Short Cuts

It is time again to relax and float downstream to the psychedelic 1960s with a fine trio of rarity reissues from three top-flight boundary-pushing sonic warriors: Love (The Elektra Singles), Tim Buckley (Happy Sad), and Billy Nicholls (Would You Believe). All aboard!

Each of these three heady re-releases bears a common thread of being a product of the mid-late 1960s period of rapid change, turmoil, and searching for enlightenment. As consumers were changing their focus from singles to full-album experiences, many LPs from this time period are simply hard to find in good condition because they were played a lot at parties, or in late night (shall we say) “meditative” sessions on less-than-perfect audio equipment, so finding clean originals is not an easy task. In the case of the rare 45rpm singles collected on one of these new LPs, many of its sides appeared in very limited editions back in the day, and are thus highly sought after these days. And at least one of these LPs had simply been immediately shelved save for a small number of promotional copies, in turn creating one of the holiest of rare collector’s grails in rock history!

And, with that opening, teasing salvo now duly completed, let’s dive in and explore these three newly renewed vinyl riches.

LOVE
THE ELEKTRA SINGLES
1LP (Elektra/Rhino)
MUSIC: 10
SOUND: 8

There are numerous good reasons to get The Elektra Singles, an excellent and long overdue LP compilation of classic singles from Los Angeles’ incredibly influential 1960s psychedelic rock band Love. Before I explore their The Elektra Singles compilation, which was released by Elektra/Rhino on July 25, 2025, the following paragraph from Rhino’s official site is worth recounting, as it summarizes this collection fairly well (at least on the surface).

“More than just a collection of Love’s most essential tracks, [The Elektra Singles] presents every U.S. Elektra A- and B-side issued between 1966 and 1970, capturing the full scope of the band’s creative output during their prime. Featuring classics like “My Little Red Book,” “7 and 7 Is,” and “Alone Again Or,” this compilation highlights their influence on the ’60s music scene. “7 and 7 Is” became their highest-charting single, reaching No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, while [1967’s] Forever Changes, home to “Alone Again Or,” is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.”

Indeed, The Elektra Singles is super-handy, and, frankly, it plays like an excellent album in its own right — effectively a greatest hits compilation, in many ways. But that above graf doesn’t explain the underlying significance of the 15 tracks on this album, as these are the actual mixes found on the original 45rpm singles, not what you hear on the of-era Love LPs most of them appear on. These mixes represent what was played on radio back in the day, which was the way many people first heard this music. Often times, single mixes were quite different than the LP versions, and The Elektra Singles includes both A and B sides, some of which were non-LP tracks.

Unfortunately for Love, some of these tracks didn’t get as much radio play as the label hoped and they effectively stalled at retail, which explains why finding some of the original, physical singles can be super-elusive, but ultimately extremely worthwhile if you do.

For example, about a year or so ago, I found a very nice copy of Love’s “¡Que Vida!” single in great condition at a garage sale, and was stunned to find out just how valuable it is. At the time of this post, I saw exactly one copy of that 45 available on Discogs that was going for just under $300 in just VG condition — while on eBay, there is one copy selling for nearly $600, in similar shape.

Anyway, as far as the new LP’s DNA goes, we know that the lacquers for The Elektra Singles were cut by Bernie Grundman of Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. In all likelihood, I suspect the single mixes were transferred to digital platforms to make this album’s compilation master. I am not 100-percent certain, but for the most part, it sounds like original tape sources were used (assuming they still exist!) — though I wouldn’t be surprised if safety copies were used at points in the production process. The packaging says, “Made in U.S.A.,” and given that some European pressings of this LP were made at GZ in the Czech Republic, it’s reasonable to say the U.S. editions have been done at Memphis Record Pressing, a GZ facility.

Generally, the sound on Love’s The Elektra Singles LP is excellent, all things considered. My copy of this standard-weight black vinyl album is well-centered and quiet, so I have no complaints on that front. I especially appreciate that the disc came in its own audiophile-grade plastic-lined inner sleeve.

The lovely die-cut cover art is wonderful, and Rhino’s use of the early gold/black Elektra single label artwork design for the album label is a particularly nice touch. Plus, it comes with a fold-out poster with liner notes by Bruce Botnick, who engineered albums by The Doors and also produced Love’s seminal November 1967 Elektra release, the above-noted Forever Changes. All this adds up to the fact that The Elektra Singles is a gem of a collection.

Ratings-wise, the Music here gets a solid 10, and the Sound gets an equally solid 8 — which is quite good, considering these are 50-plus-year-old, mostly mono mixes with a likely digital stage involved.

