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    Just one of inkFrog's Creations

Description

THE SHIRELLES

"TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT"

ULTRA RARE TRUE STEREO

STEREO-MONIC RED LABEL

1965 US ORIGINAL

SCEPTER SPX-501

THIS IS A NO RESERVE AUCTION

• This is an ULTRA RARE NEAR MINT MINUS TRUE STEREO US PRESSING released in 1965 on the red and black SCEPTER stereo-monic label (See photo). Scepter released true stereo versions of the early Shirelles lp's in 1965. They were produced in very small quantities and are sought after by collectors.
• The LP is pressed on SUPER THICK non flexible SCEPTER vinyl. (see photo).
• This LAMINATED famous SCEPTER cover is pressed on thick AMERICAN style cardboard stock with a pasted on front photo slick (See Photos).
• Do not be fooled by inferior digital re-mastering, re-mixes or compilation CD's. This is an original STEREO ANALOG recording; the real thing.

The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music was a blend of pop/rock and R&B, especially doo wop and smooth uptown soul; that appealed to listeners across the board, before Motown ever became a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. Even if the Shirelles were not technically the first of their kind, their success was unprecedented, paving the way for legions of imitators; their inviting musical blueprint had an enduring influence not just on their immediate followers, but on future generations of female pop singers, who often updated the style with a more modern sensibility. What was more, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy.

The Shirelles were originally formed in 1958 in Passaic, NJ, by four high school friends: Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris, Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston), and Beverly Lee. Christening themselves the Poquellos, the girls wrote a song called "I Met Him on a Sunday" and entered their school talent show with it. A school friend had them audition for her mother, Florence Greenberg, who ran a small record label; she was impressed enough to become the group's manager, and changed their name to the Shirelles by combining frequent lead singer Owens' first name with doo woppers the Chantels. The Shirelles' recording of "I Met Him on a Sunday" was licensed by Decca and climbed into the national Top 50 in 1958. Two more singles flopped, however, and Decca passed on further releases. Greenberg instead signed them to her new label, Scepter Records, and brought in producer Luther Dixon, whose imaginative, sometimes string-heavy arrangements would help shape the group's signature sound.

"Dedicated to the One I Love" (1959) and "Tonight's the Night" (1960) both failed to make much of an impact on the pop charts, although the latter was a Top 20 R&B hit. However, they broke big time with the Goffin-King composition "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"; released in late 1960, it went all the way to number one pop, making them the first all-female group of the rock era to accomplish that feat; it also peaked at number two R&B. Its success helped send a re-release of "Dedicated to the One I Love" into the Top Five on both the pop and R&B charts in 1961, and "Mama Said" did the same; a more R&B-flavored outing, "Big John," also went to number two that year. 1962 continued their run of success, most notably with "Soldier Boy," a Luther Dixon/Florence Greenberg tune that became their second pop number one; they also had a Top Ten pop and R&B hit with "Baby It's You." Unfortunately, Dixon subsequently left the label; the Shirelles managed to score one more pop/R&B Top Ten with 1963's "Foolish Little Girl," but found it difficult to maintain their previous level of success.

The group went on to record material for the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, headlined the first integrated concert show in Alabama, and helped a young Dionne Warwick get some of her first exposure (subbing for Owens and Coley when each took a leave of absence to get married). A money dispute with Scepter tied up their recording schedule for a while in 1964, and although it was eventually settled, the Shirelles were still bound to a label where their run was essentially over. Of course, this was also because of the British Invasion, whose bands were among the first to cover their songs; not only their hits, but lesser-known items like "Boys" (the Beatles) and "Sha La La" (a hit for Manfred Mann). The Shirelles scraped the lower reaches of the charts a few more times, making their last appearance, ironically, with 1967's "Last Minute Miracle." Doris Kenner left the group the following year to concentrate on raising her family, and the remaining Shirelles continued as a trio, cutting singles for Bell, United Artists, and RCA through 1971. (AMG)

This is the Shirelles debut US LP and one that does not come up often in the TRUE STEREO variation let alone in this pristine condition. This copy is from my personal collection and was my keeper copy. I'll let the market determine what this one is worth. Please see the other Shirelles LP's I have up for Auction.

Cover/Jacket Condition: Very Good++ ...the BEAUTIFUL glossy laminated blue front cover is really clean and has only the beginning of wear in the sheen (See photos). The back cover is clean and almost without wear other than a light age yellowing at the edges (see photo). The seams are intact and sharp. The spine is also intact and lettering sharp (see photo). No cut out holes, drill holes, saw marks, writing, stains, water damage, tears, indents, tape, razor marks, stickers, stains, warping, bar codes, or peel off marks. This is a beautiful cover to match the high grade vinyl.

Record Condition: Side 1 & 2: Near Mint-/Very Good++ ...the thick Scepter vinyl has full LIKE NEW gloss with only a few very light sleeve slide marks on side one which grades VG++. Side two is even cleaner and grades Near Mint-. The STEREO-MONIC red SCEPTER labels are clean with almost NO discernible wear around the spindle holes (See photos). CD's and later vinyl pressings can't even come close to the incredible fidelity of this TRUE STEREO Scepter LP. Good luck finding another like this copy.

Thanks for looking!!!

WHY BID ON THIS ITEM?

HERE'S WHY!

