PLAINSONG/IAN MATTHEWS NOW WE ARE 3 INSANELY RARE ORIG UNRELEASED TEST PRESSING

$

431

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  NEARLY 500  LISTED ITEMS

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·       PLAINSONG featuring IAN MATTHEWS – NOW WE ARE 3 –  INSANELY RARE ORIGINAL 1972 BRITISH TEST PRESSING OF UNRELEASED SECOND ALBUM!!! -  ORIGINAL BRITISH PRESSING - ORIGINAL 1972 ELEKTRA RECORDS (UK)  STEREO LP (NO NUMBER, BUT STAMPED MATRICES CLEARLY INDICATE THAT ELEKTRA (UK) ALREADY HAD CATALOG NUMBER ASSIGNED WHEN THE RELEASE WAS SCRAPPED: K-42136

·       ORIGINAL U.K. PRESSING

*** INSANELY RARE, PROBABLY ONE-OF-A-KIND UNRELEASED ELEKTRA TEST PRESSING: NO COPIES HAVE EVER TURNED UP FOR SALE AND NO EXISTENCE OF THIS PRESSING HAS EVER BEEN DOCUMENTED: THIS IS THE FIRST, LAST AND ONLY COPY YOU WILL EVER SEE ***

·       PLAIN, GENERIC TEST PRESSING LABEL WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION WHATSOEVER EXCEPT FOR "A" SIDE DESIGNATION HANDRWITTEN IN THIN RED MARKER..

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.K. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       FAIRLY THICK VINYL PRESSING On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the thickness of the vinyl as 7.

·       THE MATRIX NUMBER IN THE TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) OF THE RECORD IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL, FIRST, 1972 PRESSING OF THIS ALBUM AND WITH ELEKTRA (UK) NUMBERING CONVENTIONS AT THE TIME

·       PLEASE NOTE: THIS TEST PRESSING APPARENTLY NEVER HAD A CUSTOM SLEEVE;  THE ALBUM WILL BE SHIPPED IN A PLAIN, GENERIC [WHITE] CARDBOARD SLEEVE WITH HANDWRITTEN TENTATIVE SONG TITLES, NAME OF THE INTENDED RECIPIENT ("FOR ANNE") AND IDENTIFICATION AS PLAINSONG'S SECOND ALBUM ("PLAINSONG #2). TEST PRESSINGS ARE RARELY – IF EVER – FOUND IN CUSTOM (STOCK) SLEEVES.

·       MACHINE-STAMPED MATRIX NUMBER IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) OF THE RECORD

·       MATRIX NUMBER IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) ENDS WITH '-A1/-B2'.  ON SOME LABELS,  SUFFIX '–1' DENOTES THE VERY FIRST, ORIGINAL PRESSING)

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you'll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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Plainsong was a country rock/folk rock band formed by Andy Roberts and Iain (then Ian) Matthews in early 1972, along with Dave Richards, and Bob Ronga. Following the release of their classic LP "In Search Of Amelia Earhart" the group toured extensively and then set about recording a second album. Before these sessions were completed the band disbanded. In less than a year, Plainsong had been born, made an indelible mark on musical history and then disappeared. After the first album was released (to little or no commercial success), the second album (tentatively titled 'Now We Are 3' was recorded, but the group disintegrated before the album was to be  released. In any event, given the abysmal commercial failure of the first album on both sides of the Atlantic, neither Elektra (UK) nor Elektra (US) showed any inclination to release the second album and it was ultimately scrapped, never to see the light of day again until 2005, when the 'Light in the Attic' label released both albums on a convenient 2-CD package.

What we have here, then, is the mythically rare test pressing of that unreleased album which practically no one had heard  until 2005. There do not appear to be many (if any) differences between the released CD versions of the songs (except, perhaps, in the mix: the vinyl versions sound a wee bit warmer and less stiff). However, there are significant differences between the handwritten titles on the sleeve and those on the CD release: practically all titles (except five) are completely or slightly different. One title (Merle Haggard's 'Swinging Doors' is only identified by a line in the lyrics  ("The Closing Time") rather than it's actual title ("Swinging Doors"). Only five tracks have the same titles as on the released, CD version: those five are : Old Man at the Mill;  Urban Cowboy;  Keep on Sailing; First Girl I Loved; Save Your Sorrows; all other track titles (seven altogether) are either completely or partially different.

This is an absolute MUST for any serious collector of British Folk-Rock, Country-Rock and folk singer-songwriters. If you are into Fairport Convention, Ian Matthews and/or Southern Comfort, Richard and Linda Thompson, Nick Drake, Steeleye Span, Pentangle, Sandy Denny, Shelagh McDonald or John Martyn, this is a critical missing link in your collection and a philosopher's stone you absolutely MUST OWN.

***

Ian Matthews' post-Fairport Convention quartet Plainsong only produced two records -- the latter was issued for the very first time in 2005, some 33 years after it's recording -- contain some of the most flawless and emotional country-tinged folk-rock of the era.  Matthews was blessed with one of the clearest voices in popular music, and he let it shine on the Plainsong's wistful first album (►In search of Amelia Earhart), but the group's long-shelved sophomore record (Now We Are 3) was not without its charms. Taken on its own, Now We Are 3 is Amelia Earhart's countrified, less successful baby brother, but the honky tonk-inspired "Swinging Doors," the Randy Newman-esque "Miss the Mississippi and You," and the sparse "Keep on Sailing" and "Old Man at the Mill" -- both of which eventually found homes on Matthews' 1973 solo release -- are top-notch productions that put the more popular and recognizable work of "Take it Easy"-era Eagles to shame. Highly recommended.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY JAMES CHRISTOPHER MONGER

TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY THIS GROUP OR ARTIST ►  CLICK HERE

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·                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 CONDITION:

·                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL  AS  NEAR MINT. Some VERY LIGHT AND SUPERFICIAL abrasions – mostly sleeve scuffs -  are (barely) visible, but are probably inaudible,  and do not affect visual integrity or beauty of the vinyl. The original luster is very much intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)            The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(c)           Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

·                                                                                                                                      THE COVER

This reference (test) pressing comes without any custom jacket, and will be shipped in a plain, generic, white cardboard test pressing cover with handwritten titles and other notes (NOT SEPARATELY GRADED)

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND that you pay for USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment in order to obtain tracking information, which is NOT available for First Class International shipments.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that ►our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

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