JOHN COLTRANE 'BLUE TRAIN' w/ 'RVG STEREO' STAMP LIBERTY 1966 JACKET 1973 VINYL

$

16

JOHN COLTRANE 'BLUE TRAIN' w/ 'RVG STEREO' STAMP  LIBERTY 1966 JACKET W/ 1973 VINYL

JOHN COLTRANE 'BLUE TRAIN' LABEL: BLUE NOTE BST 81577 ORIGINALLY RELEASED: JANUARY 1958 OLD 1966 JACKET WITH CLEAN VINTAGE 1973 VINYL VINYL IS AN EARLY 70's STEREO 'LIBERTY INC.' PRESSING 'RVG STEREO' STAMPED IN RUNOUTS RECORD COMPANY: BLUE NOTE ~ LIBERTY RECORDS, INC. REORDED AT VAN GELDER STUDIOS ~ HACKENSACK, NJ RECORDING ENGINEER & MASTERING: RUDY VAN GELDER PRODUCER: ALFRED LION LINER NOTES: ROBERT LEVIN MATRIX (SIDE A): BN-ST-81577-A RVG-STEREO 
CONDITION: JACKET: VG    VINYL: VG+/VG++ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection these past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for nearly 50 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 vintage copy of John Coltrane's classic "Blue Train" on the Blue Note label.
Right up front, I should tell you that this is a composite of an older 1966 jacket with a more recent 1973 vinyl pressing.
The Jacket is an early Liberty Inc. version from 1966, complete with it's original 1966 "27 Years" inner sleeve.
The vinyl is a circa 1973-75 Liberty Stereo 'Black B' pressing, cut from Van Gelder metalwork and stampers, and has the 'RVG Stereo' stamp and the early etched catalog number.
Read on to learn the story of this record and much more details. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This particular copy of 'Blue Train' has an odd and unusual history.
I've owned this particular copy of Blue Train since around 1975. It's stayed in my collection, survived many moves, and many album purges over the last 50 years, but it's time to give it a new home. 
In the early 70's, I was young, living in Greenwich Village and thought I was quite musically knowledgeable and 'hip' to the local music scene. I was already a serious record collector, but was in the middle of one of my jazz 'deep-dive' phases, scouring the local record stores of New York looking for classic Riverside, Impulse and Blue Note titles. Great titles were still available for reasonable prices in those days, but you had to go out and dig for them.
I found many great classic Jazz titles, but I had no luck finding a clean, decent, early copy of 'Blue Train' in the wild, so, with my warped sense of collecting and my very limited budget in those days, I managed to put this odd combination together.
My goal at the time was to have a clean 'new' modern pressing of the vinyl for listening to, but I purposely wanted to combine it with the coolest, oldest looking, worn, vintage cover I could find to go with it. 
My twisted early 70's artistic mind purposely wanted a clean modern disc, but a well-worn, well-loved, 'trashed' album jacket to make it appear that the record was an old original late 50's pressing that had somehow survived for decades on the rough streets of New York City. A clean modern jacket wouldn't do and just wouldn't be 'right'.
During my record shop digs I kept my eye out for the 'right' jacket. What I found one day back then, circa 1975, on a very limited budget, was an old original early (first?) Liberty version from 1966. It's a thick, sturdy, vintage jacket with the classic Reid Miles album cover art and classic Blue Note design, with a contemplative photo of Coltrane on the cover.
I thought, and still feel, that Harvard musicologist Robert Levin's fantastic original liner notes for 'Blue Train' perfectly summarized and explained the album, so part of my decision for choosing a vintage cover was that it needed a clean, legible back cover, which this copy has.
When I found this record, the vinyl was worse than the jacket and unplayable, but this copy still had the very cool original 1966 "27 years" Blue Note inner sleeve, with pictures of all the great classic Blue Note albums on it. 
The text on the inner sleeve reads: "1939-1966 27 Years 'Blue Note' The First Name In Jazz" and the sleeve has the old 43 West 61st St. New York address on it.
I had finally found an inexpensive, cool, old looking, worn, vintage jacket, complete with its original inner sleeve, now I just needed to add a 'new' clean current pressing of the vinyl and my 'art project' record would be complete. 
Liberty had been reissuing all sorts of Blue Note pressings back in those days; Mono, Remixed Stereo, True Stereo, True Mono and fold-downs, so it was all a bit confusing.
There was no Internet or Discogs back then to help tell which  pressings sounded best, so I started asking around my regular shops about which pressing I should get, and listening to the different used pressings the shops had to offer. 
The general consensus was that since I already had a Stereo jacket, I should try to find a pressing with 'RVG STEREO' in the deadwax runout, since that indicated it was cut from an original early Rudy van Gelder stereo master tape and that it used Van Gelder metalwork and stampers. Many Liberty Blue Note albums at the time didn't use the old Van Gelder metalwork.
With a little digging, I soon found a clean copy in one of my regular record shops.
