CARPENTERS CLOSE TO YOU INSANELY RARE ORIG '70 A&M LP w/YELLOW COVER NEVER SOLD

$

154

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WE CURRENTLY HAVE  NEARLY 300 LISTED ITEMS

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·       THE CARPENTERS - - CLOSE TO YOU  (THE DUO’S GROUNDBREAKING SECOND ALBUM) - ORIGINAL 1970 A&M RECORDS STEREO LP SP-4271

·       INCREDIBLE U.S. ARMY MADE-FOR-EXPORT TO U.S. MILITARY BASES IN JAPAN PRESSING (OR, PERHAPS WE SHOULD SAY: MADE-FOR-IMPORT FROM JAPAN TO THE U.S. MILITARY BASES THERE)

*** INSANELY RARE MADE-FOR-EXPORT PRESSING WITH A UNIQUE YELLOW COVER, NEVER RELEASED IN THIS COLOR VARIATION ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD; ACCORDING TO BOTH DISCOGS AND POPSIKE WEB SITES, NO SALES OF THIS RARE ITEM HAVE EVER BEEN RECORDED, MAKING IT - BY FAR - THE WORLD'S RAREST CARPENTERS ALBUM IN EXISTENCE ***

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING (LEGALLY AND TECHNICALLY AMERICAN, BUT FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES JAPANESE)

·       PLEASE NOTE: THE DISCOGS WEB SITE INCORRECTLY AND DISINGENUOUSLY CLAIMS THAT THIS IS AN AUSTRALIAN PRESSING. NO, IT ISN'T. HERE'S WHY THE YELLOW COVER COPIES OF THIS ALBUM ARE NOT AUSTRALIAN PRESSINGS: (1) THEY LACK 'MADE IN AUSTRALIA' ANYWHERE ON THE COVER OR THE LABELS (2) THEY USE A DISTINCT AMERICAN CATALOG NUMBER, RATHER THAN AUSTRALIAN ONE (SAML-933927); (3) THE COPYRIGHT AGENCIES' NAMES LISTED ON THE LABEL AND ON THE BACK COVER ARE DISTINCTLY AMERICAN, NOT AUSTRALIAN AND (4) THE RECORDING LABEL NAME IS SHOWN ON THE LABEL WITH IT'S DISTINCT AMERICAN INCORPORATION SUFFIX ("-INC"), RATHER THAN AUSTRALIAN ("-LTD").

·       BASED ON THE FOREGOING, WE GUARANTEE THAT THIS ALBUM WAS MADE IN JAPAN FOR USE BY THE U.S. ARMY PERSONNEL STATIONED THERE (WE ACTUALLY BOUGHT IT FROM THE FORMER U.S. SERVICEMAN WHO WAS STATIONED IN JAPAN) ; APPARENTLY, THIS WAS DONE IN ORDER TO EITHER (A) CIRCUMVENT JAPANESE CUSTOMS LAWS AND ALLOW U.S. ARMY TO AVOID PAYING CUSTOMS FEES ON CULTURAL,  EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT MATERIAL OSTENSIBLY MADE IN THE U.S. = OR = (B) BYPASS U.S. ARMY REGULATIONS PROHIBITING THE USE OF FOREIGN-MADE CULTURAL MATERIAL AMONG U.S. ARMY MEMBERS.

·       THE FINAL CLUE TO THE PROVENANCE OF THIS ALBUM IS THAT, WHILE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY JAPANESE PRESSING (THE LABEL FONT IS DISTINCTLY JAPANESE; NO SIMILAR FONT AND LAYOUT WAS EVER USED IN THE UNITED STATES) WITH ALL AMERICAN MARKINGS, THE ALBUM HAS NO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN SHOWN ANYWHERE – NEITHER ON THE COVER NOR ON THE LABEL; BOTH LABEL AND COVER USE ORIGINAL U.S. CATALOG NUMBER SP-4271, AND NOT THE JAPANESE CATALOG NUMBER) AML-80

·       ORIGINAL BROWN (TAN) A&M LABEL (60’s and early 70’s style)

·       THIS ALBUM CONTAINS ORIGINAL MIXES OF THESE CLASSIC SONGS – NOT THE REMIXES DONE IN 2004 BY RICHARD CARPENTER

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

·       ORIGINAL, THICK CARDBOARD COVER (AMERICAN STYLE)

·       ANOTHER INTERESTING FEATURE ON THIS ALBUM IS ITS HEAVILY TEXTURED (NIBBED) COVER., CONSISTENT WITH MANY JAPANESE-PRINTED SLEEVES OF THE ERA.

