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Backfield In Motion


night nurse

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It was such a big US hit that there were a least 3 different presses of the single back at that time ............

(BTW there's also a 2nd UK Concord label version with a different label design) .............

...... scans of the other two US versions below ........

The earliest Bamboo label design (first release when label was St Louis based) featured a bit simpler palm tree design but the next few releases after that seemed to escape with plain white labels. Guess the design used on Mel & Tim's hit was commissioned when that cut began to sell in quantity.

Did the Bamboo #107 palm tree label design come about when Scepter took over national distribution of the label (Steve G will know) ??

post-22122-0-37321900-1384676860_thumb.j

Edited by Roburt
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It was such a big US hit that there were a least 3 different presses of the single back at that time ............

(BTW there's also a 2nd UK Concord label version with a different label design) .............

...... scans of the other two US versions below ........

The earliest Bamboo label design (first release when label was St Louis based) featured a bit simpler palm tree design but the next few releases after that seemed to escape with plain white labels. Guess the design used on Mel & Tim's hit was commissioned when that cut began to sell in quantity.

Did the Bamboo #107 palm tree label design come about when Scepter took over national distribution of the label (Steve G will know) ??

John

I think my Concorde copy has a fried egg design or something like that on it?Nicked it off our Ian  :wicked: 

Great piece of club soul I still love today :thumbsup:

Cheers

Martyn

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There are a number of UK variations. Here's the pink one, multi-coloured (both have pop out centre) fried egg with solid centre, fried egg with pop-out centre.

 

post-1918-0-79911800-1384688771_thumb.jp post-1918-0-33252200-1384688793_thumb.jp

post-1918-0-51668800-1384688811_thumb.jp post-1918-0-57851500-1384688819_thumb.jp

 

45Cat also has this RPM issue from Rhodesia.

 

post-1918-0-71734000-1384688832_thumb.jp

 

Valiant attempt at spelling "Backfield" in the topic title by the way...

 

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Thanks Peter

 

Never seen a DEMO for either U.S.A. or U.K. copy.

 

Surely the DEMOs for both must exist.

Roger I have a demo for the US one , its exactly the same except the print is Black not red and has NOT FOR SALE under the Time 2.33 on the left hand side , will try and scan it , don't hold your breath though :lol:

 

Swifty :wink:

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:hatsoff2: HI ALL As far as UK 1st release it's the PINK, some people say it's not, they are wrong,  It's a strange record to be such a treasured hit, because the subject matter of the song is US Grid iron Football, from a personal view point, I knew hardly anything about the sport when I got my copy, it was not until channel 4 introduced it I saw the light?

Now does the same go for SHOTGUN?? :g: DAVE K

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I remember buying this from Jenks' newsagents in Wombourne on the fried egg Concord label, that would be what, 1970-71, I asked for "Black feeling in motion", I'd heard it played by Emperor Rosko on his lunchtime show on a saturday

 

According to 45 Cat it's 1974 but I had it way before then.

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It was such a big US hit that there were a least 3 different presses of the single back at that time ............

(BTW there's also a 2nd UK Concord label version with a different label design) .............

...... scans of the other two US versions below ........

The earliest Bamboo label design (first release when label was St Louis based) featured a bit simpler palm tree design but the next few releases after that seemed to escape with plain white labels. Guess the design used on Mel & Tim's hit was commissioned when that cut began to sell in quantity.

Did the Bamboo #107 palm tree label design come about when Scepter took over national distribution of the label (Steve G will know) ??

 

Scepter took over soon after Gene Chandler took over running the Bamboo label from Andrew Williams since Gene had some tie ups with Scepter. 104 (Profiles from St Louis) was the first Scepter distributed release and used the white logo. The twin palm tree multicolour job came a bit later, after several Scepter distributed records (white). Before Scepter there was the simpler palm tree design as exemplified on Voicemasters (103) and Sylvia Thomas for example. Backfield in motion was released at the tail end of 1969. 

Edited by Steve G
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Scepter took over soon after Gene Chandler took over running the label from Andrew Williams since Gene had some tie ups with the company. 104 (Profiles from St Louis) was the first Scepter distributed release and used the white logo. The palm tree job came a bit later. Backfield in motion was released at the tail end of 1969. 

My demo has 11/69 written on it  :thumbsup:

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Actually Dave, I think if you listen to the lyrics properly, the song is actually about a girl's arse. They're merely using the grid-iron and other sporting references as a metaphor to describe the fact that this girl is really exploiting her arse to the detriment and embarrassment of her former boyfriend.....