This pressing is an early 70's 'Liberty Records, Inc.' reissue with the dark blue labels and the Black 'b', which was the current 'new' pressing available in the record shops at the time.
This 'black b' label style was used in the early 1970's and can be further dated and identified by the company information on the label rims. The rim of this label refers to 'United Artists Records Inc.' which indicates it was released between 1973 and 1976.
The Matrix has the simple etched 'BN-ST-81577-A/B' and it has the stamped 'RVG STEREO' indicating it used Van Gelder metalwork and was cut using Rudy van Gelder's 3-track stereo master tape from the session. There's no other markings in the deadwax, no Plastylite 'ear', which stopped being used in 1966.
The vinyl is a very nice clean pressing, cut from the original stereo masters, stamped 'RVG Stereo' and about as nice of a pressing that you could buy 'new' off the racks in 1975.
This is a great sounding pressing of this classic jazz masterpiece, and there's a certain charm to having an older 'Van Gelder' stamped pressing, with that vintage, pure, all-analog, Blue Note sound, that you just don't get from modern digital reissues.
So, that's the story of this strange cobbled-together vintage record from my collection. My purposely 'beat up' looking vintage jacket, but with a fantastic, clean, 'new' at the time, Van Gelder stamped pressing of the album inside. Not sure what I was thinking, but I did some crazy things with my records back in the 70's.
I realize this record may not be the version or pressing you're looking for and the jacket condition may not appeal to many, but, I'm listing this classic Blue Note Coltrane album with a low opening bid, and just want to pass it on to the next generation of vinyl collectors. The vinyl is still in fantastic condition.
This is a jazz masterpiece and an essential jazz album that should be in anyone's collection.
In my opinion, it would make a fine introductory copy if you're just getting into jazz, and it would be great sounding, inexpensive 'place holder' while you hunt for a hard-to-find '47 W. 63rd St New York 23' original pressing, a nice early 'deep groove' pressing, or even a Music Matters SRX Mono pressing, which I think is one of the best of the 'modern' reissues.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Blue Train' is a must for any Jazz lover and deserves all the praise and hype it had received over the years.
The album was recorded in the fall of 1957, at the height of the Hard Bop era, during Coltrane's residency at the Five Spot as a member of the Thelonious Monk quartet. 
Trane was signed to Prestige records at the time but obtained a release from the label so that he could make this timeless, absolute gem of a recording. 'Blue Train' was John Coltrane’s only appearance as a session leader for Blue Note.
The recording session for 'Blue Train' took place on September 15, 1957 at Rudy Van Gelder's 'studio' in Hackensack, New Jersey, which back then was actually his parent's living room, with it's tall ceiling and famous sound dampening curtains.
Rudy Van Gelder was able to capture the individual sounds of the musicians and the dynamics of the performances in an amazing way, considering what he had to work with. He created the famous and coveted 'Blue Note' sound.
Rudy van Gelder's pure, analog sound is incredible for a 65+ year old recording.
John Coltrane's 'Blue Train' was released in January 1958. At the time, Rudy was recording in both Mono and Stereo, but his focus was on Mono. The very first Blue Note LP Rudy Van Gelder recorded and released in stereo was Art Blakey's classic 'Moanin', in 1958, but as Stereo became more popular in the late 50's, most Blue Note titles were released in both Mono and Stereo. 'Blue Train' was one of the earliest Stereo releases on Blue Note and still one of the best. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a Stereo pressing. I have several different pressing of 'Blue Train' in my collection and personally I prefer the stereo versions which sound more open, detailed, spacious and vibrant to my ears. 
Like many early stereo jazz records, the instruments are quite distinctly split between channels in the soundstage.
The brass comes out of one channel, the drums and bass occupy the other channel. The piano is slightly off-center and near the back of the soundstage. Coltrane's sax is the only instrument that seems to move around the soundstage in time and space. 
The soundstage is wide and dimensional, the various instruments of this sextet are well separated, and the music is very well distributed between both channels, creating clear imaging and a  beautiful soundstage.
Compared to the mono, the stereo pressing is open, warm, and clean, creating more detail and space around the players. Just an unreal listening experience. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The amazing personnel on this album includes: 
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane Trumpet – Lee Morgan Trombone – Curtis Fuller Bass – Paul Chambers Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones Piano – Kenny Drew
Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums were Coltrane's Miles Davis bandmates. They keep the groove going perfectly.
This album contains tight arrangements and stellar performances by all the musicians, including a young 19 year-old trumpeter Lee Morgan and trombonist Curtis Fuller, who were both up-and-coming jazz musicians in the hard-bop scene. Both would eventually become members of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and leaders of their own recording sessions.
This Sextet on 'Blue Train' was performing at the peak of their powers. The music is fast paced, energetic, but never sounds forced or strained. The combination of musicians works brilliantly and the music just seems to flow seamlessly.