ALL MY LISTINGS INCLUDE:

Vinyl Grading Policy:

• All records and jackets are visually graded unless noted otherwise. CAUTION: Please be aware that the play grade may differ from the visual grade. If you want me to play a particular song and give you an assessment of background noise, etc. Please email me. We all have records that look worn but play great and vice versa. It is not possible to play as well as visually grade each LP listed. I TRY TO GRADE CONSERVATIVELY under the guidelines on this page, which generally follow the GOLDMINE standards. Although I try to be conscientious as a grader, there is the possibility that something could slip by me. In the event an item is not as described, REST ASSURED I will always offer a money back guarantee for purchase price of the item if returned safe and secure and requested within five days of receipt.
• Mint = A mint item must be absolutely perfect. Certainly never been played if not still sealed. This would be an item where it was opened but not played maybe just to check the label variation.
• Near Mint = The record shows no obvious signs of wear. The vinyl should show no wear from playing only the slightest of paper scuffs are acceptable. The jacket should look as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink-wrap.
• Near Mint-/Very Good++ = The record or cover is clearly better than VG+ but not Near Mint. There should be some signs that the vinyl was played infrequently and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took excellent care of it. Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have light scuffs and or very minor light scratches that do not affect the listening experience at all. The label and spindle hole will be without flaws other than the lightest of spindle trails from being played only a few times if at all. The cover should be bright and sharp and will have only the very first evidence of discoloration or ring wear or creased corners. Although there may be some evidence of seam/spine wear, seam splits are not permitted for this grade. The jacket may be marked as a cut out by a drill hole, saw mark, cut corner or punch hole. I will try to list any cover flaws of significance.
• Very Good+ = This is equivalent of the VG+ grade in Goldmine. The record will show signs that the vinyl was played but taken care of. Record surfaces will show signs of wear including some light scratches/scuffs that do not significantly affect the listener experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Spindle holes will have some wear but not be enlarged or damaged in any way. The cover will have general wear/ring wear but not to the extent that it materially impairs enjoyment of the picture cover. Slight seam splits are OK for this grade. Again I will try to list any cover flaws of significance.
• Very Good = Unless it is a rare collectible, I usually will not sell records where both the cover and vinyl are below a VG+ grade PERIOD. This grade is included since some times there may be either a cover or record that the flaws in VG+ grade above are more pronounced but the other part of the package is of a higher grade. If it is the vinyl I will play grade it to be sure that the listener can still enjoy the music.
• BID WITH CONFIDENCE! All items are FULLY GUARANTEED. If requested within five days of receipt, I will refund your full purchase price (excluding refund of shipping costs) upon return of the item if you are not satisfied, period. If you want protection related to lost or damaged shipments you must insure your winnings. I pack all records removed from the jacket, sandwiched between corrugated cardboard before insertion into the mailer box. Many times I will also use bubble wrap or a box inside a box packing method to further protect your item.
• I do not grade inner sleeves but will let you know if there are any inserts, posters, stickers or other items included with the RECORD or TAPE.
• Items that do not sell are usually not re-listed. Please contact me if interested and provide sufficient information to identify the item.

Payment and Shipping

Payment & Shipping Terms:

• All payments in US dollars only, Money orders, Cashiers Checks, Bank Checks, I NOW ACCEPT PAYPAL TOO. According to ebay policy, I can no longer accept cash by mail as a form of payment even if the buyer is using registered mail and is willing to accept the risk of loss. All non personal check acceptable payment methods get shipping within 1 business day of receipt. I TAKE PRIDE IN OUTSTANDING COMMUNICATION AND ULTRA FAST LOW COST SHIPPING (Please check my feedback). Personal checks are accepted if drawn on a US bank and buyer is willing to wait for me to ship until your check clears. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding acceptable payment methods.
• Winning Bidder must contact me in 3 days (72 hours) from receipt of my auction closing notification email to arrange payment and mailing.
• I follow the ebay non payment rules so if you have not made payment do not be surprised if you get a eBay non paying bidder notice after 10 days. I agressively work to get my final value ebay fees back if the item is not paid for within the auction terms.
• IF YOU CANNOT PAY WITHIN THE DESIGNATED TIME FRAMES PLEASE DO NOT BID!
• All winners will receive the following: Winning confirmation (within 1 day after auction end), Payment confirmation (upon its arrival), and shipping confirmation (upon its departure).



• I make best efforts to ship within 24 hours of receiving cleared payment. THOSE THAT PAY PROMPTLY AFTER AUCTION END GET EVEN FASTER SHIPPING TURNAROUND. Shipping is actual postage cost (plus $2.00 for proper packaging materials) for either priority or media mail including delivery confirmation within the United States. Insurance is optional at the buyer discretion.
• International shipping is for PRIORITY MAIL INTERNATIONAL with tracking. Shipping costs are calculated based upon actual postage (plus $2 for bubble wrap, a box and proper packing materials) to keep weight and postage costs as low as possible while properly protecting your item.
• I only ship priority airmail for international destinations and will require registered mail or global express for high dollar international shipments. I will ship FIRST CLASS INTERNATIONAL mail to save $$$ for low value items based upon the buyers feedback record if the buyer expressly accepts any risk of non delivery or loss as there is no shipment tracking or delivery confirm with that method. Please inquire before bidding if that is the shipping mode you desire.
• Save on shipping cost per record when I mail two or more records in one package. I do consolidate international and domestic shipments to help save postage. Please inquire for cost information.
• I DO assume that you have no problem waiting weeks for delivery if you choose DOMESTIC MEDIA MAIL. As we all know, there is no definitive delivery time frame with media mail.