David Bowie Station to Station Proof Sleeve APL1-1327

	£		333
	$		442

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#243rd most important piece of rock memorabilia on the planet!

Voted in Record Collector magazines 250 most valuable records of our time (see scan)

David Bowie

STATIONTOSTATIONPROOFSLEEVE

1976

Unlike the UK, in the USA employees at his office on West Jefferson Boulevard never referred to Bowie's fan club as a fan club. The Bewlay Brothers was a term known and used by Bowie insiders and employees in Los Angeles - it was even printed on Bowie's office stationary after his manager Defries was sacked.

In the management shake up many old staff were fired and Bewlay Brothers offices were also moved to the other side of town and from LA's 91608 postal district fans were eventually told about the new chapter of Bowie's life and career with an apologetic letter from Bewlay Brothers new secretary.  That letter also introduced fans to an amazing new LP called Station to Station.

Somewhere in the middle of Bowie's and Bewlay Brothers management shake up the Station to Station LP had also undergone changes. The original full colour LP sleeve was scrapped and replaced with a simple surreal black and white photo. So what happened to the unreleased colour proof sleeve?

Some claim only 6 original colour STS artwork "slicks" survived, but at least twice that number of "authentic original slicks" have been auctioned on eBay over the last decade. Read into that what you will about the provenance of slicks but they are easily reproduced with laser technology.

The technology required to produce and assemble an LP sleeve (in any numbers) is far more complicated.

So instead of an easily copied art paper "slick" here is the original full colour fully assembled LP sleeve itself from the original Man Who Fell To Earth photography, not a photo or laser copy - the actual proof colour LP sleeve intended for release in 1976 by RCA - factory folded, spine set and index printed!!!!!!

First designed by RCA intended for the Station To Station LP, with full colour photography from The Man Who Fell To Earth movie, but then suddenly deleted by RCA and totally scraped before the official issue was made - which as we now know was finally done by RCA with only the B&W artwork, possibly to compliment the very B&W Thin White Duke.

Back in 1976 only a few of these rare colour LP sleeves were made. Although I have had letters from record shop owners as far apart as Canada and the UK who have also had the proofs given to them for promotional purposes its quite clear most now only exist in prized private collections. Due to copyright issues proofs, whether in artwork or sleeve form, should have all been destroyed and so the survivors are rated far more scare than any other early Bowie LP (TMWSTW drag sleeve for example was produced in thousands). 

As a result of RCA's last minute change of mind this sleeve is now considered the holy grail and a true gem amongst serious db collectors, but the vinyl record itself is actually identical to the later official RCA release and so therefore not at all important!

 This sleeve is made from the original RCA artwork and has all the original RCA product and index codes and almost certainly a once in a lifetime chance to own one of the only remaining unreleased 1976 Station To Station proof sleeves still in immaculate condition!!!!

ALSO INCLUDED WITH THIS SALE IS THE OFFICIAL STATION TO STATION BEWLAY BROTHERS FAN CLUB STATEMENT FROM BOWIE'S UNIVERSAL CITY OFFICE, THE FRANKED OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL FAN CLUB ENVELOPE FROM JEFFERSON BOULEVARD (I HAVE OBSCURED THE ADDRESS FOR PRIVACY) PLUS AN ORIGINAL RCA PRESS PHOTO FROM THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH MOVIE SET ALL GIVEN TO ME WITH THE PROOF SLEEVE.

NOTE: THE SALE IS FOR THE RECORD PROOF SLEEVE PLUS OFFICIAL STS BEWLAY BROTHERS ITEMS PICTURED, NOTE NO VINYL RECORD,  AS THIS PROOF SLEEVE WAS NEVER ISSUED WITH A RECORD! 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DON'T BOTHER WITH PRIVATE FORUMS, JUST ASK ME DIRECT. IVE PUT LOADS OF FULL SIZE SCANS HERE AND BACKGROUND INFO SO I CAN'T BE ANY MORE CLEAR! ALSO TAKEN SHOT OF COLOUR PROOF SLEEVE BESIDE THE EVENTUAL WORLDWIDE REGULAR ISSUE ONE FOR COMPARISON ONLY AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN AUCTION.

LP Sleeve + Station To Station (Bewlay Brothers Office) Extras Pictured Are The One's You're Are Bidding On

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Pay in $, £ or Euros with PayPal or £ cheque, PO etc.

All my items are part of my personal Bowie collection. Iam not a dealer. Vinyl is rated by the Record Collector Magazine standard. If you are not familiar with this rating system then please read it so you understand what you are buying. I have contributed to RC magazine David Bowie features myself in the past, the last being the 60th Anniversary special. Aside from my own assurance if you are not 100% happy with your purchase simply return the item by recorded delivery in the exact same condition, posted to me dated within 7 days of delivery, for a full refund including shipping. Satisfaction is therefore guaranteed.  Sleeve shipped with a card inner lining for maximum protection. Posted promptly (weekends & PayPal allowing) in a stiff card outer mailer by registered 1st class mail/airmail to your door. If you have any questions please ask before bidding by clicking "contact seller" at the top right of this page.  NOTE Record Collector magazine pictured is not included in auction and only for information.

View seller's other David Bowie auctions

THIS COLOUR STS LP PROOF SLEEVE RATES NEAR MINT PLUS, THERE ARE NO CREASES, FOLDS OR SCUFFS, KEPT IN A PROTECTIVE PLASTIC LP COVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN MID 90's FROM A FORMER RCA EMPLOYEE ALONG WITH A TON OF OLD OFFICIAL BOWIE FAN CLUB & MAINMAN MEMORABILIA.

IF YOU WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU LARGE SCANS OF LP SLEEVE PLEASE JUST SEND ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

http://www.popsike.com/DAVID-BOWIE-ULTRA-RARE-STATION-TO-STATION-COLOR-COVER/4799315804.html

LAST IDENTICAL PROOF SLEEVE SOLD OUTSIDE EUROPE IN 2005, CLICK ABOVE

  In Europe I sold the last assembled STS sleeve to a UK collector nearly 4 years ago. Its a sleeve well publicised on the internet. Since then not a single other one like it has been seen or sold on eBay or anywhere else. That's how often this colour LP sleeve appears and thats a measure of its rarity nowadays. And it my guess it will be just as long before you see another one. In the USA one identical proof sleeve was sold in 2005, click the link above to see it.

SHIPPING: PLEASE IGNORE EBAY AUTOMATIC COMPUTER RATES, THESE ARE MY SHIPPING RATES WHICH WILL BE BILLED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF AUCTION END: UK & EUROPE £5.99 USA, AUSTRALIA & CANADA £6.99 REST OF WORLD £7.99 ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE USE ASK SELLER LINK TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE. PAYMENT BY PAYPAL (MAKE, UK STERLING CHEQUE, POSTAL ORDER + OTHERS JUST ASK. CHECK OUT MY OTHER LISTINGS FOR SOME UNUSUAL DAVID BOWIE MEMORABILIA. FEEDBACK: WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR GOODS AND ARE 100% HAPPY PLEASE LEAVE ME A POSITIVE FEEDBACK COMMENT AND I WILL DO LIKEWISE. IF YOU ARE NOT TOTALLY SATISFIED PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR A SPEEDY RESOLUTION.