 

 
BACKFIELD IN MOTION
Mel & Tim - 1969 
 
 
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
Off side and holdin, yeah, 
You ought a be ashamed of yourself baby
Offside and holdin yeah, 
Holdin on to some one else
You know you're cheatin baby,
Ffakin the bout
You know you're balking, baby, 
(oh yeah) strike three you're out
And I caught you with
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
 
First down you start cheatin' on me
Second down, I was too blind to see
Third down, you know I love you so
Fourth down, baby I got to let you go,
Cus I caught you with your
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
Now you will see, ah yeah, just how I felt
You beat me to the punch honey, 
But you hit me below the belt
And I caught you with your
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
Backfield in motion, backfield in motion...
Backfield in motion, backfield in motion...
 
Ian D  :D

 

:hatsoff2: HI ALL  ....Ian this explains why I have been married for 32 years, & being Roman Catholic, a girls ass not US Football, well I never! I really did not know that's a fact :ohmy: DAVE K

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Actually Dave, I think if you listen to the lyrics properly, the song is actually about a girl's arse. They're merely using the grid-iron and other sporting references as a metaphor to describe the fact that this girl is really exploiting her arse to the detriment and embarrassment of her former boyfriend.....

 

 
BACKFIELD IN MOTION
Mel & Tim - 1969 
 
 
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
Off side and holdin, yeah, 
You ought a be ashamed of yourself baby
Offside and holdin yeah, 
Holdin on to some one else
You know you're cheatin baby,
Ffakin the bout
You know you're balking, baby, 
(oh yeah) strike three you're out
And I caught you with
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
 
First down you start cheatin' on me
Second down, I was too blind to see
Third down, you know I love you so
Fourth down, baby I got to let you go,
Cus I caught you with your
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
Now you will see, ah yeah, just how I felt
You beat me to the punch honey, 
But you hit me below the belt
And I caught you with your
Backfield in motion, yeah, 
I'm gonna have to penalize you
Backfield in motion, baby, 
You know that's against the rules.
Backfield in motion, backfield in motion...
Backfield in motion, backfield in motion...
 
Ian D  :D

 

 

 

:rolleyes: More incorrect information from you Ian. The song is nothing to do with a "girl's arse" as you suggest……another of your loose guesses that's just wrong……And it's all very well cut & pasting the lyrics from song lyrics website complete with the same typos, but you shouldn't be getting "likes" for posting info on here that isn't correct. 

 

"Backfield" players in football should not be in motion until the ball goes into play, so if they move before the ball is brought into play, then it's an offence. So the song is about a girl breaking the rules by being seen with someone else.

 

Simple eh?

Edited by Steve G
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:rolleyes: More incorrect information from you Ian. The song is nothing to do with a "girl's arse" as you suggest……another of your loose guesses that's just wrong……And it's all very well cut & pasting the lyrics from song lyrics website complete with the same typos, but you shouldn't be getting "likes" for posting info on here that isn't correct. 

 

"Backfield" players in football should not be in motion until the ball goes into play, so if they move before the ball is brought into play, then it's an offence. So the song is about a girl breaking the rules by being seen with someone else.

 

Simple eh?

 

LOL, you seriously believe that?  :lol:

 

Ian D  :D

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Not much, say £10. It is widely available as it was a minor hit in the USA. I thought the white label was a Demo and the issue was the patterned label but I could be wrong there. Great tune anyway and one that helped many of us get onto the scene I would imagine back in the early 1970's.

thats good then i paid 8 quid in mint condition  :thumbsup:

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Scepter took over soon after Gene Chandler took over running the Bamboo label from Andrew Williams since Gene had some tie ups with Scepter. 104 (Profiles from St Louis) was the first Scepter distributed release and used the white logo. The twin palm tree multicolour job came a bit later, after several Scepter distributed records (white). Before Scepter there was the simpler palm tree design as exemplified on Voicemasters (103) and Sylvia Thomas for example. Backfield in motion was released at the tail end of 1969. 

This jibes with my memories and experience.  It was released in USA in Fall 1969, on the white label first.  The multi-coloured palm tree design came in a later pressing, some months after Scepter took over distribution in 1970.

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:hatsoff2: HI ALL.....BLUES & SOUL #28, Feb 27th March 12th 1970 ON DISC singles - reviewed by John Abbey.

Mel & Tim....Backfield in motion. Conncord 004 ....Long awaited issue of the recent million seller from the states, by Gene Chandlers protégés Mel Hardin & Tim McPherson, it's typical Chicago with loud brass backing & a Impressions type vocal from the duo.

Tune & song are very simple yet effective.  It all seems too easy but it's definitely got something, the more I hear it - the more I like it!

Flip is easier going item with a good punchy feel to it. ****

:g: Sorry my scanner won't work? DAVE K

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And here's a You Tube clip in the true spirit of the song.....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-Lh9J2cx8E

 

Ian D  :D

 

Ian,

 

Are you persisting with your story that the song is about a "girls arse" then, when it is clearly simply a song about a girl's cheating on her fella - using football metaphors?

 

If you are, maybe best if you stick to "Freebasing" :lol:

Edited by Steve G
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