Time's A Wasting - Fuller Brothers - Square clock design.

[Solidsoul]

Here's a Northern Soul classic from the Fuller Brothers. Played at the Torch and early Wigan allnighters and other early 1970's venues.

This is a picture of a square clock true original, that is exactly the same as the demo, only without the promo text. This plays loud and great fidelity.

Now below is a picture of a murky gold label copy that is often sold as an original, but it looks very suspect to me. The sound quality is low volume and poor fidelity. Does anyone know if this suspect copy is an early bootleg or maybe a company reissue? I know there are the round clock design labels as well.

Edited Friday at 11:34 by Solidsoul

[Kenb]

I’m no expert on deadwax, label revisions, bootleg, etc…but I guess you have info that supports the fact you have the original ( and that “the  suspect one” you show perhaps isn’t)?

i.e which is original, are they both original, is “ yours” ?

Edited Friday at 13:02 by Kenb

[Solidsoul]

The first three pictures are of the definite original first issue and has the exact vinyl profile, colour, fidelity and matrix marks as the demo.

The question I'm trying to get answered is, are the murky gold label copies, pictured at the bottom, with the low fidelity originals as well? Or are they early counterfeits,  as this was a monster record in it's day. Or are they legitimate company reissues?

Edited Friday at 13:54 by Solidsoul

[Kenb]

i understood that some had numbers in the clock face and some didn't. both pukka. i also understood that the one that without numbers in the clockface reas Moaning Growing AND Crying on the B-side instead of &.  I didn't think it had ever been booted... that's not to say there isn't a hooky counterfeit or two about.

[Bo Diddley]

I've got the Demo and the dirty looking gold issue. Both have Machine Stamped numbers with another small letter almost opposite. The stamps are in slightly different places in relation to each disc and the run-out grooves.

No idea if the "dirty gold" one is an official re-issue, like those small 45 OKEH's, or original.

With regard to sound quality, I have other original records which are muffled sound.

[Blackpoolsoul]

On 07/03/2025 at 11:30, Solidsoul said:

Here's a Northern Soul classic from the Fuller Brothers. Played at the Torch and early Wigan allnighters and other early 1970's venues.

This is a picture of a square clock true original, that is exactly the same as the demo, only without the promo text. This plays loud and great fidelity.

Now below is a picture of a murky gold label copy that is often sold as an original, but it looks very suspect to me. The sound quality is low volume and poor fidelity. Does anyone know if this suspect copy is an early bootleg or maybe a company reissue? I know there are the round clock design labels as well.

Is there an "H" stamp in the deadwax (Hollywood) pressing

[Modularman]

According to Manships bootleg guide the gold label is the first press

 

[Solidsoul]

Square clock design images of the Fuller Brothers demo and issue SC105. Also the release before SC104 and the release after SC106. The colours do differ slightly but they are taken from different sources.

Edited 3 hours ago by Solidsoul

[Roburt]

My mate Steve Mercer (a DJ in the late 60's / early 70's at various Hull soul clubs) had the 1st copy I ever saw. He played it for me in 1969 & I instantly fell in love with it. It still wasn't easy to get hold of import soul 45's back then -- apart from bidding for them on mailed out lists from around the UK & this 45 never appeared on any of the lists I was sent. So I went searching for info on the group & the label. At the start of 1970, I wrote into Blues & Soul asking about stuff I was chasing on labels such as Soul Clock & Original Sound -- suggesting they did articles on such small US indie soul labels. They got my letter & reacted to it by publishing it (& a reply) in the April 1970 edition of the mag. Steve Mercer decided he needed a car more than his 45 collection around 1972, so gave up DJing, sold up and bought the car he wanted. He can't remember these days who ended up with his Fuller Bros 45. 

P.S. back at the time I wrote my letter, Invictus & Hot Wax didn't have a UK outlet yet -- that came about in mid August 1970.

Edited 3 hours ago by Roburt

[Mick Boyle]

Slightly off topic but not and once again without name dropping. Whilst visiting James Bell at his home in Indianapolis (Amazing love - The love of my girl - The funky 16 corners) He took us to meat his mate, lead singer of The Hamilton Movement. He kept his records in a plastic bucket without sleeves. He had one copy left off She’s Gone and that was not for sale. 
Back to the thread - I did buy Times A Wasting out of the bucket and  Nolan Porter - if I could only be sure.