PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS VENUS & MARS RARE SEALED ORIG'76 LP w/BONUS PHOTOS POSTER

$

60

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  NEARLY 500  LISTED ITEMS

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·       PAUL McCARTNEY & THE WINGS – VENUS AND MARS -  ORIGINAL 1976 APPLE/CAPITOL  RECORDS STEREO LP SMAS-11419 (THIS IS NOT A COLUMBIA REISSUE CIRCA 1979)

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

*** STILL SEALED GUARANTEED ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING ***

·       BELIEVED TO BE PRESSED ON THE ORIGINAL, BLACK APPLE/CAPITOL LABEL WITH 'CAPITOL DOME' LOGO AND SILVER AND WHITE PRINT

·       JUDGING BY UNUSUAL THICKNESS AND WEIGHT OF THE PACKAGE, THE ALBUM IS BELIEVED TO INCLUDE ORIGINAL SET OF BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS AND TWO "VENUS AND MARS" INSERTS / MINI POSTERS , SUCH AS THE ONES SHOWN BELOW, FROM OUR PREVIOUS AUCTION

·       THE THICKNESS OF THE VINYL, THE APPEARANCE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE COVER, LABEL’S LOGO AND OTHER PERIPHERAL ELEMENTS OF THE COVER, ARE ALL PERFECTLY CONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL, FIRST PRESSING OF THIS TITLE.

·       TWO “BREATHE” (AIR) HOLES NOTED ON THE SHRINK WRAP

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       ORIGINAL GATEFOLD COVER

·       COVER HAS A NIFTY “SONG TITLES” STICKER STILL AFFIXED TO THE FRONT PANEL

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL 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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Venus and Mars confirmed, if nothing else, that Paul had totally mastered the craft of turning out hit "product." Many of the songs are the sort that stubbornly stick in the head whether you want them to or not, and the production is the most polished since the break with the other Beatles and George Martin. And yet there is often something calculated and impersonal in its slickness.

The title track itself, which boasts a typically seductive McCartney melody, proved than Paul could still write lyrics when he saw fit to. "Venus and Mars" cleverly makes use of the various connotations of the word "stars." The setting of the version that opens the album is a sports arena, abuzz with anticipation just before a rock show. In the lyric about the "good friend following the stars," the friend could just as easily be a groupie or a rock fanatic as an astrologer; and the stars might even be Venus (Linda) and Mars (Paul) McCartney.

Sure enough, the track segues -- or, rather, explodes -- into "Rock Show," as spirited a celebration as any on record of the excitement, crowds, noise, and lights at a big rock concert. (Paul admitted that the references to Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl were a "hint" of Wings' future plans to tour the U.S. the following year.

Yet when "Venus and Mars" resurfaces on Side Two -- in the grand old Sgt. Pepper/Ram/Band On the Run tradition -- "following the stars" takes a different context. The sports arena has metamorphosed into an Isaac Asimov-inspired starship, fueled by Linda McCartney's gurgling synthesizer. Had Paul chosen to extend the "Venus and Mars"/"Rock Show" idea throughout the rest of the LP, he might have produced an ambitious and fascinating concept album. In any case, he at least now had a great framework for a "Rock Show" of his own, which he would shortly put to use.

If Venus and Mars' other selections struck many fans and most critics as being a bit slick and lyrically vacuous, they are nonetheless quite diverse musically, ranging from heavy metal to '30's nostalgia to a musical interpretation ("Magneto and Titanium Man") of the Marvel Comics Paul had taken to reading. Like Abbey Road and John's Walls And Bridges, Venus and Mars trails off with a joke. The last "real" song, "Lonely Old People," is followed by a brief rendition of "Crossroads," the theme music to a soap opera then in favor with Britain's senior citizens.

Augmented by the jangling guitars and trilling woodwinds of guest artists Dave Mason and Tom Scott, the ultra-catchy "Listen To What the Man Said" quickly scored Wings their eighth consecutive American Top Ten hit (and third Number One). This single, and the album from which it was lifted, were the first McCartney records to sport the familiar Capitol logo since the Beatles' "Lady Madonna." Paul had just signed on again for the record-shattering sum of eight million dollars.

Venus and Mars first appeared on the Billboard charts on June 14, 1975, reaching #1 and spending a total of 77 weeks.

Nicholas Schaffner, The Beatles Forever, pg. 181.

For additional historical information on this album, including track listing ►click here

TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY THIS GROUP OR ARTIST ►  CLICK HERE

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·                               CONDITION:

·                               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)          THE ALBUM IS STILL FACTORY SEALED AND IS BELIEVED TO BE PERFECTLY MINT. Please note: sealed items are assumed to be mint and are sold as-is, as we have no way of inspecting them. For our policy on still sealed records ►click here (PLEASE READ BEFORE PLACING A BID).

(b)          The record is believed to come in its original custom inner sleeve, unique to this title

(c)           The album is believed to come with its original poster intact.

(d)          The album is also believed to come with a set of black & white photos of the band members , SUCH AS THE ONE SHOWN BELOW, FROM OUR PREVIOUS AUCTION  [we can actually see the inserts from the bottom side]

(e)           The record is apparently pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

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

·       COVER

COVER IS STRONG NEAR MINT, STILL SEALED AND COVERED IN ITS ORIGINAL ►SHRINK WRAP    (A SMALL PIECE OF SHRINK WRAP IS MISSING)

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-        Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine (BARELY VISIBLE)

NO OTHER IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER:

-        No split seams

-        No ring wear

-        No cut-out (drill) holes.

-        No cut-out corners

-        No saw-marks or indents

-        No dirt/dust rubbing stains (friction marks caused by rubbing against other covers)

-        No yellowing from aging

-        No writing

-        No stamps

-        No tearing: no chips, dents or nicks on the seams

-        No peel-off marks

-        No stains

-        No mold or mildew spots

-        No stickers or labels

-        No water damage

-        No razor marks, scratches, pressure marks, lines, streaks, or  cuts.

-        No warping

-        No wax, glue, paint or liquid drops on the cover

-        No glue traces or wax residue.

-        No bar codes

-        No RIAA stamps or stickers. 

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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 that you pay for USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment in order to obtain tracking information, which is NOT available for First Class International shipments.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from country to country. 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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OUR REFUND POLICY :

WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED (THE BUYER PAYS FOR THE RETURN POSTAGE); Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here  for the full text of our policy

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