JETHRO TULL Stand Up UK 1969 ISLAND 1st PRESS TOP MINT

	£		250
	$		331

JETHRO TULL

STAND UP

ISLAND ILPS 9103 (UK) 1969

the very first July 1969 UK pressing - heavyweight disc

no ‘STEREO’ designation on spine

matrix:    I L P S + 9 1 0 3 + A    I L P S + 9 1 0 3 + B

spine:    STAND UP    JETHRO TULL    ISLANDILPS9103

VERY RARE ORIGINAL UK 1st PRESSING

1st island plain pink / ‘eye’ label

available on this original label for less than one month - island were about to introduce their short-lived ‘black block’ pink design

the matt textured labels are absolutely perfect - beautiful pale pink in colour - superb!

RECORD in VERY NEAR MINT condition

very rarely played - almost no spindle traces

COVER in VERY NEAR MINT condition

virtually no signs of handling in over 35 years

razor-sharp opening edges - tight seams - no wear

this is the RARE ORIGINAL 1st run sleeve - the ONLY island issue not to have the word STEREO after the catalogue number on the spine - printed and made by E. J. Day of London and Bedford with the almost invisible ‘E. J. DAY’ notation in white to the lower right corner of the ‘pop-up’

now extremely rare original UK pressing of this masterpiece - one of the most important LPs of 1969 and among the best progressive records ever made - certainly the peak of Jethro Tull’s (and Ian Anderson’s) achievement - the record is in very, very near mint condition - not even anything in the way of hairlines or paper scuffs - both labels are stunningly bright, clean and sharp with no wear - the amazing, ‘pop-up’ gatefold sleeve even smells like new - it too, is so close to perfect mint condition with startling freshness and a never-seen, super-clean white back cover - none of the usual discolouration and wear - great spine and opening edges (see photos) - a couple of very, very lightly bumped corners (and I mean MINIMAL - possibly there from new) are the only factor preventing me from describing this one as stone mint - the interior layout is clean, fresh and completely as-new with all artwork and lettering sharp - no tears, scuffs, wear, writing, stickers, marks or stains - the ‘pop-up’ figures are 100% crisp and tight with razor-sharp edges - includes the original and correct creamy white poly-lined inner sleeve with mid-blue cautionary lettering and British Patent No. 800513 & 973939

A FINE AND IMMENSELY IMPORTANT UK 1st PRESSING

CHANCES TO OWN AN ALMOST BRAND NEW EXAMPLE SUCH AS THIS ARE BECOMING A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

by way of further explanation, I have included these excerpts from my 1996 appraisal of the album for Record Collector (UK) magazine, in which I examined the complexities of the numerous label, pressing and sleeve variations - the complete work, covering the pink Island era in considerable detail, spanned four consecutive issues, and was co-written with my friend and colleague Stuart Penney (see RC numbers 205-208, Sept-Dec 1996) - the extracts follow. . .

Following the much-publicised rift between Ian Anderson and Mick Abrahams, a Melody Maker small ad. was duly placed (as was the custom in those days) in order to secure a suitable replacement for the Blodwyn Pig-bound guitarist.

Although nervous new boy Martin 'Lancelot' Barre (the knightly nomenclature was presumably bestowed by 'King' Ian himself) soon established himself as a worthy successor to Abrahams, he wasn't, in fact, the first of the 80-odd hopeful applicants to catch Anderson's eye.  Unlikely as it may now seem, the lead guitarist's job was initially offered to none other than Birmingham fretmeister Tony Iommi, who at that stage was AWOL from Midlands jazz-rock hopefuls Earth.  During a microscopically brief stay with Tull (less than a week, by all accounts), Iommi courted posterity by performing with the band at the Rolling Stones' infamous Rock & Roll Circus extravaganza (filmed in December 1968 but still largely unscreened) before astutely returning home to orchestrate the birth of Warwickshire wizards Black Sabbath.

Despite stiff competition from some of the other auditionees (among them erstwhile Nice guitarist David O’ List), Barre was then swiftly installed as Tull's guitarist - a position he still holds today, over a quarter of a century later!

Like This Was, some early pressings of Stand Up harbour curious (and sometimes inexplicable) anomalies - although, this time around, thankfully, the changes do not involve any audible modification of the music.

All copies on the first and second pink label have a playing time on Side Two of 19:50, whereas some, but not all, on the third (as well as all palm tree label pressings) clock in at 19:35 - some fifteen seconds shorter!  On the face of it, this may not seem hugely significant but, in recording terms, especially over the combined duration of just five tracks - all identical takes - it's almost an eternity!  Bear in mind this is not simply a matter of a few fade-outs having been shortened - in any case, there are only two (We Used To Know and For A Thousand Mothers) and these are unchanged.

So, why the change?  The answer - who knows!  What's certain is that a new and quite different master was manufactured for the second side.  Earlier (longer) sides bear the matrix number ILPS+9103+B, while the later (shorter) discs are stamped ILPS+9103+B2.  On these second pressings, the number is extremely difficult to locate due to the almost complete lack of run-off space - ie., the grooves extend so far towards the centre of the record that the matrix is actually located under the label, making it virtually undetectable.

There is, however, an easier way of identifying second pressings of Stand Up without causing undue eyestrain because, interestingly, the matrix number for Side One was also changed - from ILPS+9103+A to ILPS+9103+A2 - at around the same time.  This indicates that it too was re-mastered, but unlike Side Two, there are no other visual differences apparent here.  Neither is there any discrepancy in the playing time.

Anyone with clues as to where the 'missing' 15 seconds from Side Two of Stand Up have gone is invited to send their theories, on a postcard, to the usual address.

In what was perhaps an intentional tribute to the flourishing woodwind dexterity of the bearded bard, Jimmy Grashow's extraordinarily intricate woodcut artwork curiously depicts Ian Anderson with eleven fingers!  Unusually, perhaps, the beautifully constructed 'pop-up' gatefold cover stayed the course throughout the pink and palm tree label eras and even survived the Chrysalis reissue of July 1973.

On all Island copies, look for the almost invisible printers' name (E.J.Day) in white slightly to the right of Clive Bunker's left foot near the base of the pop-up panel - hours of fun for the whole family!  Incidentally, the scrupulous attention to detail found on those early covers even extended to matching the glued-down base of the 'pop-up' to its floral background!  Such fastidiousness did not extend to the Chrysalis reissues (almost certainly printed by Robor) where the pop-up base was sadly reduced to plain white.  Philistines!

Stand Up was, of course, Island's first (and only) number one LP of the pink label era, a feat which enabled Chrysalis to finally achieve its own label identity.  For more details see ILPS 9123 - Benefit.

 ·  Known Label Variations  1st pink label  2nd pink label  3rd pink label  palm tree label  transferred to green Chrysalis label in July 1973  later re-pressed on all subsequent Chrysalis label designs

A NEW DAY YESTERDAY

JEFFREY GOES TO LEICESTER SQUARE

BOURÉE

BACK TO THE FAMILY

LOOK INTO THE SUN

NOTHING IS EASY

FAT MAN

WE USED TO KNOW

REASONS FOR WAITING

FOR A THOUSAND MOTHERS

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