TIM HARDIN 4 UNRELEASED VERSION INSANELY RARE ORIG '68 VERVE FORECAST ACETATE

$

159

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·       TIM HARDIN –UNKNOWN AND APPARENTLY UNRELEASED VERVE FORECAST (?) 12-INCH, 33rpm STEREO ACETATE , BELIEVED TO BE A ROUGH, CRUDE FIRST DRAFT OF WHAT WOULD ULTIMATELY BECOME TIM HARDIN 4 (VERVE FORECAST, 1969) – NO LABELS, NO NUMBER, NO TITLE, NO OTHER INFORMATION WHATSOEVER EXCEPT FOR TIM HARDIN'S NAME WRITTEN IN WHITE CRAYON ON BOTH SIDES; THE DISC MUST BE PLAYED TO IDENTIFY.

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

** ULTRA-RARE ONE-OF-A-KIND 12-INCH, 33rpm MONO (?) ACETATE (REFERENCE PRESSING), APPARENTLY NEVER RELEASED**

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       As far as we know, this recording has NEVER been available on legitimate Compact Disc or in any other way, manner or format.

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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Once in a very long while, I come across a major, undocumented rarity which is very difficult to explain or describe. I have no idea what this acetate is or to what end it was recorded and assembled, but one thing I do know for fact; this is NOT any of the Tim Hardin released albums,  studio or live. This collection of songs most closely resembles the song structure found on Tim Hardin 4 (1969) which consists of his unreleased (and later overdubbed for the release) demos from 1964-1965, although there are at least two tracks on this acetate that are found on ATCO's 1967 'This is Tim Hardin' album, which was released as an afterthought, as a contractual obligation album, once Tim Hardin made it big with two huge charting hits in 1966 and 1967 (The Reason to Believe and The Lady Came from Baltimore). Another thing I do know for fact is that these are all demos and unpolished, crude takes, most likely to have been recorded BEFORE Hardin signed up with Verve/Folkways in 1966. Hypothetically, it is possible that this is a publisher demo acetate which Hardin pitched to Verve Folkways BEFORE he signed with the label but, if so, none of his trademark tracks and big hits are here and it is difficult to see how Verve could sign him up as a recording artist based solely on the merits of this material.

The problem with the Tim Hardin 4 theory is that the polished, more finished, studio versions of these tracks on this album are found scattered on no less than four (4) of his albums, and that versions found on this acetate are all very crude mixes and demos without any audible overdubbing or remixing ('This is Tim Hardin' (ATCO) contains high-quality un-overdubbed demos, while Tim Hardin 4 (Verve Forecast) contains audibly overdubbed demos; neither has crude and unpolished versions found on this acetate). My qualified guess is that around 1968, when Verve Forecast realized that Harding was up to his eyeballs in dope and completely dysfunctional (and that they should not expect a new studio album from him any time soon) they started collecting various pre-Folkways demos (probably the same batch ATCO  mined two years earlier for 'This is Tim Hardin' album) and tried to come up with a viable album package they could market as the "new" Hardin studio recordings -- the material that would ultimately yield enough material for Tim Hardin 4 in 1969. However, only 5 out of 11 tracks on this acetate are found on Hardin 4 (in significantly  different form), while 2 are found on ATCO's 'This is Tim Hardin', one on his 1971 "Painted Head" album, one on his first album ('Tim Hardin 1") , and then there are two more I could not even identify. The sequencing has no semblance to that found on Hardin 4. In essence, this is either a very crude first draft of Atco's 1966 "This is Tim Hardin" or a very crude draft of Tim Hardin 4. It is impossible to determine which, but my hunch is the latter.

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TIM HARDIN 4 REVIEW:

This collection of Tim Hardin's demos, recorded in 1964 as an audition for Columbia Records, was released in early 1969 by Verve/Forecast as though it were a newly recorded album. This did not amuse Hardin at the time, and the recording did nothing to enlarge his audience. However, the album holds some interest as a historical document. It's a batch of blues songs, highlighted by John Sebastian's harmonica playing, mixing covers of Chess blues classics with Hardin's original, though derivative, blues songs. "Airmobile" sounds like a direct rewrite of Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me," and "I Can't Slow Down" borrows from Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues." The arrangements employ an understated, low-key folky mix as opposed to a more overt Chicago electric blues sound. Still, there's more drive to the music than on a typical early-'60s folk album. This is not essential listening by any means, but it's pleasant enough to hear on a lazy, cloud-covered afternoon.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY JIM NEWSOM, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

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PLEASE NOTE: THIS ACETATE APPARENTLY NEVER HAD A CUSTOM COVER;  THE ALBUM WILL BE SHIPPED IN A PLAIN, GENERIC [WHITE] CARDBOARD COVER. ACETATES AND REFERENCE PRESSINGS ARE RARELY – IF EVER – FOUND IN CUSTOM (STOCK) COVERS.

While this acetate is in a very decent state of preservation, we do expect bidders to understand that the aluminum-based, shellac-coated acetates can never be graded by using the exact, same stringent standards used by collectors for modern long-play, hi-fi LPs or singles. The buyer – if not familiar with acetate (reference) recordings - should be cautioned that these discs were intended for brief, limited use only; they were meant to be played only a few times, then discarded or destroyed. In view of this, the surface layer of the disc is manufactured in such a manner that it will wear off pretty quickly, even under normal conditions -- and specially if not handled with due care. Each subsequent playing increases wear and tear of the disc’s surface layer and diminishes the disc’s playability. This disc appears to have been unplayed recently and the grooves are still well-formed and fully visible.

This acetate is in about VERY GOOD+(+)  condition, with some minor, superficial scuffs. Absolutely NO part of the shellac (surface layer) of the disc is  missing, and the surface layer is NOT dented, chipped, broken or otherwise compromised.

ON A SCALE FROM 1-10 (where 10 is the best), WE GRADE RECORD AS 6 to 7

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·       COVER : This acetate comes without any custom jacket, and will be shipped in a plain, generic, white cardboard cover.

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 (1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year of the original release,  NOT necessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of the pressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters). (2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar or item specifics box alone; instead, please read the entire description and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NO order cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under any circumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4) We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you need to do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to provide matrix-, stamper- or other pressing  information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require this information, please contact us well before the final day of the auction. (6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shipping and Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7)  All Paypal payments must be made from confirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresses will be honored  (8) Absolutely NO partial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, please return it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilized people can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest; if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBay feedback, which speaks for itself  (10) All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be - solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner;  please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language (attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-death sarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller will accommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible and agreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever;  Thank You & Good Night!

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