RICK PRICE Talking To The Flowers 1971 UK RUBBLE FADING YELLOW PSYCH LP LISTEN

$

65

RICK PRICE "TALKING TO THE FLOWERS" LP

ORIGINAL 1971 LP ON THE UK GEMINI LABEL, STEREO GME 1017

COVER IN EXCELLENT shape

VINYL plays VG++ to EXCELLENT

VERY RARE original 1971 LP by ex-Move member Rick Price, "Talking to the Flowers" on the UK Gemini label.  A STUNNING lost popsike classic here, recorded in 1971 but believe me, this SOUNDS 1968 all the way.  Imagine if Rick's old band the Move had recorded an album of baroque pop psych inspired by the Left Banke and Zombies, and this is what you've got here.     Exquisite orchestrated UK popsike in the tradition of comps like Rubble and Fading Yellow - beautiful stuff - and unfortunately for Rick, housed in one of the all-time WORST album covers EVER in the history of music!  Now I figure the Gemini label wasn't a major player and may not have had the graphic design team of Hipgnosis on their side, but STILL...it looks like they gave a ten-year old a sheet of kitchen wallpaper and some large press-on type and told him to do a record cover.  It's that bad.  But fortunately, you can put the sleeve away and concentrate on the music, which aint bad at all.  "Butterfly" is one such popsike gem - and continuing in the grand tradition of songs mentioning butterflies, this is SUPERB floating drifty trippy wah wah psych pop with piano and super catchy melody.  This is easily in the same league as prime Hollies, Small Faces and all the major names you find throughout your Rubble box set.  "April is Here" has a groovy late Zombies "Odysey and Oracle" feel - lots of minor keys, moody organ, flute, cool acid guitar - it's a baroque pop lovers DREAM - as Rick goes all Left Banke and Procol Harum on us here.  "Please No More Sad Songs" harkens back to the Move a bit (and even the Idle Race, whose song it was originally anyway), especially their later, dramatic catchy ballads like "Beautiful Daughter" and "The Last Thing on My Mind".  This is pure orchestrated beauty - a big, dramatic ballad with swirling strings, flute, and the kind of echoed-out lilting vocal theatrics you'd expect from a Roy Wood.  Yes, Rick does manage to pull off a fairly good Roy Wood impersonation on this one, making this the closest he gets to his old band - it would have fit nicely on "Shazam" and really IS that good a song too!  "And Now", the final track (ironic title then, isn't it?) is pure delicate Fading Yellow style baroque popsike with strings, flute, xylophone and a real cool Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" feel to it as well.  A STUNNING album, full of lost popsike gems that you'll instantly put on your favorites list - this is the sound of a talented musician showing his appreciation for the best of British pop.  Now, if only we could hire Hipgnosis to do a redesign on that cover...

SOUND CLIP COMING SOON, PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER!

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).  BUYERS FROM ITALY AGREE TO PAY FOR GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL INSURED ONLY!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Overseas shipping has, unfortunately, gone way up in the fast few months, which translates to $15 for the first LP to Canada ($3 each one thereafter) and $24 for the first LP everywhere else in the world, with each add'l LP an extra $5 (so it pays to buy more, nudge nudge wink wink).   I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

 For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.