Warner/Reprise Loss Leaders

What a deal! A buck a record for great (and sometimes rare) tracks from artists you love, mixed with artists you never heard of before. Warners/Reprise issued these great samplers (known as the The Loss Leaders) from 1969-1980 in the hopes that you'd want to hear more of the unfamilar artists (i.e. buy their records). You can see one of the printed ads if you click the "golden note" on the second record. I still treasure my copies. The tracks highlighted in green are the rare/unissued tracks (at that time) that music geeks like me soaked up (some of the other tracks might also fit this category). Some of these are still hard to find! Note that the release dates are the dates the ads appeared in Rolling Stone magazine. Check out the link at the bottom for the complete story. Be sure to visit Willard's Wormhole for complete hi-rez album graphics and a swell PDF index (compiled by this here web author). All of the Loss Leaders are there (35 sets, 1969-1980). Update 5/17/2016: Willard has closed the Wormhole. 2020 Update: It's been several years since the Wormhole was closed (miss that site). Managed to find the files that went along with Willard's presentation of the records. First is the 40-page booklet with Willard providing the commentary (and me the layout). We decided to make a separate 16-page index booklet as there were too many artists/songs in the series to squeeze into the regular booklet. Both PDFs cover the complete series (1969-80). Check them out—they're free and fabulous: Warner/Reprise Loss Leaders Booklet Warner/Reprise Loss Leaders Big Index The link for 45Cat at the bottom actually goes to a list of these records at 45Worlds (mother site). Most of the interior booklets are there for reading. Thanks ajtharp! Likewise, swagski put together a similar list at Discogs. V2.5 Update: No UK releases of these albums. 2022 Update: Read the original Wormhole story at web archive . Links to the actual files no longer work, but the history is fascinating.

	The 1969 Warner/Reprise Songbook
	Warner Bros PRO-331
	5/69
	Back Cover

Side One
Wild Man Fischer	Songs for Sale	0:29
Jethro Tull	My Sunday Feeling	3:38
The Pentangle	Sweet Child	5:10
Van Morrison	Slim Slow Slider	3:20
Family	Second Generation Woman	3:19
Neil Young	I've Been Waiting For You	2:30
Tom Northcott	Sunny Goodge Street (1)	3:15
Side Two
Wild Man Fischer	Songs for Sale	0:15
The Everly Brothers	T for Texas	3:25
The Everly Brothers	Lord of the Manor (1)	4:45
Van Dyke Parks	The All Golden	3:12
Van Dyke Parks	Music for a Datsun TV commercial (3)	0:58
Sal Valentino	Alligator Man (2)	2:37
The Beau Brummels	Deep Water	2:29
Randy Newman	Davy the Fat Boy	2:50
Side Three
Tiny Tim	Mr Tim Laughs (2)	0:25
The Mothers of Invention	The Voice of Cheese; Louie Louie; Our Bizarre Relationship (4)	4:13
The Mothers of Invention	The Air	2:57
The Fugs	The Divine Toe (Part I)/Grope Need (Part I)/Tuli, Visited by the Ghost of Plotinus/More Grope Need (Grope Need-Part II)/Robinson Crusoe/The National Haiku Contest/The Divine Toe (Part II) (4)	3:02
The Fugs	Wide, Wide River	2:47
Arlo Guthrie	The Pause of Mr Claus	7:50
Side Four
Sweetwater	Why Oh Why	3:00
Joni Mitchell	Nathan La Franeer	3:13
Eric Andersen	So Good to Be With You	3:08
The Electric Prunes	Finders Keepers (2)	3:00
The Kinks	Picture Book	2:34
The Jimi Hendrix Experience	Red House	3:45
Miriam Makeba	I Shall Be Released	2:55
Wild Man Fischer	Songs for Sale	0:17

Notes:
(1) Non-LP 45
(2) prev unreleased
(3) TV commercial track
(4) Unique mix for this album
 

