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A Record Collector's Guide


Jale

Jale. Halifax's finest. If the rest of those mid-90s indie bands from the Great White North were mounties, Jale was Dudley Do-Right. A short-lived career, but some solid music packed between 1992 and 1997. I was fortunate enough to see them play exactly once. I managed to talk two of my friends into driving me the 3 1/2 hours to Buffalo, NY, back in April of 1996, shortly before the release of the "So Wound" album. We got to see Jale along with about 11 other people in a room that looked like someone's den...a den which, of course, happened to be attached to a big bar.

 

Aunt Betty 7" - I Lied/Twisted b/w Sweetness

Cinnamon Toast CT002, released 1992

Jale's first single. It's a little rough. Not terrible, but they got a lot better from here. Up until April 2009, every one of these I had ever seen had been on red vinyl. I read somewhere that red vinyl was the second pressing, but had never seen anything else. Then, I came across a copy that had a black and white sleeve. The vinyl looked red until I examined it closely. This one is more of a pink-red or a magenta color. It also comes with a different insert than the standard red copy, which appears to be an earlier Cinnamon Toast catalogue, all of which indicates the copy with the black and white sleeve was the earlier pressing. I had also read that the first pressing of this record was numbered. My magenta copy has the number 80 written on the A side label in pen. There is no additional information on mine...just the number 80.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
CT002 Magenta, B/W Sleeve 20-30 8 Stable
CT002 Red Vinyl, Red Sleeve 4-6 3 Stable
1st Pressing - Magenta Vinyl
1st Pressing Insert
2nd Pressing - Red Vinyl
2nd Pressing Insert
Sleeve Paper foldover

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Sort of Gray 7" - Emma b/w Brother

Derivative duh006/Cinnamon Toast CT007, released 1993

Jale really started to show their potential on this single, a joint release between Derivative and Cinnamon Toast Records. All white vinyl for this release. Very common.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
duh006/CT007 White 1-3 1 Stable
Insert
Sleeve Paper Foldover

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Nevermind the Molluscs

Disc 1: Sloan - Pillow Fight b/w Jale - Lung

Disc 2: Eric's Trip - Blue Sky for Julie/Smother / Idee du Nord - Iodine Eyes

Sub Pop SP198 2x7"/CD, released 1993 (U.S.)

Sub Pop SP84/255 CD, released 1993 (Germany)

Canada began to invade Sub Pop land with this double 7". The Jale song is really solid. Sloan never did anything else on Sub Pop. Eric's Trip developed a really dedicated following with their releases. And also, there's Idee du Nord. Pretty good single overall. All on black vinyl.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
Sub Pop SP198 2x7" Black 4-6 2 Stable
Sleeve Paper Foldover

This page was last updated on April 4, 2020.

Gold Leather with Heel Detail 7" - Steppin' Out b/w River

Genius geniJR015, released 1993

This single is odd. The music's good - I just mean the release details are odd. There I was, plodding along for years, thinking there was only one version of this single...and then, I came across a completely different one in a bargain bin in 2007. It was released on grey marble vinyl and black vinyl. That's normal enough. However, the two versions have completely different labels and types of sleeves - my grey one has a pink label and a full glossy sleeve, while my black one has a red label with a map of the world on it, along with a foldover paper sleeve and an insert. I have no idea which came first. Both are common, but grey is more common.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
geniJR015 Grey Marble 1-3 1 Stable
geniJR015 Black 2-4 2 Stable
Insert
Sleeve Grey marble: Full glossy
Black: Paper foldover

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Cut: Promise b/w 3 Days

Sub Pop SP235 7", released 1993 (U.S.)

Sub Pop SP126/309 7", released 1994 (Germany)

Sub Pop sub procd#31 (U.S.)

This was Jale's first solo Sub Pop release. Very good. The U.S. version was on black vinyl - supposedly a press run of 1,500. The European version can be found on red, blue, and yellow vinyl. The European one was a total press run of 1,000, but it was not an even split between the three colors. The red one is by far the most common. The blue is scarce, but can be found, and the yellow has classically been the most difficult to find. A bunch of them have shown up recently, though, driving down the price.

There was also a really cool Sub Pop promo CD EP for "Promise". I wrestled with giving this one its own entry. It had completely different artwork from the 7" (there was no booklet/front cover - the image above is from the back of the CD). It did not contain the b-side from the 7". It did, however, come loaded with other rarities. It had demos for "More or Less" and "Stepping Out", radio performances of "Promise" and "Brother", and an alternate version of "Nebulous" (which also appeard on the From Greer to Eternity compilation.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
SP235 Black 2-4 3 Stable
SP126/309 Red 1-3 1 Stable
SP126/309 Blue 3-5 4 Stable
SP126/309 Yellow 5-8 6 Down
sub procd#31 10-15 4 Stable
SP235 Black
sub procd#31 CD
SP126/309 Test Pressing
SP126/309 Red
SP126/309 Blue
SP126/309 Yellow
Sleeve Full glossy
Test Pressing SP126/309: Black vinyl, large hole, white labels, title labels affixed

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Dreamcake

Sub Pop SP256 LP / SP256B CD / SP256A Cassette, released July 1994 (U.S.)

Sub Pop SP127/317 LP / SPCD 127/317 CD, released 1994 (Germany)

Sub Pop SPX 256A CD / SPX 256B CD / SPX 256 Cassette, released 1994 (Canada)

Jale's first full-length had the edge that I love in this type of music. Dreamcake was only on black vinyl domestically (and the U.S. pressing has gotten more difficult to find). The European vinyl was on both black and yellow marble vinyl, with the yellow marble version limited to 1,000 copies. The European version was mislabeled - it said "SP137/317"...this is wrong. It is really supposed to be SP127/317. Trust me. Both European versions are pretty common.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
SP256 Black 20-30 5 Up
SP127/317 Yellow Marble 8-12 3 Stable
SP127/317 Black 5-8 2 Stable

This page was last updated on October 27, 2019.

