Hello to all and best wishes for the new year!
I recall the LST album was released 40 years ago now this year; for me it all started here.....
What really fascinates me and what I would like to know is the fact why Bryan rerecorded some Roxy classics for this album...
I particularly really like the versions of "Casanova" and "2HB"; with so much more style and elegance.
Does anyone of you know the backgrounds behind these rerecordings?
I look forward to read some interesting stories regarding these....
Thanks in advance!

Some info on the Let's Stick Together album:

It was originally released as a compilation album for overseas markets in 1976. Not exactly sure why Bryan chose to re-record the Roxy tracks, but having a self-composed b-sides would have given him half the royalties on the respective sales of the singles they were on. To my ears anyway, the vocals and production are so much better than the debut album versions, and Casanova is an interesting alternate arrangement to the Country Life original.

Some charts stats:

Album reached #1 in Australia & Holland, going platinum in both countries. Also reached #7 in Sweden. Album charted at #19 in the UK as an import in 1976. #19 might not seem that high, but import albums were more expensive than home releases. The album was given an official UK release in 1977, the same day as 'In Your Mind' was released, both on the Polydor label, after the recent switch of record company from Island records.

Anybody else have anything to add?

Some further info from the 'Albums' section on this site:
http://www.vivaroxymusic.com/albums_18.php

Thanks for your post, Alan.

After all these years I hadn't realised (or had lost sight of the fact) that LST had been briefly released on Island; mine was bought very soon after it appeared in the UK stores, but is on Polydor.

Were Island copies restricted to mainland Europe only (it would have been on Atlantic in North America) and imported to the UK from there?

LST was released on the Island label, at least in parts of Europe, not sure for other territories. Island albums catalogue numbers of the time began with ILPS. In my long lost Guinness Book of (British) Hit Albums, LST is shown with a catalogue number begining ILPSX, with the X suggesting the export market? A girl working in my office at the time walked in carrying a copy one day & it had a sticker marked 'Import' on the top right of the front cover. I think it cost something like 50p more than a 'home' released album IIRC.

PS - the official UK charts of the time had (import) next to the title. As I said previously, number 19 doesn't seem particularly high placing, especially compared to Bryan & Roxy's other album chart placings of the period, but was high for an import album.

My original copy was on Atlantic records in September 1976, it was briefly on Island before being released on Polydor when EG moved their artists (with the exception of Andy MacKay who left EG in 1978) from Island to Polydor in 1977.

Thanks Wrighta. I did wonder whether Island managed to sneak a domestic release of LST before the switch to Polydor. There was definitely a catalogue number issued ILPS 9367. The 'domestic' release didn't chart. I seem to recall both the 'In Your Mind' & LST albums being reviewed in the same article in one of the music papers in 1977 & wrongly assumed that it wasn't offficially released in the UK until the Polydor switch.

I checked in some RM/BF books and the Island release catalogue number is ILPS 9367 as Alan has already stated. It was the very last RM/BF release on the Island label.

My original copy was bought as an import in Boots the Chemist (remember when the big branches also sold records?) on the Atlantic label SD18187 but I can't remember exactly when.

The Polydor reissue is Polydor EG 2302 045.

I am a bit confused about the original release date of the Atlantic import and when it would have been available in the UK. The David Buckley book has a release date of June 1976, would that have been the US date? Here on the VRM information page the date is September 1976. The Johnny Rogan book states:-

The album scored heavily in the UK as an import and following lengthy legal wrangles, Island decided to release the work in September. It is difficult to assess the albums worth since it was never originally intended as an official British release.

Thanks Roxy. The single LST didn't chart until June, & Extended Play until August. It seems unlikely that the LST album would have been released as early as June - otherwise we would have had our hands on it prior to the EP release. The LST album didn't chart in the UK until October 1976. I would imagine the Official domestic market Island release was on the back end of the UK chart run.

In the right place at the right time for once: bagged a secondhand UK original LST album on Island today for less than the (London) price of a pint of beer...

Well done Smudge. I think the UK issue had a black label, tho I might be wrong. See link below:

http://www.collectable-records.ru/label ... and/23.htm