BILLIE HOLIDAY MEGA-RARE 1950 MERCURY 10" LP DSM COVER

$

669

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·       BILLIE HOLIDAY - BILLIE HOLIDAY SINGS - ULTRA-RARE ORIGINAL 1951 MERCURY RECORDS MONO 10-INCH LP MGC-118

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       YES, FOLKS – THIS IS THE ORIGINAL MERCURY PRESSING OF THIS ULTRA-RARE 10-INCH LP – NOT A CLEF REISSUE!!!

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       ORIGINAL DAVID STONE MARTIN COVER ARTWORK

·       ORIGINAL BLACK MERCURY LABEL WITH SILVER PRINT AND DAVID STONE MARTIN’S “TRUMPETER” LOGO

·       DEEP GROOVE PRESSING

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       BEAUTIFUL, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       In THIS, original form, this album has NEVER been available on legitimate Compact Disc or in any other way, manner or format. At present, this is the ONLY way you can obtain this great album.

(►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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Billie Holiday's first recordings for Norman Granz (originally recorded for Mercury, then transferred to Granz’ Clef/Verve label) present a vocalist truly at the top of her craft, although she would begin a rapid decline soon thereafter. This 1952 recording (originally issued as a 10", then reissued as a 12" LP: Solitude) places Holiday in front of small piano and tenor saxophone-led groups including jazz luminaries such as Oscar Peterson and Charlie Shavers, where her gentle phrasing sets the tone for the sessions, evoking lazy evenings and dreamy afternoons. The alcoholism and heroin use that would be her downfall by the end of this decade seems to be almost unfathomable during these recordings since Holiday is in as fine a voice as her work in the '30s, and the musical environment seems ideal for these slow torch songs. Solitude runs as the common theme throughout these tracks. Several of Holiday's best-known recordings came from this session, making this album far and away the best work of her later years, and certainly a noteworthy moment of her entire career.

In the Galaxy of Billie Holiday recordings and records, there are those that are rarer than the others. And then there are those that are so incredibly rare that not even the most devout fans can remember ever seeing a copy; finally, there is this beauty, that easily tops 'em all: Billie Holiday's first 10-inch LP for Mercury Records, with classic artwork done by Mr. Jazz Cover, David Stone Martin himself. Truly a piece of art, and a piece of history, all rolled into one.

THIS IS A NO-RESERVE AUCTION!

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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)            WE GRADE THE VINYL AS VERY GOOD+ (VG+) . CAUTION: The vinyl is NOT MINT or NEAR MINT, but is nevertheless in a very nice and clean condition. There are some surface marks and abrasions, mostly light and superficial, although some may be longer than 1.1/4 inches (1 inch = 2.5 centimeters)

We could not "feel" these abrasions with our fingertip, and we suspect that they are NOT audible.

(b)            The record has a "deep groove" (an indent in the label about 1/2-inch from the edge of the label, which on SOME labels is associated with very early or first pressings).

(c)             The record is 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!

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

·       COVER

THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT VERY GOOD++ (VG++).

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-         Cover has some ring wear (nothing significant); On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and 10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 3 (front side) and 6 (back side).

-         Cover shows some light yellowing on both sides, apparently from aging.

-         Back cover has circular tarnish (grayish, dust-covered sections, which closely follow the contour of the record), probably caused by friction or by rubbing against other covers during the storage. The tarnish is similar in appearance to a common ring wear, but, UNLIKE ring wear, these grayish areas may be possible to clean up with a minor effort and with a right cleansing solution.

-         Cover has some visible fraying/tattering on the spine

-         Cover has one corner slightly worn / frayed / bent.

-         Cover has a tiny "wrinkle" (crease) in one of the corners.

-         Cover has some writing on its back side (name of the previous owner written in faded blue pen, about ¼ x 3 inches in size)

NO OTHER IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER:

-         No split seams (yet)

-         No cut-out (drill) holes.

-         No cut-out corners

-         No saw-marks or indents

-         No stamps

-         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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Generally, US POSTAGE is $5.80 FOR THE FIRST ITEM shipped via USPS PRIORITY MAIL (this includes a small $1.00 packaging surcharge).

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE- and insurance rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage and insurance rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note we are NOT responsible for uninsured items.

Media- and Surface Mail rates are available ONLY to orders of $200.00 or more. NO EXCEPTIONS.

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OUR REFUND POLICY :

Cash refund will be granted only for DEFECTIVE items, but we are flexible and reasonable in reviewing the merits of each individual case. We do NOT play-grade records and can only make reasonable inference on the item's condition based on its visual appearance. Every bid carries a risk that purchased item might play worse than its visual grade may indicate. Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here for the full text of our policy .

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