Frankly, I’ve been putting off creating a Reader’s Digest page. There’s nothing remarkable about them, other than they produced more flexis than anyone else. These preview discs must have ben a success otherwise they wouldn’t have kept pressing them, and in some instances, re-pressing – occasionally re-issuing at a later date to clear stock! More often than not, I’ve found the same pressings by Lyntone, Sound For Industry and Flexi Records Ltd. Same tunes advertising the same product, and this runs right across the Reader’s Digest / World Record Club et al brands internationally. This product was usually a hefty box-set featuring light classical, T.V. themes, light pop, Rock & Roll, Country – in fact almost any genre that would appeal to aspiring Middle England. Almost all of these preview discs were introduced by a name of the day; Brian Matthew, Christopher Howell and Eric Robertson crop up frequently with their creamy tones, all with the aim of getting the household to sign up, buy that box set of delights that would sit under the stereogram.
The process started with a personally addressed envelope which contained “bumf”, and a flexi disc telling you that you have been selected for the “Gold Star Service” A card with a blank star that you’d have stick on a “Yes” star and use the postage stamps provided to accept the “free twenty one day no obligation trial”. That is, once they had received the initial payment of 21/-, which you’d be paying over ten months. The Glen Millar box set would have cost £10.14.6. A small fortune in the 60s.
So, whilst this page isn’t exhaustive, and I’ve added some more companies who employed the same tactic, it will give you a snapshot of the worst end of flexi-discs.
Presenter / Introduced By Codes:-
ER – Eric Robinson GD – Graham Dene CM – Cliff Michelmore
JY – Jimmy Young PC – Peter Clayton MK – Murray Kash
BM – Brian Matthew AB – Acker Bilk JS – John Snagge
CH – Christopher Howell RM – Ray Moore AH – Anthony Hopkins
MB – Max Bygraves TV – Tommy Vance GH – George Hamilton IV
JdM – Jack de Manio AF – Alan Freeman MR – Michael Reid
HM – Humphrey Lyttelton BP – Bob Powel AT – Allan Toohey
AD – Alan Dell
*Denotes repeat pressing/s
Reader’s digest catalogues usually refer to the title and the following gallery is led by Reader’s Digest number. However, these do not tally with Lyntone numbers, so I would suggest that Reader’s Digest allocated their catalogue before it was pressed? Within this gallery are pressings by Lyntone, Sound For Industry and Flexi Records Ltd..
Click on an image to reveal more detail,
Reader’s Digest weren’t the only companies issuing themed multiple box sets and promoting them with flexi discs. World Record Club, Time Life and the fancy titled Longines Symphonette Society were others using the same tactic as Reader’s Digest to sell a similar diet of light classical, country and pop tunes. Below are a few from these companies.
