ERIC CLAPTON, 461 Ocean Boulevard WHITE LABEL TEST PRESSING UK A1/B1

$

700

Eric Clapton ?– 461 Ocean Boulevard Label: RSO ?– 2479 118 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Test Pressing, White Label  Country: UK Released: 1974 Genre: Rock, Reggae, Blues, Non-Music, Folk, World, & Country Style: Blues Rock, Electric Blues, Classic Rock, Gospel Tracklist Hide Credits A1 Motherless Children Arranged By – Carl Radle, Eric Clapton Written-By – Traditional 4:55 A2 Give Me Strength Written-By – Eric Clapton 2:51 A3 Willie And The Hand Jive Written-By – Johnny Otis 3:45 A4 Get Ready Written-By – Eric Clapton, Yvonne Elliman 3:50 A5 I Shot The Sheriff Written-By – Bob Marley 4:30 B1 I Can't Hold Out Arranged By – Eric Clapton Written-By – Elmore James 4:10 B2 Please Be With Me Written-By – Charles Scott Boyer* 3:25 B3 Let It Grow Written-By – Eric Clapton 4:57 B4 Steady Rollin' Man Arranged By – Eric Clapton Written-By – Robert Johnson 3:14 B5 Mainline Florida Written-By – George Terry 4:05 Credits Art Direction – Bob Defrin Backing Vocals – George Terry (tracks: A5), Tom Bernfeld* (tracks: A3, B5), Yvonne Elliman (tracks: A5)  Bass – Carl Radle Clavichord – Albhy Galuten (tracks: B4)  Dobro – Eric Clapton (tracks: A2, A3)  Drums – Al Jackson* (tracks: A2), Jamie Oldaker (tracks: A1, A3 to B1, B3, B5), Jim Fox (2) (tracks: B4)  Electric Piano – Albhy Galuten (tracks: A4)  Engineer – Karl Richardson Engineer [Assistant] – Steve Klein Guitar – George Terry (tracks: A1 to A5, B2 to B5), Yvonne Elliman (tracks: B2)  Guitar [Guitars] – Eric Clapton (tracks: A1, A3 to B5)  Management [By Arrangement With] – The Robert Stigwood Organisation Mastered By – Howard Thompson (3) (tracks: KIP)  Organ – Dick Sims (tracks: A1 to B1, B3 to B5)  Percussion – Jamie Oldaker (tracks: B2)  Photography By – David Gahr Piano – Albhy Galuten (tracks: A1, A5, B3 to B5)  Producer – Tom Dowd Synthesizer [A R P] – Albhy Galuten (tracks: B3)  Vocals – Eric Clapton, George Terry (tracks: B2), Yvonne Elliman (tracks: A3, A4)

UK WHITE LABEL TEST PRESSING IN PLAIN CARD SLEEVE WITH PEN NOTATION OF ARTIST & LP TITLE ON REAR OF CARD SLEEVE.  DISC HOUSED IN PLAIN WHITE SLEEVE.

THIS IS A SERIOUSLY RARE ALBUM [THERE WERE PROBABLY LESS THAN 10 OF THESE PRESSED FOR LABEL EMPLOYEES AND ARTIST/MANAGEMENT PURPOSES].  WE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER ONE AND ARE NEVER LIKELY TO.  THERE ARE MORE USA SPECIALITY TEST PRESSINGS BY GEORGE PIROS THAN THERE ARE UK HOWARD THOMPSON 'KIP' ONES, AND THE GEORGE PIROS ONES ARE NOT EASY TO FIND THESE DAYS EITHER. 

EASILY ONE OF CLAPTON'S FINEST ALBUMS, HIS COME-BACK AFTER YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS.  IT ALSO FEATURED ONE OF HIS BIGGEST HITS, A SOLID VERSION OF BOB MARLEY'S 'I SHOT THE SHERIFF'. 

WHAT MAKES THIS PARTICULAR COPY SO RARE, AND SO SPECIAL TO CLAPTON COLLECTORS, IS THAT THIS TEST PRESSING IS MASTERED BY A DIFFERENT ENGINEER TO MOST OF THE COPIES ORIGINALLY RELEASED AND SOLD IN STORES.  THIS IS THE HOWARD THOMPSON, A1/B1 MASTERING, PROBABLY AT TRIDENT, WHICH, WHILST IT SEEMS TO HAVE MADE IT TO SOME RELEASED COPIES, WE HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN AN A1/B1 MATRIX ON A REGULAR RSO LABEL STOCK COPY.  EVERY COPY WE HAVE SEEN, SINCE THE DAY OF RELEASE, ARE THE A2/B2 & A2/B3 DENNIS BLACKMAN (BILBO) MASTERINGS.  

So, to round up: 

This white label test pressing in a plain white sleeve was mastered by Howard Thompson (KIP) and not by Dennis Blackman (BILBO), who mastered most of the actual released versions found in the first pressing run.  The USA first pressings were mastered by George Piros at Atlantic, and have a different sound altogether to the UK pressings - both are marvellous, but they are different.

There are subtle, but noticeable differences in the mastered sound between the KIP white label test pressing and BILBO regular pressings, the most noticeable of which is a larger lower end in the bass on the KIP mastering and slightly louder guitars on the BILBO mastering.  This was audibly obvious on a Rega RP10 turntable, it might not be so obvious on lesser turntables, and there may well be even more subtle differences on even higher end turntables and systems if you are lucky enough to own one.

The KIP mastering is cut closer to the label edge than the BILBO mastering, most noticeably on Side 2, where the B//1 KIP mastering has a 7/16ths of an inch run-out whereas the B//3 BILBO mastering has a 14/16ths of an inch run-out.

Here is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of musical history, one of EC's best albums in an almost non-existent mastering that will never be made available again - completists with the BILBO, George Piros, MFSL, etc. pressings will certainly need to own this one as well.  You are not likely to find a vinyl pressing closer to the source of the original vinyl mastering tape than this one is.  

Due to the rarity of this item, this LP is not returnable, it is sold 'As Is' as described by us - this is an auction listing with no reserve, the highest bidder wins...if you want a copy, don't let it slip away by placing a last minute bid that doesn't always win.

We have not overgraded it, we are a long-term eBay seller.  It is exactly as stated based on established Record Collector/Goldmine grading systems, nothing more and nothing less.

MATRIX:  SIDE A: 2479118 A//1 420 0 11 KIP 4.   SIDE B: 2479118 B//1 4200 1 1 3.

SLEEVE: VERY GOOD+, JUST LIGHT SHELF, CORNER, EDGE AND RING WEAR.  HAND WRITTEN TITLE ON REAR BY FORMER RECORD EMPLOYEE.

DISC[S]: VISUALLY EXCELLENT MINUS. NO SCRATCHES OR AUDIO DEFECTS, JUST A FEW VERY LIGHT HAIRLINES AND A COUPLE OF SPINDLE MARKS ON EACH LABEL SIDE. CLEAN LABELS. 

This copy appears to have been played once or twice previous to us, at most.  We have play-checked both sides on a Rega RP10 and it sounds amazing, with no skips or jumps and no noticable surface noises other than the odd static/dust tick.

• 2. CANADA SHIPPING BY INSURED & REGISTERED/SIGNED-FOR AIR MAIL IS $44.99 

      To protect buyer and seller, we will not ship this rare item any other way. 

• 3. ALL INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING [EXCEPT CANADA] BY INSURED & REGISTERED/SIGNED-FOR AIR MAIL IS $54.99

     To protect buyer and seller, we will not ship this rare item any other way.