Charley Pride (3) Compact Jukebox EP 33 RPM. Mini LP's, Used with title strips

$

59

The Jukebox EP ( also known as a Little LP (LLP), Jukebox LP, Mini LP or Compact 33) was a 7-inch vinyl record with up to three songs on each side, that played at 33?? rpm in stereo, and had a small center hole. They were first introduced by Cadence Records in late 1961.  The Jukebox EP became more popular when it was picked up by Seeburg for use in their new jukebox's in September 1962. The Seeburg version of the Little LP was in stereo, came with title strips, and had a color cover for display in the jukebox. A number of record companies signed up in the beginning, and by 1963 there were 233 titles available with over 1,000 by 1966. Little LPs were also made for other jukebox manufacturers such as Wurlitzer, Rock-Ola and ATI.

Little LPs were essentially cut-down versions of the full 12-inch LP, and shared the same artwork. What made them EP-like was that some songs were omitted for time purposes, and the tracks deemed the most popular were left on. Unlike most EPs before them, and most seven-inch vinyl in general (pre-1970s), these were issued in stereo.  While occasionally found at retail, distribution of Jukebox EP's was primarily through "One Stop" Jukebox operators and as a result - production of each title was extremely limited when compared to the actual 12" version.  While many of these "pieces of history" have survived over the years, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a complete version of a title which would include the record, cover, title strips and mini photos (these were made for remote wall boxes - often used in dinners).

Sadly, by 1969, output of Little LPs had dropped sharply. A couple of small manufacturers revived the format in the early 1970s, but only a few titles per year were released in the period 1970-1975. Seeburg introduced new jukeboxes that didn’t play Little LPs in 1971, and the introduction of quadraphonic Little LPs didn’t make any difference as there were very few quadraphonic jukeboxes to play them on.

I consider the Jukebox EP to be the Ultimate "Promo" since it was authorized and licensed by both the artist and label, yet was manufactured and distributed by a third party.  In addition, quantities made of these items were much smaller than the original 12" version - usually 5,000 - 7,000 copies at it's height and closer to 1,000 units at the end in the mid 1970's.

Charley Frank Pride was an American Singer, Guitarist & Professional Baseball Player.  His greatest musical success came in the 1970's when he was the best selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis.  He was a two time CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, 1971 CMA Entertainer of the Year and most recently received the CMA Lifetime Achievement Award.  Charley was one of the all time greats!

Titles included in this auction:

In Person (1969) - Recorded Live from Panther Hall in Fort Worth, This Jukebox ep includes 4 title strips, all still attached with the header.  The plain back cover of the ep shows signs of age - please see photo for details.  The EP cover opens on the left side instead of the right.  Unusual but very cool.

Sings Heart Songs (1971) - This jukebox ep includes 8 title strips - all of them are still attached with both headers and footers.

The Best of Charley Pride (1971) - This Jukebox EP comes with three title strips, still attached with the footer.  The Jukebox EP Cover is a paper style cover that was most common for LLP (Little LP's) in the 1970's.

All three of these records are "Jukebox Used".  The Covers are at least VG+, complete and clean but the records are used.  I don't clean records, but with some care, these records will look nicer than I have graded them.  Please remember that Jukebox's were not kind to vinyl records - so I am grading these records with that in mind.  These Jukebox EP's are wonderful pieces of American history and still highly collectible today.   I have never seen all three of these titles offered together in one auction!

These extremely rare Jukebox EP's are being sold from one collector to another. No rights are given or implied.

If you have any questions or would like more information, do not hesitate to ask.

Good luck, and thanks for looking!