The band plays effortlessly and tight, supporting Coltrane's fantastic playing. They are able to push the music, yet also support it, and there are solos on the album where the individual musicians really shine. Each great solo builds on the base of the previous solo, creating music that is nearly unsurpassed in late 1950s hard bop recordings. 
Throughout it all, Coltrane is on his game, at the height of his powers, and blows through the changes deftly and with abandon. 
His timing was amazing; often playing just ahead of the beat, rather than playing on or behind it.
Trane’s tenor sound is stunning. He plays with impressive speed and accuracy, but still makes all the changes effortlessly. His playing is powerful, majestic, stately, and he has an expressive lyrical flow that vividly balances the dark/light and tenderness/strength of his compositions.
Despite Coltrane's amazing tenor playing, his sidemen are easily able to hang and flow with him. It's just phenomenal how great these musicians play together.
Great musicians, great solos, and original tunes that are driving, yet swing and groove impressively. This makes 'Blue Train' one of the most popular jazz albums off all time.
During a 1960 interview in Sweden, Coltrane described 'Blue Train' as the favorite of his albums up to that point. “I like Blue Train myself, it’s such a good band on there you know, and it was a good recording” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The tunes on this album include:
Blue Train / Moment's Notice Locomotion / I'm Old Fashioned Lazy Bird
John Coltrane wrote four of the record's five tracks. 
The 4 hard bop original compositions are all fantastic and real gems, particularly the title track 'Blue Train' which starts off the album. These are great, uptempo numbers with very dynamic arrangements and great playing from this incredible band. Several of these tunes have gone on to become Jazz standards.
The album includes one standard, a ballad called "I'm Old Fashioned", which appears on side two, and serves as a rest, helping break up the pure energy of this fantastic hard-bop album. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an outstanding recording and an insanely great musical experience with incredible performances and incredible sound.
The mastering, soundstage and powerful dynamics are fantastic.
All the instruments sound beautiful, clear, natural and well defined. It's clear, deep and punchy with that classic RVG Blue Note sound.
When I put this record on to listen to while I wrote this listing up, I was just stunned. It sounds even better than I remember! 
I am shocked how good this pressing sounds considering that it's an early 70's pressing. When you have tape source material this good, and use Van Gelder metalwork and stampers, it’s kind of hard not to have a great sounding pressing. The music is simply overwhelming with plenty of bite and punch. Everything is very clean, clear, and detailed. The horns are rich and vibrant.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is an essential jazz album to have in any collection. Absolutely essential listening. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
As i mentioned, I purchased this copy in 'pieces' back in the early 70's, 50 years ago, in Greenwich Village, on my regular vinyl digs in those days, and have taken great care of it since.
VINYL: The vinyl was purchased gently 'used', but was essentially a 'new' album at the time I acquired it. The vinyl still looks great. Clean and Bright. Still has a nice gloss and there are no obvious scratches, defects or issues. Possibly some very light hairlines and light evidence of play, but still quite nice.
The Deadwax has the 'RVG STEREO' stamp and the early etched catalog numbers.
I tried to show some close-up pictures of the vinyl to show how good it still ooks. I'll call it VG+ to keep everyone happy, but you can see how nice it looks. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
LABELS: This is pressed with the early 70's dark blue labels with the Black 'b'. As mentioned above, these were used from about 1973 to 1976. 
The labels are clean and bright. No marks or damage. The spindle holes are still sharp and clean, suggesting minimal playing and my careful handling over the years.
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this jacket is pretty trashed and beat up, but not horrible. Lots of ringwear, scuffing and the bottom seam has a significant seam split.
On the positive side, the image of Trane on the front is still clear and has great color and tone. Not too dark, like on later pressings, and the blue color is fantastic. Just right. A terrific looking vintage Blue Note cover despite it's condition. It has age, charm and character.
The back cover is in much better condition and is still clear and legible.
As mentioned, this also comes with the original 1966 Blue Note inner sleeve, although the vinyl and jacket have been stored in poly-lined sleeves for decades.
This record has been sleeved and stored properly for decades, and is still very cool and a vintage gem. I'm sure you'll love it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it, despite the jacket's distressed condition. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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. I have had over 3,600 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 25 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.
As you well know, packing and shipping rare records requires special care and attention, therefore, shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $5.00 on this item. If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Media/Economy Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy!
I will gladly combine multiple records, or other items on my page, and make the shipping much less for you. I don’t inflate the shipping costs; they are what they are. I strive to keep them as low as possible. See my feedback for comments on my quality packing and shipping.
All items are packaged with sturdy cardboard mailers and appropriate padding. I take pride in my packaging and shipping and package all my records as if I were sending them to myself. I refuse to use cheap flimsy packaging material when sending my vinyl. I treat them as if they were my own and mail them the same way. 
All orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days of receipt. We package and ship our vinyl records with the greatest care, using proper packaging to ensure that your rare and collectible vinyl records arrive in pristine condition.
Payments can be made by any of the multiple options that Ebay offers.
I will be happy to exchange feedback with anyone I complete a transaction with.
THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN