John Coltrane Ballads LP Original US Press 1963 VanGelder Impulse AS-32 RARE NM-

$

70

John Coltrane Quartet :  Ballads (With McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison & Elvin Jones) 

Impulse! AS-32    Stereo LP 

Original US Pressing  (released 1963)

Rudy Van Gelder Studio stampers

Both the wax and custom gatefold jacket are in NM- condition.

The wax on this original gem is thick and heavy, the grooves deep.

Note:  When viewing the photos (in particular the first photo of the jacket front), be aware that a shadow of my iPhone (used to photograph) and mini stand are visible.  I was unable to avoid this problem after multiple tries.  Be assured that the front jacket photo remains highly glossy and looks terrific.  The shadow at the lower portion of Coltrane's face is an artifact of my photography. 

Matrix numbers in the dead wax read:

Side 1:   AS-32 A   LW  (hand etched)      VAN GELDER   STEREO  (stamped)            

Side 2:   AS-32 B   LW  (hand etched)       VAN GELDER   STEREO  (stamped)

Coltrane's critically acclaimed tenor sax driven covers of classic ballads, featuring his all star lineup of McCoy Tyler on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums.

A wonderful collectible, here in superb condition !!! 

Vinyl:  NM-

Superb sound quality on this brilliantly recorded album, captured at the renowned Rudy Van Gelder Studio.

Exceptionally high gloss remains.

The wax shows some very light surface marks when viewed under bright light but plays beautifully, just a bit shy of "like new", with only traces of faint surface noise audible between tracks and during a few quiet passages.  Wonderful dynamic range on this master.

Labels are clean and bright, look "like new".

                                                                                   (SEE PHOTOS)

Jacket:  NM-

The gatefold jacket front cover color photo is beautiful, captured originally by the well known music photographer Jim Marshall.  A trace of rub wear is present at the far right edge. A bit of residual price sticker (removable I expect with a bit of work) is present in the upper right corner, just above the word "Ballads".

The back cover is also in superb condition.  Only a trace of ring wear is present.  Some of the original jacket laminate is peeling at the far left side, characteristic of all surviving copies I have seen.

The inside gatefold photos and text are clear and bright.  A few age spots are seen.  The name "RE Perry" in neatly written in ink in the top right corner.  (This gem was one in a large LP collection I purchased from my friend Bob Perry about 40 years ago.)

The seams and spine are nearly flawless.  No splits.  Just a bit of minor rub wear at the corners.  The spine print is crystal clear.

                                                                                  (SEE PHOTOS)

My Profile / Policies:

Note:  I've qualified for the "Top Rated Plus" seal from eBay, awarded to sellers who consistently deliver outstanding customer service.

Music is my passion.  I’ve been a collector for more than 50 years and have thousands of records in my personal collection, focused largely on 50’s and 60’s rock ‘n’ roll.  Recently retired, I look to downsize and sell select portions of my collection in hopes of financing future purchases of a few special pieces.  

All records I offer are from my personal collection, each cleaned using my Nitty Gritty Record Cleaning Machine.

All are play graded (not just visually graded), employing Goldmine Price Guide standards.

As I take great care to accurately describe my items, I do not accept returns unless my item description is incorrect.

All records are packaged with the wax outside the jacket (to avoid seam split in transit), enclosed in a plastic sleeve and shipped in robust record mailer boxes via USPS Media Mail, tracking included.

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