SUN RA - DAN & DALE Batman & Robin TIFTON LP 1966 orig w/ inner Garage/GoGo nice

$

32

BATMAN AND ROBIN - Tifton Audio Series - The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale - 1966 - with the inner sleeve featuring the cover and back cover
Vinyl is EX - looks and plays a champ. Jacket is VG+ some edgewear and light ringwear
Legendary exploito cash in kiddie LP miraculously rocks like nobody's business, mainly due to the presence of Mr. Sun Ra on organ on a bunch of tracks, and also the excellent guitar work of members of the Blues Project.  
Great review of the album from AllMusic:

No joke -- this album is a little glimpse of heaven. This reviewer has imagined the latter as having (among many things) its own version of Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, circa 1964-1965, with Fred Neil, Jimi Hendrix, Phil Ochs, Gene Clark, the Serendipity Singers, Art & Paul, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and a hundred other acts playing every night, any night; the music on this album makes me think of something like I'd probably hear if I walked in on a Blues Project rehearsal in that celestial sphere. It is the Blues Project (possibly without Al Kooper, who says he didn't make the session, regardless of what the CD and our ears say), with Sun Ra on the Hammond B-3 organ, John Gilmore and Marshall Allen on tenor and alto, respectively, Pat Patrick on bass, and Jimmy Owens and Tom McIntosh on trumpet and trombone. And apart from the first track and the packaging (which probably cost more, for the licensing of the Batman images, than the session did), none of it has anything to do with Batman or comic books. The story is this -- sometime in 1966, producer Tom Wilson persuaded (probably with the offer of some quick bucks) Sun Ra and members of his band, and the members of the Blues Project, to lay down 35 minutes of music for a Batman and Robin album credited to "The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale." It was a quickie exploitation effort sponsored by some toy company in New Jersey (where these sessions were cut) intended to sell some dance music for discotheques and parties by cashing in on the craze surrounding the Batman television program. The album, showing the Caped Crusader and his partner swinging down on bat-ropes, has been a denizen of dollar-record bins and nostalgia shows for decades, and just happens to feature some of the hottest musicians in New York City; beyond Sun Ra and his band, there's Danny Kalb, Andy Kulberg, Steve Katz, and Roy Blumenfeld, who at that time was one of the best bands working in the city. Most of side one is attributed to Sun Ra and his band, though Kalb and Katz seem to be all over the place, assuming they're the only guitarists (and it sounds like them), while side two is attributed principally to the Blues Project -- certainly "The Joker Is Wild" is the Blues Project, and if Al Kooper wasn't at these sessions, then Sun Ra turned down considerably on this cut. "Batman and Robin Over the Roofs" features Jimmy Owens prominently, along with Sun Ra and the two guitarists, in the longest jam on this record (which, as a statement of quality, is also one of the best cuts). No, Batman and Robin doesn't match the importance of the Blues Project's own official recordings, or anything that Sun Ra was doing officially, but what a chance to hear these guys kicking back for a half-hour's anonymous blues jamming. Everything here, apart from the Neal Hefti "Batman Theme" is public domain blues built on some familiar material (including Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Bach), one cut, appropriately entitled "The Riddler's Retreat," quotes riffs and phrases from a half-dozen Beatles songs, and another, "The Bat Cave," that's this group's answer to "Green Onions" (and a good answer, too). Along with Sun Ra, who dominates every passage he plays on, Steve Katz and Danny Kalb are the stars here, romping and stomping over everything as they weave around each other, while Gilmore, Allen, and Owens occasionally stepping to the fore, Blumenfeld makes his percussion sound downright tuneful in a few spots, and some anonymous female singers throw out a lyric or two on a pair of cuts, just as a distraction. Andy Kulberg and Pat Patrick alternate the bass chores, and at times they're practically playing additional lead instruments. It's all almost too good to be true, catching the Blues Project when they were still playing together happily -- maybe this isn't the jam they would have wanted preserved 35-plus years later, but neither is it embarrassing, and fans of either Sun Ra or the Blues Project might well want this record just for the sheer strangeness of it. Italy's Universe records has reissued Batman and Robin in gorgeous sound, re-creating the original cover art and making it into a gatefold, with some irrelevant '70s-era Batman panels printed inside. Note: Some of these same tracks, or others out of the same session, were repackaged as horror film-focused albums, which are less well known and have yet to show up on CD.

