DAVID BOWIE STARMAN UK 7" Black Label AND Solid Centre ULTRA Listen
£
29
$
38
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Description
David Bowie - Starman / Suffragette City
RCA 2199
Matrix Number (etched, not stamped):
RCA 2199 A1 : ) V / RCA 2199 A2 : ) V
UK repress circa 1980
I have never come across this 7" before. An original UK David Bowie's Starman re-press on a black label AND with a solid centre. The only copies I had seen are the ones with a 4 prong push-out centre. My first thought was that, for some reason, one copy hadn't been dinked! I asked many people around but they had never seen another one with a solid centre either.
Doing some research in popsike I discovered that another copy, with the solid centre, had been sold in the past, and that was it... There are quite a lot of UK black label 7"s with the push-out centre (actually there are 2 different UK push-out centre varieties) but no more signs of any other copies with a solid centre. In discogs I discovered that there were a mention to this variety, but nobody so far had uploaded any pictures. Someone said he had this record but when that person uploaded the pictures they were from the push-out centre variety. I have uploaded the pictures showing the correct label myself (check history).
Going through several forums, someone mentioned the bowie-singles.com webpage and finally, the information about this copy, was there.
http://www.bowie-singles.com/UKRCA/Starman.html
My theory of the 7" being an undinked copy showed to be false. There are 2 varieties of UK black label with a 4 prong push-out centre. One credits the producers as "Produced by David Bowie and Ken Scott" the other one reads "Produced by David Bowie / Ken Scott" instead. This second variety has exactly the same label than my solid centre copy but the matrix numbers are different. The push-out centre copy reads RCA 2199 A-1U while my copy reads RCA 2199 A1. Also, the push-out centre had the matrix stamped while in my copy the matrix number has been etched. Obviously they where pressed from 2 different master stamper plates. There it goes my theory ;)
I have done much more research, looking for this single in the internet (webpages, forums, etc) and asking other record collectors but, so far, nobody seems to know anything about it.
So far this is the 3rd UK copy with a black label and a solid centre that I have been able to trace after many hours searching in the internet and contacting people. Doesn't seem like many UK black labels and solid centre were made. If this rare variaty is missing from your collection, now you will be able to fill the gap.
The viny has some light scratches, mainly on the A side. Visually I would grade the A side as VG- and the B side as VG+. When played it shows very little quality sound degradation. A tiny bit of crackle at the beginning and end of A side and even less crackle just at the beginning of B side. Once the music starts the crackle is not present. Please, listen to the actual sound files from this record. I will grade the A side as VG/VG+ and the B side as EX-.
The record comes housed in the original RCA sleeve with is graded as VG/VG+. The corners have some light bending and a bit of foxing around the edges but it's pretty much intact, without any tears or rips... just showing its age a bit : )
The etched matrix numbers show a "V" at 3 o'clok, the serial number at 6 o'clock and a drawing that reminds me of a smiley: ": )" at 10 o'clock.
Thanks for looking and good luck if you decide bidding for this unusual David Bowie 7". I will be very happy to answer any questions. Please, get in touch.
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