Black Sabbath Master of Reality US Orig'71 WB BS-2562 1st Press Misprint Shrink

$

215

ULTRA RARE ORIGINAL TRUE 1ST PRESSING COLUMBIA RECORDS, PITMAN
BLACK SABBATH ~ MASTER OF REALITY
1ST PRINT EMBOSSED COVER IN THE ORIGINAL SHRINK WRAP
INCLUDES AN ORIGINAL LARGE 4-PANEL FOLD-OUT 18" x 23" COLOR POSTER INSERT
1ST RUN MISPRINT WARNER BROS. ARMY GREEN LABELS WITH THE INCORRECT TITLE INDICATING "MASTERS OF REALITY"
ARTISAN SOUND RECORDERS MASTERING WITH THE LOGO CONSISTING OF A RING AND A GAUGE FORMING THE "A"
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
In most cases, the copies of this album listed for sale are a repressing in spite of having the army green Warner Bros. labels. This copy of Black Sabbath’s 3rd studio album “Master of Reality” released by Warner Bros. Records in July, 1971 represents a true 1st pressing. Aside from the embossed style cover, which was also used on the repressings, the copy contains the characteristics of the true 1st pressing, namely the misprint incorrect labels. It's worth beginning with the fact that these 1st print US labels incorrectly indicate the title as “Masters of Reality”and this isn’t the only misprint. Track 2 on Side 1 appears as “After Forever (Including the Elegy)” and is incorrectly credited to "Ioomi-Ward-Osbourne-Butler". The parentheses with the "Including the Elegy" text were removed on the later pressings. Unlike the subsequent pressings which have 4 tracks, the labels of this true 1st print label variation indicate the 5th track, “The Haunting” (A5), on Side 1. Side 2 of the repressings’ labels also mentions 4 tracks, but as you see on the photos, the label of this copy indicates the additional tracks, “Step Up” (B2) and “Deathmask” (B5). Wow, it would be easier to write about what these labels got right! Perhaps, it would be the catalog number “BS 2562 (539928)” on Side 1 and “BS 2562 (539929)” on Side 2. There is one more interesting feature concerning the pressing of this album. Various sources indicate that this album, aside from the RCA contract pressing, was pressed by Columbia Records only at its plant in Terry Haute. All of these copies contain the identifier in the form of the “T” symbol. We were very surprised to find out that this copy doesn’t have any identifiers which could be used to determine its pressing plant. It was only during the last stage of inspection when we saw a barely visible small machine stamped “P” identifier in the runout groove on both sides, which allows to state with full confidence that the copies of this album were also pressed by Columbia at their plant in Pitman. This is the first time we’ve come across a copy like this. The full matrix numbers of this copy which was mastered by Artisan Sound Recorders and includes the “1” suffix, identifying the very early 1st pressing, are as follows: Side 1 - p BS-2562 39928-1 Artisan D 5; Side 2 - p BS-2562 39929-1 Artisan 2 B. This very early true 1st US pressing copy includes a very rare original 4-panel large “Printed in U.S.A.” fold-out 18” x 23” color poster insert indicating the catalog number BS-2562 at the bottom right corner. The copy also comes with an original Warner Bros. inner sleeve with the "Distinguished Company" text at the top of the front side and the "Loss Leaders" advertisement on the back.  ★ The cover is in pristine condition but I've decided to grade it as Excellent as oppose to Near Mint Minus due to a couple of creases at the top right corner of the back cover. Please take into consideration that the covers of this album are very susceptible to creasing due to being quite thin. Both, the original inner sleeve and the poster are in Near Mint Minus condition. I grade the glossy vinyl visually as Very Good Plus. It retains its original shiny factory lacquer but has some very light non-feelable marks, hairlines as well as some very light scuffs from the inner sleeve. The very clean labels are in superb Near Mint Minus condition are completely scuff- and wear-free. The vinyl sounds great with a vivid Stereo sound, only having a series of light pops on Track 2 of Side 2 and some light occasional static, which in most of the cases might get reduced or go away completely if the record is professionally cleaned using a VPI cleaning machine.  
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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