Extended play
Encyclopedia
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single
, but is too short to qualify as a full album
or LP
. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm
standard play (SP) records and LP record
s, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact Discs and music downloads as well. Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post
said, "EPs—originally extended-play 'single' releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk and indie bands." In the United Kingdom
, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present).
, were vertically cut 78 rpm
discs known as "2-in-1" records. These had finer than usual grooves, like Edison Disc Records. By 1949, when the 45 rpm single and 33⅓ rpm LP were competing formats, seven-inch 45 rpm singles had a maximum playing time of only about four minutes per side.
Partly as an attempt to compete with the LP, introduced in 1948
by rival Columbia Records
, RCA Victor introduced "Extended Play" 45s during 1952
. Their narrower grooves, achieved by lowering the cutting levels and, if required, sound compression, enabled them to hold up to 7.5 minutes per side—but still be played by a standard 45 rpm phonograph
. These were usually LPs split onto three seven-inch EPs, either sold one at a time or in boxed sets. This practice became much less common with the advent of triple-speed-available phonographs.
Some classical music
albums released at the beginning of the LP era were also distributed as EP albums—notably the seven operas that Arturo Toscanini
conducted on radio
between 1944 and 1954. These opera EPs, originally broadcast on the NBC Radio network and manufactured by RCA, which owned the NBC network then, were made available both in 45 rpm and 33⅓ rpm. In the 1990s, they began appearing on Compact Discs. RCA also had success in the format with their top money earner, Elvis Presley
, issuing 28 Elvis EPs between 1956
and 1967
, many of which topped the separate Billboard
EP chart during its brief existence.
During the 1950s
, RCA published several EP albums of Walt Disney
movies, containing both the story and the songs. These usually featured the original casts of actor
s and actresses. Each album contained two seven-inch records, plus a fully illustrated booklet containing the text of the recording, so that children could follow along by reading. Some of the titles included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(1937), Pinocchio
(1940), and what was then a recent release, the movie version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
that was presented in 1954
. The recording and publishing of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was an unusual one: it did not employ the movie's cast, and years later, a 12-inch 33⅓ rpm album of the film, with a nearly identical script, but another different cast, was sold by Disneyland Records
in conjunction with the re-release of the movie in 1963
.
Because of the popularity of other formats, SP records became less popular and the production of SPs in Japan
was suspended in 1963.
In the 1950s and 1960s, EPs were usually compilations of singles or album samplers and were typically played at 45 rpm on seven-inch (18 cm) discs, with two songs on each side.
Other than those published by RCA, EPs were relatively uncommon in the United States
and Canada
, but they were widely sold in the United Kingdom
, and in some other European countries, during the 1950s and 1960s. Record Retailer
printed the first EP chart in 1960. The New Musical Express (NME)
, Melody Maker
, Disc and Music Echo and the Record Mirror continued to list EPs on their respective singles charts. The Beatles
' Twist and Shout (EP)
reached #1 in the UK charts in 1964. When the BBC
and Record Retailer commissioned the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB)
to compile a chart it was restricted to singles and EPs disappeared from the listings.
In the Philippines
, seven-inch EPs marketed as "Mini-LP
s" (but distinctly different from the Mini-LPs of the 1980s) were introduced in 1970, with tracks selected from an album and packaging resembling the album they were taken from. This Mini-LP format also became popular in America in the early 1970s for promotional releases, and also for use in jukebox
es.
Stevie Wonder
included a bonus four-song EP with his double LP Songs in the Key of Life
in 1976. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was less standardization
and EPs were made on seven-inch (18 cm), 10-inch (25 cm) or 12-inch (30 cm) discs running either 33⅓ or 45 rpm. Some novelty EPs used odd shapes and colors, and a few of them were picture disc
s.
Alice in Chains
was the first band to ever have an EP reach number one on the Billboard album chart. Its EP, Jar of Flies
, was published on January 25, 1994. In 2004, Linkin Park
and Jay-Z
's collaboration EP, Collision Course
, was the next to reach the number one spot after Alice in Chains. In 2010, the cast of the television series Glee
became the first artist to have two EPs reach #1, with Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
on the week of May 8, 2010, and Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
on the week of June 26, 2010.
In 2010, Warner Bros. Records
revived the format with their "Six-Pak" offering of six songs on a Compact Disc.
' The Beatles' Hits
EP from 1963, and The Troggs
' Troggs Tops EP from 1966, both of which collected previously released tracks. The playing time was generally between ten and 15 minutes. They also came in cardboard picture sleeves at a time when singles were usually issued in paper company sleeves. EPs tended to be album samplers or collections of singles. EPs of all original material began to appear in the 1960s. An example is The Kinks
' Kinksize Session
EP from 1964.
