The Unknown Soldier / We Could Be So Good Together

Catalog number K 12004 on Elektra identifies this as a UK re-issue single pairing "The Unknown Soldier" on the A-side with "We Could Be So Good Together" on the B-side, pressed and released in the United Kingdom in July 1971. This is not the original UK issue of this pairing; collectors hunting variants should be careful to cross-reference against the earlier UK pressing (1968) and other regional variants (France 1968) of the same title to pin down exactly which object they have in hand.

Elektra's UK pressings from this era carry a distinctive character that separates them clearly from their American counterparts. The label on K 12004 follows the standard Elektra UK butterfly label design of the early 1970s, typically rendered in a warm tan or gold with the familiar butterfly logo centered beneath the track information. The typeface is clean and straightforward, listing "The Unknown Soldier" on the A-side without the kind of ornate or experimental graphic treatment you sometimes see on period-correct promo copies. The pressing weight on UK Elektra singles from 1971 is generally solid, and the vinyl quality of surviving copies in decent condition tends to hold surface detail reasonably well, though noise floor performance depends heavily on individual storage history. The sleeve, if present with any given copy, would be a generic Elektra company sleeve rather than a picture sleeve specific to this title; picture sleeves for this pairing are associated with other regional releases, not this re-issue. Collectors should note that finding this K 12004 copy with an accompanying original company sleeve rather than a plain white or later replacement sleeve is the more desirable configuration. The disc itself measures the standard 7 inches, and the pressing plant used for UK Elektra product at this time was consistent enough that well-preserved copies play cleanly. Any copy grading VG or above on Discogs should present both sides without significant surface interference, though as always with singles of this age, a careful visual inspection under good light before purchase is prudent.

"The Unknown Soldier" was one of The Doors' more overtly political moments, originally released in 1968 and tied closely to the atmosphere surrounding the Waiting for the Sun album; collectors interested in the full LP context should cross-reference other pressings of that record for comparative study. The song had already completed its commercial run by the time this 1971 re-issue appeared, which makes the timing of K 12004 interesting. Re-issues like this one were sometimes driven by renewed interest following compilation appearances, radio cycles, or label catalog management decisions rather than a specific promotional campaign tied to new product. The B-side, "We Could Be So Good Together," is another track drawn from the same 1968 period, which gives the single a coherent sonic and thematic identity even as a re-issue pairing. Neither track appears here in an alternate mix or an extended version; this is straightforward album-derived mono or stereo source material in single-friendly trim. There are no known bonus inserts, lyric sheets, or promotional materials associated with this specific pressing. For collectors who want to see how these tracks were handled across different formats and markets, the four-track EP pairing Hello, I Love You and Love Street with this same A and B-side combination offers an interesting comparison point. The Discogs community data for K 12004 currently shows only 2 collectors reporting ownership against 35 who have it on their want list, a ratio that signals genuine scarcity in the current marketplace rather than simple collector disinterest. That 17-to-1 want-to-have ratio is meaningful; it places this pressing firmly in the category of items that surface infrequently and move quickly when they do. Whether that scarcity reflects genuinely limited original press quantities, high attrition of surviving copies, or simply low cataloging rates on Discogs is difficult to say with certainty, but the numbers warrant attention from anyone actively pursuing complete UK Elektra singles coverage.

The K 12004 UK re-issue of "The Unknown Soldier" backed with "We Could Be So Good Together" is a legitimately scarce piece of UK Doors singles history. With only 2 copies currently logged against 35 active want-list entries, this is not a record you pass on if condition and price are reasonable. It belongs in any serious collection focused on UK Elektra pressings from the early 1970s, and the want-list disparity alone justifies treating any clean copy as a priority acquisition.