	October 10, 1969
	Warner Bros PRO-351
	10/69
	Back Cover

Side One
Norman Greenbaum	Spirit In The Sky	3:57
Levitt & McClure	Reflections	2:42
Denny Brooks	I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free	3:28
Ruthann Friedman	People	3:40
The Kinks	Shangri-la	5:17
Side Two
Frank Zappa	Peaches en Regalia	3:58
Fleetwood Mac	Rattlesnake Shake	3:30
Eric Andersen	Lie With Me	2:25
The Fifth Avenue Band	Fast Freight	3:37
The Mike Post Coalition	Bubble Gum Breakthrough	3:31

	The 1969 Warner/Reprise Record Show
	Warner Bros PRO-336
	11/69
	Back Cover   Ad for Record Show

Side One: Warner/Reprise's Country & Western, Cowboy Provincial, And Twangy Americana Side; Or Jumpin' On The Country Bandwagon With Warner/Reprise
Neil Young (With Crazy Horse)	Cinnamon Girl	2:58
Grateful Dead	Doin' That Rag (abridged)³	2:20
Geoff & Maria Muldaur	All Bowed Down (2)	2:42
The Everly Brothers	Empty Boxes (1)	2:40
Doug Kershaw	Son Of A Louisiana Man	2:14
David Blue	Atlanta Farewell (abridged)³	1:47
Arlo Guthrie	Every Hand in the Land	2:19
The Blue Velvet Band	Weary Blues from Waitin'	3:02
Side Two: Warner/Reprise's Soft Arty Underbelly Side: A Collection Of Unamplified And Other Delights
Theo Bikel	Piggies	3:16
Joni Mitchell	My American Skirt (4)	0:40
Joni Mitchell	The Fiddle And The Drum	2:45
John Renbourn	Transfusion	1:58
Bert Jansch	Poison	3:13
The Pentangle	Once I Had A Sweetheart	4:40
Joni Mitchell	Spoony's Wonderful Adventure (4)	0:40
Peter, Paul & Mary	Going To The Zoo	3:09
Side Three: The Many Faces Of Pop
Sweetwater	Day Song	1:45
Louie Shelton	A Walk In The Country	1:58
Lorraine Ellison	Stay With Me	3:29
Van Dyke Parks	Music For Ice Capades TV commercials (3)	2:00
Randy Newman	Yellow Man	2:13
Pearls Before Swine	These Things Too	3:24
Hamilton Camp	Star Spangled Bus (2)	2:34
Ella Fitzgerald	The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game	2:55
Side Four: The Irreverent Hippie-Creep And Rock 'N' Roll Side
The Fugs	Yodellin' Yippie	2:14
The Mothers	Electric Aunt Jemima	1:58
Jethro Tull	Fat Man	2:48
Mephistopheles	Take A Jet	2:39
The Jimi Hendrix Experience	Stone Free	3:33
The Kinks	Nothing To Say	3:15
Fats Domino	Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (1)	2:30

Notes:
(1) Non-LP 45
(2) prev unreleased
(3) TV commercial track
(4) live Carnegie Hall, 1969, prev unreleased
 

	The Big Ball
	Warner Bros PRO-358
	3/70
	Full Cover

Side One
The Fifth Avenue Band	Nice Folks	2:25
John Sebastian	Red-Eye Express	2:53
The Beach Boys	This Whole World	1:55
Geoff & Maria Muldaur	New Orleans Hopscop Blues	2:45
Arlo Guthrie	Coming Into Los Angeles	3:08
Eric Andersen	I Was The Rebel, She Was The Cause	2:34
Norman Greenbaum	Jubilee	2:56
Savage Grace	Ivy	4:00
Side Two
Van Morrison	Caravan	4:57
Fleetwood Mac	Oh Well (Parts 1 & 2) (1)	9:00
The Pentangle	Sally Go Round The Roses	3:36
Jethro Tull	Nothing Is Easy	4:20
Small Faces	Flying	4:12
Family	No Mule's Fool	3:14
The Kinks	When I Turn Out The Living Room Light (1)	2:15
Side Three
The Everly Brothers	I'm On My Way Home Again (1)	2:25
Tim Buckley	Happy Time	3:15
Joni Mitchell	Big Yellow Taxi	2:16
Neil Young	The Loner	3:55
Gordon Lightfoot	Approaching Lavender	2:56
Randy Newman	Mama Told Me Not To Come	2:12
James Taylor	Fire And Rain	3:20
Dion	Sit Down Old Friend	3:22
Side Two
Ed Sanders	The Illiad	4:05
The GTO's	Kansas And The GTO's	1:13
The GTO's	The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes	2:35
Captain Beefheart	Ella Guru	2:23
The GTO's	The Original GTO's	1:06
The Mothers Of Invention	WPLJ	3:02
Wild Man Fischer	The Taster; The Story Of The Taster	2:55
Pearls Before Swine	Footnote	1:16
Grateful Dead	Turn On Your Love Light (abridged)	6:30

