Search Results for “test pressing”

Index – The Index 1980’s U.S. psych Voxx LP

Offered for sale is a U.S. copy of The Index, the first album by the Michigan garage/psych band of the same name.

About this copy: This copy of The Index is a 1984 reissue on Voxx Records of an album that was originally issued as a private pressing of 150 copies in 1968.

The cover is M- and still has the original shrink wrap. The disc is M- with a couple of faint sleeve scuffs.

A nice copy of a scarce, raw psych classic that sells for thousands of dollars as an original pressing.

Background: Released in 1968, The Index, (also known as the “black album,”) was the first of two albums by the band of the same name from Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

The album was reportedly pressed in an edition of 150 copies that were mostly given to friends.

The album has achieved a cult following for its raw, unpolished sound.

Allmusic.com gave The Index a 4 star review:

A haunting psychedelic oddity that’s sort of a timewarp meeting place between the Byrds, Dick Dale, Hendrix, and the Velvet Underground. With their raw garage attack and over-the-top enthusiasm for feedback and wah-wah, the Index were very much of their time; with their brooding minimalism and savage, almost experimental electric guitar electronics, they sound oddly contemporary. Highlighted by the greatest cover of “Eight Miles High” ever attempted, and the closing instrumental bash of “Feedback,” which is fierce psychedelic guitar distortion pushed to its white-noise limit.

You can listen to “Turquoise Feline” here:

Country of origin:	U.S.
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Voxx
Catalog Number:	200.023
Year of Release:	1984
Format:	Mono
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Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms Quiex II vinyl promotional U.S. LP

dire straits - brothers in arms u.s. promotional lp

Offered for sale is a U.S. promotional copy of Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits, pressed on high-quality Quiex II vinyl.

About this copy: This copy of Brothers in Arms is an original U.S. pressing on the Warner Brothers label.

The cover is VG+ with slight corner and edge wear and a bit of ring wear on the back cover.

There are two stickers on the front cover; one indicating a “Quiex II Limited Edition Pressing” and the other indicating that the album was intended for promotional use only.

The custom inner sleeve is VG, with taped splits on three sides.

The disc is VG++ on side one, and VG+ on side two, with a few light scuffs on each side.

The disc plays fairly quietly with a few pops in the more quiet spots.

A nice, if not perfect, copy of a rare Dire Straits LP and the first promotional copy we’ve had in years.

Background: Released in 1985, Brothers in Arms was the fifth album by Dire Straits.

The album reached #1 on the charts in at least ten countries, including the U.S. and the UK.

Allmusic.com gave Brothers in Arms a 4 star review:

Brothers in Arms brought the atmospheric, jazz-rock inclinations of Love Over Gold into a pop setting, resulting in a surprise international best-seller. …. Dire Straits had never been so concise or pop-oriented, and it wore well on them. Though they couldn’t maintain that consistency through the rest of the album — only the jazzy “Your Latest Trick” and the flinty “Ride Across the River” make an impact — Brothers in Arms remains one of their most focused and accomplished albums, and in its succinct pop sense, it’s distinctive within their catalog.

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Country of origin:	U.S.
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Warner Brothers
Catalog Number:	25264-1
Year of Release:	1985
Format:	Stereo
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Joni Mitchell – Joni Mitchell Japan record club LP

Offered for sale is a copy of the 1978 LP Joni Mitchell by Joni Mitchell, a compilation sold only through the Japanese Sony Family Club record club.

About this copy: This copy of Joni Mitchell is a 1978 pressing on the Reprise label.

The cover is VG, with light general wear and some wear on the edges and corners. There are no splits.

The lyric insert is M-. This album was issued without an obi.

The disc is M- and looks like it may have been played no more than once. Beautiful disc!

A nice copy of a scarce Joni Mitchell LP

Background: In 1978, a number of greatest hits compilation albums by major recording artists were released in Japan only through the Sony Family Club record club.

Joni Mitchell contains the following tracks:

I Had A King
Cactus Tree
Chelsea Morning
Both Sides, Now
Conversation
Big Yellow Taxi
The Priest
The Circle Game
My Old Man
Carey
Blue
This Flight Tonight

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Reprise
Catalog Number:	FCPA-1041
Year of Release:	1978
Format:	Stereo
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AC/DC – Back in Black original Japan LP with obi

Offered for sale is an original Japanese pressing of Back in Black by AC/DC, including the original obi and lyric insert.

