Talk:Twelve-inch single

RPM question
were 12" singles 33 or 45 rpm?


 * 45. And despite the claim that "simply turning the volume up" would have had the same effect as increasing the loudness, the fact is that 12" singles usually had wider grooves than 7", which gave a higher signal-to-noise ratio and therefore less noise at loud volumes. Lee M 03:11, 1 Nov 2003 (UTC)
 * ...Oh, and there were some 45 RPM "special edition" versions of albums like The Crossing by Big Country for the same reason.
 * ...Not to mention the fact that 45 rpm gives better treble response than 33.

So 45s are really 7-inch 45s, and 12-inch singles are really 12-inch 45s.? Hyacinth 23:23, 24 May 2004 (UTC)
 * Correct. Bonalaw 21:01, 16 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * I own two new 12" singles, Still D.R.E. by Dr. Dre, and Gold Digger by Kanye West that are 33 1/3 RPM. Many of the older 12" singles I own, for example Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd are 45 RPM. -- Borb 00:11, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

r3vkenny 01:39, 29 Mar 2014 (UTC)
 * I have been a Nightclub DJ with stints in Radio for over 25 years. I have hundreds of 12 inch records from 1984 through the late 90's before switching to mostly CD's. The vast majority of my 12 inch singles are 33 1/3. In my collection, dance music is usually 33 and rock edged music is 45. Though "remixes" of rock songs were rarer... Not because I didn't want them, they simply weren't available. Keeping in line with the thought that 33 favors bass and 45 favors treble, the RPM statement is valid if you browse my library.

Slower speed enhances the bass?
Many record companies began producing 12-inch singles at 33 1/3 rpm, as the slower speed enhances the bass on the record.

This is not entirely correct. Recording at a slower speed and changing no other parameters will not improve bass response, and will result in lower sound quality overall.

What it does do, however, is allow you to cut a record "louder" - with more widely spaced grooves - for any given playing time. As is already explained in the article, it is these louder cut grooves that give you the improved bass, not the slower playing speed. 217.155.20.163 15:10, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

A quick study of any DJ's favorite discs ...
A quick study of any DJ's favorite discs will reveal mild wear in the "break points" on the discs surface that can clearly be seen by the naked eye, which further eases the "cueing" task (a club DJ's tone-arm cartridge will be heavily weighted and mild wear will seldom spoil the sound quality)

While beat juggling break beats is a favorite technique among many DJs it is not a universal practice among all DJs. The information here is important but should be rephrased to allow room for the fact that there are many different styles of DJs. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.138.165.236 (talk) 20:40, 7 September 2009 (UTC)

Dead link
During several automated bot runs the following external link was found to be unavailable. Please check if the link is in fact down and fix or remove it in that case!


 * http://djsportal.com/en/pioneer/index.php?id=12
 * In 12-inch single on 2011-05-23 02:24:13, 404 Not Found
 * In 12-inch single on 2011-06-01 03:24:29, 404 Not Found

--JeffGBot (talk) 03:24, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Neutrality of History section
I have added the Neutrality tag to this section as, upon reading, it appears to give hail to a specific regional musician without due reference. There is no indicator that the mentioned artist is solely attributable to the techniques described in this section, but if they are, sources should be found. Otherwise this section needs to be edited to accredit the artist in better proportions as a contributor of the era rather than the mantra. 2.102.175.164 (talk) 02:48, 4 February 2014 (UTC)

Donna Summer not the first commercial release
"The first song found on a twelve-inch single for public purchase was 'Love to Love You Baby' by Donna Summer, released worldwide by Atlantic Records in 1975.[citation needed] This song was originally a full side of her North American debut release, but released again in early 1977 backed with 'Try Me, I Know We Can Make It', on the Oasis/Casablanca label."

Hmmm. I am going to remove the above misleading quote - the "Love to Love You Baby" album in 1975 contained the 16:50 minutes version on the A side, and only had 4/5 other tracks on the B side depending on the country of sale, leading others to think it was a multi-track 12" or 12" EP.

The only 12" listed on Discogs in 1975 was a Spanish promo with 2 artists - Donna Summer - Love To Love You Baby backed with The Salsoul Orchestra - Tangerine, so it was not a commercial release.

In January 1977 there was a commercially released 12" of Donna's pressed with 2 tracks - Love To Love You Baby backed with Try Me, I Know We Can Make It with an LP serial number, but Double Exposure's 'Ten Percent' - long considered to be the first commercially available 12" - preceded it when released in May 1976. The Equalizer (talk) 15:56, 10 May 2020 (UTC)

Uncited material in need of citations
I am moving the following uncited material here until it can be properly supported with inline citations of reliable, secondary sources, per WP:V, WP:NOR, WP:CS, WP:NOR, WP:IRS, WP:PSTS, et al. This diff shows where it was in the article. Nightscream (talk) 13:22, 21 July 2022 (UTC)

Vinyl and microgroove formats
However, the technology continued to be used, notably with broadcasters, on larger 16‑inch radio transcription discs, and later with the V-Disc program that sent records overseas to US troops during World War II to help boost morale.