The following are my definitions of the standard grading terms used by record dealers and collectors.

AsM = Mint. I do not claim many records as mint on Ebay. In my opinion, I never saw a mint condition record a record collector couldn't nitpick down a notch or two with real or imagined defects. 

NM - NEAR MINT - A near mint record will have no scratches visible on the vinyl, which will shine with that magical rainbow sheen that new vinyl has. If it appears to have never been played, I will probably use the term "cherry", which would of course mean the needle has not entered the groove. The label will not have any tears or writing on it, and it will for all intents and purposes look like it just was purchased new. For a jacket, it will mean no seam splits, no ringwear, no pen marks, no tears, and only the most minor bent corners (and these will be noted). Colors will be crisp and sharp,and this LP will be in condition way above that you see in the average "used" (as opposed to collectable ) record store. On the Osbourne scale, we are talking 9/9 and no less.

VG++ - Very Good Double Plus - Because of the fact that, as ebay has developed over the past 10 years we've been messing with it, we record collectors and dealers all know that there is such a thing as "grade inflation". This is partially due to the fact that it is very difficult to deal with a subjective thing like grading when you the buyer can't be where I the seller is to debate the relative verities of very light marks caused only by moving the record in and out of the sleeve vs. actual surface marks due to poor storage and/or improper play, and business like that. Also because people can't or won't grade w/i the rules. Anyway, VG++ is our description for a record that might as well be NM but has a sleeve mark or two (shallow, whispy lines that come from removing the record out of the sleeve) but also have full lustre and are obviously in the prime of their life. 8.5 - 8 Obsbourne and at this point probably where the vast bits of our inventory lie.

VG+ - Very Good Plus - VG+ is a common grading for an E Bay worthy LP -- highly playable with hopefully no scratches but maybe a slight loss of lustre in the vinyl. Any "sleeve marks" on a VG+ record will have to be VERY shallow and will be noted in the description. No writing on the label. VG+ covers are also very nice -- no splits (or splits that are no more than a half an inch, and these will be noted), only very light ringwear (which will be noted), only slight bend and maybe if it doesn't seem too bad a corner crease (again, these will be noted.) From time to time we will do High VG+ and Low VG+. Again, these are not attempts at being disingenuous, but are only trying to give you as much understanding about what the records look like to my eye for you to make your decision. We all know that there is high VG+ and low VG+, particularly on ebay. For Osbourne number grade VG+ is around an 8 - 7.5.

VG - Very Good - Don't list a lot of these on Ebay unless I think the item is particularly unique or desireable. Records may have some surface marks and slight (audible but unobtrusive) noise but NO deep gouges or areas likely to skip. Solid, playable, used copies of records that will not disappoint. Labels may have a name written in pen, but these will be noted. Covers may have some ringwear, maybe a maximum two inch split, maybe a name lightly written in ball point pen, maybe radio station call letters, none of which should be obtrusive to your enjoyment of the product. All visible defects will be noted in the description. If they are not mentioned they are not there. Highs and lows here are also presented for the sake of relativity. Number Grade for Osbourne is 7/7.

VG- : Very good minus : VERY Rarely listed on E Bay -- Vinyl: visible and audible surface marks, probably pops. Should not skip. Label may have a tear or two, name written in heavy ink. Jacket could have a halfway across split, a tear, or a deep black name written on it. All defects will be noted in the descriptions. Osbourne: 6/6.

G+ (Good Plus) or lower will not be listed on Ebay.