Notes:
(1) Non-LP 45
(2) prev unreleased
 

 
Note: The following are slightly outta order cause they were changed mid-stream.

	Zappéd (1st version)
	Warner Bros PRO-368
	2/70
	Back Cover

Side One
Alice Cooper	Titanic Overture	1:09
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band	The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)	2:04
Judy Henske & Jerry Yester	Horses On A Stick	2:10
Tim Buckley	I Must Have Been Blind	3:40
Wild Man Fischer	Merry-Go-Round	1:56
Alice Cooper	Reflected	3:10
Tim Dawe	Little Boy Blue	2:15
Lord Buckley	The Train	2:24
Side Two
Jeff Simmons	Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up	3:14
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band	Old Fart At Play	1:54
The Mothers Of Invention	Valarie	2:15
The GTO's	Do Me In Once And I'll Be Sad, Do Me In Twice And I'll Know Better (Circular Circulation)	2:19
Frank Zappa	Willie The Pimp	9:25

Note: Possibly to feature new tracks, the above record was reissued with a new cover and the following changes:
 

	Zapped (2nd version)
	Warner Bros PRO-368
	4/70
	Back Cover

Side One
Alice Cooper	Titanic Overture	1:09
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band	The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica)	2:04
*Judy Henske & Jerry Yester	St Nicholas Hall	3:41
Tim Buckley	I Must Have Been Blind	3:40
Wild Man Fischer	Merry-Go-Round	1:56
*Alice Cooper	Refrigerator Heaven	2:17
Tim Dawe	Little Boy Blue	2:15
*Lord Buckley	Governor Slugwell	5:02
Side Two
Jeff Simmons	Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up	3:14
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band	Old Fart At Play	1:54
*The Mothers Of Invention	Holiday In Berlin, Full Blown	6:27
The GTO's	Do Me In Once And I'll Be Sad, Do Me In Twice And I'll Know Better (Circular Circulation)	2:19
Frank Zappa	Willie The Pimp	9:25

Notes: *Changed tracks
 

	Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies
	Warner Bros PRO-423
	1/71
	Back Cover

Side One
Radio Spot	It's The Plastic	1:00
Faces	Real Good Time (2)	3:59
Black Sabbath	Paranoid	2:50
Little Feat	Strawberry Flats	2:21
Hard Meat	Smile As You Go Under	3:04
Fleetwood Mac	Tell Me All the Things You Do	4:10
Jimi Hendrix	Stepping Stone (1)	4:05
Side Two
John Simon	The Elves' Song (1)	4:32
Ry Cooder	Alimony	2:11
Randy Newman	Let's Burn Down The Cornfield	3:03
Gordon Lightfoot	Me And Bobby McGee	3:38
Jimmy Webb	PF Sloan	4:00
Performance	Harry Flowers	4:00
Side Three
Radio Spot	Chip Dip	1:00
Little Richard	I Saw Her Standing There	2:37
Grateful Dead	Sugar Magnolia	3:15
Van Morrison	Call Me Up In Dreamland	3:52
The Kinks	Apeman	4:06
Arlo Guthrie	Valley To Pray	2:47
The Beach Boys	It's About Time	2:56
Side Four
The Youngbloods	It's A Lovely Day	2:35
Jeffrey Cain	Houndog Turkey (1)	2:56
Lovecraft	Love Has Come To Me	3:11
Sweetwater	Just For You	9:20
Side Five
Captain Beefheart	Lick My Decals Off, Baby	2:38
The Mothers Of Invention	Directly From My Heart To You	5:17
Alice Cooper	Return Of The Spiders	4:25
Frank Zappa	Would You Go All the Way?	2:30
Beaver & Krause	Spaced	3:51
Pearls Before Swine	The Jeweler	2:40
Side Six
Beaver & Krause	Sanctuary	1:43
James Taylor	Lo And Behold	2:34
Harpers Bizarre	If We Ever Needed The Lord Before (1)	2:57
Van Dyke Parks	On The Rolling Sea When Jesus Speaks To Me (1)	2:25
The Persuasions	It's All Right	3:25
Turley Richards	I Heard The Voice Of Jesus	7:05

