JOHN'S CHILDREN 'DESDEMONA' PSYCH/BEAT/MOD CLASSIC

	£		175
	$		232

‘Desdemona’ b/w ‘Remember Thomas A Beckett’ – TRACK 604003  – JOHN’S CHILDREN’ in mega-rare, picture sleeve.

Most of you reading this will already know the reputation that this band and particularly this single has acquired in the 38 years since its release.  For those interested there follows a little bit about the history and background of this legendary piece of rock musical history.  For those who know all you want to know already, I’ll cut to the chase here at the beginning and describe the condition of the record.

The vinyl cannot be described as anything less than near mint.  Mint, as far as I am concerned means it hasn’t been played or taken out of the sleeve.  This is the next best thing to that.   I’ve played it all the way through, carefully, on my Linn LP12 and it is audibly perfect and without defect.  The vinyl has that ‘day it was bought’ bloom to it and I can make out, very faintly, only two centring marks on the label.  Otherwise it is ‘fresh out of the bag’.

The sleeve is excellent.  If you have seen one of these sleeves, and frankly, not many people have, then you will know of the delicate, unlaminated, soft paper it is made from.  The bottom left corner of the sleeve is creased, the top left corner has a slight record impression and it has a few light handling marks.  Apart from that this is in really excellent condition.  To get one of these in this condition, i.e., the record is rare enough.  To get the two together, with so little wear to the paper sleeve is really quite remarkable.  The record itself is very rare.  The sleeve is like rocking horse doo-dah.  This will be one of the few times ever that this item is offered complete and  in this condition.

Before those of you not intending to read some of the background to this single stop reading, you need to know this; this issue is the one with the version of ‘Desdemona’ that has a lyric, (which I am not allowed to print here due ot ebay rules - Please email me regarding this), that got the song banned from airplay on the BBC and other radio stations – one of the reasons for such a great psychedelic single, being so rare.  Very few people even heard it at the time so very few people bought it. Later versions had those lyrics dubbed out.

This is the first single John’s Children cut with Marc Bolan in the band. With him on board, the band entered a more creative stage.  The Who’s manager, Kit Lambert, signed them to his new Track label, after EMI had refused to allow them to issue another track from their album, also with a title ebay rules will not allow as a third single. Instead, Bolan’s composition, Desdemona, was released and it is generally considered to be their finest moment.

It is the band's third single (Track 604 003, May '67), and possibly their best-known song. The original version was deemed unsuitable for airplay by the BBC due to the line mentioned earlier. A new vocal was overdubbed with the offending line changed to "why do you have to lie", and they also added an organ overdub to the new version.

Here's a press review of the single from '67: This is an intuitive tip for the Fifty - based on a feeling that this is very commercial though also rather different. Verse is well sung and the chorus, with "answering" voice in the background, is both catchy and impacty. Strong guitar in parts and the beat is just right. Rather a refreshing slice of pop. Flip: Noisier, also rather original - but not so strong. TOP FIFTY TIP.

Interestingly, Andy Ellison, John’s Children’s lead singer said in an interview when asked which was his most and least favorite John’s Children tune to play and hear, “Desdemona and Desdemona”!

The flip side,  ‘Remember Thomas A Beckett’ is supposed to be the first time a  pop song had mentioned flowers in a ‘love and peace’ context.

If you are serious about bidding for this and need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I have no reserve on this item, it will sell for whatever the top bid is.  This is a very rare opportunity to acquire one of the most important and sought after classics, complete with picture sleeve, of the mod/beat era as it entered the psychedelic phase.