During the 1970s, "Maxi-Singles", usually containing three reissued tracks, became fairly popular. Two examples are Jimi Hendrix
's "Voodoo Child
" from 1971 and David Bowie
's "Space Oddity", a single from 1969 which was reissued in 1975 in RCA's Maxi-Million series. Both of these reached number one in Britain
. The 12-inch singles on vinyl, which played at 45 rpm, were first sold during 1976, and they commonly had extended-time or additional tracks not contained in the seven-inch 45 rpm singles. An example of one of these extended songs was a ten-or-more minute version of the song Love to Love You Baby
by Donna Summer
, which took up one entire side of its record.
Twelve-inch EPs were similar, but generally had between three and five tracks and a length of over 12 minutes. Like seven-inch EPs, these were given titles. EP releases were also issued in cassette
and 10-inch vinyl formats. With the advent of the Compact Disc
(CD), more music was often included on "single" releases, with four or five tracks being common, and playing times of up to 25 minutes.
EPs of original material regained popularity in the punk rock
era, when they were commonly used for the release of new material, e.g. Buzzcocks
' Spiral Scratch EP, which featured four tracks.
Beginning in the 1980s, many so-called "singles" have been sold in formats with more than two tracks. Because of this, the definition of an EP is not determined only by the number of tracks or the playing time; an EP is typically seen as four (or more) tracks of equal importance, as opposed to a four-track single with an obvious A-side and three B-sides.
In the United Kingdom, any record with more than four distinct tracks or with a playing time of more than 25 minutes is classified as an album for sales-chart purposes.
An intermediate format between EPs and full-length LPs is the Mini-LP
, which was a common album format in the 1980s. These generally contained 20–30 minutes of music.
In the 1960s and 1970s, record companies released EP versions of long play (LP) albums for use in jukebox
es. These were commonly known as "compact 33s" or "little LPs". They played at 33⅓ rpm, were pressed on 7-inch vinyl and frequently had as many as six songs. What made them EP-like was the fact that some songs were omitted for time purposes, and the tracks deemed the most popular were left on. Unlike most EPs before them, and most 7-inch vinyl in general (pre-1970s), these were issued in stereo.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, but is too short to qualify as a full album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
or LP
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
standard play (SP) records and LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
s, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact Discs and music downloads as well. Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
said, "EPs—originally extended-play 'single' releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk and indie bands." In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present).
History
EPs were released in various sizes in different eras. The earliest multi-track records, issued around 1919 by Grey Gull RecordsGrey Gull Records
Grey Gull Records was a record label based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America from 1919 through 1930. According to the Massachusetts Department of Corporation and Taxation, Grey Gull was officially incorporated on 31 December 1919. It was dissolved on 31 March 1934 Grey Gull...
, were vertically cut 78 rpm
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
discs known as "2-in-1" records. These had finer than usual grooves, like Edison Disc Records. By 1949, when the 45 rpm single and 33⅓ rpm LP were competing formats, seven-inch 45 rpm singles had a maximum playing time of only about four minutes per side.
Partly as an attempt to compete with the LP, introduced in 1948
1948 in music
-Events:*May 20 - The Second International Congress of Composers and Music Critics 1948 opens in Prague.*June 5 - Opening of the first Aldeburgh Festival, founded by Benjamin Britten, Eric Crozier and Peter Pears....
by rival Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, RCA Victor introduced "Extended Play" 45s during 1952
1952 in music
-Events:*February 26 - Jo Stafford marries bandleader/arranger Paul Weston.*March 21 - First reported Rock and roll riot breaks out at Alan Freed's Moondog Coronation Ball in Cleveland, Ohio...
. Their narrower grooves, achieved by lowering the cutting levels and, if required, sound compression, enabled them to hold up to 7.5 minutes per side—but still be played by a standard 45 rpm phonograph
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
. These were usually LPs split onto three seven-inch EPs, either sold one at a time or in boxed sets. This practice became much less common with the advent of triple-speed-available phonographs.
Some classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
albums released at the beginning of the LP era were also distributed as EP albums—notably the seven operas that Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
conducted on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
between 1944 and 1954. These opera EPs, originally broadcast on the NBC Radio network and manufactured by RCA, which owned the NBC network then, were made available both in 45 rpm and 33⅓ rpm. In the 1990s, they began appearing on Compact Discs. RCA also had success in the format with their top money earner, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, issuing 28 Elvis EPs between 1956
1956 in music
-Events:*January 26 – Buddy Holly's first recording sessions for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee*Roy Orbison signs with Sun Records*January 27 – Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" is released...
and 1967
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
, many of which topped the separate Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
EP chart during its brief existence.
