COUNTDOWN Alexandrina The Great 1968 GERMAN RUBBLE PSYCH 45 PS Tomorrow LISTEN

$

30

COUNTDOWN "Georgia" b/w "Alexandrina (The Great)"

Original 1968 45 on the German POLYDOR label

PICTURE SLEEVE is in EXCELLENT condition

Vinyl plays VG+

You won’t find much information about the mysterious Countdown, out of Germany circa 1968, and that’s because they were known in their homeland as the Newcomers from 1963 on.  And then, after winning beat festival after beat festival in Germany, someone convinced them to drop their lederhosen for some Granny Takes A Trip Carnaby Street duds and record something that might make the British kids’ eyes light up.  And this is it.  Amazingly, they do an incredibly lifelike rendition of Keith West and Tomorrow on the awesome “Alexandrina (The Great),” which was inexplicably put on the B-side.  Methinks it’s a gen-yoo-wine lost Rubble classic, with great wah wah guitar, a tuff chunky Chocolate Soup sound that’s a shoe-in for a Tomorrow album outtake, and some classic Who-like falsetto backing vocals.  The flip ain’t bad either – “Georgia” is thankfully not a Ray Charles cover, but rather a nice subdued stately baroque piano ballad with a trippy circular chorus that some have said (okay, one person since not many have even heard this single) reminds them of Manfred Mann’s “Up The Junction.”  Great stuff, all around, a genuine lost classic that delivers, and I for one am glad that stuff this good still shows up when you least expect it.

HEAR IT!

UPDATE: SORRY, I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).

(THE LESS EXCITING STUFF...)

First class shipping is $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Delivery confirmation included in the shipping costs.  US International postal rates just shot up nearly double this past week, so please take note of the new rates.  I don't make a profit on shipping costs - these are what the post office charges me.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $3 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $13 US, with each additional record only $4 shipping.  

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.