TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS: The Elvis Forum

From the Far North of the World….
A rare records thread on Norwegian 45’s



Norwegian pressed vinyl is rare.
Very very rare!

The French made beautiful covers, the Italian tried to do better than the French,
The Beglians won in cover design for some EP’s and lost big time in the spelling of some titles…
When Elvis stormed over the US of A and Europe slowly awoke to the dawn of Rock ‘n Roll
many countries in Europe started pressing their own Elvis records in their own RCA plant,
or whatever pressing plant was available.

Norway pressed far more records than most collectors know.
It’s even been stated many collectors never have even seen a
Norwegian pressed Elvis record.
So today this will change for all you visitors of this Mighty Monkey Forum!

For me it all started with this lovely record:


This is the good side, the other side is even worse!

I bought it ages ago in a small Norwegian village. It’s been in my collection as a German EP (it’s not) as a Danish one (is it?) as an Electra Label (I wish!) The labels are too damaged to be sure.
Now I think its Norwegian. But any hints, clues, opinions are still most welcome!

But if it is a Norwegian copy,

This is what the sleeve should look like!
Taken from Jarle Jensen his website

Jarle Jensen points out 3 label variations for single pressed in Norway.
From 1956 to somewhere in 1958 the labels looked like this:


The first pressed Norwegian 45, a fine example for the first Norwegian label variation

List of all Norwegian singles with the first label type and presumed release date:

I forgot to rememeber to forget/Mystery train
47-6357 type 1 1956/57

Heartbreak hotel/I was the one
47-6420 type 1 1956/57

Anyway you want me/Love me tender
47-6643 type 1 1957/57

All shook up/That's when your heart heartaches begin
47-6870 type 1 1957

Loving you/Teddy bear
47-7000 type 1 1957

Treat me nice/Jailhouse rock
47-7035 type 1 1957

Don't/I beg of you
47-7150 type 1 1958

Doncha think it's time/Wear my ring around your neck
47-7240 type 1 1958



The last single release on the first label type, here you see the 2nd press, a fine example for the second label type in it’s original firm sleeve!


Second label type, second type firm sleeve.
Anyone care for a lesson in Norwegian to find out what the sleeve says? Nah, you all can guess that!

List of all Norwegian singles with the second label type and presumed release date.

Party/Got a lot o' livin' to do
47-9144 type 2 1958

Baby I don't care/I want to be free
47-9154 type 2 1958

Playing for keeps/Too much
47-6800 type 2 1958

Hard headed woman/Don't ask me why
47-7280 type 2 1958

King creole/Dixieland rock
47-9201 type 2 1958

One night/I got stung
47-7410 type 2 1958

I need your love tonight/A fool such as I
47-7506 type 2 1959

That's all right/You're a heartbreaker
47-9227 type 2 1959

A big hunk o love/My wish came true
47-7600 type 2 1959

O sole mio/Make me know it
47-9314 type 2 1960

Are you lonesome tonight/I gotta know
47-7810 type 2 1960


Only one title appeared on a third label variation:



Pressed in 1963 with the odd 45-N-1242 catalogue number ‘No More / Sentimental Me’ falls a little bit out of tone!

Most common are the singles Hard Headed Woman and A Fool Such as I, but also these are hard to find!
All Norwegian pressed 45’s are from German matrixes.
Do you have a copy you can share? That would be most welcome!
Do you have Norwegian clippings about Elvis / Elvis Records from the 1950's?
Get them over here!

Best Wishes,

Niels


Soon to be continued on EP’s!
Topic based on Jarle Jensen his website on Norwegian vinyl. Scans are from my collection or Jarle his site.
I tried to contact Jarle Jensen to get his blessing and help for this topic, but did not reach him.

Great stuff Neils,Norway also did at least 11 on 78,on Purple Label and Black Label,although unfortunately I dont have any.

I only know this one like most of the fans outside this country.



colonel snow

Hi Neils,found this old scan of Hound Dog Norwegian 78.

kool to have you back where you belong, Niels.
Good job done, Junior! Nicely presented.
All the stuff is new to me!

So what happened after Sentimental Me??

And... thanks Alan, for the rare 78 label scan!

Never had seen one from Norway before.

Yummy! I had never seen the Norwegian Violet label!

Jarle his website says this:



Thanks a lot!

Thanks dad!
Missed you:)

After Sentimental Me everything was imported from Germany (mostly)
and the UK (occasionally).
I don't know of any mid '70's releases like they did in other european countries
to milk out Elvis his new RCA contract.
As far as I know, the 'Norske Hits' CD that the colonel put up is the next release after Sentimental me.
But that's just guessing.