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

(►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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Hurriedly put together in the wake of the success of the title song, and containing the follow-up hit "We've Only Just Begun," Close to You is a surprisingly strong album, and not just for those hits. Richard Carpenter's originals "Maybe It's You" and "Crescent Noon" are superb showcases for Karen Carpenter's developing talent, the latter a superbly atmospheric, hauntingly beautiful art song of the kind that Judy Collins was doing well at the time, and gorgeously arranged. There's also a Swingle Singers-style number, "Mr. Guder," showing off their paired vocal talents and more of Richard's arranging talents. Karen's singing on "Reason to Believe" isn't so much somber as it is passionate, as she emphasizes the melancholy component in the song more than most versions. Their version of "Help" lacks the inventiveness of "Ticket to Ride," although it has some pleasing vocal flourishes. The finale, "Another Song," tries hard for a serious rock sound, especially in Karen's animated drumming, but it's her voice that stands out. Released amid the political turmoil of 1970, in the wake of the Cambodian incursion, Kent State, and the conservative backlash against the antiwar forces, there was no way that the rock press or the most politically active listeners were going to appreciate this record, but the fact that it had two huge hit singles and earned a gold record award raised their ire against the Carpenters, a problem that would dog the duo for most of its career. But the public bought, and kept on buying.

(REVIEW REPRINTED COURTESY OF BRUCE EDER, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

Despite being dismissed as being lightweight and poppy, the music of Richard and Karen Carpenter aged with infinite grace and (at one point in early-to-mid seventies) even outsold the Beatles. Karen's untimely death in 1983 changed all this; people started realizing that Carpenters created one of the more lasting bodies of work; songs that were incredibly well crafted, composed, arranged and executed; songs performed with uncanny sense of "economy of sound". General public started longing for Karen Carpenter's wonderful, one-of-a-kind, bell-like voice which will NEVER be replicated and duplicated; Richard's songwriting and arranging skills are also being seen in a new, more friendly light these days. Lately, Carpenters have been enjoying a well-deserved renewal in popularity and interest - and even somewhat of a cult status - and are more likely to be seen as one of three or four  (along with Bee Gees, Abba and Fleetwood Mac) decade-defining acts of the 70's. This is one of the finest in the string of their million-selling albums from the early 1970's and virtually defines the Carpenters aesthetics and sound.

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

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·       CONDITION:

·       THE 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  (WEAK) 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 comes in a (distinctly Japanese) hi-grade PVC inner sleeve, which has - apparently with success - shielded the record from the harmful impact of elements over many years!

(c)           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!

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

·                               THE COVER

THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD+++.

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-        Cover has a few minor wrinkles (air bubbles in paper slick) on the front panel

-        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.

-        Cover has one corner slightly dinged (nothing significant)

-        A few minor pressure marks noted on the front panel (BARELY VISIBLE)

-        Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine (BARELY VISIBLE)

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 (BUT DO NOT INSIST) that you select USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from one region of  the world to another. 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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OUR REFUND POLICY :

WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED; Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here  for the full text of our policy

FINE (BUT IMPORTANT!) PRINT

(1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year of the original release,  NOT necessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of the pressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters). (2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar or item specifics box alone; instead, please read the entire description and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NO order cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under any circumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4) We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you need to do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to provide matrix-, stamper- or other pressing  information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require this information, please contact us well before the final day of the auction. (6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shipping and Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7)  All Paypal payments must be made from confirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresses will be honored (8) Absolutely NO partial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, please return it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilized people can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest; if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBay feedback, which speaks for itself  (10) All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be - solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner;  please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language (attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-death sarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller will accommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible and agreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever; Thank You & Good Night!

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