Notes:
(1) Non-LP 45
(2) 45 version
 

	Non-Dairy Creamer
	Warner Bros PRO-443
	2/71
	Back Cover

Side One
Little Feat	Snakes On Everything	3:04
Rosebud	Panama	3:02
Peter Green	Hidden Depth	4:58
Curved Air	It Happened Today	4:55
Tony Joe White	Five Summers For Jimmy	3:44
Side Two
John & Beverley Martyn	Primrose Hill	2:53
Ohio Knox	Pound Or My Dog Dad For Robert Downey (A Prince)	3:00
Jeffrey Cain	Mr Governor (1)	2:38
Zephyr	Going Back To Colorado	2:48
Ron Nagle	Family Style	2:40
Brownsville Station	Rumble	3:07

Notes:
(1) Non-LP 45
 

	Hot Platters
	Warner Bros PRO-474
	9/71
	Back Cover

Side One: Rock Salad
Deep Purple	Strange Kind Of Woman	4:03
John Baldry	It Ain't Easy	4:48
Labelle	Shades Of Difference	3:18
Redeye	Beginning To End	2:34
T Rex	Hot Love (1)	4:53
Side Two: Stout-Hearted Stew
Randy Newman	Last Night I Had A Dream	1:47
Jackie Lomax	Helluva Woman	3:08
Paul Stookey	Sebastian	4:08
Norman Greenbaum	Circulate (1)	3:06
Ron Nagle	Marijuana Hell	2:54
Gordon Lightfoot	10 Degrees And Getting Colder	2:40
Side Three: Kin Casserole
The Beach Boys	Feel Flows	4:44
Fanny	Soul Child	3:41
The Kinks	Animals In The Zoo (2)	2:18
The Stovall Sisters	Spirit In The Sky	2:55
Rosebud	Lullabye II (Summer Carol)	2:30
Side Four: Blue Plate Special
Ry Cooder	On A Monday (1)	2:49
Big Mama Thornton	One More River	2:29
John D Loudermilk	Tobacco Road	2:59
Beaver & Krause	Walkin' By The River	2:40
Ronnie Milsap	Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends	2:57
Mother Earth	Bring Me Home	3:25

Notes:
(1) Non-LP 45
(2) prev unreleased
 

	Together
	Warner Bros PRO-486
	9/71
	Back Cover

Side One
Mary Travers	Circus	3:16
The Doobie Brothers	Slippery St Paul	2:14
Jackie Lomax	A Hundred Mountains	3:25
Stoneground	Rainy Day In June	2:38
Mother Earth	Temptation Took Control Of Me And I Fell	3:21
Side Two
Faces	Tell Everyone	4:22
Earth, Wind & Fire	Help Somebody	3:34
John Baldry	Let's Burn Down The Cornfield	4:12
Crazy Horse	Dirty, Dirty	3:30
Alice Cooper	Long Way To Go	3:01
T Rex	Is It Love?	2:32

Note: Series continued until 1980. Check the links (or the PDFs at the top) for the rest.
 

Links!