ALJAK
A DIY label, run by singer Al Jackson. His own
'Old Rugged Cross' EP seems to have been the only 7" release on
Aljak. The EP had previously appeared in 1977 on the custom
recording label Pollen (q.v.) as PBM-011; sales must have been good enough to
call for a re-pressing, with the record this time on Jackson's own
label. The re-pressed version dates from 1978 and had a catalogue
number of AJ-1. That same year Jackson released an LP on the label, 'One
Day At A Time', which was numbered AJ-02. There doesn't seem to have
been any more Aljak vinyl, though there were a couple of unnumbered
and undated cassette-only releases, 'Al Jackson Sings Country Style' and
'Al Jackson Sings As Time Goes By', which were credited to Aljak Studios.
The presence of 'Pal Of My Cradle Days' and 'When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New'
on the latter tape suggests that it was recorded in or around
1983, as versions of both of those songs had been Top 75
hits the previous year. In addition to the tracks shown on the
scan, which Robert Bowes has kindly supplied, the EP offered 'Dirty Old Town' and a
medley of 'Take These Chains' and 'Can't Stop Loving You'. Thanks
to Sam Mauger for bringing the label to my attention.
Copyright 2010 Robert Lyons.