BILLIE HOLIDAY STORY ULTRA-RARE ORIGINAL'59 DECCA MONO PINK LABEL PROMO 2-LP SET

$

78

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  MORE THAN 400  LISTED ITEMS

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·       BILLIE HOLIDAY – THE BILLIE HOLIDAY STORY – ORIGINAL 1959 DECCA RECORDS MONO 2-LP SET DXB-161- (WHILE THE SESSION PLAYERS ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY CREDITED ON THE ALBUM'S COVER, THEY MOST CERTAINLY INCLUDE LADY DAY'S LAUNDRY LIST OF USUAL SUSPECTS: BEN WEBSTER, LESTER YOUNG, COLEMAN HAWKINS, PAUL QUINICHETTE AND OTHERS)

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       *** ULTRA-RARE PINK LABEL PROMO ***

·       IN ADDITION,  THE PROMOTIONAL STAMP BY THE LEGENDARY ►DANNY DAVIS (DECCA'S CHIEF PROMOTION AGENT) ON THE INSIDE GATEFOLD, CLEARLY IDENTIFIES THE ITEM AS PROMOTIONAL

·       DEEP GROOVE LABEL

·       FLAT-EDGE PRESSING

·       RARE MONO PRESSING, MANY TIMES RARER THAN FAKE (“ELECTRONICALLY RECHANELLED”) STEREO

·       INCLUDES ORIGINAL 1-PAGE INSERT

ACCORDING TO THE INDIVIDUAL WE ACQUIRED THIS ITEM FROM, THIS LP ALBUM COMES FROM THE ESTATE OF A WELL-KNOWN DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE REVIEWER (THE SELLER WOULD NOT REVEAL HIS IDENTITY).  WHILE WE WERE UNABLE TO EXTRACT THE NAME OF THE REVIEWER IN QUESTION,  WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THE PERSON IS NONE OTHER THAN THE LEGENDARY JAZZ GURU ►NAT HENTOFF, BEING THAT THE ITEM WAS ACQUIRED WITHIN WEEKS FROM HIS PASSING (JANUARY 2017) AND MOST LIKELY AS A RESULT OF HIS ESTATE LIQUIDATION. WHAT IS REMARKABLE ABOUT THIS AND OTHER ITEMS COMING FROM THE SAME SOURCE (WHICH ARE ALL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS OR REVIEWER COPIES) - IS INCREDIBLE STATE OF PRESERVATION. WHOMEVER THE ORIGINAL OWNER MAY HAVE BEEN MUST HAVE PLAYED HIS RECORDS ONLY ONCE OR TWICE, PROBABLY JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF WRITING A REVIEW - AND THEN TUCKED THEM AWAY FOR THE NEXT 60 YEARS, UNPLAYED AND UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HAND.

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

·       ORIGINAL, THICK CARDBOARD COVER (AMERICAN STYLE)

·       ORIGINAL LAMINATED COVER

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

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

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

 (►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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The Billie Holiday Story is a two-record set released by Decca records.  The 24 tracks were all recorded between 1944 and 1950.  The quality of the recordings is superb for the era.

The records come in a gatefold cover with an attached page for extra liner notes.  The notes were written by William Duffy, who helped Billie write her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues.  Every song on these two records receives at least one paragraph of anecdotes and/or description by Billie either through conversations with Duffy or pulled directly from her autobiography.

For the most part the sound quality of the recordings is very good.  Musically speaking, Billie was never better than during this era.  Her voice is strong and incredibly expressive.  Her backing bands swing hard.  Unfortunately, the liner notes aren't clear on who's supporting her on these tracks.

On these immortal sides, Billie Holiday’s  voice was in a full bloom, and at the peak of its power and finesse. While most people are familiar with Billie Holiday from her later, emotionally devastating performances, very few pay attention to her early sides, which is a huge, catastrophic mistake. Hear this, and see what you have been missing. The set contains many memorable Billie Holiday performances, and many of the true Jazz standards and tunes that she herself gave life and fame to.

TRACK LISTING:  That Ole Devil Called Love  -  I'll Look Around  -  Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer  -  My Man  -  Don't Explain  -  Ain't Nobody's Business if I Do  -  Them There Eyes  -  Lover Man  -  Easy Living  -  Baby Get Lost  -  You're My Thrill  -  There Is No Greater Love  -  Deep Song  -  Crazy He Calls Me  -  Keeps on Rainin'  -  No More  -  Do Your Duty  -  Now or Never  -  Good Morning Heartache  -  Somebody's on My Mind  -  Porgy  -  Solitude  -  This Is Heaven to Me  -  God Bless the Child 

The PROMOTIONAL, RADIO STATION-, AUDITION OR DEMONSTRATION COPIES AND RELEASES (such as the one we have here) were often distributed among the radio stations before the record was released to the public, sometimes as much as four months ahead. These records are generally considered to be the "first among equals", which is to say the VERY FIRST generation and the VERY FIRST pressings of the particular title; a PROTOTYPE and the earliest known official pressing of the record.

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 STRONG VG++. A few light abrasions  ARE VISIBLE, but they appear fairly  insignificant relative to the overall condition of the vinyl, and are only moderately visually distracting. For most part, the vinyl looks impeccable, without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)          The records have a "deep groove" (an indent in the label about 1/2-inch from the edge of the label, which on SOME labels is associated with very early or first pressings).

(c)           This is the original flat-edge pressing.

(d)          The record is STILL in its original inner, perforated plastic baggy, which has - apparently with success - shielded the record from the harmful impact of elements over many years! (note: only one original plastic baggy is present; the other disc comes in generic white inner sleeve)

(e)           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!

(f)            Mono pressing of this title is much rarer, and by far more  preferable to its FAKE ("electronically rechannelled") stereo counterpart. We estimate that FAKE stereo copies of this album outnumber monos by a ratio of at least 10:1.

(g)          Pink Promo Label version of this title is much rarer that a regular, commercially released, version of this title. We estimate that stock copies of this album outnumber promo copies by a ratio of at least 80:1.

(h)          The records are STILL in their original inner, perforated plastic baggy, which has - apparently with success - shielded the record from the harmful impact of elements over many years!

(i)             The album comes with its original 1-page insert included

(j)             Stereo copies of this album are NOT known to exist.

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

·       COVER (THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, LAMINATED, GLOSSY COVER):

THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT VERY GOOD++ (VG++).

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-        The gatefold cover has partially split seams on 1 out of 4 "legs" of the cover (about 1 inch = 2.5 centimeters).

-        Cover has a visible "wrinkle"(crease)  in one of the corners.

-        Cover has all four corners slightly worn / dinged / bent.  (nothing significant)

-        Visible shelf wear noted on the bottom seam and the opening side

-        The cover has a few tiny scratch marks on the front side  (nothing significant)

-        Cover shows JUST A HINT of yellowing on both sides, apparently from aging. Yellowing is also noted on the INSIDE gatefold

-        Inside gatefold has a few yellowish dust speckles scattered here and there (these tiny spots are not overly obtrusive or distracting)

-        Cover has JUST A HINT of ring wear (nothing significant); On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 1.

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

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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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