CASSIUS CLAY/MUHAMMAD ALI (w/SAM COOKE?) I AM GREATEST RARE ORIG '63 MONO LP N/M

$

46

    
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·       CASSIUS CLAY (a/k/a MUHAMMAD ALI) with POSSIBLE, UNDOCUMENTED INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION OF SAM COOKE – I AM THE GREATEST  – ORIGINAL 1962 COLUMBIA RECORDS MONO LP CL-2093

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       ORIGINAL RED & BLACK COLUMBIA "GUARANTEED FIDELITY" MONO  LABEL, EARLY 60’s STYLE

·       EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL STEREO PRESSING, MANY TIMES RARER THAN MONO

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       THICK, CARDBOARD COVER, AMERICAN STYLE.

·       COVER IS STILL PARTIALLY (ABOUT 60%)  IN ITS ORIGINAL SHRINK (CELLOPHANE) WRAP

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

·       MATRIX NUMBER IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) ENDS WITH '-1A/-1A'.  ON SOME LABELS,  SUFFIX '–1' DENOTES THE VERY FIRST, ORIGINAL PRESSING)

·       MACHINE-STAMPED MATRIX NUMBER IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) OF THE RECORD

 (►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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As the 20th century wound down, it was time to honor all the true greats who had inhabited its time frame. Certainly one of those deserving a tip of the hat was Muhammad Ali, who single-handedly changed boxing and how African-Americans were treated in that sport. He stands as a model of black pride, a person who stood by his beliefs no matter the cost. But turn back the clock to the early '60s and Muhammad Ali was Cassius Clay, a loudmouthed prize fighter who was making headlines by outrageous behavior both in and out of the ring. He recited poetry, yammered on incessantly about how pretty he was, and made with the promo noise not unlike that of a modern day WWF wrestler. It was big enough news back then that Columbia Records had him record an entire album of his poetry for public consumption. Hey, if the Bickersons sold, maybe this big-mouthed boxing kid would too. The result is like listening to almost any other early-'60s comedy album because, racial pride aside, that's exactly how this album was viewed and sold back then. Clay runs through a set of his poems with varied musical backing and an audience to laugh and applaud in all the right spots. Those of you old enough to remember Ali verbally sparring with Howard Cosell will hear those seeds sown right here. I Am the Greatest! is one of the strangest records to come down the pike in ages, but a marvelous souvenir of a simpler time in America's history.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY CUB KODA, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

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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  (WEAK) NEAR MINT. Some VERY LIGHT AND SUPERFICIAL abrasions – mostly sleeve scuffs -  are (barely) visible, but are probably inaudible,  and do not affect visual integrity or beauty of the vinyl. The original luster is very much intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)          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!

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

·       COVER

COVER IS NEAR MINT,  STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL ►SHRINK WRAP  (A PIECE OF SHRINK WRAP IS MISSING)

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-        Cover has some light ring wear in one small area not covered by the shrink wrap (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 1 (front side) and 2 (back side).

-         Cover shows JUST A HINT of yellowing on back side, 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 a few tiny wrinkles along the spine

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

NO OTHER IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER:

-        No split seams

-        No cut-out (drill) holes.

-        No cut-out corners

-        No saw-marks or indents

-        No writing

-        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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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND that you pay for USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment in order to obtain tracking information, which is NOT available for First Class International shipments.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that ►our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

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