During the 1950s
1950s in film
The decade of the 1950s in film involved many significant films.----Contents1 Events2 List of films: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.-Events:...
, RCA published several EP albums of Walt Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
movies, containing both the story and the songs. These usually featured the original casts of actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s and actresses. Each album contained two seven-inch records, plus a fully illustrated booklet containing the text of the recording, so that children could follow along by reading. Some of the titles included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated film based on Snow White, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full...
(1937), Pinocchio
Pinocchio (1940 film)
Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It is the second film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, and it was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released to theaters by...
(1940), and what was then a recent release, the movie version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a 1954 adventure film starring Kirk Douglas as Ned Land, James Mason as Captain Nemo, Paul Lukas as Professor Pierre Aronnax, and Peter Lorre as Conseil. It was the first science fiction film produced by Walt Disney Productions, as well as the only science-fiction...
that was presented in 1954
1954 in film
The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda...
. The recording and publishing of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was an unusual one: it did not employ the movie's cast, and years later, a 12-inch 33⅓ rpm album of the film, with a nearly identical script, but another different cast, was sold by Disneyland Records
Disneyland Records
Disneyland Records is the original name of the Walt Disney Company's record company.After long associations with primarily RCA Victor Records, with a few select titles on Capitol, Disneyland Records was established by the Disney studio in 1956 with its first release entitled A Child's Garden of...
in conjunction with the re-release of the movie in 1963
1963 in film
The year 1963 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* June 12 - Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City....
.
Because of the popularity of other formats, SP records became less popular and the production of SPs in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was suspended in 1963.
In the 1950s and 1960s, EPs were usually compilations of singles or album samplers and were typically played at 45 rpm on seven-inch (18 cm) discs, with two songs on each side.
Other than those published by RCA, EPs were relatively uncommon in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, but they were widely sold in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and in some other European countries, during the 1950s and 1960s. Record Retailer
Record Retailer
Record Retailer was a trade newspaper for the UK record industry. It was founded in August 1959 as a monthly newspaper covering both labels and dealers. Its founding editor was Roy Parker...
printed the first EP chart in 1960. The New Musical Express (NME)
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, Disc and Music Echo and the Record Mirror continued to list EPs on their respective singles charts. The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Twist and Shout (EP)
Twist and Shout (EP)
The Twist and Shout EP by The Beatles is the band's first British EP, released by Parlophone on 12 July 1963...
reached #1 in the UK charts in 1964. When the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Record Retailer commissioned the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB)
BMRB Ltd
BMRB Ltd is the longest established market research agency in Britain, dating from 1933. The company conducts the following types of research: media, social and public policy, customer, employee and omnibus....
to compile a chart it was restricted to singles and EPs disappeared from the listings.
In the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, seven-inch EPs marketed as "Mini-LP
Mini-LP
A Mini-LP or Mini-album is a short album, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered "full-length".-History:...
s" (but distinctly different from the Mini-LPs of the 1980s) were introduced in 1970, with tracks selected from an album and packaging resembling the album they were taken from. This Mini-LP format also became popular in America in the early 1970s for promotional releases, and also for use in jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
es.
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
included a bonus four-song EP with his double LP Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life is the 13th album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder, released September 28, 1976, on Motown Records. It was the culmination of his "classic period" albums. An ambitious double LP with a 4-song bonus EP, Songs in the Key of Life became among the best-selling and...
in 1976. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was less standardization
Standardization
Standardization is the process of developing and implementing technical standards.The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers , compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality....
and EPs were made on seven-inch (18 cm), 10-inch (25 cm) or 12-inch (30 cm) discs running either 33⅓ or 45 rpm. Some novelty EPs used odd shapes and colors, and a few of them were picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
s.
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
was the first band to ever have an EP reach number one on the Billboard album chart. Its EP, Jar of Flies
Jar of Flies
Jar of Flies is the third studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on January 25, 1994 through Columbia Records. It is the first EP in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and was well-received by critics.-Background and recording:Following Alice in...
, was published on January 25, 1994. In 2004, Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
and Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's collaboration EP, Collision Course
Collision Course (album)
Critics were divided over Collision Course, with some praising the album, while others negatively received it.David Jeffries of allmusic praised the album, calling it "awesomely fun". K.B...
