GARY & STU Harlan Fare RARE '71 UK Beatles psych KOOBAS

$

184

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

Gary & Stu "HARLAN FARE"

Original 1971 LP on the Spanish EMI/Stateside label, STEREO J 062-93.949.

Cover:  EXCELLENT, light ringwear on back, pr0m0 sticker.

Vinyl:  SUPER CLEAN, plays EXCELLENT

A MINT UK Carnaby label press sold for 227 GBP in 2006.

Original VERY RARE 1971 popsike LP by ex-March Hare and KOOBAS members Gary and Stu, their sole LP “Harlan Fare” on the UK Carnaby label.  The same small British label that gave us a handful of really, REALLY obscure popsike treasures like Jawbone, Wake, Smokey Circles and the Spirit of John Morgan – this one’s always been the toughest to find – and that’s saying something for this label.  You want a Beatles butcher cover?  I know a guy who can get you two dozen of ‘em – if you got the cash, you can pick the one you want to take home.  Don’t ask him to find this album, however – he says they NEVER turn up.  Actually, the Beatles comparison is fitting from a musical standpoint as well – Gary and Stu sound an awful lot like the late Beatles – but whereas the Beatles had the complimentary force of a McCartney and a Lennon, both Gary and Stu really wanna be Lennons.  Now I don’t have a problem with that at all if you’re gonna be good at it, which they are, thankfully, and besides, that means there’s no Gary and Stu version of “Octopus’s Garden.”  “Hey Man” is practically a homage to John, rocking in that pounding, primal way that Plastic Ono Band Lennon did – it’s got yer basic heavy blues rock melody, a punishing raw visceral guitar riff, and lots of echo on the vocals just like John liked it.  Only difference – Gary and Stu add in some blaring horns – which, for all you instant horn haters, do NOT detract from the song but instead ADD to the already-shoulder-high wall of noise.  Same thing with “Long Long Line”, which captures the Mind Games era Lennon sound even better than Julian.  Of course, John had a softer side too, and so do Gary and Stu – on the title track, they go for the big sweeping orchestrated sound of “Mind Games” or “Number 9 Dream” with a nifty little singalong coda that sounds like something Paul might’ve added later in the studio.  Okay, so some Paul actually DOES creep into Gary and Stu’s album occasionally, or more like Paul’s pop legacy actually.  Especially on the power pop paean “Rainbow Coloured Morning”, which rocks hard in the Big Star/Badfinger tradition.  With soaring harmonies that might remind you of the other Beatles protégés the Raspberries.  Yet just when you thought you finally had Gary and Stu pigeonholed, they go and throw something like “Peek-A-Boo” at you – a KILLER simplistic pounding glam rocker that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Beatles and absolutely everything to do with vintage T. Rex.  It’s a bejeweled and bell-bottomed glam goldmine that sounds like a leftover from “The Slider” sessions, and hasn’t been comped by the recent glut of Velvet Tinmine and likeminded glam rock comps because, seriously, who would ever think to look HERE?  But it’s one of many pleasant surprises on this unknown little gem of an album – obscure because it hasn’t been unreissued, and rare because it’s more elusive than the image of Christ’s face on a a slice of toasted wheat bread.  And if you’re one of those who believed Lennon was God, then it’s got a whole lot more spiritual value too.   

 TO HEAR SOUNDCLIPS FROM THIS ALBUM, PLEASE VISIT MY HOMEPAGE AT WWW.KATHLEENTURNEROVERDRIVE.WIKISPACES.COM - YOU CAN ALSO HEAR SOUND CLIPS FROM ALL THE ALBUMS I HAVE UP FOR AUCTION ON THIS PAGE TOO.

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $5.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $2 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $16 US, with each additional record only $3 shipping.  I accept payments through Paypal, or you can send checks and money orders made out in US dollars.  Items paid by check are held 14 days for the check to clear.

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

And finally, I include delivery confirmation on all shipments inside the US.  This is my proof of shipment, and also helps us to track your package if it doesn’t arrive when it should.  I will email you within 2 days of shipment and give you the confirmation number at that time.  Insurance is always optional, but for larger orders, it’s highly recommended.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.  Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.