Nick Drake: Pink Moon 1st US PRESSING Gatefold 1972 NM
$
129
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Description
You will not find a better version of this 1972 "Lost Classic". This highly sought after First Pressing of Nick Drake's Pink Moon album on Island Records (SMAS 9318) is the original gatefold album that went under the radar when it was originally released 36 years ago, only to be "re-discovered" decades later.
The copy I'm offering is genuinely one of a kind, and unless you can find a sealed copy, this is the closest to brand new condition that you will ever find. You could search for decades and never come across such a rare find. This is NOT a reissue or later reprint of any sort. This is exactly what you would have purchased at a record store in 1972.
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The Cover:
This deluxe gatefold cover has retained all of its original gloss and color, with no visible fading whatsoever. It is still in its original factory shrinkwrap, minus the slit made up the opening to slide the record out. Therefore the gatefold itself has never seen the light of day due to the wrapping preventing it from ever being opened like a book. There is virtually nothing different about it than the day it came off of the shelf, minus the most light, barely visible binwear from being stored between other records for so long. This item is in fact opened, meaning you can slide the record out of the opening, but as you will read, it hardly makes a difference.
The small price tag from when this album was purchased still remains on the upper right corner of the front (on the outside of the shrinkwrap) as seen in the photo. I'm sure it could be gently steamed off from the wrapping if desired. I have never attempted this because to me the original price tag adds to the authenticity for me, and also I don't wish to risk any value if I were to make a mistake. I doubt this will be a problem for anyone.
I can't stress enough how vibrant the colors have remained, as it hasn't seen any light at all until recently, since it was packed away so many decades ago. This honestly looks like an item you could have purchased today, and in no way shows even a fraction of its actual age. The inner sleeve is the original light blue one that originally held this album. The color of the sleeve is the exact stunning shade of blue surrounding the mouth of the face on the upper right corner of the album cover. The sleeve is the only part of this whole package that shows any signs of wear, and they are minor. The sleeve has the markings of the round shape of the record itself (basically light ringwear), and about a 1 millimeter imperfection at the opening where the record would be removed. Barely noticeable, but I'm making sure to point it out for you. I want no surprises when you receive this album!
The Vinyl:
This album comes from my Uncle's collection, who purchased just about every record he saw back in the 60's, not leaving him much time to seriously listen to most of them. A great deal of them that I have now were either not opened at all (see some of my other auctions, and watch for many to come), and many more were obviously purchased, listened to ONCE, then never thought of again until now. This is CLEARLY one of those.
Even under very bright light I cannot detect a single imperfection. No scuffs or even hairline scratches. No spindle wear, and the label looks as crisp and new as it has since it left the factory. The vinyl is virtually brand new, and the only thing that actually exceeds the condition of the cover I described. It does seem to have collected lots of dust and hair over the years, but I'll leave it up to the buyer to clean it, since I don't want to risk any scratching. If you're still reading this then I'm sure you know far more about cleaning vinyl than I do.
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This album is in a class of its own. It is one of the elite few that were actually purchased at the time of its release (it sold so few copies that when Drake died a few years later, he was very poor ). On top of this, the condition this record remains virtually untouched from when it was first released. This is certainly not something you are going to find frequently, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that you'll most likely never come across another one like it for the rest of your life.
The starting price reflects everything I've mentioned here, yet still doesn't come close to what this treasure is actually worth. Don't pass this one up. Such a special album doesn't deserve to spend any more time tucked away in an attic. Have fun bidding on this one, you won't regret it!
The lucky buyer of this album will pay $7.00 shipping in the U.S. (International orders will be more). I accept paypal, money orders, and Cashier's checks. Orders will ship on the Monday or Saturday following payment.
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