KING CRIMSON 1st LP 1969 1st Press EARLIEST EVER

	£		1,230
	$		1,630

On offer here is an EXTREMELY rare LP (especially in this condition!!!!) by King Crimson called 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' and is an ORIGINAL 1969 UK 1st Pressing on the 1st Press Island label!!!!  THIS LP IS SERIOUSLY RARE AND SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND!!!!  THIS WAS KING CRIMSON'S FIRST & RAREST LP EVER - AND VIRTUALLY NEVER TURNS UP FOR SALE!!!!  BUT WHAT MAKES THIS LP REALLY SPECIAL IS THAT THIS IS THE 'EARLIEST POSSIBLE' 1ST PRESSING EVER TO COME UP FOR SALE - EVER!!!!  IT HAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MATRIXES - AND IS DOUBLE THE WEIGHT OF ANY NORMAL 1ST PRESSING OF THIS LP!!!!  AND AS SOME PEOPLE MAY REMEMBER, LAST YEAR I SOLD A 1ST PRESSING OF THIS LP WITH A//1 B//1 MATRIX ENDINGS - WHICH IS INDEED THE 'EARLIEST' RELEASED 1ST PRESSING OF THIS LP EVER MADE!!!!  HOWEVER THIS LP IS EVEN RARER STILL - AND COMES BEFORE EVEN THE A//1 B//1 MATRIX 1ST 'RELEASED' PRESSING!!!!   AND WHEN YOU CAREFULLY READ THROUGH MY EXPLAINATION BELOW - IT WILL BECOME VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS THE RAREST KING CRIMSON LP EVER TO BE PUT UP FOR SALE - EVER!!!!

I ACQUIRED THIS LP SOME YEARS AGO FROM AN EX ISLAND EMPLOYEE.  HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS INCREDIBLY COMPLEX LP - AND HE CLEARLY REMEMBERS THERE WERE MASSIVE PROBLEMS WITH IT.  MUSICALLY NOTHING LIKE THIS HAD EVER REALLY BEEN ATTEMPTED BEFORE BY ISLAND AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY HARD TO GET THE MIX & PRESSING SOUNDING 'RIGHT'.  HE REMEMBERS THAT MANY ATTEMPTS WERE MADE (AND VARIOUS 'CUTTING ENGINEERS' WERE BROUGHT IN), AND EVENTUALLY ISLAND PASSED OVER THE PRESSING OF THIS LP TO POLYDOR WHO PRESSED ALL THE 'SMOOTH' ISLAND LABELS FROM THIS PERIOD!!!!  IN FACT, POLYDOR ALSO TOOK OVER THE PRESSING OF NEARLY ALL ISLAND LPs AT THIS POINT - BECAUSE ISLANDs PRESSING PLANT SIMPLY COULDNT COPE WITH THE DEMAND FOR THEIR LPs.  THE I PREVIOUS OWNER CLEARLY REMEMBERS THAT AT LEAST THREE PRESSINGS WERE MADE BY ISLAND (ALL REJECTED) AND EVEN THE 1ST PRESS 'RELEASED' PRESSING (MADE BY POLYDOR) WITH A//1 B//1 MATRIXES, WAS VERY QUICKLY CHANGED TO A//2 B//2, THEN AGAIN TO A//2 B//3, AGAIN TO A//3 B//3, AND FINALLY (THE MOST COMMON PINK 'i' ISLAND PRESSING) TO A//2 B//4.  HOWEVER THESE WERE ALL POLYDOR PRESSINGS MADE FOR ISLAND BY POLYDOR - AND ALL OF THESE WERE ACTUALLY LATER THAN THIS AMAZINGLY EARLY TEST PRESSING MADE BY ISLAND THEMSELVES!!!!  

AS MANY PEOPLE WILL ALREADY KNOW (PARTICULARLY IF THEY COLLECT 1960s ISLAND LPs) THAT ALL ISLAND LPs FROM 1966 UNTIL 1969 (WHEN POLYDOR TOOK OVER THE PRESSING OF ISLAND LPs) WHERE PRESSED WITH 'LARGE' MATRIXES - USUALLY WITH A '+' BETWEEN THE CAT NUMBER & THE CORRESPONDING SIDE DIGITS.  FOR EXAMPLE - JETHRO TULLS FIRST LP IN MONO HAD 'ILP 985 + A' & 'ILP 985 + B' MATRIXES MADE IN LARGE MATRIX TEXT IN TYPICAL ISLAND STYLE!!!!  AND OF COURSE ALL VINYL PRESSED BY ISLAND THEMSELVES WAS MASSIVELY THICK, AND ALSO HAD 'TEXTURED' (OR PARTLY 'TEXTURED') LABELS!!!!  THIS WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO ALL LATER POLYDOR STANDARD 'PINK i' ISLAND PRESSINGS WHICH ALWAYS HAD SMOOTH LABELS, MUCH THINNER VINYL, AND LONG STRING OF MATRIX NUMBERS IN TINY TEXT!!!!  AND AS YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE FROM THE PICTURES OF THIS LP - THIS IMPOSSIBLY RARE 'TEST PRESSING' IS VERY DEFINITELY PRESSED BY ISLAND - AND NOT POLYDOR!!!!  

NOW WE HAVE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THAT THIS IMPOSSIBLY RARE 'TEST PRESSING' CAME BEFORE ANY POLYDOR PRESSING (EVEN THE A//1 B//1 POLYDOR MATRIXES!) IT IS TIME TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE MATRIX NUMBERS!!!!  AND AS YOU CAN VERY CLEARLY SEE FROM THE PICTURES - THEY ARE STAMPED IN THE 'EARLIEST' 1ST PRESS 'LARGE' ISLAND TEXT 'ILPS 9111 + A3' ILPS 9111 + B3' (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE MUCH MUCH LATER A//3 B//3 MATRIXES PRESSED BY POLYDOR!)!!!!  WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS THE 3RD AND FINAL UNRELEASED ATTEMPT BY ISLAND TO GET THE MIX ABSOLUTELY CORRECT (EVENTUALLY REJECTED!)!!!!  AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL - THIS WAS BEFORE ANY POLYDOR PRESSING WAS EVEN MADE (EVEN A//1 B//1!)!!!!  AND THIS IS COMPLETELY UNHEARD OF ON THIS LP!!!!  I HAVE NEVER EVER SEEN OR HEARD OF GENIUNE ISLAND UK MATRIXES EVER EVEN EXISTING ON THIS LP BEFORE NOW!!!!  BUT HERE THEY ARE!!!!  NOT ONLY THAT - BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THIS LP WAS ALSO VERY CERTAIN INDEED, THAT NO COPIES OF THE PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS BY ISLAND (WHICH WERE PROBABLY +A/+B MATRIX ENDINGS & +A2/+B2 MATRIX ENDINGS) EVER GOT OUT OF THE FACTORY AND WERE DESTROYED AFTER REJECTION!!!!  AND HE CLEARLY REMEMBERS THAT THIS PARTICULAR LP WOULD HAVE ALSO GONE THE SAME WAY TOO - HAD HE NOT ASKED FOR THIS COPY FOR HIMSELF!!!!  NOT ONLY THAT - BUT ANOTHER THING THAT SHOWS JUST HOW 'EARLY' THIS 'TEST PRESSING' IS IN THE LINE OF THE SEQUENCE IT THAT IT HAS PLAIN DULL GREYISH LABELS!!!!  OFTEN 'WHITE LABELS' ARE OFTEN TOUTED AS 'TEST PRESSINGS' BUT IN REALITY - COPIES WITH A WHITE LABEL WERE OFTEN PRESSED IN 10s OR 100s TO BE SENT OUT TO RADIO STATIONS, ETC AS PROMO COPIES.  THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS LP IS THAT IT IS A 'TRUE TEST PRESSING' NEVER MADE FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN TO BE PLAYED AND DISCARDED!!!!  NOT ONLY THAT BUT IF YOU COMPARE THE 'GROOVES' ON THIS LP TO A STANDARD 1ST PRESSING YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!!!  AND THE 1 PREVIOUS OWNER CLEARLY REMEMBERS THAT THE LABELS FOR THIS LP HADNT EVEN BEEN COMPLETED WHEN THIS TEST PRESSING WAS EVEN MADE!!!!  SO THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT AT ALL - THAT THIS IS THE 'EARLIEST' 1ST PRESSING OF THIS LP EVER TO COME UP FOR SALE (WAY BEFORE ANY OF THE POLYDOR PRESSINGS - EVEN A//1 B//1 WAS MUCH LATER!) AND HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE RAREST PROGRESSIVE LPs EVER TO BE OFFERED FOR SALE - EVER!!!!  NOT ONLY THAT BUT THIS LP IS IN BRILLIANT CONDITION AND CLEARLY HASNT BEEN PLAYED MUCH AT ALL!!!!  JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE PICTURES!!!!  THIS IS THE ORIGINAL 1969 UK 'EARLIEST POSSIBLE' 1ST PRESSING ON THE 'EARLIEST' 1ST PRESS PLAIN ISLAND 'TEST PRESS' LABEL, 'EARLIEST' 1ST PRESS 'LARGE TEXT' ISLAND MATRIXES, 1ST PRESS INNER SLEEVE, AND 'EARLIEST' 1ST PRESS 'E.J.DAY' GATEFOLD COVER!!!!  THIS LP IS SERIOUSLY RARE AND SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND LIKE THIS - SO DONT MISS OUT ON THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY!!!!  This is the ORIGINAL UK 'Earliest' 1st Pressing (Test Pressing!) from 1969 and is in BRILLIANT condition!!!! The record is pressed on MEGA thick quality vinyl. The Cat. No is ILPS 9111 on the ORIGINAL 'Earliest' 1st Press Plain Island 'Test Press' label (see picture) and is a 1969 Stereo 1st pressing (there were NO Monos)!!!! 

