Johnny Too Bad | Johnny Too Bad (version)

Cover
1 Oct 1980
The Bottom Line:

Strange flipside diminished hit potential but John wasn't too happy with the recorded song either.

The flipside is not entirely instrumental, some human voice can be distinguished but it is mainly a dub echo remix.
The A on the label is an aid for myopic DJ's to help distinguish the version from the original.
On the label the song is credited to Beckford, Crooks, Bailey.

coverIn Italy they released a unique single with Sweet Little Mystery as flipside in the same period. It has a high quality picture sleeve. Catalogue and mold numbers of this release are clearly derived from the original Johnny Too Bad single:
Catalogue number: WIP 26547.
Mold numbers: WIP 26547-1 and WIP 26547-2.

My guess is that the Italian release was an original idea of the Italian Island department, followed up a few months later by the UK division. The Italian idea for this double A-side might qualify as good but one can wonder if Sweet Little Mystery would not have been a better choice to promote in Italy.

Mold numbers:
WIP 6547 A-1U and WIP 6547 B-1U.

Credits: 
Production: Martin Levan
Engineer: Martin Levan
Carriers: 
Vinyl 7": Island WIP 6547