JEFFERSON AIRPLANE 1967 MONO "SURREALISTIC PILLOW" FIRST PRESSING A CLEAN COPY

$

49

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE 1967 MONO "SURREALISTIC PILLOW" FIRST PRESSING ~ CLEAN
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TITLE: "SURREALISTIC PILLOW" VERSION: 1967 MONO FIRST PRESSING LABEL: RCA LPM-3766 RELEASED: FEBRUARY 1, 1967 RECORDED AT: RCA STUDIO B ~ HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA PRESSING: RCA PRESSING PLANT ~ INDIANAPOLIS ('I') MATRIX (SIDE A) TPRM 4892 -6 S  D4  'I' MATRIX (SIDE B) TPRM 4893 -7 S  C1  'I' MUSICAL AND SPIRITUAL ADVISOR: JERRY GARCIA COVER AND BACK PHOTOS: HERB GREEN
I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection this summer and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 40 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this fantastic, clean, original 1967 MONO copy of "Surrealistic Pillow," Jefferson Airplane's 1967 Psychedelic Breakthrough.
This is my original copy that I've taken great care of for many years. 
"Surrealistic Pillow" was the second album by Jefferson Airplane, but the first with the classic core members. It's the first album with the band’s classic lineup of Marty Balin, Jorma Kaukonen and Paul Kantner on guitar and vocals, Jack Casady on bass, Spencer Dryden on drums, and Grace Slick on vocals, keyboards, and recorder. 
Released in February 1967, it introduced most of the Country to the Psychedelic music coming out of the West coast at the time.
The album had 2 big hits "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" which became generational anthems. The singles sold well and the album made it to #3 on the charts.
"White Rabbit" had hallucinogenic power and was able to bring drug references into mainstream culture. 'Surrealistic Pillow' broke the group internationally.
The album is considered to be one of the quintessential works of early psychedelic rock. This album really is timeless and is consistently ranked high on various lists of the greatest albums of all time.
~~~~~~~~~~~ Grace Slick, formerly in the San Francisco rock band the Great Society, joined up with the Airplane in the fall of 1966. Original drummer Alexander "Skip" Spence had left the band in mid-1966, going on to form Moby Grape and then dealing with his personal demons.
Grace Slick took 2 songs with her from her previous group, The Great Society, that were crucial to this album's success. “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit,” became Top-10 singles in 1967.
Jefferson Airplane was the brightest light in the constellation of bands that defined the “San Francisco Sound” of the 1960s. They mixed Psychedelia with Acid Folk and created a unique sound.
Famous Rock critic Ralph Gleason, in 1967 when this album was released, called them “the best rock band in the country”
Their manager Matthew Katz tried to explain their style; “Trying to describe the Sound is like trying to describe air, it’s nearly impossible.”
In 1965, after hearing the band, San Francisco Chronicle music critic John Wasserman said “It is not folk music, nor blues, nor rock ’n’ roll, yet there is something of all these forms in the Airplane’s sound” 
~~~ Despite losing their punch, by first forming Jefferson Starship, then Starship, and writing "We built this City", they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
~~~ This album was recorded at RCA’s Studio B in Hollywood, which was an old studio in 1967, and the limitations of the studio and mixing board caused some sonic shortcomings that keep this recording from being truly 'Audiophile', but this original 1967 Mono pressing is as close as you can get.
The original was recorded by engineer Dave Hassinger on simple 4-track, with no noise reduction. Some minor overdubbing caused generational loss and some tape hiss.
The STEREO version suffered even more by being slathered in echo and reverb, in a cheap attempt to give it a more psychedelic feel. That only caused the instruments to sound buried in the mix. The stereo version sounds distant.
The Stereo version does sound slightly more 'Psychedelic' but loses lots of the underlying clarity and 'musicianship.' 
In 1967 Stereo recording and technology in rock music was in it's infancy. Few young people owned Stereo phonographs back then. The general preference was still mono. 
Jimi Hendrix is credited with experimenting with stereo and creating the demand for Stereo records in 1967. More young people wanted to hear the new music, in a new way, and many purchased Stereo equipment to do so.
