FAMILY Music In A Doll’s House UK 1st ORIGINAL ’68 MONO

	£		62
	$		82

FAMILY MUSIC IN A DOLL’S HOUSE REPRISE RLP 6312 (UK) 1968 MONO ORIGINAL 1st PRESSING

ROGER CHAPMAN  JOHN WHITNEY  JIM KING  RIC GRECH  ROB TOWNSEND

original UK 1st pressing (July 1968) heavyweight disc : near mint

hand-inscribed matrix numbers : RLP 6312 A-3G and RLP 6312 B-3G

original pale green, cream and pale yellow 3-colour ‘steamboat’ Reprise labels : mint

the record is very near mint with jet black gloss - only a few of the very lightest and barely visible hairlines / paper scuffs - even under 500 watts of light - plays as-new and mint throughout with startling clarity and presence - a beautifully fresh original 1968 mono album - the stunning three colour labels are bright, clean and perfect with just a few light spindle traces - all titles, credits and logos are sharply defined - these are among the very earliest examples, produced for the original Reprise issues of this vintage, with wonderful pale and subtle tonings - quite different to the more strident colouring seen on later pressings and subsequent releases - the thickness and density of the record has to be experienced to be believed - it weighs a ton!

original 1st press cover printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd : near mint

original poly-lined inner bag with dark blue lettering

superbly glossy laminated (front) cover with triple ‘flipback’ flaps (top, bottom, spine) to the unlaminated rear - lamination extends over the flaps, yet even the unprotected back cover is in pristine mint condition - the spine, with 1” (one-inch) ‘pinched’ tapers to the top and bottom, is perfect - all lettering and logos are clear and sharply defined.

Family, in their early years, were among the very finest exponents of classic British psychedelia - this group made music to last, to stand the test of time, and I don’t think there’s a single moment wasted, lacking direction, or out of place on this incredibly memorable album - it’s easily one of the most enjoyable psych records ever made - evocative of the times without being drippy - strong, sure-footed and complicated without ever lapsing into pretentiousness (not that that’s such a bad thing, sometimes) - an essential document of the times and a massively important record!

‘Music In A Doll’s House’ is becoming super rare in this kind of condition and this is even more true of the mono pressings - by 1968, most record buyers wanted everything in stereo - gone were the days when LPs (Hendrix, for example) were actually more common in mono than in stereo - however, for true appreciation of the best music from the era, you really need to own both mono and stereo issues, where available - the delights of this LP in mono are many and various, losing none of it’s clarity or atmosphere, yet gaining in immediacy and punch - there are so many moments and passages where the mono mix and ‘cut’ put an entirely different emphasis or ‘shape’ into these fine songs and this pressing is indispensable, even for those not perhaps fanatical about the band. . .

please bid early and with enthusiasm as befits such a glorious psychedelic pop milestone - NO RESERVE

The Chase   Mellowing Grey   Never Like This   Me My Friend   Variation On A Theme Of  Hey Mr. Policeman   Winter   Old Songs New Songs   Variation On A Theme Of  The Breeze

Hey Mr. Policeman   See Through Windows   Variation On A Theme Of  Me My Friend   Peace Of Mind   Voyage   The Breeze   3 x Time

THERES NO INSERT PICTURE WITH THIS IM AFRAID.