Kinks-Face to Face-Reprise-MONO-66 LP STRANGE PROMO EX

$

41

I barely even know what to say about this one other than I believe it is truly one of a kind.  I have tried my hardest to research what I have here, but there is absolutely NO info on this particular version of this LP.

Lets start from the top.  On first glance this is a EX 1966 Tri-Color Mono edition of "Face To Face" by The Kinks.  It is in unprecedented condition, still has the shrinkwrap on it, and features the original Reprise "Tri-Color" mono labels.  If I gave you only this amount of information and left it at that, it would no doubt sell for the going rate.  I have sold around 7 Kinks albums from this particular collection, so I'm no stranger to what they're worth.   However....there's something a little....different about this particular copy of Face To Face.  Something I've never seen before, and something no one else on any forum or record store seems to know anything about.

Now I am fully aware that the standard Promo version features a white label.  I also know that the official later pressing has the yellow or yellow/orange "70's" style Reprise labels.  What makes this an oddity is that there is a gold foil "Promotional Album" sticker on both the jacket of the album and the inner sleeve.  This sticker comes courtesy of "Columbia Special Products".  Columbia Special Products (or Col Sp as it is referred to in some guides) was a project that took some of the lesser selling LPs from the catalog and would reissue some of the remaining copies in limited quantities for various reasons.  So far this makes this a little easier to understand.  It's not a reprint or repress, simply a leftover copy that didn't sell the first time around.

On the back of the album in tiny letters is stamped "From Richard Kastner Co. Promotional Copy Only".  I don't quite understand the correlation between the two companies, but it's there nonetheless.  On the outer shrinkwrap is a sticker for "Arlan's Department Store".  I contacted the original owner of this collection to get any more details that he might have about this record in particular.  From what he explained to me, he had worked at Arlan's in the late 60's/early 70's (which would explain the wealth of rare promos his collection features).  He said that this was most likely a copy they received for In Store Play Only.  Apparently they were sent many records for this purpose all of the time.  Since no one at Arlan's had any interest in playing it in the store, they just slapped a price tag on it and put it on the shelf.  He quickly snatched it up, listened to it a few times and it was never heard from again until it came into my possession.  I can't imagine that the store received or sold too many more copies of this, as not many people were interested in this album the first time around.

I've tried finding any more information on this strange promo, but what I've just told you is all I could find after a few years of searching on google and asking record collectors.  No one has ever heard of anything like this, and has certainly never seen anything like it.  The best information I've heard is that when Arlan's Department Store received a promo record from Columbia Special Products, they could then choose to either order more copies if they thought it would sell, or just ignore it and not order any more.  Since almost no stores would consider this a "hot-seller", these promos are very unique, thus making them a rarity in the Kinks discography.  I'm sure most of these promos were disposed of by the stores, no more copies were ordered, thus the "Columbia Special Products" release of the remaining copies of "Face To Face" were also scrapped accordingly.

Interested yet?  Since I don't have any more information, it is difficult to judge the exact rarity.  If anyone has ever seen or heard of a similar copy, feel free to let me know.  All I know for sure is that searching the internet for an explanation gets absolutely no results.

Here's the Matrix Numbers for anyone interested:

Side 1:  10595 R-6228-A 1-C
Side 2:  10596 R-6228-B 1-D

Onto the actual physical description now for everyone still on board!
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The Cover:

The album jacket appears almost as if this was a brand new item.  It has been preserved in storage for roughly 40 years in its original factory shrink, kept away from all light sources and other elements.  The corners are still sharp except for the lower right which has a slight warp/bend.  The front cover still has 100% of its glossy sheen.  There has been no fading whatsoever, so the colors have remained bright and vivid.  The back cover is still very white and clean except for the lower left corner portion which has some tanning.  The spine and all of the edges are all perfectly straight with no feathering, spotting, tanning, etc.  There isn't much more that can be said about the jacket of this album. Except for the slight bend in one corner it appears almost exactly the way a brand new copy would.  As noted before, there is a gold foil promotional sticker on the front of the jacket, and the Richard Kastner Promotional Copy stamp on the back cover, both on the jacket themselves.  The shrinkwrap has a small price tag from Arlan's Department Stores (it was purchased for $1.18 for anyone interested).  I'm sure all stickers can be removed by slowly and carefully steaming them off if desired, but I can't guarantee it.

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Inner Sleeve:

The sleeve is the original clear plastic perforated one that came with the LP.  It also features the same exact gold foil sticker as found on the front of the jacket.
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The Vinyl:

The vinyl is a NM gem that sparkles and shines like it was new.  It is a very strong EX with only a few slight hairlines.  The labels are pristine and clean with no spindle marks.  The vinyl itself is as new as you could possibly find it, and I stress once again that it has been played only a handful of times over the past 4 decades.  The LP has been kept safely in storage, not giving it any real chance to have been mishandled or treated poorly.  I have played it exactly twice, and was handled with extreme care while doing so.  I would grade the vinyl NM if not for the few slight hairlines that do not affect playback in any way.  This album sounds AMAZING in all of its original mono glory!
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Even if we ignore the "Promotional" characteristics of this album, and take it for a standard Mono edition, it is one of the best you are ever likely to find.  The corner bend is really the only noticeable defect on the entire package.  Taken for what it's worth, it would most definitely be an upgrade from a large majority of copies floating around these days.  It is extremely close to being as brand new as it was when it was on the shelf at Arlan's so many years ago.  This copy is presented in a condition worthy of its contents by all means.  Keep in mind that regardless of this being some sort of strange attempt at a re-issue, it was re-issued from a leftover very early pressing, thus the Tri-Colored Mono Reprise labels.

If you decide to take into effect the information I've been working very hard to gather about the release details, this LP suddenly jumps into one-of-a-kind territory.  I may be wrong, but I honestly don't think another one of these even exists out there.  I have a strong feeling that most of these in-store promo copies were discarded or sold off to employees (as is the case with this particular one).   If anyone can tell me otherwise I would love to know.  It would be great for all the searching that I've done to finally be worth it!

Take a chance on this strange, scarce record!  At very worst you will be getting an EX version of this 40 year old gem.  Best case scenario is that this turns out to be as rare as I think it to be, and you will own a truly unique item in the Kinks Katalog!!!
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