The Mono pressing of this album was quickly overshadowed by the Stereo version, which was starting to become the standard for phonograph records. Original Mono pressings were hard to find by late 1967 and are very rare today. Few have survived.
~~ The soundstage of this mono mix is obviously narrower and more centralized. Some claim it lessens the 'psychedelic' feel, but mono adds great depth and really separates out the instruments and voices.
This Mono mix greatly reduces the reverb and is much more impactful. It has much greater dynamics and clarity. The Mono has phenomenal Clarity, Balance, Tonality, Detail, and instrument separation.
The reduction in reverb gives the tracks much more clarity, detail and intimacy. The songs sound fresh and have a renewed perspective. 
~~~ 'Surrealistic Pillow' contains several softer, beautiful songs that sound much better in Mono. The 2 songs "Today" and "Comin' Back to Me" are both beautiful, tender and poignant ballads. Two of the great love songs of the psychedelic era.
Jerry Garcia, uncredited, plays the guitar part on "Today" and Grace, playing the Recorder, helps create the yearning mood. 
While the band was making the album, Tony Bennett was also recording in the same studio. Marty Balin wrote "Today," hoping Bennett would like it and record it. He never did.
The great psychedelic instrumental "Embryonic Journey" sounds crisp, clean, clear, direct and punchy on this Mono mix.
Jack Cassady's Bass on 'Plastic Fantastic Lover' has much more punch and power.
The vocals on "Comin back to Me" are right in your face and feel like they're in the room with you.
Most all of us, without maybe realizing it, have heard the Mono mixes of 'White Rabbit' and 'Somebody To Love' on radio back then. That's why they sounded so fresh and jumped out of the speakers. When Grace sings "When the truth is found, to be lies' it just hits you in the face. The rest of this mono album has that same effect.
'Surrealistic Pillow' is really a different album in mono. One that you should experience.
Some may feel that the echo-drenched, heavy reverb of the Stereo mix is the way to hear this album, and I understand. The Stereo version sounds more psychedelic and mysterious, but the Mono version sounds cleaner, punchier and has great depth. The instruments aren't 'lost' in the soundstage, they're all together and all in your face.
I have original pressings of both versions in my collection. The heavy Psych songs sound better in Stereo. but the others sound better in Mono.
~~~~~~~~ CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
VINYL: The vinyl looks great. No major scratches, scuffs or defects. Maybe some very light hairlines, but it looks clean. I want the new owner to like it, so I'll call it VG+. I included a few close-up pictures of the vinyl. Very nice.
LABELS: The labels are also in nice condition. Some minor wear around the edges of the 'deep groove' but no other marks or damage. Spindle holes are clean, suggesting very few or very careful playings. This First Pressing is on the early Black RCA labels, with the white logo and 'nipper' the dog at the top, and silver track listings. It's an early 'Deep Groove' pressing.
JACKET: The jacket is in nice condition as well. The front looks great with bold Pink color and the great Herb Green picture of the band. The back cover, being all white, has some mild ringwear, but not bad. The corners are not too bumped. There is a small seam split at the top, also not too bad. Overall in decent shape for 1967. A nice survivor.
SLEEVE: This was issued with a generic RCA Company sleeve, which is long gone. I had a spare, beat up, inner sleeve for "Baxters" that I'll include as well, although not 'correct,' seems to fit with this psychedelic LP. The record is in a poly-lined white sleeve.
~~~~~~~~~ The great songs on this album include:
She Has Funny Cars Somebody To Love My Best Friend Today Comin' Back To Me 3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds D.C.B.A. - 25 How Do You Feel Embryonic Journey White Rabbit Plastic Fantastic Lover
~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest and I will ALWAYS refund you for anything you’re not happy with. I have had over 3,200 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 20 years, so please bid with confidence!
I'm a 0ne-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love music, love collecting vinyl and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time listening, researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any record that I personally would not want in my collection.
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN