KITTY WELLS+ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND FOREVER YOUNG RARE ORIG '74 CAPRICORN LP SHRINK

$

46

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  NEARLY 500  LISTED ITEMS

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·       KITTY WELLS (WITH ABOUT HALF OF THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND) - FOREVER YOUNG -  ULTRA-RARE – ORIGINAL 1974 CAPRICORN RECORDS STEREO LP CP-0146

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       WITHDRAWN FROM THE MARKET ONLY TWO WEEKS AFTER THE RELEASE!  IN FACT, WE ARE NOT EVEN SURE THE ALBUM WAS EVER FORMALLY RELEASED: ABOUT 95% OF ALL COPIES ARE PROMOS. IF THE ALBUM EVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY, IT WAS PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST MISERABLY MARKETED RELEASE IN THE HISTORY OF COUNTRY & WESTERN MUSIC.

·       ORIGINAL CAPRICORN RECORDS’ BEIGE  “ZODIAC” LABEL

·       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)

·       COVER IS STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL SHRINK (CELLOPHANE) WRAP

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THE RECORD HAS A 'STERLING' STAMP IN THE TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) AREA, WHICH IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED A PROOF OF AUTHENTICITY OF THE FIRST PRESSING.

·       FAIRLY THICK VINYL PRESSING On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the thickness of the vinyl as 6.

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

 (►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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FOREVER YOUNG, originally released in 1974, was Kitty Wells' first album away from Decca/MCA after more than 20 years at that label, much of that time undisputed as the most popular female vocalist in country music. Originally issued on Warner Brothers' southern-rock label Capricorn, this album was an attempt to show just how versatile Ms. Wells is as a song stylist and on that level it suceeds beautifully. The album sold poorly though, Kitty was then well into her fifties and she hadn't had a top 40 country hit since 1968 (although she remained very popular as a touring artist) overshadowed on radio by the new generation of country girls for whom she had paved the way. The album did not generate interest in non-country markets and Kitty's longtime hard-country fans were probably taken aback by her covering folk/rock and soul and blues songs. What nobody seemed to notice at the time was she was doing a fabulous job doing so!! Country Music has often been called "the white man's blues" and here is the proof - country's queen Kitty doing a magificent job with such blues numbers as "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (yes, the Otis Redding song), "The Loving's Over", and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (unlike Barbara Mandrell's hit sugary country cover of it from 1971, Miss Kitty sings it in it's original blues arrangement.) And Kitty's performance on Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" is deeply moving and remains one of the best Dylan covers anyone has ever done. There's plenty of country music here too (naturally anything Miss Wells sings is country on some level), mostly of the 70's pop-country variety such as "Too Much Love Between Us", yet the hard country stuff is here like her cover of the old Johnny & Jack song "What About You". Miss Kitty's voice is in fine shape and she seems completely as ease whatever musical format she tackles despite being the most "country" of any female vocalist before or since. This album is a wonderful recording for anyone who enjoys good music period and does not demand a label on it or that it stick too closely to one format.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ANONYMOUS ONLINE REVIEW)

Forever Young" finds the Queen of Country Music joined by the likes of Dicky Betts and Toy Caldwell covering material from everyone from Dylan (the title song) to Otis Redding to Dan Penn to Ed Bruce. While maybe a little risky for it's day (hence it being pulled from the shelves two weeks after release), it has aged well to these ears…sort of a Cosmic American Music experience.

***

Questions abound as to why Capricorn label decided to pull this album from the market practically before it was released (no stock copies exist that we are aware of; all but a handful copies that trickled to the market are promos). We have heard many highly speculative and undocumented theories, from Capricorn finding the material not commercial enough, to Kitty Wells fans finding material too controversial (for crying out, here was the Queen of Country singing some Deep Soul, Aretha Franklin-style, oy vey!).  However, we think that the real reason for the album’s retraction was actually rather mundane and has nothing to do with a racial divide.

Namely, in the mid-1970’s , Phil Walden, who was the Capricorn owner and manager of Allman Brothers (as well as former manager of such stars as Otis Redding and Percy Sledge) got into some seriously hot financial waters -- probably from having to finance a lavish lifestyle and his drug habit -- and decided to (unbeknownst to his artists) release some of their sessions OFF THE BOOKS (the albums were distributed inconspicuously, usually as promos, and more often than not to a very select group of retailers and/or broadcasters. Alas, this “off-the-books” practice proved to be difficult for IRS to digest, which came down hard on Walden, forcing him to cease this practice (we believe he actually did some prison time for tax evasion, but are not entirely sure). Therefore, many albums released on Capricorn in the mid-70’s were essentially promo-only releases, never hitting the larger market, never seeing the light of retail day, and remaining obscure and unknown to anyone but the few lucky ones. This, Kitty Wells’ only album for the label, is obviously one of such long-lost gems that fell through the cracks courtesy of IRS .

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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 EXCELLENT. This is one of those albums that are somewhat difficult to grade. It is somewhere between VG++ and NEAR MINT, just a notch below NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions ARE visible, but they are extremely shallow, superficial  and only moderately visually distracting (nothing significant).For the 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 record comes in the original stock inner sleeve.

(c)           The record is pressed on a RELATIVELY  thick, inflexible vinyl. This is NOT a thin, flimsy ('dynaflex' type),  vinyl, but not the thickest, most rigid vinyl, either.

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

·                               THE COVER

THE COVER IS STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL ►SHRINK WRAP ;  HOWEVER, WE ARE UNABLE TO GRADE IT NEAR MINT DUE TO MINOR FLAWS LISTED BELOW; WE GRADE THIS COVER AS EXCELLENT OR VG++(A SMALL PIECE OF SHRINK WRAP IS MISSING)

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-        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  (front side) and 2 (back side).

-        Cover has some light yellowish stains, probably from exposure to humidity.

-        Cover has a  cutout corner visible

-        Cover has a slight warp along the opening side; this has absolutely no effect on the record.

-        Cover shows some yellowing on back side, apparently from aging.

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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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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