SCOTT WALKER - SCOTT 4 (1969) ORIG. PHILIPS VINYL LP

	£		39
	$		52

 Scott Walker - Scott 4 (1969) Original Philips 1st Press SBL 7913

 Side 1 Matrix No. 844248 1Y//1 420

Side 2 Matrix No. 844248 2Y//1 420

Deluxe Philips Gatefold Sleeve: Near Mint, Original Poly-lined British Patents

Inner-sleeve No. 119/46: Near Mint,

Labels: Excellent/Near Mint, Vinyl: Near Mint.

“A mans work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened”.

Albert Camus (Taken from sleeve).

 About the Album

Scott Walker book ended 1969 with the release of Scott 3 subsequently followed by Scott 4 towards the end of the greatest decade for popular music. His previous solo outings had been met with critical acclaim and commercial success. However, Scott 4 failed to register with the public and due to poor sales Philips deleted the release from its catalogue after only 3 months. It was also the only Scott solo album not to have a laminated sleeve. Therefore, original pressings in nice condition are extremely difficult to come by.

Scott 4, in my opinion is in the top ten of the greatest albums of the 60’s. A bold statement, but when you combine one of the finest voices of our times with his unique compositional style, then the result can only be breathtaking. Scott wrote all ten songs for the album, each one a minor masterpiece that constitutes a profound body of work.

 Sleeve, Inner Sleeve, Vinyl & Labels

The sleeve is in stunning Near Mint condition inside and out. It's retained all its original dark colour and has not faded over time. The reverse in particular is jet black. Any blemishes that feature in the pictures are due to the flash from my camera and are not present on the sleeve. The spine is practically perfect. It’s square and fully legible, but there is very minor wear to the very top and bottom. There is only very minor edge wear to the bottom edges of the sleeve.

The original Poly-lined British Patent inner sleeve is in Near Mint condition with only very minor age related staining. There are no rips, tears or writing. The No. 119/46 corresponds directly to this release, therefore this is the original inner sleeve as it came from the pressing plant in 1969. I know this because my other copy has exactly the same patent no. on the inner sleeve.

The vinyl is in extraordinary Near Mint condition. It’s retained all its lustre and there are no surface marks noticeable whatsoever under direct light. There are very fine hairlines present as a result of it been removed and then returned to its sleeve but they do not affect play in anyway shape or form. The depth and clarity of sound during playback is truly awesome. The run-in grooves to each song are almost all silent and the album as a whole is almost totally free of clicks, pops and surface noise.

What makes this example incredibly rare is the matrix no. 1Y/1, 2Y/1 this indicates that it is the very first pressing of this release - the first run of the first press from 1969. It is far more common to see 1Y/2, 3Y/1 meaning it was a much later press in the pressing run. There is some spindle wear on the labels but as the Philips labels are jet black they’re only noticeable under direct light. There is no staining, writing or damage of any kind present.

This is an amazing Scott Walker collectible and they’re becoming almost impossible to find in this condition. His finest album should be heard as it was intended in all its original Philips 1st press glory from 1969. One of the most groundbreaking releases from the greatest decade in British musical history.

 Payment, Postage & Packing

I collect and sell classic vintage vinyl so please bid with confidence. More pictures can be provided on request. Please enclose an email address in doing so. Payment is accepted via Cheque (UK residents only) & Paypal. Airmail shipping to Europe is £4.50. Australia, Japan, U.S.A is £7.50. All other international bidders please contact me for Airmail shipping rates. A certificate of posting is always obtained on dispatch. All LP’s are shipped in card mailers with protective inserts.