Happy Mondays - Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches - V Rare 1st Press Candy Sleeve
£
51
$
68
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Description
Happy Mondays - Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches - Vinyl 1st Press Candy Sleeve.
Every real collectors’ item needs a back story: so here we go…
On Guy Fawkes day 1990, the Happy Mondays unleashed the incredible “Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches” on the world. I bought this amazing slab of vinyl joy just after release at the mighty Acorn Records in Yeovil or possibly during a trip to the big city to the equally superlative Purple Haze in Plymouth.
With everything else going on in the world of the Mondays and Factory records at the time copyright clearance was clearly not at the top of the agenda…
So this amazing record was released in an original pressing with uncleared “US candy company logos” and then later in a new sleeve (and label) without the logos.
This VG++ album is one of the rare first pressings with the copyright-bothering sleeve.
Also… the run-out groove etching makes it clear that this is a first edition Townhouse pressing rather than one of the slightly later DFI pressings that also came in the “candy sleeve” (e.g there is no tell-tale “DFI” or “DFI 90” identifier etching on the run-out (see pictures)).
However, having done some very nerdy research there is a real possibility that the placing of the ‘max’ and lack of the word ‘townhouse’ on the run-out could mean this was once a promo or a pre-release edition. This is entirely possible as I vaguely remember it having a sticker on the shrink wrap that was lost years ago. A promo “Candy Sleeve” edition would go for really silly money but I can’t guarantee that this LP is a promo so I have listed as per discogs prices for what is still a massively rare record.
The record itself has been cared for carefully for 30 years, and has been in an anti-static inner sleeve and non-PVC outer sleeve for about ten years.
The cover is VG++ with only minor fading and the tiniest of shelf bump. The original inner sleeve is included and is NM.
The record itself has been cleaned carefully but thoroughly. There are very very very minor crackles in the run-in and run-out grooves but once the music starts there is absolutely no noise or distortion. A definite VG++.
Playing it back makes me realise why vinyl is still my favourite medium for records like this - play it through headphones or big speakers and the bass and drums on Kinky Afro are more felt in the jaw than heard in the ear… a totally different experience compared to streaming or digital versions.
Finally, if you do purchase this fantastic record - please please please bear in mind and remember that the sleeve is one of those slightly annoying ones where the spine text is ‘‘upside down”… I’ve seen too many great records fall and hit a floor because the sleeve was being flipped over to find the ‘front’.
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