The MainMan logo appears on reissues of Hunky Dory and ZIggy Stardust (which were without it on release - instead having the Gem logo only**).

It also appears on late 1976 editions of Changesonebowie - here in Australia it was added in November 1976.

During this period (and prior) I use to scour import stores and saw plenty of UK issues of the two GEM albums and don't recall ever seeing the MainMan logo till at least the mid 70's.


I suspect that Hunky and Ziggy UK covers with the added MainMan logo date from a similar period (very late) 1976 and beyond, and not before.

Thoughts?


** Yes, the very first UK Hunky Dory had no Gem logo, but that was by it's incorrect removal, rather than not being there at all. (It's there, just artworked out).

edit:

The MainMan logo also appeared on (same era - 1976 ish) copies of the RCA UK reissues Space Oddity & The Man Who Sold the World.

UK issues with artworked out Gem logo is interesting. There isn't an example of this cover under the vinyl albums discography - does anyone have a copy?

It's there. First listing in the UK RCA group.

IdbD Ref#14296

Cheers, but I was thinking more on the Ziggy album minus the Gem

Sorry, that's my mistake - I've fixed the wording so it's clear it was only Hunky Dory without the logo.

Had me searching through my Ziggy collection - with resulting disappointment

Don't be - Ziggy was always a gem.

I recently went through my UK copies of Hunky Dory and decided to dispose of one of them (you can't keep every re-issue...).
I realised that it was a copy that actually supports your assumption:
The cover is the matt Gem logo version without a MainMan logo. However, the labels (matt, no "Stereo") have "MainMan/Chrysalis/Bowie" credits.

In the discussion of the sax version of John, I'm Only Dancing it became clear that such credits are most likely from 1976 or later.

So, provided that the cover/label combination is original, this shows that in 1976 copies without the MainMan logo on the cover were still distributed.

_____________________
Jens

1976 is the year that the split from MainMan occurred.

Original UK Station to Station labels bore a MainMan credit in the Bowie composed songs, later ones didn't.

Australian Changesonebowie (sourced from US original) added MainMan logo on rear cover in Nov 1976 - this would have been a directive from RCA NY.

Without seeing the legal agreement that occurred in 1976, it's not difficult to surmise that going forward there was no MainMain publishing credit for new DB compositions / recordings - only for what was pre 1976.

Also, part of that agreement most likely included a clause that the MainMan logo would be added to all LPs first released by Gem but subsumed in MainMan (Hunky, & Ziggy), as well as the two Philips/Mercury reissues from late 1972.

With that in mind, it's not too difficult to sequence the UK editions of LP, combining lacquer cuts, publishing credits and cover logos and price codes.

Though that can be left till another day

I thought the split was initiated in early 1975 causing a delay to the release of Young Americans. See attached

Excellent research from "mythnormadman".

Yes, I recall Young Americans being delayed - perhaps 1976 or late 1975 was when the dust settled and the 'outcome' came into place.?




I agree.

Here is a document from July 1975 referencing the split agreement. He was busy splitting from Lippman in 1976.

"mythnormadman", always the most accurate research.