John's Children (July 21, 1967) – "Come And Play With Me In The Garden" b/w "Sarah Crazy Child" Test Pressings UK:
Issued during the final phase of John's Children's recording career, "Come And Play With Me In The Garden" and "Sarah Crazy Child" represent recordings from the group's late-1967 sessions produced by Simon Napier-Bell.
Unlike commercially released copies, the surviving test pressings provide a fascinating insight into the manufacturing process before the single reached production. Several distinct preview and test-pressing variations are known, each showing different combinations of typed, handwritten and stamped information.
These rare advance copies are among the most sought-after John's Children artefacts from the Marc Bolan era. One example featuring the distinctive yellow-centre format achieved £495 at auction on 13 May 2008.
RECORDING
Both tracks were recorded at Spot Studios, South Molton Street, London.
Production was handled by Simon Napier-Bell.
Marc Bolan did not participate in the recording of "Come And Play With Me In The Garden", the A-side release.
The recordings originated from the band's final months as an active recording unit.
STYLE & THEMES
"Come And Play With Me In The Garden" continues the psychedelic pop approach the group had developed during 1967, while "Sarah Crazy Child" reflects the more adventurous and eccentric musical direction associated with John's Children's later recordings.
The songs capture the experimental atmosphere surrounding the group during its closing chapter.
TRACK-BY-TRACK NOTES
• Come And Play With Me In The Garden — A-side recording produced during the band's final recording sessions.
• Sarah Crazy Child — Companion B-side and one of the last releases associated with the group.
RELEASE HISTORY
A number of surviving preview and test pressings demonstrate that the single underwent several stages before final manufacture.
The supplied examples reveal handwritten preview discs, typed test labels, Track Records-stamped variants and yellow-centre test pressings. Together they provide evidence of multiple preparation stages prior to commercial release.
CHARTS & CERTIFICATIONS
No chart information supplied.
CERTIFICATIONS
None.
AWARDS
None.
PERSONNEL
John's Children — performers
Simon Napier-Bell — producer
PRODUCTION
Recorded at: Spot Studios, South Molton Street, London
Produced by: Simon Napier-Bell
Label: Track Record
Format: Test Pressing / Preview Record
NOTES
• Recorded at Spot Studios in South Molton Street, London.
• Produced by Simon Napier-Bell.
• Marc Bolan did not contribute to the A-side recording.
• The surviving test pressings show a number of manufacturing and label variations.
• One version uses entirely handwritten titles and artist credits on both sides with "Preview Record - Not For Sale" added by hand.
• Another example combines typed titles with handwritten amendments and dating notes.
• One supplied example carries a handwritten date of 21st July, indicating manufacture prior to release.
• Some copies feature blue TRACK RECORDS ownership stamps applied across the lower section of the labels.
• Typed-label examples exist with the track titles neatly prepared but lacking later handwritten additions.
• A particularly distinctive variant uses a yellow background visible through the push-out centre area.
• The yellow-centre version realised £495 at auction on 13 May 2008.
• Several test pressings include handwritten side designations such as "A Side" and "B Side".
• All examples bear "Preview Record - Not For Sale" wording, confirming their pre-release status.
• The supplied images demonstrate that no two surviving examples appear completely identical in presentation.
• These differences make individual test pressings important collector variations in their own right.
RELEASE VARIANTS TABLE
Artist | Title | Label | Country | Date | Format |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden / Sarah Crazy Child | Track Record | UK | July 1967 | Handwritten Test Pressing |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden / Sarah Crazy Child | Track Record | UK | July 1967 | Typed Test Pressing |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden / Sarah Crazy Child | Track Record | UK | July 1967 | Typed Test Pressing with TRACK RECORDS Stamp |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden / Sarah Crazy Child | Track Record | UK | July 1967 | Yellow-Centre Test Pressing |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden / Sarah Crazy Child | Track Record | UK | July 1967 | Dated Preview Copy (21st July) |
TRACKLIST TABLE (ALL FORMATS)
Format | Tracklisting |
Test Pressing | Side 1: Come And Play With Me In The Garden Side 2: Sarah Crazy Child |
This single by John's Children appeared in the United Kingdom during July 1967 on the Track Record label under catalogue number 604005. One source lists the release date as the fourteenth of that month while another places it on the twenty-first. The disc was issued in a hurry following the withdrawal of an earlier Marc Bolan-composed track titled Midsummer Nights Scene.
Musically the A-side amounts to little more than a reworking of a previous John's Children B-side called Remember Thomas A'Beckett. The resulting limited commercial performance has left the single among the more difficult John's Children 45s to locate, even in standard form. Certain copies were housed in a particularly scarce picture sleeve. Marc Bolan is noted as having taken no part in the creation of the A-side. Run-out etchings on the UK pressing read 604005A▼2111 on the first side and 604005B//1121 on the second.
The tracks were captured at Spot Studios, located on South Molton Street in London.
TRACK‑BY‑TRACK NOTES
• Come And Play With Me In The Garden This side represents a reworking of the earlier John's Children recording
• Sara, Crazy Child — Songwriting credit is assigned to Bolan.
RELEASE HISTORY
The United Kingdom edition appeared on Track Record as catalogue 604005 in July 1967, with sources citing either the fourteenth or the twenty-first of the month. German pressings followed the same year on Polydor under catalogue 59 116, including both a standard mono single and a promotional version. An advance white-label edition was also prepared in the United Kingdom on the Snb label as catalogue 001. Some UK copies are known to have been supplied with a very rare picture sleeve. The single's hurried appearance after the withdrawal of Midsummer Nights Scene, combined with its status as a rewrite of an earlier B-side and subsequent weak sales, has made even ordinary copies comparatively scarce.
PERSONNEL
John's Children — performers
PRODUCTION
Produced by Simon Napier Bell
Label: Track Record (UK); Polydor (Germany); Snb (UK advance)
NOTES
Some copies of the UK edition were issued in a very rare picture sleeve.
The single was rushed into release after the withdrawal of the Marc Bolan-penned Midsummer Nights Scene.
Its character as a rewrite of the earlier B-side Remember Thomas A'Beckett, together with poor sales, has left it one of the hardest John's Children 45s to obtain even without the picture sleeve.
Run-out etchings on the Track Record pressing are
Side 1: 604005A▼2111 and
Side 2: 604005B//1121.
RELEASE VARIANTS TABLE
Artist | Title | Label | Country | Catalogue | Date | Format |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden | Track Record | UK | 604005 | July 14, 1967 | 7" Single |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden | Track Record | UK | 604005 | July 21, 1967 | 7" Single |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden | Polydor | Germany | 59 116 | 1967 | 7" Single, 45 RPM |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden | Polydor | Germany | 59 116 | 1967 | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Mono |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden | Snb (2) | UK | 001 | 1967 | 7", 45 RPM, Advance, Single, White Label |
John's Children | Come And Play With Me In The Garden / Sara, Crazy Child | Polydor | Germany | 59 116 | 1967 | 7", 45 RPM, Promo |
TRACKLIST TABLE (ALL FORMATS)
Format | Catalogue | Tracklisting |
7" | 604005 | A. Come And Play With Me In The Garden B. Sara, Crazy Child |
7" | 59 116 | A. Come And Play With Me In The Garden B. Sara, Crazy Child |
7" | 001 | A. Come And Play With Me In The Garden B. Sara, Crazy Child |
SOURCES Discogs, 45 World, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts, RockfilesUK.
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