About this copy: This copy of Back in Black is a 1980 pressing on the Atlantic label.

The cover is VG++ and close to M-, with slight wear at the mouth. The obi is M-. The insert is M-.

The disc is VG++ and close to M-, with a couple of very faint sleeve scuffs and a few spindle marks.

A nice copy of a terrific LP that’s very hard to find as a Japanese pressing.

Background: Released in 1980, Back in Black is the seventh studio album by AC/DC, and one of the best-selling albums of all time.

This was the first album with Brian Johnson on vocals.

The album reached #1 on the U.S. album charts and has sole more than 25 million copies in the U.S. alone.

Allmusic.com gave Back in Black a 5 star review:

The first sound on Back in Black is the deep, ominous drone of church bells — or “Hell’s Bells,” as it were, opening the album and AC/DC’s next era with a fanfare while ringing a fond farewell to Bon Scott, their late lead singer who partied himself straight to hell. … Brian Johnson’s screech is a dead ringer for Scott’s growl. … Song for song, they deliver not just mammoth riffs but songs that are anthems, from the greasy “Shoot to Thrill” to the pummeling “Back in Black,” which pales only next to “You Shook Me All Night Long,” the greatest one-night-stand anthem in rock history. That tawdry celebration of sex is what made AC/DC different from all other metal bands — there was no sword & sorcery, no darkness, just a rowdy party, and they never held a bigger, better party than they did on Back in Black.

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Atlantic
Catalog Number:	P-10906A
Year of Release:	1980
Format:	Stereo
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Elvis Presley – Elvis Golden Records Vol 2. 1984 sealed virgin vinyl remastered U.S. mono LP

elvis presley - elvis' golden records vol. 2 u.s. digitally remastered mono lp

Offered for sale is a still sealed digitally remastered mono pressing of Elvis’ Golden Records Vol 2. by Elvis Presley, complete with the original “obi” banner.

This album is also known as 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Golden Records Vol. 2.

About this copy: This copy of Elvis’ Golden Records Vol 2 is a 1984 pressing on the RCA label of an album that was originally released in 1959.

As the record is still sealed, the disc is presumably new and unplayed.

The wrap is fully intact with no rips, tears, or holes.

The “obi” banner reads, “A Collectible – The Definitive Rock Classic Restored To Original Mono Digitally Remastered Quality Pressing On Heavy Virgin Vinyl.”

The “obi” is fully intact with no tears. There is a sticker on the wrap indicating that it was imported from the United States, as this particular copy was originally sold in Canada, though it is a U.S. pressing.

A nice copy of a classic LP that is very difficult to find complete, as the banner was usually discarded after purchase.

Background: Released in March, 1958, Elvis’ Golden Records was the first compilation album by Elvis Presley.

The album reached #31 on the U.S. charts and has sold more than one million copies.

The album was originally released in mono, but in the late 1950s, a rechanneled stereo version became available for stereo buyers. This version added a lot of reverb and sounded terrible compared to the original mono.

When mono albums were discontinued in 1968, the “fake stereo” version of this album was the only version available for purchase.

In 1984, RCA Records finally reissued the album in the original mono and pressed the records on high-quality virgin vinyl. These releases had a banner, similar to the “obi” found on Japanese releases, that advertised the albums virtues.

Allmusic.com gave Elvis Presley a 4 1/2 star review:

The release of this album, seen in its proper historical context, is an indicator of just how bright Elvis Presley’s star shone in the late ’50s. His first hits collection was issued in March 1958, on the eve of his going into the Army; his second was the first “volume two” greatest-hits album ever issued on a rock & roll star, appearing weeks ahead of his leaving the Army in March 1960. Anyone who buys the notion that Elvis was “tamed” during his first years at RCA will find revelation in “A Big Hunk of Love,” “I Need Your Love Tonight,” and “I Got Stung,” some of the greatest pieces of hard rock & roll that the King ever cut — and all were recorded in the midst of Elvis’ stay in the Army, in a hastily arranged session in Nashville during June 1958. By this time, his voice was becoming one of the finest instruments in rock & roll, his idolization of Dean Martin and other popular singers paying off with a degree of control and articulation that his rivals could only envy, and it’s all laid out here on what are still some pretty hard-rocking sides.

Country of origin:	U.S.
Size:	12″
Record Label:	RCA
Catalog Number:	AFM1-5197
Year of Release:	1984
Format:	Mono
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John Lennon/Yoko Ono – Two Virgins sealed original U.S. LP with bag and sticker

Offered for sale is a still sealed original U.S. pressing of Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

This is the album with the infamous “nude cover” that the record company hid by placing the cover inside a brown outer sleeve.