, was the next to reach the number one spot after Alice in Chains. In 2010, the cast of the television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
became the first artist to have two EPs reach #1, with Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna is the first extended play by the cast of the musical television series Glee. It contains eight songs from the season one Glee episode, "The Power of Madonna", which was a tribute episode dedicated to American recording artist Madonna...
on the week of May 8, 2010, and Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals is the second extended play by the cast of musical television series Glee. Containing six songs from the season one finale "Journey to Regionals", it was released on June 8, 2010, the same day the episode aired. Half of the tracks are cover versions of...
on the week of June 26, 2010.
In 2010, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
revived the format with their "Six-Pak" offering of six songs on a Compact Disc.
Defining EP
The first EPs were seven-inch vinyl records with more tracks than a normal single (typically four to six of them). Although they shared size and speed with singles, they were a recognizably different format than the seven-inch single. Although they could be named after a lead track, they were generally given a different title. Examples include The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' The Beatles' Hits
The Beatles' Hits
The Beatles' Hits EP was released 6 September 1963. It is The Beatles second British EP and was only released in mono, with the catalogue number Parlophone GEP 8880. It is named The Beatles' Hits because the songs on the album are hit singles . Because of this, the EP can be seen as an early...
EP from 1963, and The Troggs
The Troggs
The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
' Troggs Tops EP from 1966, both of which collected previously released tracks. The playing time was generally between ten and 15 minutes. They also came in cardboard picture sleeves at a time when singles were usually issued in paper company sleeves. EPs tended to be album samplers or collections of singles. EPs of all original material began to appear in the 1960s. An example is The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' Kinksize Session
Kinksize Session
Kinksize Session is the first EP released by The Kinks in the UK in 1964, a month after their debut LP. The tracks were all exclusive to this release and it includes some original compositions....
EP from 1964.
During the 1970s, "Maxi-Singles", usually containing three reissued tracks, became fairly popular. Two examples are Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's "Voodoo Child
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
"Voodoo Child " is the closing track on Electric Ladyland, the third and final album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The song is known for its wah-wah-heavy guitar work. It is #101 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest songs of all time....
" from 1971 and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's "Space Oddity", a single from 1969 which was reissued in 1975 in RCA's Maxi-Million series. Both of these reached number one in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The 12-inch singles on vinyl, which played at 45 rpm, were first sold during 1976, and they commonly had extended-time or additional tracks not contained in the seven-inch 45 rpm singles. An example of one of these extended songs was a ten-or-more minute version of the song Love to Love You Baby
Love to Love You Baby
Love to Love You Baby is the second album by Donna Summer, and her first to be released internationally and in the US. Her previous album Lady of the Night was released only in the Netherlands. Love to Love You Baby was released in the US on August 27, 1975.-History:In the summer of 1975, Summer...
by Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, which took up one entire side of its record.
Twelve-inch EPs were similar, but generally had between three and five tracks and a length of over 12 minutes. Like seven-inch EPs, these were given titles. EP releases were also issued in cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
and 10-inch vinyl formats. With the advent of the Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(CD), more music was often included on "single" releases, with four or five tracks being common, and playing times of up to 25 minutes.
EPs of original material regained popularity in the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
era, when they were commonly used for the release of new material, e.g. Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
' Spiral Scratch EP, which featured four tracks.
Beginning in the 1980s, many so-called "singles" have been sold in formats with more than two tracks. Because of this, the definition of an EP is not determined only by the number of tracks or the playing time; an EP is typically seen as four (or more) tracks of equal importance, as opposed to a four-track single with an obvious A-side and three B-sides.
In the United Kingdom, any record with more than four distinct tracks or with a playing time of more than 25 minutes is classified as an album for sales-chart purposes.
An intermediate format between EPs and full-length LPs is the Mini-LP
Mini-LP
A Mini-LP or Mini-album is a short album, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered "full-length".-History:...
, which was a common album format in the 1980s. These generally contained 20–30 minutes of music.
Jukebox EP
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
es. These were commonly known as "compact 33s" or "little LPs". They played at 33⅓ rpm, were pressed on 7-inch vinyl and frequently had as many as six songs. What made them EP-like was the fact that some songs were omitted for time purposes, and the tracks deemed the most popular were left on. Unlike most EPs before them, and most 7-inch vinyl in general (pre-1970s), these were issued in stereo.
See also
- Concept EPConcept albumIn music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
- Double EPDouble EPA double extended play is the name typically given to vinyl records or CDs released as a set of two discs, each of which would normally qualify as an EP. The name is thus analogous to double album...
- Extra Long Play (VCR format)
- Gramophone recordGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
- Long Play
- List of number-one EPs (UK)