CLIFF RICHARD & THE SHADOWS 21 Today SCARCE ORIG UK 1961 EX+ MONO LP GREAT SOUND

	£		39
	$		52

Artist or Band: CLIFF RICHARD and THE SHADOWS

Album Title: 21 Today.

Producer(s): Norrie Paramor.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Happy Birthday To You; Forty Days (To Come Back Home); Catch Me; How Wonderful to Know; Tough Enough; Fifty Years For Every Kiss; Night Is So Lonely; Poor Boy.

Side 2: Y’Arriva; Outsider; Tea For Two; To Prove My Love For You; Without You; Mighty Lonely Man; My Blue Heaven; Shame On You.

Label/Format: Columbia – original green format with very gently textured surfaces and glossy finish. Side one has a vintage ‘W T’ embossed tax code, both in lovely condition with no flattening or ink rubbing to their fragile surface.

Label Conditions: Both are in amazing conditions, especially so considering the sheer age, mode and popularity of this record. They are very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle marks (in this case traces) tiny, very few and faint with no wear around the hole area. This amazing very early pressed record appears hardly played and sounds superb with minimal traces of wear or sound issues.

Cat Number: 33SX 1368.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 145 grams. A typical very solid weight for the time.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce as an original on the green label. Most 1960s copies are on the black and blue format that came later. Also, let’s put this into context for condition. Records that date way back to the early 1960s were still often played with steel needle gramophones or the most basic of mono record players. Such units tracked at astonishing weights that beggar belief compared to more refined and modern stereo players. The results often catastrophic for sound quality, thus these early classics still from the era of 78 rpm shellac records, only really can offer top sound quality if they are hardly played. Well Cliff Richard – the UK’s answer to Elvis – like the King himself, proved very popular right from the very beginning. Both artists records were heavily played and finding them with minimal evidence of any are far harder to find. The very early titles, even earlier than Beatles albums, and we all know the state the very early mono copies of those are like, are more often seen trashed. So early Cliff albums when found like this are a thing of beauty, and here, even the cover is superb as can be clearly seen. They sold in considerable numbers, but few of the green label ones will survive this clean, that is a pure fact. A wonderful opportunity for fans of this evergreen popular singer, here backed by The Shadows.

Original Year of Release: October 1961 (issued on the day of Cliff’s 21st birthday).

Matrix Nos: XAX 2209-2N / XAX 2210-2N

Mothers / Stampers: 1 O / 1 R

Musicians: Cliff Richard – lead vocals; Hank Marvin – lead guitar; Bruce Welch – rhythm guitar; Jet Harris – bass guitar; Tony Meehan – drums.

Brief Info: This was Cliff Richard’s fifth album, issued way back in October 1961, on the very day of his 21st birthday, and again backed by The Shadows. This combination offered some of the very best popular music of the era, this album is beautifully packaged and a mini-milestone in his vast catalogue. Never underestimate how difficult the original green Columbia label copies are to find in top conditions compared to later ones. This is a beauty with minimal degrading of the lovely mono sound. Most of these were played on VERY basic, even harsh heavy-tracking record players of the time. Just one jolt or arm drop meant very deep scratches or crators on the record resulting in loud clicks, jumps or sticks. But even without such traumas, the sound will degrade even with average usage or less. So finding one of these in this superb, and appearing hardly played condition with a gorgeous cover to match, is far from easy. A very impressive near archive-quality example that could mean a major upgrade for many. This is a copy most Cliff fans will treasure.

Cover Front: VG+: a single format with front laminate, this wraps around all the closed edges and ends on the back via three external flipbacks. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse with the ‘Patents pending’ text. This is a heavy-duty thick card cover with the correct mono SX prefix. It comes complete with the early Polylined inner sleeve.

Cover Back: The matt unprotected panel has lightly darkened. Ringwear and crease-free, and a thumbs-up from Cliff as seen in close-up. All three flipbacks are super with no lifting or damage, any laminate creasing on them very few and light as well. Like the front, this will take some beating.

Edges, Spine & Corners: Clean, sharp with little wear. All text is perfect usual some small amount of corner wear & rubbing consistent with a 53 year old cover.

Cover Summary: the photograph by Angus McBean – the now 21-year-old Cliff with the young Shadows picture will rarely be seen better. Simply one for fans and collectors of this famous British singer, recommended to all.

The Inner Sleeve:  A polylined white inner with Two window circles and clear, if a little crinkled lining, but firmly intact.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): or better. A very impressive visual copy that is very clean with lovely shine and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal play . This very early mono record has both playing surfaces that will prove very difficult to find better on a green label copy of this record. Visually a super example that should please many, if not most collectors.

PLEASE SEE MY OTHER GREEN LABEL CLIFF RICHARD ORIGINALS FOR AUCTION - MANY THANKS & HAPPY BIDDING..