More lengthier tracks could be accommodated on each side of the 12‑inch disc, or shorter but more numerous tracks per side. Indeed, the very first 12‑inch vinyl album in 1948, Mendelssohn's Concerto in E Minor featured only three tracks (one 11-minute long suite on side one, and two tracks on side two taking up 14 minutes in total) and was extended play (EP) in appearance, rather than a typical album with multiple tracks each being on average 2–4 minutes such as the very first 10‑inch vinyl album, a reissue of The Voice of Frank Sinatra. While one to two short playing songs being sold to the public were more suited for the seven‑inch 45 rpm record, the LP could be anything from 1 track per side, and if in that simplistic configuration it technically could be classed as a twelve‑inch single. Over the ensuing years some works, particularly in the classical and jazz genres, and the relatively few tracks on an occasional album could blur the boundaries of what would become considered a twelve‑inch single, an EP and an album, with the price, catalogue number, any stylistic aims of the performing artist, marketing by the record label, as well as record industry sales charts rules regulating the differences between formats.

Jamaican roots
Songs such as Theophilus Beckford's "Easy Snappin'" (recorded in 1956) were played as exclusives by Sir Coxson's Downbeat sound system for years before they were actually released in 1959 – only to become major local hits, also pressed in the UK by Island Records and Blue Beat Records as early as 1960. As the 1960s creativity bloomed along, and with the development of multitrack recording facilities, special mixes of rocksteady and early reggae tunes were given as exclusives to dancehall DJs and selecters. With the 1967 Jamaican invention of remix, called dub on the island, those "specials" became valuable items sold to allied sound system DJs, who could draw crowds with their exclusive hits. The popularity of remix sound engineer King Tubby, who single-handedly invented and perfected dub remixes from as early as 1967, led to more exclusive dub plates being cut. By then 10-inch records were used to cut those dubs. By 1971, most reggae singles issued in Jamaica included on their B-side a dub remix of the A-side, many of them first tested as exclusive "dub plates" on dances. Those dubs basically included drum and bass-oriented remixes used by sound system selecters. The 10-inch acetate "specials" would remain popular until at least the 2000s (decade) in Jamaica. Several Jamaican DJs such as DJ Kool Herc exported much of the hip hop dance culture from Jamaica to the Bronx in the early 1970s, including the common Jamaican practice of DJs rapping over instrumental dub remixes of hit songs (See King Stitt, U Roy, Dennis Alcapone, Dillinger), ultimately leading to the advent of rap culture in the United States.

In the United States
The twelve-inch single vinyl gramophone record came into popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s after these earlier market experiments.

Pre-disco
Another early twelve-inch single was released in 1973 by soul/R&B musician/songwriter/producer Jerry Williams, Jr. a.k.a. Swamp Dogg. Twelve-inch promotional copies of "Straight From My Heart" were released on his own Swamp Dogg Presents label (Swamp Dogg Presents #501/SDP-SD01, $33 1/3$ r.p.m.), with distribution by Jamie/Guyden Distribution Corporation. It was manufactured by Jamie Record Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The B-side of the record is blank.

Discotheque era
The disco twelve-inch record came into being from several key developments:


 * using the instrumental or backing track with the vocal version to create an extended version, and later on combining outtakes, adlibs and other unused material;
 * creating a segued mix of different tracks, the length of which was less suited to a 7-inch record;
 * using physically larger and audibly 'hotter' records;
 * progressively increasing the awareness and availability of the format through trade publications, record shops and DJ record pools;

Notably, Tom Moulton, and Scepter Records along with its production chief Mel Cheren (later co-founder of dance label West End Records) were involved in several of these pioneering steps due to their artists and heavy bass-range and strong uptempo song material, forward-thinking company executives and innovative remixing.

First segued mixes
...which put together some of the label's most danceable hits onto a number of albums. Disc-O-Tech #2 however, specifically focused on blending a number of their disco releases into a non-stop medley.

Early acetates 10-inch and 12-inch
Further 10-inch acetates would be created by Moulton and Rodriguez from late 1974 such as Moment of Truth's "Your Love" on Roulette in October and the aforementioned Don Downing "Dream World".

"I'll be Holding On" would eventually be cut onto a twelve-inch acetate, as chronicled by its usage on the music compilation A Tom Moulton Mix.

Promotion through media and DJs
The DJs would increasingly be expected to report back, much like with radio, with what songs worked on their dancefloors to the record company and mixers such as Moulton and others so that a strategic decision would be made whether to further fine tune or remix the music to enhance the reaction, typically a new edit would be repeatedly created, pressed on acetates and supplied until a good response was had from nightclubs, so creating a buzz which would drive the eventual commercial sales.

Early vinyl test pressings 12-inch
Although primarily pressed for quality control of both the sound and physical attributes before a large run of vinyl is made, when compared to an acetate, test pressings vinyl issues would be far more durable, much more likely to be funded by the record label than the mixer, potentially would have printed centre labels, and are possibly pressed in larger numbers than acetates to include them in promotional runs if the records were deemed suitable for play.