The record labels are in BRILLIANT condition (see pictures) with NO wear, NO writing, and barely ANY spindle marks AT ALL!!!!  IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS RECORD HAS BARELY BEEN PLAYED AT ALL!!!!  I was also informed by the 1 previous owner (who worked for Island) that the labels were once a VERY dark black - though they have faded slightly more to 'grey' over the years and there are a few fingerprint traces on either label.  The vinyl is in SUPERB condition!!!!  Most of these 60s/70s LPs had been to a lot of wild parties and are usually found totally worn out, and almost unplayable. This one is NOT and has NO scratches, NO hairlines, only 1 ULTRA light scuffline, and only a VERY few of the lightest paper scuffs only visible under light!!!!  ITS AS SIMPLE AS THAT!!!!  THE RECORD STILL RETAINS ITS ORIGINAL 'JUST PRESSED' LOOK AND LOOKS SUPERB!!!!  It is also great to find that the record plays as STUNNINGLY as the visual with NO pops, NO sticking, NO jumps, and barely ANY crackle AT ALL!!!!  The sound quality is simply SUPERB with NO groovewear, and NO distortion either!!!!  The record must grade FULL Excellent if not Excellent+!!!! SUPERB RECORD!!!!  Believe me this record is NOT overgraded in ANY way!!!! I use STRICT RC grading standards - it is not in my interest not to!!!! Brillant!!!!  The record also comes in its ORIGINAL 1st Press inner sleeve!!!!  The 'Earliest' 1st Press 'E.J.Day' Gatefold Cover is in absolutely BRILLIANT condition!!!! It has barely ANY edge wear (NOT through the colour!), barely ANY spinal wear AT ALL, NO rubbing AT ALL to the cover front, barely ANY rubbing AT ALL to the cover back, only slight corner wear (NOT through the colour), only a VERY few light creases (cover is VERY flat looking indeed!), and NO writing!!!!  The opening edges are beautifully straight with NO feathering!!!! Even the unlaminated inside is in STUNNING condition with NO grubbyness, NO rubbing, NO yellowing and NO writing!!!!  There is also some very VERY minor 'touching in' to the VERY edges of the cover - though this is EXTREMELY well done, is VERY unnoticeable indeed, and only serves to enhance what is already a BRILLIANT conditioned cover!!!!  This cover must grade Very Good++++ if not better!!!!  THIS LP IS QUITE SIMPLY ONE OF THE RAREST (IF NOT THE RAREST!) LPS YOU WILL EVER SEE - AND YOU WILL SURELY NEVER GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO OWN THE 'EARLIEST' 1ST PRESSING OF THIS LP EVER TO COME UP FOR SALE!!!!  THIS REALLY DOES HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AS A TRUE 'ONCE IN LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!!!!  THIS LP IS SERIOUSLY RARE AND SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND - SO DONT MISS OUT ON THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY!!!!

HAVE A LOOK AT MY PICTURES - I DO MY BEST TO SHOW THE RECORD FROM ALL ANGLES AND MAKE THE PICTURES AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE - THERE IS NOTHING TO HIDE!!!! It really is a GREAT looking LP and it is truly rare to find any copies of this MEGA RARE LP!!!! THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY CHANCE TO BUY AN ORIGINAL 1969 UK 'EARLIEST POSSIBLE' 1ST PRESSING OF "IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING" BY KING CRIMSON, IN BRILLIANT CONDITION!!!!    Dont forget to take a look at all my other items including many other TOP LPs and contact me with any queries you may have. P&P £3 in the UK, £4 Europe, £6 Rest Of The World (Postal discounts are available - see below for details).  Paypal, Bank Transfers, Cheques, International Money Orders, and Postal Orders accepted. Thanks for looking! Cheers!!!!!

 

On 24-Nov-02 at 12:19:15 GMT, seller added the following information:

Pay me securely with any major credit card through PayPal!