ELVIS PRESLEY, G.I. Blues (Collectors Edition) (N.MINT)

	£		18
	$		24

This is the hard-to-find Elvis Presley ‘G.I. Blues’ collectors edition vinyl LP complete with ‘Live A Little Love A Little’ 7” single & 8-page booklet insert. An Elvis collectable that rarely turns up in its vinyl pressing now, especially in ‘like new’ condition like this one so don’t miss out...

Year of release: 2001

Label: BMG / RCA / Castle

Catalogue No: ELVIS 106

Country of Manufacture: Made in EU 

Mode: Stereo

Other detail: 20 tracks on LP include 8 alternate & rare versions / 4 tracks on 7”

RECORD CONDITION

Labels/Visual/Play: NEAR MINT

I’m probably being over cautious here; the records could well both be unplayed and I have only given them a brief test. They both look very clean with a pure deep gloss and are basically as you would expect brand new vinyl to look. The only marks are paper scuff types of mark which come from removing the records from the cover but these are really very few and far between. There are no marks to be found on the playing surface or on the labels which display absolutely no spindle wear. The sound is clear and crisp so basically this album and single are both in perfect working order.

COVER CONDITION

Package: NEAR MINT

The album outer cover, inner sleeve, 7” single sleeve and 8 page booklet are all immaculate with no damage or wear to report. The outer sleeve has perhaps a couple of small creases near the edge and a couple of handling marks that wouldn’t have been there if the package were sealed but overall this is a collectors package in  a brilliant cared for state.

ABOUT ELVIS PRESLEY - ‘G.I. BLUES’ (Collectors Edition)

Elvis Presley's first post-Army movie, ‘G.I. Blues’, was scored to music that the King had begun recording in April of 1960, immediately after his discharge from the service. He was in excellent voice — even better than he had been before his induction two years before, in terms of his intonation and control — and he still had one of the best bands in the business, including Scotty Moore on lead guitar and D.J. Fontana on drums. What he didn't have here was a first-rate score. There are some OK rock & roll songs present, including ‘Shoppin' Around,’ and a pair of good ballads — ‘Doin' the Best I Can’ and ‘Wooden Heart’ — the latter was co-authored by pop bandleader Bert Kaempfert, thus making him one of the few (and perhaps the only) musicians to cross paths creatively with Elvis and The Beatles during this period. There's also one beautiful tune, ‘Pocketful of Rainbows,’ that Elvis treats in a subdued, gentle, moody style that recalls his classic Sun Records' recordings of ‘Harbor Lights’ and ‘Blue Moon.’ And there are a handful of better-than-decent filler numbers, such as ‘Frankfort Special,’ and the gentle pop ballads ‘Big Boots’ and ‘What's She Really Like,’ but none of those are close to being a truly first-rate composition — most of them are predictable, by-the-numbers compositions. Not only would most of the music not be of any interest had anyone other than Elvis recorded it, but it's impossible to imagine any other singer wanting to record any but two of the songs on this album. And ‘G.I. Blues’ and ‘Didja Ever,’ in particular, are little more than military-themed novelty tunes, with which Elvis has some fun, but are hardly worth the two slots they take up in the score. And then, right in the middle of this uneven selection, is a fresh, 1960-vintage recording of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ that shows exactly what Elvis Presley and company were still capable of doing. It's because of tracks like that, and the other strong numbers here, that ‘G.I. Blues’ can be recommended as Elvis' best full-length, post-Army soundtrack release, and this collectors edition can be bought with even greater confidence, offering good sound and eight bonus tracks that include some lively alternate takes of five of the better songs. There's little in the way of annotation though some of the factoids listed in the booklet are interesting, such as that ‘G.I. Blues’ was the King's longest-charting album at 111 weeks, including five tracks at Number One. (Allmusic guide)

POSTAGE & PACKING

UK:

Basic option – FREE / Recorded Delivery (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) £3.50

EUROPE:

Basic airmail - £4.00 / Insured delivery £8.00

REST OF WORLD:

Basic airmail - £7.00 / Insured delivery £12.00

We will always ensure that our records will be well packed in a secure manner. We do everything we can to provide a safe delivery and ensure that your records arrive in the same condition that they left us in. We use professionally packed heavy-duty mailers. We are also happy to accommodate pick up in person.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

If you are unhappy with your purchase, for any reason, we are not going to get into a long dispute with you about the items merits. We offer a no nonsense money back promise including postage upon return of the item. Obviously we do ask that you raise any issues within 7 days of delivery. Just get in touch, we can work it out.

GRADING

‘Record Collector Magazine’ have for years promoted a grading system that has been accepted as the all round standard amongst dealers and collectors. We too use that system but just in case anyone’s not sure here’s my basic interpretation:

MINT: Only ever used if a record is totally un-played and therefore can be classed as brand new. Even if a record has only had one play it can no longer be Mint.

NEAR MINT: This grading applies to a record that has no visible faults and no lessening in sound quality. Other than perhaps a little dust and in some cases the lightest of totally non-sounding paper scuffs visible under strong light, vinyl graded Nr.Mint will be extremely well cared for. Sleeves graded Nr.Mint will have no damage and only the vaguest suggestion of any handling or use.

EXCELLENT: Records graded thus will essentially be in a very well cared for condition and play without any problems. Excellent records have been used but they will have been well looked after and the worst you can expect with the audio will be the odd light pop or click and perhaps a little bit of light background noise in a couple of places, but certainly nothing that will spoil your enjoyment of the music. Covers graded Excellent have no damage or defacement to the artwork , their evidence of handling will only be in minor details like a few faint creases, tiny edge scuffs or a small amount of writing or sticker residue but certainly no serious damage.

VERY GOOD: Records graded VG will be totally satisfactory to all but those looking for total perfection. They will be used but still fully playable and only show the kind of wear you would expect to find on a second hand record that has had a few plays. The odd light scratch may be evident as well as general spindle wear and paper scuffs but nothing to cause any overall problems with your enjoyment of the record. Basically, be realistic in what you’d expect a used record to look and sound like and you won’t have any disappointments with a record that is graded Very Good. Covers graded VG may show a bit of general wear or scuffing around the edges, there could be some light ring-wear, a few creases and perhaps a little bit of writing (1960’s record owners seemed to always write their name somewhere on the sleeve) but they will still be fully intact and certainly not abused in any way.

GOOD: Vinyl graded as Good should be approached with a little more caution, as most dealers will tell you in record collecting terms ‘good’ means ‘bad’! We try and keep our items above this standard, however Good does have some saving graces and is not the lowest grading vinyl can be given. A record graded thus will still be just about playable although it will clearly have been played a lot by previous owners. You can also expect light scratches and definitely some surface noise. Covers graded as Good will be just about holding it together although you will inevitable find plenty of creases, maybe a few rips and seam splits as well as possibly chunks missing, writing or stains and indeed any other kind of defacement that it’s possible to find on record sleeves without them being totally destroyed.

FAIR: Don’t bother bidding!

NB. There may be occasions when we add a + or a – to a grading. The reason for this is fairly self explanatory but essentially, if something is VG+ that means it is a seriously strong example of that particular grading and potentially worth a higher grade. Please also remember that there are variables within all of these gradings (for example, it is not impossible for a Nr.Mint sleeve to have a tiny bit of writing present) but we’ll always endeavour to mention any especially relevant points within the bulk of the main description text