Promotion through media and DJs
The DJs would increasingly be expected to report back, much like with radio, with what songs worked on their dancefloors to the record company and mixers such as Moulton and others so that a strategic decision would be made whether to further fine tune or remix the music to enhance the reaction, typically a new edit would be repeatedly created, pressed on acetates and supplied until a good response was had from nightclubs, so creating a buzz which would drive the eventual commercial sales.

First wide scale promotional 12-inch
...with a subsequent 12-inch store release appearing much later in 1977, running for 10:15 minutes. The album cut was 10:09 minutes in length. Although Private Stock distributed nationally, these 10 and 12-inch pressings may have been limited to New York DJs only.

Jamaica 'discomixes'
Other early singles included the Maytones' "Creation Time" (GG Records, 1977); and Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Keep on Moving" (Upsetter Records, 1977) produced and remixed by Lee "Scratch" Perry, featuring a dub mix and a rap mix by Wung Chu all gathered on the same side and edited together. Others dated 1976 but possibly pressed later were Derrick Harriott "Solomon And Selassie", Lloyd Charmers "Rhythm In Rhapsody" and Bobby Kalphat "Something Special".

Promo UK 12-inch releases
While early releases were 33rpm, the UK labels have notably pressed most of their singles since then at 45 rpm.

Core sales period
Notable 1970s and 1980s releases making use of the new length opportunities of the format included Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby" (16 min 50 seconds), "I Feel Love" (15:45), and Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (15:00). The broad visual spacing of the grooves on the twelve-inch records made it easy for the DJ in locating the approximate area of the "breaks" on the disc's surface in dim club light (without having to listen while dropping and re-dropping the stylus to find the right point). A quick study of any DJs favorite discs will reveal mild wear in the "break points" on the discs' surfaces that can clearly be seen by the naked eye, which further eases the "cueing" task (a club DJs tone-arm cartridge will be heavily weighted and mild wear will seldom spoil the sound quality). Many DJ-only remix services, such as Ultimix and Hot Tracks, issued sets with deliberately visualised groove separations (i.e., the record was cut with narrow and wider spacings that could be seen on the surface, marking the mix points on the often multi-song discs). Motown were one of the first to "eye cue" their 12-inch disco discs, giving DJs the track's BPM and info on the exact length of the various sections of the song - one of the earliest examples of a record company recognising how important the DJ was to become by making their product more user-friendly.

Following the lead of the US club DJs, using 12-inch extended versions in the UK as a mixing tool was advocated particularly by James Hamilton of the Record Mirror music weekly paper, with him notably indicating the approximate BPM of late 1970s disco tracks onwards. Increasingly in the 1980s, many pop and even rock artists released twelve-inch singles that included longer, extended, or remixed versions of the actual track being promoted by the single. These versions were frequently labeled with the parenthetical designation "12-inch version", "12-inch mix", "extended remix", "dance mix", or "club mix". before its usage becoming commonplace in the early/mid 1980s developing alongside turntabalism in use for the electro and hip-hop genres, but was regularised with the advent of the late 1980s house music scene. Later musical styles took advantage of this new format and recording levels on vinyl twelve-inch "maxi-singles" have steadily increased, culminating in the extremely loud (or "hot") cuts of drum and bass records of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Many record labels produced mainly twelve-inch singles (in addition to albums) during the 1980s, lots being mostly regular A and B-sides, not remixes. Certain labels such as Factory Records, only ever released a handful of seven-inch singles. One of Factory's resident artists, alternative rock/dance quartet New Order, produced the biggest-selling twelve-inch record ever in the United Kingdom, "Blue Monday", selling about 800,000 copies on the format and over a million copies in total (not counting later remixes). It was somewhat helped by the fact that Factory did not release a seven-inch version of the single until 1988, five years after the single was originally released as a twelve-inch-only release. Besides, the seven-inch version that was released was not the original 1983 version released on twelve-inch, but a re-recording called "Blue Monday 1988".

Maxi-singles
The term "twelve-inch" usually refers to a vinyl single with one or more extended mixes or remixes of a song. In the mid-to-late 1980s, popular artists often used the twelve-inch format to include extra songs that were not included on albums, just as a seven-inch single often included a B-side song that was not found on full-length albums. CD singles grew in popularity in the 1990s, so the term "maxi-single" became increasingly used for these. Many CD singles contain a number of such songs, in a manner similar to the older EP vinyl format. As advances in compact disc player technology in the 1990s made the CD acceptable for mixing by DJs, CD maxi-singles became increasingly popular for the mixes typically found on vinyl twelve-inch singles.

In the days of the seven-inch single, and especially in R&B releases, the single would occasionally be "flipped" by radio DJs who found the B-side song to be better for airplay than the intended A-side. One noteworthy example is "I'll Be Around", the first of the Spinners' Thom Bell-produced hits for Atlantic Records in the mid-1970s.