Dedicated follower of fashion b/w Sittin' on my sofa by The Kinks (Pye 7 N 17064)

This month a quartet of envelope sleeves. These sleeves were used by Dutch record company Negram between 1963 and 1965 for releases on the Pye and Vogue labels (but strangely enough not for domestic releases on Negram and Havoc). Another example can be found in the November 2009 post of Françoise Hardy's Only friends. They were thin cardboard sleeves that looked like envelopes and to get the record from the sleeve it had to be opened on the back. Very vulnerable as the envelopes tended to get damaged if heavily used. So mint copies are rare. Strange thing is that Negram often released a second, third or fourth pressing with a regular picture sleeve. Dedicated follower of fashion was the first record I obtained in an envelope sleeve, but this is one that was later available with a regular picture sleeve (both in purple and in blue versions) in a plastic protective cover.
Rating: *****

A well respected man b/w Such a shame by The Kinks (Pye 7 NH 111 )

Another one I didn't obtain until later as I also first got this this on the "Well Respected Kinks" album. It was released on the European continent as a single taken from the British EP Kwyet Kinks. This was supposed to be the turning point in the Kinks' career from one of the heavier beatgroups to a more reflective style in which Ray Davies' songwriting blossomed. But Tired of waiting, Set me free and See my friends had already hinted at that and so had many other album tracks. But this was the first of a series of very British singles by the Kinks.
Rating: *****

Pwd: bomber

All day and all of the night b/w I gotta move by The Kinks (Pye 7 N 15714)

This envelope sleeve is almost identical to You really got me (apart from the titles), although the blue is a little darker. Can't remember if they came in different colours over time (which they sometimes did). But the covers look alike as much as the songs sounded alike.......... That is: on first listening. All day and all of the night is actually a much more complicated song. Great introduction to the solo: not the usual scream, but something like "Oh, get 'm off!". Good B-side as well: I didn't discover I gotta move until the great Marble Arch sampler Well Respected Kinks which comprised their early hits plus some other tracks, but it's a great haunting tune.
Rating: *****

You really got me b/w It's alright by The Kinks (Pye 7 N 15673)

I missed this one when it originally came out, somewhere in the summer of 1964 as I wasn't buying records yet. Obtaining an "envelope" copy became harder and harder over the years. Recently saw a documentary about British heavy metal on the BBC and this was mentioned as the beginning of heavy metal. Well, the riff is unmistakably heavy, but to call this metal? I never understood the comparison between You really got me and Louie Louie: the riffs are so far apart that a comparison is hardly possible. Louie Louie hasn't even got a real "riff" in the correct sense, it's more of a chord progression. I guess it was Ray Davies himself who mentioned the influence of Louie Louie on You really got me, but he also explained that the latter started out as a jazzy song. It was Dave's messing with his speakers (he used to cut little tears in them with a razor blade) that made the sound of this record.
Rating: *****

Pwd: bombersongs