14 08 93 7" - Not Happy b/w Love Letter

Sub Pop SP134/331 (Germany), released 1994

This single was a Europe-only release. The 7" had two tracks that appeared on the Dreamcake album. The CD had a third, along with "I Lied" from the Aunt Betty single. The 7" came on both black and opaque pink vinyl. The pink version was limited to 1,000 copies.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
SP134/331 Pink 2-4 2 Stable
SP134/331 Black 2-4 1 Stable
Test Pressing
Pink
Black
Sleeve Full glossy
Test Pressing Black vinyl, large hole, white labels

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

From Greer To Eternity 2x7"

Lush - Childcatcher / Ivy - Beautiful / Solar Race - I Feel / Splendora - Breeze / Jale - Nebulous (Alternate Version) / Fuzzy - Christmas

Fierce Panda NING005, released 1994

Double 7" on Fierce Panda containing a different version of "Nebulous." I tracked it down, and it is a really good version of the song (this version also appears on the Promise promo CD). Black vinyl, easy to find.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
NING005 Black 3-5 1 Stable
Sleeve Paper Foldover

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Club Spangle Number 2

The Spinanes - Sunday / Jale - The Unseen Guest b/w Velocity Girl - The All-Consumer / Pond - Sideroad

Spangle SPANG 002 7", released 1995 (U.S.)

This was a British compilation 7" with a few songs from releases that Sub Pop was promoting in 1995. Nothing particularly unique here. Black vinyl, common.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
SPANG 002 Black 1-3 1 Stable

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Closed EP

Murderecords mur018, released 1995

This EP was released on Sloan's Murderecords label, theoretically to have been promoted and distributed as well by Sub Pop (this part of the equation did not work so well). It's an excellent recording. It bridges the gap between the unrefined sound of Dreamcake and the polished So Wound, with very good results. All vinyl copies were black, and the b-side was etched. The vinyl can occasionally be hard to come by, and can sell for more than most other Jale items on this page. Still pretty affordable, though.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
mur018 Black 15-25 5 Stable

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Hey Hey b/w All Ready

Sub Pop SP346 7" / SPCD 346 CD, released 1996 (U.S./UK)

This single led up to the release of Jale second full length album. The 7" was on toffee-colored, opaque tan vinyl. The CD came with a few rarer tracks - "Bluestreak" was an exclusive. "Leave It Alone" and "Coincidence" were also rare, but did appear on the Japanese CD version of the So Wound album. The vinyl is easy to find. The CD EP is slightly harder, but cheap.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
SP346 Tan 2-4 1 Stable
SPCD346 CD 1-3 4 Stable

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

So Wound

Sub Pop SP350 LP / SPCD 350 CD, released June 1996 (U.S.)

Sub Pop SPCD 350 / 98787-0350-2, released 1996 (Germany)

WEA Japan WPCR-934 CD, released 1996 (Japan)

Jale's second and final full length release. So Wound is a much more polished recording than anything the band had done prior. There are some very good tracks on the album. It has a ghost track at the end ("Sorry Sentimental"), which is not on the Japanese version. In its place, there are five bonus tracks on the Japanese CD: the versions of "Promise" and "3 Days" from the Sub Pop Cut 7", "Jesus Loves Me" from the Closed EP, and "Leave It Alone" and "Coincidence", which were otherwise only available on the Hey Hey CD single. The vinyl was black and is common.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
SP350 Black 6-10 2 Stable

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

Pet-Kout-Koy-Ek: Songs for a River

PKKE-CD, released August 1996

Contains the Jale song "Traditional"

A compilation for completists. This was the only place where you could find the Jale song, "Traditional". It was a benefit CD released to help save the Petitcodiac River. A noble cause, and there's some decent music on it as well. Many other Canadian bands make appearances (including Eric's Trip). This CD is a bit tough to find. It shouldn't be that expensive should you be able to find it...finding it is the problem. Originally, it was sold through the campaign's web site. It was called Écoversité. I just checked to make sure, and their site is long gone. I got my copy when the Écoversité web site was still functional, and even then, it required several emails and sending cash through the mail to Canada. There's another group out there to save the Petitcodiac now (google it if interested). Perhaps someone there might have some idea how to get one of these now. Otherwise, good luck. It is quite scarce.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
PKKE-CD 15-25 8 Stable

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.

From a Still b/w True What You Say 7"

Sealed Fate, released 1997

This single was recorded after Eve left the band, and ended up being Jale's swan song. It was really quite difficult to find after it came out, but has become common over time.

Version Value ($) Scarcity Price Trending
Sealed Fate Black 2-4 2 Stable

This page was last updated on November 30, 2019.


Scarcity Score Definition
10 Near impossible: Fewer than 50 copies or publicly sold every few years
8-9 Very rare: 50-199 copies or publicly sold 1-2 times per year
6-7 Rare: 200-499 copies or publicly sold a few times a year
4-5 Medium: 500-999 copies or publicly sold ~10 times a year
1-3 Common: 1000+ copies, readily available, or publicly sold 20+ times a year

Estimated values are based on recent auction results or online sales. Commercial use of images on this site is not permitted. Non-commercial use of images permitted, with attribution to Pette Discographies. All images copyright their respective owners.