The Unknown Soldier / We Could Be So Good Together

This is the French single release of The Unknown Soldier / We Could Be So Good Together, issued in 1968 on the Elektra Serie Fashion Disques Vogue imprint under catalog number INT.80128. The Disques Vogue licensing arrangement brought several Elektra titles to France during this period, and this 45 is a product of that partnership. It comes with a picture sleeve, which immediately separates it from plain-label or generic-cover pressings and makes it a target for collectors focused on European Doors ephemera.

The picture sleeve is the primary physical draw here, and it delivers the kind of regional character that makes French pressings of this era worth tracking down. French Vogue sleeves from the late 1960s tend toward bold graphic treatments, and this one is no exception. The sleeve carries band imagery consistent with the promotional campaign surrounding Waiting for the Sun, the album from which both tracks were drawn. The Elektra Serie Fashion branding appears alongside the Disques Vogue imprint, a visual marker that immediately identifies the licensing chain. The catalog number INT.80128 is printed clearly, which is useful for cross-referencing against other pressings; collectors who have handled the various international variants of this single will know how much the sleeve typography and label print can vary between territories. The disc itself carries the standard Vogue pressing hallmarks of French 45s from this period, with a center label that mirrors the Elektra layout but adapted for the French market. The vinyl quality on original copies is generally consistent with what Vogue produced at the time, which is solid without being exceptional. Condition on surviving copies varies considerably given the sleeve's age; the picture sleeve in particular is prone to edge wear and seam splits at the corners, so near-mint examples command a premium. There are no inserts beyond the sleeve itself, which is standard for a French single of this vintage.

What distinguishes catalog number INT.80128 from the broader field of Unknown Soldier singles is the specific combination of the Elektra Serie Fashion Disques Vogue imprint, the French country of origin, and the picture sleeve. Collectors working through the international variants of this single have several close relatives to contend with. The standard US Elektra pressing is cataloged separately, and there are other European variants with flipped A and B sides, including The Unknown Soldier / We Could Be So Good Together and additional variants at a second pressing and a third that place the B-side song in the lead position. The INT.80128 pressing keeps The Unknown Soldier on the A-side, which aligns with the original US release configuration. There is also a four-track French EP that combined these two songs with Hello, I Love You and Love Street, cataloged over at Hello, I Love You / Love Street / The Unknown Soldier / We Could Be So Good Together, which represents an entirely different release format for the same material. For collectors specifically after the two-track French 45 with The Unknown Soldier leading, the closest comparator is this related pressing, so careful attention to catalog numbers and label details is necessary to confirm exactly which variant you have in hand. On Discogs, this specific pressing shows 80 collectors reporting ownership and 87 with it on their want list, a want-to-have ratio that sits slightly above parity and reflects genuine collector demand. That spread is meaningful: it indicates the single is not freely circulating and that copies are actively sought. The picture sleeve is the key variable; a copy without the sleeve would be considerably less desirable. Both tracks originate from the Waiting for the Sun sessions, with The Unknown Soldier notable for its studio production ambition and its anti-war narrative that resonated strongly in 1968.

The INT.80128 French pressing with picture sleeve is a legitimate collectible for anyone building a comprehensive singles run or focusing on European Doors pressings from the 1960s. It is not a scarce item in absolute terms, but the want-to-have ratio on Discogs and the picture sleeve requirement mean that clean copies are not trivial to source. Collectors working through the broader catalog of Doors 45s, including later French singles like You Make Me Real / Peace Frog, will find this one a worthwhile addition to any serious collection of the band's international output.