Hi Niels,
I have seen scans of records from Denmark, Finland and I think even Sweden.
But not from Norway. They must be very rare.
Hope to see more scans.
Thanks for the info.

Norwegian Extended Plays

Were singles –as far as I know- weren’t released in picture sleeves, the extended plays were!

For the first three EP’s it’s simply guessing which one came first. Jarle Jenssen has reasons to keep this order, I never heard any one come with good reasons the order is any different.


Presumably the first EP pressed in Norway.



Rockin' Presley EPA 9500
type 1 1956/57

Heartbreak hotel
EPA 821 type 1 1956/57

Elvis Presley
EPA 747 type 1 1956/57


Front
As far as I know, most EP’s appeared in German printed covers. ‘Elvis’ however seems to be an exception as ‘Printed in Norway’ can be found in the right lower corner.


Back

Elvis vol.1
EPA 992 type 1 1957

Elvis vol.3
EPA 994 type 1 1957
No writing mistake here, vol. 2 was most likely released a year later!

Love me tender
EPA 4006 type 1 1957

Shake rattle and roll
EPA 830 type 1 1957

Anyway you want me
EPA 965 type 1 1957

Loving you
EPA 1-1515 type 1 1957

Loving you vol.2
EPA 2-1515 type 1 1957

Loving you vol.3
EPC 1515-3 type 1 1957


Yes, the label is in very very poor condition. It’s the only copy I’ve ever seen!


Jailhouse Rock is another fine example that shows the sleeves are clearly German made.

Jailhouse rock
EPA 4114 type 1 1958

Peace in the valley
EPA 4054 type 2 1958

Elvis vol.2
EPA 993 type 2 1958

Treat me nice
EPA 9541 type 2 1958

Playing for keeps
EPA 9561 type 2 1958

Good rocking tonight
EPA 9562 type 2 1958



King Creole is said to be the most common Norwegian EP
Also here you see the sleeve is no different from the German releases


The label however, is very much different!

King creole
EPA 4319 type 2 1958

King creole vol.2
EPA 4321 type 2 1958

Elvis christmas album
EPB 1035-1 type 2 1958

Elvis christmas album vol.2
EPB 1035-2 type 2 1958

Elvis Presley sings
EPA 9617 type 2 1958

Elvis sails
EPA 4325 type 2 1958

One night with Elvis Presley
EPA 9644 type 2 1959

Just because
EPA 9656 type 2 1959

After ‘Just Because’ no more EP’s were pressed in Norway.
Everything now was imported either from Germany (most cases) or the UK.

Wondering which is the rarest record? I honestly can’t say.
Norwegian pressed vinyl is rare. I hardly see it on collectors markets,
rarely see it on a flee market ín Norway, let alone abroad.

So Happy Hunting for all you collectors!

Just up, especially for you!

I've never seen one from Finland!
And Sweden... I can only think of the German Electra labels.
(And later orange labels ofcours). Did Sweden pressed goodies in the '50's?
That would make some nice hunting!

Niels
I got a question for you, thought maybe you could answer, baswed on your profile picture. I recently purchased a lot of 45's and I have one with the same kind of cover as your picture, except the tracks are "Thats when your heartaches begin" and 'All Shook Up" . It was made in Denmark, the back cover is plain. Is this the way they were released or are these just fake covers?
Thanks

Glad to be of help.

Love the EP,s.some real rarities.

I have a single from AB Electra. It's O Sole Mio on black label.
So it's not from the 50's
It has AB Electra on the label, so I think it's from Sweden.

Never seen it or heard from it.
Any chance you can email me a scan?

Thanks!

Hi Murph,

I think there is enough interest to do a topic on the Danish releases.
Dan the Man once started one, must be here somewhere!

Throw in a scan to make us happy, but i'm pretty sure it's the real deal.
Thin paper, poor printing and not a sleeve but just the sheet of paper is how they
were released in the '50's and early '60's over there!

Hello Niels,
A few years ago I printed off the info from the Jarle Jensen site.Here is the information for Norwegian LP's.Only two seem to be available.

LPM 1707 Elvis'Golden Records 1958
LPM 1884 King Creole 1958

All LP's are found in German sleeves and are pressed using German Matrixes.

I hope this info is of some help. All the best, Colin.

Hey Niels, I found that other tread, Danish releases, and posted a couple of picks of the disc on there.
Thanks for your answer, new here, but I love this forum
Murph

Well done Murph!

I'm gonna look at your vinyl over there!

Welcome on board!