Unlike most albums, this LP was not shipped from the factory with a shrink wrap seal. The album was sealed using a sticker to hold the album closed. While counterfeit copies of this album are quite common, original sealed copies are very rare.

About this copy: This copy of Two Virgins is an original 1968 U.S. pressing on the Apple label. This LP was actually pressed and distributed by the tiny Tetragrammaton Records label, as Capitol Records refused to distribute it.

As the album is still sealed, the record is presumably new and unplayed.

The outer cover is VG+, with just slight wear along the top and bottom edges where the seams of the bag are glued together. There are a couple of tiny white spots on the wrapper.

There is no general wear on the cover and the corners have only trace wear. The sticker is fully intact with no tears or splits.

A beautiful copy of an album that’s almost impossible to find in this condition and the only sealed copy we’ve ever seen.

Background: Released in November 1968, Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins was the first solo project by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

The album became infamous at the time of its release due to the controversial cover, which depicted Lennon and Yoko nude, both forwards and backwards.

Buyers were disappointed to discover that the album contained no “music” in any traditional sense, but was instead a rather avant-garde work of noise, song fragments, and dialogue.

The album did not chart in the UK, but reached #124 in a brief run on the U.S. charts.

The album has been heavily counterfeited, which understates how rare the original copies are, as the album only sold 25,000 copies in the United States.

Allmusic.com gave Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins a generous 1 1/2 star review:

At the time of its release, this duo album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono gained its greatest notice for its cover, a photograph that depicted the two standing before the camera naked. The recording, too, can be described as naked, in that it contains no music that would interfere with one’s ability to hear the normal sounds of life. The record is not unlike what you might get if you turned on a tape recorder for a random half-hour in your home — snatches of inaudible conversation far away from the microphone, footsteps, wind, and so on.

Country of origin:	U.S.
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Apple/ Tetragrammaton
Catalog Number:	T-5001
Year of Release:	1968
Format:	Stereo
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Big Brother & the Holding Company (Janis Joplin) – Cheap Thrills Japan LP with obi

Offered for sale is a Japanese copy of Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin, including the original obi.

About this copy: This copy of Cheap Thrills is a 1974 pressing on the CBS/Sony label of an album that was originally released in 1968.

The cover is VG++, with faint general wear. The obi is M-. The insert is M-.

This particular pressing did not include a gatefold cover.

The disc is VG++ on side one, with a faint inaudible scuff across the entire side. Side two is M-. There are 3-4 spindle marks on each of the labels, suggesting that the disc has only been played a few times.

A nice copy of a classic LP.

Background: 1968’s Cheap Thrills was the album that made Janis Joplin a star, and the cover by R. Crumb is well-remembered, too.

The album reached #1 on the U.S. album chart and has sold more than two million copies.

Allmusic.com gave the album 5 stars:

When Cheap Thrills appeared in August 1968 — sporting a Robert Crumb cover on its gatefold jacket that constituted the most elaborate album design ever lavished on a rock album from Columbia Records, as well as a pop-art classic rivaling the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s jacket — it shot into the charts, reaching number one and going gold within a couple of months, and “Piece of My Heart” became a Top 40 hit and helped to propel the LP to over a million sales. Joplin, with her ear- (and vocal cord-) shredding voice, was the obvious standout. Nobody had ever heard singing as emotional, as desperate, as determined, or as loud as Joplin’s, and Cheap Thrills was her greatest moment. Big Brother’s backup, typical of the guitar-dominated sound of San Francisco psychedelia, made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in precision. But everybody knew who the real star was, and Joplin played her last gig with Big Brother while the album was still on top of the charts. Neither she nor the band would ever equal it. Heard today, Cheap Thrills is a musical time capsule and remains a showcase for one of rock’s most distinctive singers.

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	CBS/Sony
Catalog Number:	SOPN-74
Year of Release:	1974
Format:	Stereo
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Gentle Giant – Octopus UK LP

Offered for sale is an early UK pressing of Octopus by Gentle Giant.

This LP features cover art by Roger Dean that was not used on the U.S. cover.

About this copy: This copy of Octopus is a 1974 pressing on the “spaceship” Vertigo label of an album that was originally released in 1972 on the “swirl” Vertigo label.

The cover is VG++ and close to M- with very slight ring wear.

