Ritual (5)
The Vinyl Countdown

Listening notes

Ritual (5) released "The Vinyl Countdown" in 1987 through Warrior Records, a twelve-inch single issued under catalog number WR12 001. Falling within the Funk / Soul genres, the release centers entirely on one track, "Sore Lip," presented across three distinct versions spread over both sides of the record.

The A-side is given over entirely to the Club Mix of "Sore Lip," running at six minutes and eleven seconds — a length consistent with the extended formats that dominated dance-oriented twelve-inch releases of the period. The B-side carries two additional versions: a Dub mix at four minutes and thirty-four seconds, and a Radio 7" edit clocking in at two minutes and fifty-eight seconds. The presence of a Radio 7" version on the B-side of a twelve-inch was a practical convention of the era, allowing DJs and programmers access to a more compact cut on a single pressing.

The catalog number, WR12 001, suggests this may have been among the earliest releases on Warrior Records, though the full extent of the label's output is not confirmed here. The formatting of the number — with "12" embedded to denote the twelve-inch format — follows a cataloging convention common among independent UK labels of the 1980s, though the label's country of origin is not confirmed by the available data.

Beyond the structural facts of the release, relatively little is currently documented about Ritual (5) or their broader discography. Collectors and researchers working in this area of mid-to-late 1980s Funk and Soul may find this record a useful reference point, but further verification of personnel, production, and label background would be needed before more detailed claims could be made.

This is an unreviewed draft. All details should be confirmed against primary sources before publication.