetate, Lacquer, Promo, Demo ?? 

I suspect this is an acetate copy. When looking at the 'thickness' of the record thru the center hole, there does seem to be a silver metallic core, suggesting a lacquer covered acetate copy. The 'cutting' also seems to be wider and deeper than most vinyl 45s. 

Condition: I'd call this VG+. The much more important unreleased A side is very nice with light scuffs and scratches. Overall, clean and shiny with minimal wear. Plays and sounds great. There is a significant 'scuff' spot on the 'Empty Heart' side (see photo). It causes some pops and clicks but it doesn't seem to really affect play that much due to the deeper acetate lathe cutting. I've played both sides a couple times and they both play thru fine. Both sides play and sound great, but I didn't want to overplay them due to the frail nature of Acetate coatings. I'm sure you'll be more than happy with this rare record. Again, it's the A side unreleased soul garage track that has the collectibillity here although 'Empty Heart' is a killer cover song. 

Recording date must have been mid-1965. The stones '12 X 5' album with 'Empty Heart' was released in November 1964 and the Claridge single with the song as a B-side was early 1966. This odd 'Acetate' 45 had to fall somewhere between the two. 

This record may be the only known copy of this great unreleased garage/soul gem. It would be a great addition to any garage, soul, psych or even surf collection and, of course, of interest to Rolling Stones collectors. It?s a great song that fits so well into several different genres, but has Soul/Garage roots. A nice copy of this monster rarity. 

I'm retired and downsizing and letting go of some of my gems from nearly 50 years of record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s on my page! 

Shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $3.50 via USPS first class.

I will be glad to ship international for whatever the exact cost to do so is. We can talk after the auction is over and work out the details. I do NOT gauge on my shipping charges. It costs what it costs. 

If you would like insurance, or anything faster than first class, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I'll work with you to make sure you?re happy! 

All 45s come in generic white paper sleeves and simple poly-bags, unless otherwise pictured. I do try to match up proper, appropriate generic company sleeves with my 45's and I'll gladly include them if I have them. 

All items are packaged with sturdy cardboard mailers and filler pads. I take pride in my packaging and shipping and pack my records as if I were sending them to myself. I refuse to use cheap flimsy packaging material when sending my records. I treat them as if they were my own and mail them the same way. 

All records have been cleaned and played by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally clean them and then play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. I'm a one-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love music, love collecting vinyl and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time listening, researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any record that I personally would not want in my collection. 

I've been told by other vinyl collecting friends that I under-grade the condition of my records. I see no harm in that. If that VG+ record comes and it's nicer that you thought, great! We've all been burned by that EX- record purchase only to get it and it looks like it was cleaned with sandpaper and played with a rusty nail. My goal is to avoid that ever happening to me or you ever again. My grading is fair and honest and I will ALWAYS refund you for anything you?re not happy with. I have had nearly 3,000 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years and I have been buying/selling on ebay for over 15 years, so please bid with confidence! 

All orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days of receipt. We package and ship our vinyl records with the greatest care, using extra-thick packaging to ensure that your rare and collectible vinyl records arrive in pristine condition. 

Payments are preferred by PAYPAL which is fastest & easiest.

I will be happy to exchange feedback with anyone I complete a transaction with. If you would like to get feedback, I ask that you let me know we've completed the transaction by leaving feedback for me after you receive your item, at which time I will do the same for you!