The disc is M- and looks unplayed. Clean disc!

A nice copy of a terrific LP.

Background: Released in late 1972, Octopus was the fourth album by Gentle Giant.

The album reached #170 on the U.S. album charts.

Allmusic.com gave Octopus a 4 1/2 star review:

Returning to Gentle Giant’s fourth album after any kind of lengthy absence, it’s astonishing just how little Octopus has dated. Often written off at the time as a pale reflection of the truly gargantuan steps being taken by the likes of Jethro Tull and Barclay James Harvest, the band’s closest relatives in the tangled skein of period prog, Gentle Giant often seemed more notable for its album art than its music. Octopus, however, marries the two seamlessly, with the cover speaking for itself, of course. And the mood continues within, the deliciously convoluted opening “The Advent of Panurge” itself riding waves of sonic tentacles as Gary Green’s guitar shrieks short but so effective bursts around the thundering bass and, occasionally, churchy organ. …. And the end result is an album that has withstood the test of time a lot better than anyone might have expected.

Country of origin:	UK
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Vertigo
Catalog Number:	6360 080
Year of Release:	1974
Format:	Stereo
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Buffalo Springfield – Buffalo Springfield Again Japan LP with obi

Offered for sale is a Japanese pressing of Buffalo Springfield’s second album, Buffalo Springfield Again, including the original obi.

About this copy: This copy of Buffalo Springfield Again is a 1972 Japanese pressing on the Atlantic label of an album that was originally released in 1967 (but was not released in Japan until 1971.)

The cover is M-, with trace corner wear. The obi is M-. The lyric insert is VG+, with slight fading on one edge, but no tears or writing.

The disc is M- with a couple of spindle marks on the labels, but no marks on the vinyl. Clean disc!

A nice early pressing of a terrific LP.

Background: Released in October 1967, Buffalo Springfield Again was the second of three albums by Buffalo Springfield.

The album reached #44 on the U.S. album charts, though it’s generally regarded as the band’s best album.

Allmusic.com gave Buffalo Springfield Again a 5 star review:

Due in part to personnel problems which saw Bruce Palmer and Neil Young in and out of the group, Buffalo Springfield’s second album did not have as unified an approach as their debut. Yet it doesn’t suffer for that in the least — indeed, the group continued to make major strides in both their songwriting and arranging, and this record stands as their greatest triumph. …Although a slightly uneven record that did not feature the entire band on several cuts, the high points were so high and plentiful that its classic status cannot be denied.

This item is eligible for PayPal Credit financing by PayPal. U.S. customers may choose to pay later at checkout, and may receive up to six months financing with no interest. Click the banner below for more information. (opens in a new window)

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Atlantic
Catalog Number:	P-8054A
Year of Release:	1972
Format:	Stereo
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Miles Davis – Vol. 2 Japan 10 inch LP with obi

Offered for sale is a limited edition Japanese pressing of the 10 inch LP Volume 2 by Miles Davis, including the original obi.

About this copy: This copy of Volume 2 is a 1999 pressing on the Blue Note label of an album that was originally released in 1953.

We believe this album to be unplayed new old stock.

The cover, obi and insert are M-.

The disc is M- with a faint inaudible sleeve scuff through the first track on side one. Beautiful disc!

A nice copy of a fairly scarce Miles Davis LP.

Background: Released in 1954, Volume 2 was the fifth album by Miles Davis

Allmusic.com gave Volume 2 a 4 star review:

Like Miles Davis, Vol. 1, this set features arrangements in the order that they were recorded. (Vol. 2 contains the second Blue Note session, while Vol. 1 focused on the first and third.) This 1953 date was the most inspired, overtly beboppish of Davis’ three Blue Note sessions — an ambitious showcase for modern jazz’s greatest composers (J.J. Johnson, Ray Brown, Bud Powell, Jimmy Heath, Walter Fuller, and Dizzy Gillespie), and a remarkable rhythm section (drummer Art Blakey, bassist Percy Heath, and the obscure pianist Gil Coggins). A dynamic front line of Davis, trombonist J.J. Johnson, and the bassist’s brother Jimmy Heath on tenor saxophone, gives each tune big-band weight and texture….The joy with which Davis and Blakey morph between swing and Afro-Cuban rhythms, blues, and bop phrasing, is what jazz is all about.

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Blue Note
Catalog Number:	TOJJ-5022
Year of Release:	1999
Format:	Mono
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