Soul Train / Geraldine

This is catalog number 4511 on Aura Records, a US pressing from 1965, and it is specifically the second pressing of the "Soul Train" / "Geraldine" single, credited to Ray Daniels with Rick & The Ravens. That credit distinction is everything here. The first pressing of this same single carries the simpler "Rick & The Ravens" group credit, making this variant the rarer and more sought-after of the two. The copy documented here is a white label promo, printed with "Promotional" and "Not For Sale" on both sides. For a release already scarce in any form, a promo copy elevates the collectibility considerably.

The label photo tells you everything you need to know about the physical presentation. It is a plain white promo label, which was standard practice for Aura Records promotional copies of the period. The typography is utilitarian, printed in black on white with no color or graphic embellishment. At the top, "AURA RECORDS" is printed in bold block lettering, flanked on either side by "PROMOTIONAL" and "NOT FOR SALE" in smaller caps, unmistakably marking this as a radio or industry copy. Below that, the track title "Soul Train" appears with the parenthetical "(Lou Sims)" indicating the songwriter credit. Beneath the title, the artist credit reads "RAY DANIELS" on one line and "with Rick & The Ravens" in smaller text beneath it, which is precisely the variant-defining credit that separates this pressing from its predecessor. The catalog number 4511-A is printed at the lower left, and the publisher credit reads "Little Fugitive Music/BMI" at the upper right, with a timing of 3:04 noted beside it. The label also states "Produced & Arranged by KING-COBRA PROD." on the left side. Along the outer rim of the label, in small curved type, runs the line "a subsidiary of world-pacific records / los angeles, california," which places Aura firmly within the World Pacific family of labels for context. The pressing is a standard 7-inch single; the label is clean with minimal visible wear in the photo. There are no picture sleeves known to accompany this release, so what you see is what the single shipped as, a bare promo disc.

The significance of this record for serious Doors collectors comes down to one man: Ray Manzarek. Before The Doors coalesced around Jim Morrison in 1965, Manzarek was fronting and playing with Rick & The Ravens, a blues and R&B outfit anchored by his brothers Rick and Jim Manzarek. Ray performed under the stage name "Screaming Ray Daniels" during this period, which is the "Ray Daniels" credit you see on this label. The Ravens' first release was the "Henrietta" / "Just For You" single, and "Soul Train" / "Geraldine" followed as their second. The group credit shift between the first and second pressings of this single, from simply "Rick & The Ravens" to "Ray Daniels with Rick & The Ravens," suggests a repositioning of Ray as the featured act, possibly a label or management decision to push his persona more directly. That change in billing makes this second pressing a distinct artifact from the first, not just a repress.

The Discogs data is instructive on just how scarce this specific variant is: 22 collectors report owning it, while 179 have it on their want list. That want-to-have ratio is steep by any measure and reflects genuine scarcity in the collector market, not manufactured hype. The promo designation adds another layer of difficulty in finding a clean copy. The A-side, "Soul Train," is published through Little Fugitive Music/BMI, and the B-side, "Geraldine," through Harbock Music BMI. Both sides are rooted firmly in early 1960s rock and roll and rhythm and blues idioms, a snapshot of where Manzarek was stylistically before the psychedelic direction he would help define with the Doors. If you collect pre-Doors Manzarek material, this sits alongside items like the Strange Days first pressing in terms of historical weight within a complete Doors-related collection, though it predates the band entirely. The second pressing rarity makes it harder to locate than the first, and a promo copy in collectible condition is a genuine find.

This is one of the rarest pieces in the pre-Doors discography. Fewer than 25 copies are confirmed in collections worldwide per Discogs, and the promo white label variant is the hardest configuration to source. If you are building a comprehensive Ray Manzarek or Rick & The Ravens collection, this second pressing, catalog 4511 on Aura Records, is a necessary acquisition. Do not expect to find it easily, and do not expect it to be cheap when it surfaces. For the serious collector, there is no substitute.