Bottom line: Owning all of these rare Love mixes on one slab-o-vinyl is a fantastic deal, as the SRP for The Elektra Singles is just $24.98. You can order it directly from Rhino’s official Special Editions shop here.

LOVE
THE ELEKTRA SINGLES
1LP (Elektra/Rhino)

Side 1
1. My Little Red Book
2. A Message To Pretty
3. 7 And 7 Is
4. No. Fourteen
5. Stephanie Knows Who
6. Orange Skies
7. She Comes In Colors
8. ¡Que Vida!
9. Hey Joe

Side 2
1. Alone Again Or
2. A House Is Not A Motel
3. Your Mind And We Belong Together
4. Laughing Stock
5. Alone Again Or (1970 Mono Mix)
6. Good Times

TIM BUCKLEY
HAPPY SAD
180g 1LP (Elektra/Rhino)
MUSIC: 9
SOUND: 9.5

Tim Buckley’s April 1969 release on Elektra, Happy Sad, is considered by many to be one of his best albums, the starting point for the gone-too-early artist’s jazzy folk-fusion song suites. This album contains some of his most iconic tunes, such as “Buzzin’ Fly” (Side 1, Track 2) and “Dream Letter” (Side 2, Track 1).

Happy Sad has been in and out of print for years, so it is not an especially difficult album to find, but securing a great-sounding, nice condition original pressing can be a very elusive prospect. I know this firsthand, because I have upgraded Happy Sad many times over the years as I find better copies of it. Unfortunately, most of what you find out in the wilds of collecting — from used record stores to thrift shops — are albums that are what I call “well-loved” by their folkie-hippie owners back in the day. Often played on less-than audiophile-level gear, even copies that look clean typically reveal distortion on the inner grooves from being over-played on the poorly aligned automatic record changers of the times.

That said, hearing this new AAA pressing of Tim Buckley’s Happy Sad, which was released by Elektra/Rhino Reserve on July 4, 2025, and was cut from original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, is something of a revelation. In short: It sounds fantastic! The 180g vinyl — pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California — is dark, quiet, and perfectly well-centered. The album comes housed in a clear plastic audiophile-grade inner sleeve, and the cover comes in a nice plastic outer sleeve to protect the artwork for years to come. And the cover art looks great too, as it is very similar to that of my original Elektra pressing. The only variant is that the powers that be use their own custom Rhino Reserve label design on the LP itself instead of recreating the original Elektra label of the time period. But I can live with that, given how nice Happy Sad sounds now.

From Rhino’s official site, we get some good insights into the significance of this album: “Tim Buckley ranks among the most adventurous singer-songwriters, and 1969’s Happy Sad shows his talent in full bloom. After two albums working with lyricist Larry Beckett, the Elektra collection is the first of all-Buckley originals, and these six songs reflect a growing fascination with jazz (opener “Strange Feelin’” was inspired by Miles Davis). Predominantly acoustic, the relaxed arrangements include some fine guitar work by Lee Underwood and vibraphone playing by David Friedman, but the most impressive instrument here is Buckley’s highly elastic voice. Produced by Zal Yanovsky and Jerry Yester (of Lovin’ Spoonful fame), this set was Tim Buckley’s highest charting release, and is an ideal way to remember the visionary performer, who passed away on [June 29] in 1975.”

That said, I am happy to give the Music on Tim Buckley’s Happy Sad a solid 9, while the Sound ratchets up to a 9.5. Why wait? You can order your own copy now, via Rhino’s Special Edition store here, for a very reasonable SRP of $31.98.

TIM BUCKLEY
HAPPY SAD
180g 1LP (Elektra/Rhino)
MUSIC: 9
SOUND: 9.5

Side 1
1. Strange Feelin’
2. Buzzin’ Fly
3. Love From Room 109 At The Islander (On Pacific Coast Highway)

Side 2
1. Dream Letter
2. Gypsy Woman
4. Sing A Song For You

BILLY NICHOLLS
WOULD YOU BELIEVE
1LP (Immediate/Charly/BMG)
MUSIC: 9
SOUND: 8

The story behind Billy Nicholls’ 1968 Immediate release Would You Believe is as fascinating as it is frustrating, a tale that led to the creation of one of the holiest of record collecting grails — as far as psychedelic music goes, that is. In short, Andrew Loog Oldham, the onetime Rolling Stones manager/producer and founder of Immediate Records, was looking to sign a group to create an answer to albums such as The Beach Boys’ May 1966 masterpiece Pet Sounds, a creative production peak at the time, alongside The Beatles’ iconic June 1967 LP, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Oldham was referred to young writer Billy Nicholls, reportedly by Beatles guitarist/vocalist George Harrison, who had been sent his demos. In short order, Nicholls was recording an album backed by The Small Faces, produced by bandmembers Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, and arranged by Arthur Greenslade and John Paul Jones (yes, the future Led Zeppelin bassist/keyboardist). Duly completed and mastered, a small number of promotional copies of Would You Believe were issued — reportedly 100 — but for some reason, the record was never formally released. The Immediate label went bankrupt shortly thereafter.

