Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery, Jet, LX 500

Discovery is a 1979 album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Discovery was the band's first number 1 album in the UK, entering the chart at that position and staying there for five weeks. The album contained five hit songs in "Shine a Little Love", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Last Train to London", "Confusion" and "The Diary of Horace Wimp", many of which were heavily influenced by disco (in fact, Richard Tandy came up with its well known nickname, Disco Very). "Don't Bring Me Down" would become one of their only two top three hits in the UK throughout their career ("Xanadú" will be number One in 1980), and also their highest-charting US single at number 4. "The Diary of Horace Wimp" was also a hit single in the UK, not patterned after the disco sound; instead it was closer in its Beatlesque style to the band's earlier hit "Mr. Blue Sky". The album itself was the first ever to generate four top-ten singles (one of which was a Double A-side) from a single LP in the UK and was eventually certified 2x platinum by the RIAA in 1997.

Discovery is notable in that it was the first ELO album not to feature their resident string trio of Mik Kaminski, Hugh McDowell andMelvyn Gale, although they did make an appearance on the Discovery music videos that were created as a substitute for a live concert tour. Shortly afterwards, leader Jeff Lynne deemed the string section superfluous to his requirements and he decided to dismiss them (although Kaminski did return for the Time Tour in 1981-82, a performer on the 1983 album Secret Messages, and the Balance of Power tour in 1986).

In one of his earliest jobs, comedian/actor Brad Garrett, dressed in middle eastern clothes and turban, appears on the back cover as the menacing palace guard who is drawing his scimitar.

 

Front cover                                                                            Back cover

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Join hands, Polydor POLD 5024

Join Hands is the second studio album by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released on 7 September 1979, through record label Polydor. The opening track "Poppy Day" is based on John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields. The poem was written in 1915 after the lost of a friend during a battle in World War I. The poppy reproduced on the sleeve is a symbol of Remembrance Day.

The final track is a studio recording of "The Lord's Prayer", the song that they are famous for playing in their debut live performance at the 100 Club Punk Festival in September 1976. Join Hands was released on 7 September 1979. It reached No. 13 in the UK Albums Chart.

Guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris left the band shortly after the album's release.

  

Front cover                                                                             Rear cover

Hey Jude, Parlophone PCS 7184

Release May 21, 1979. Previously producible only on export to USA and British Commonwealth of Nations, this album eventually was official released in Britain nearly nine years after appearance in the USA. The album includes most of The Beatles’ later singles released in 1968 and 1969 together with both sides of the 1966 single“Paperback Writer”. Two rather odd and out of sequence inclusions are “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “I Should Have Know Better” both from the “A Hard Day’s Night” album that were included in place of “The Inner Light” and “Get Back” even though their respective A and B sides, “Lady Madonna” and “Don’t Let Me Down”, are included.

Full laminated “Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd” sleeve. White paper EMI custom inner sleeve.