Thus, an instant psychedelic holy grail was created for collectors, as one original copy is currently available on Discogs for a cool $3K! I had heard about Would You Believe for ages, but it wasn’t until I found a CD reissue in the bargain bin some years ago that I learned more of its backstory. For years, fans have been clamoring for a proper worldwide Would You Believe release on vinyl. There was a 2LP edition with bonus tracks issued via Immediate/Castle in the UK around 2007 in a limited edition of 1,000 copies, but those too are hard to find. In fact, I’ve never seen one copy of it here in the States. (As of this posting, five copies — some VG+, some NM — are available on Discogs, between $75 and $180.)

Fortunately, in celebration of the Immediate label’s 60th anniversary, the notable UK label Charly, through BMG, have finally issued Would You Believe in its original single LP form on May 30, 2025. From a packaging standpoint, it is a somewhat bare-bones presentation, given the album’s legendary legacy. Regardless, this new Would You Believe reissue is still quite excellent. The standard-weight vinyl pressing is good, and the remastering sounds nice. Since I’ve never heard the original edition (who has?), I have no deep basis of comparison per se, but this LP sounds quite enjoyable, and it feels very much of the period. They even recreated the original white Immediate Records UK label design — a major plus in my book.

So just what does Would You Believe sound like, you ask? Well, you can certainly hear the influence of The Small Faces, and Nicholls’ music itself is awesome in its own youthful Summer of Love manner. I think The Beach Boys parallel is probably a bit of a stretch, however, especially when it comes to the richly layered and structured productions Brian Wilson crafted on Pet Sounds and later standalone Beach Boys singles like October 1966’s “Good Vibrations.”

Containing hysterically hip titles like “London Social Degree” (Side 2, Track 1) — a.k.a. LSD; get it? — I think you get the idea that Would You Believe is well worth exploring. The music on this album is more akin to the lush flower power of those early excellent records by The Cowsills — and, for that matter, the TV group modeled after them, The Partridge Family. I’m also reminded a bit of some of the psychedelic sunshine pop created by Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher under the guise of Sagittarius. Along the way, I can also hear echoes of The Left Banke (“Walk Away Renee,” “Pretty Ballerina”).

For those of you who may be wondering whatever became of Nicholls in the aftermath of this lost-album debacle, he seems to have landed on his feet, and has done quite well over the years. He did go on to make other solo recordings, and he also built strong ties with The Who in particular. He can be heard on Pete Townshend’s first solo album, October 1972’s Who Came First on Track/Polydor, as well as singing backup vocals on The Who’s August 1978 LP on MCA, Who Are You (which, as AP editor Mike Mettler reported here just the other day on September 3, 2025, is soon enough getting a well-deserved 4LP box set upgrade of its own). Apparently, Nicholls even served as The Who’s touring music director for a time in 1989, and later in 1996-97, and he also has had songs of his covered by artists like Leo Sayer, The Babys, The Outlaws, and Phil Collins.

Overall, I have to give Would You Believe a 9 for the Music, as it’s a fascinating and ultimately well-crafted listening experience start to finish. There are subtle earworms that build their way into your mindset. Sonics-wise, given that this was probably mastered from digital sources, I will cap the Sound at an 8.

Fact is, you really can’t go wrong with this new vinyl edition of Billy Nicholls’ Would You Believe. If you are a fan of sunshine pop and all things psychedelic coming out of England, then you need to hear this album sooner than later. Right now, you can score this psychedelic pop gem direct from Charly here for an SRP for $33, though it may even be cheaper if you look around out there on the interwebs and/or in your local indie record shop. Either way, grab a copy of Would You Believe while you can, and open your mind to a quite trippy listening experience to come.

BILLY NICHOLLS
WOULD YOU BELIEVE
1LP (Immediate/Charly/BMG)

Side 1
1. Would You Believe
2. Come Again
3. Life Is Short
4. Feeling Easy
5. Daytime Girl
6. Daytime Girl (Coda)

Side 2
1. London Social Degree
2. Portobello Road
3. Question Mark
4. Being Happy
5. Girl From New York
6. It Brings Me Down

Author bio: Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for eCoustics, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn.