KING CRIMSON In The Court Of PINK A2/B3 1st Press EX

	£		102
	$		135

A BREAKDOWN OF THE ARTIST/S :-

Arguably progressive rock's definitive exponents, King Crimson was formed in January 1969 out of the ashes of the eccentric Giles, Giles And Fripp. Robert Fripp (Born 16 May 1946, Wimbourne, Dorset, England; guitar) and Mike Giles (Born 1 March 1942, Bournemouth, Dorset, England; drums) were joined by Ian McDonald (Born 25 June 1946, London, England; keyboards), before former Gods member Greg Lake (Born 10 November 1948, Bournemouth, Dorset, England; vocals/bass), completed the first official line-up. A fifth addition to the circle, Pete Sinfield, supplied lyrics to Fripp's compositions. The band's debut album, In The Court Of The Crimson King, drew ecstatic praise from critics and a glowing, well-publicized testimonial from the Who's Pete Townshend. An expansive use of mellotron suggested a kinship with the Moody Blues, but Fripp's complex chord progressions, and the collection's fierce introduction "21st Century Schizoid Man", revealed a rare imagination. This brief courtship with critical popularity ended with In The Wake Of Poseidon. Damned as a repeat of its predecessor, the album masked internal strife which saw McDonald and Giles depart to work as a duo and Greg Lake leave to co-found Emerson, Lake And Palmer.

Having resisted invitations to join Yes, Fripp completed the album with various available musicians including Gordon Haskell (Born 27 April 1946, Bournemouth, Dorset, England; bass/vocals, ex-Les Fleur De Lys, Cupid's Inspiration) and Mel Collins (Born 5 September 1947; saxophone), both of whom remained in the band for Lizard. Drummer Andy McCullough completed this particular line-up, but both he and Haskell left when the sessions terminated. Boz Burrell (Born Raymond Burrell, 1 August 1946, Lincolnshire, England; vocals/bass - Fripp taught Burrell how to play the instrument) and Ian Wallace (drums) replaced them before the reshaped quartet embarked on a punishing touring schedule. One studio album, Islands, and a live selection, Earthbound, emanated from this particular version of King Crimson which collapsed in April 1972. Collins, Wallace and Burrell then pursued studio-based careers although the bass player later found fame with Bad Company. With Sinfield also ousted from the ranks, Fripp began fashioning a new, more radical line-up. John Wetton (Born 12 June 1949, Derby, Derbyshire, England), formerly of Family, assumed the role of bass player/vocalist while Bill Bruford (Born 17 May 1948, Sevenoaks, Kent, England) left the more lucrative ranks of Yes to become King Crimson's fourth drummer, and Richard Palmer-James was recruited as new lyricist. Percussionist Jamie Muir and violinist David Cross (Born 23 April 1949, Plymouth, Devon, England) completed the innovative unit unveiled on Larks' Tongues In Aspic, but were discarded over the next two years until only Fripp, Wetton and Bruford remained for the exemplary Red.

"King Crimson is completely over for ever and ever", Fripp declared in October 1974 as he embarked on an idiosyncratic solo career. However, in 1981 the guitarist took a surprisingly retrograde step, resurrecting the name for a unit comprising himself, Bruford, Tony Levin (Born 6 June 1946, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; bass) and Adrian Belew (Born 23 December 1949, Kentucky, USA; guitar). The albums which followed, Discipline, Beat and Three Of A Perfect Pair, showed both adventure and purpose, belying the suspicion that the band would rest on previous laurels. It was, however, a temporary interlude and Fripp subsequently resumed his individual pursuits and established a new unit, the League Of Gentlemen. He subsequently performed and gave tutorials under "The League Of Crafty Guitarists' banner, but reconvened King Crimson in 1994 to record the challenging Thrak with a line-up comprising Belew, Trey Gunn (stick and backing vocals), Levin, Bruford and Pat Mastelotto (Born Lee Patrick Mastelotto, 10 September 1955; acoustic/electric percussion). He recorded with the same musicians as part of the ongoing ProjeKcts series, and oversaw a series of collectors" releases on his own Discipline Global Mobile label. Fripp retained Belew, Gunn and Mastelotto for the first King Crimson album of the new millennium, The ConstruKction Of Light.

Fripp's inventive and ambitious approach to music making has enabled King Crimson to consistently avoid the traps prevalent in rock's experimental arena. The totally acceptable face of prog-rock, and one to be recommended 30 years on.

Discography:
In The Court Of The Crimson King ... An Observation By King Crimson (Island/Atlantic 1969)****, In The Wake Of Poseidon (Island/Atlantic 1970)***, Lizard (Island/Atlantic 1970)***, Islands (Island/Atlantic 1971)**, Earthbound (Island 1972)**, Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Island/Atlantic 1973)****, Starless And Bible Black (Island/Atlantic 1974)***, Red (Island/Atlantic 1974)****, USA (Island/Atlantic 1975)***, Discipline (EG/Warners 1981)***, Beat (EG/Warners 1982)***, Three Of A Perfect Pair (EG/Warners 1984)***, Thrak (DGM/Virgin 1995)***, B'Boom: Official Bootleg - Live In Argentina (DGM 1995)**, THRaKaTTak (DGM 1996)***, Epitaph: Live In 1969 (DGM 1997)***, The Nightwatch: Live At The Amsterdam Concertgebouw (DGM 1997)***, Absent Lovers: Live In Montreal 1984 (DGM 1998)***, Live At The Marquee 1969 (DGM 1998)***, Live At Jacksonville 1972 (DGM 1998)***, The Beat Club Bremen 1972 (DGM 1999)***, Live At Cap D'Adge, 1982 (DGM 1999)***, On Broadway: Live In NYC 1995 (DGM 1999)***, Live In Mexico City 1996 (DGM 1999)***, The Vrooom Sessions 1994 (DGM 2000)**, Live At Summit Studios, 1972 (DGM 2000)***, Live In Central Park, NYC, 1974 (DGM 2000)***, Live At Moles Club, Bath, 1981 (DGM 2000)***, The ConstruKction Of Light (DGM 2000)***, Heavy ConstuKction 3-CD box set (DGM 2000)***, Vroom Vroom 1996 live recordings (DGM 2001)***, Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With (DGM 2002)***, The Power To Believe (Sanctuary 2003)***.

THE RARITY OF THE RECORD :- First and by far rarest album from King Crimson. Original Pink Island first pressing, the album was later released in the early 70's on the Pink Rim Island label and then again on Polydor. It is rare to find one without significant damage to the very fragile gatefold sleeve. Most pink copies come with the matrix A2/B4 and anything with a lower matrix is a rare find. Comparable copies have sold upto £500+ in the past on Ebay.

THE HISTORY OF THE RECORD :- In the Court of the Crimson King is the 1969 debut album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. The album reached #3 on the British charts. The album is certified gold in the United States. The album is generally viewed as one of the strongest of the progressive rock genre, where King Crimson largely stripped away the blues-based foundations of rock music and mixed together with jazz and Classical symphonic elements. In his 1997 book Rocking the Classics, critic and musicologist Edward Macan notes that In the Court of the Crimson King "may be the most influential progressive rock album ever released". The Who's Pete Townshend was quoted as calling the album "an uncanny masterpiece". In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came #4 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums". The album was named as one of Classic Rock magazine's "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock". The album was remastered and re-released on vinyl and CD several times during the 1980s and 1990s. All of these versions were based on tape copies that were several generations removed from the originals. The original first-generation stereo master tapes were finally located in an Island Records storage vault in 2003, leading to a much improved remastered CD version (see below) in time for the album's 40th anniversary.

THE HISTORY OF THE COVER :- Barry Godber (1946–1970), a computer programmer, painted the album cover. Godber died in February 1970 of a heart attack, shortly after the album's release. It would be his only painting, and is now owned by Robert Fripp.

THE COVER :- Textured gatefold sleeve

THE LABEL :- Original Pink Island label

THE VINYL VISUALLY :- On initial inspection the heavyweight piece of vinyl sits perfectly flat on the turntable so there are no warps to worry about. It retains an original glossy shine and looks very clean and shiny for a 41 year old record. There are a couple of light hairlines that do not overly affect play. I cannot see any other major areas of concern

THE VINYL PLAY GRADED :- On play grading this fantastic record I have found it to be a very clear and vibrant sound that hasn't lost any of it's magic over the past 41 years. It certainly hasn't been played overly played. There are a couple of very quiet areas where some light background noise is evident but in the main it is a strong sharp sound. Not Mint but the playback is pretty clear considering all the long breaks and quiet areas on the album. Side Once grades as a strong Excellent condition and Side Two as a near Excellent condition.

THE SLEEVE FRONT CONDITION :- The very first press Ernest J Day textured sleeve. The black words "Printed and made by E.J. Day, London" are present which clearly indicates a first pressing sleeve. On the later Pink Rim Island issues this was not present and many sellers will swap sleeves to upgrade the cover. Make sure you have the correct sleeve when buying this album. The front of the cover is in lovely condition considering this is one of the most fragile covers ever made. It is crisp and straight and shows no signs of creasing and no signs of ringwear. The top and bottom seams have virtually no wear atall. The opening edge is clean and virtually free from any feathering. There is only one very small stain on the nose that stops the cover from being near mint. There are no signs of stickers or previously removed stickers and no writing. Taking everything into account I would grade the front of the cover as a strong Excellent condition.

THE SLEEVE REAR CONDITION :-  The rear of the sleeve is in equally as tidy condition. There again is no writing or stickers. There is some very light ringwear just becomming evident but it is quite light. There are no crease. The rear again is straight and crisp. There is some light rubbing on the top seam however the bottom seam is near perfect. The opening edge shows the lightest amount of feathering but again it is hardly anything and only mention to give a scrutinous account of the cover. Taking everything into consideration I would grade the rear as Excellent condition.

THE INNER GATEFOLD CONDITION :- The inner shows no areas of concern at all. It has the all important black "Printed and made by E.J. Day, London." text. Later copies of this album did not have this printed so be sure that this is there as otherwise the cover has been switched for a later one. The inside reveals all the track details and words aswell as the personnel notes and production notes. There is only the lightest amount of storage wear but next to nothing. I would grade the inner of the gatefold as Excellent Plus condition

THE LABEL SIDE ONE CONDITION :- Original Pink Island "i" label in lovely condition free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, only very light signs of play around the spindle hole. Excellent Plus condition.

THE LABEL SIDE TWO CONDITION :- Original Pink Island "i" label in lovely condition free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, only very light signs of play around the spindle hole. Excellent Plus condition.

THE SPINE CONDITION :- The writing on the spine is clear and readable. There are light signs of rubbing in a couple of small areas as all these covers have. Some very light corner wear. The spine is straight and hasn't kinked over. Excellent condition.

THE INNER SLEEVE CONDITION :- Original patented polylined issue sleeve in very nice shape.

THE EXTRAS :- No extras were given with this album

THE CATALOGUE NUMBER :- ILPS 9111

THE YEAR OF RELEASE :-  1969

THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN :-  UK

PLAYING FORMAT :- STEREO

THE MATRIX NUMBERS :-  ILPS 9111 A2  & ILPS 9111 B3

STAMPERS :- 1 2 5  &  11 601 1

TRACK LISTING :-

SIDE ONE :-

1. 21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN
2. I TALK TO THE WIND
3. EPITAPH  a) MARCH FOR NO REASON b) TOMORROW AND TOMORROW

SIDE TWO :-

1. MOONCHILD  a) THE DREAM b) THE ILLUSION 
2. THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING  a) THE RETURN OF THE FIRE WITCH b) THE DANCE OF THE PUPPETS

WHAT WE PLAY THE RECORD ON :- 

We use a Project 6 Perspex Turntable to play grade our records which delivers a rich authoritative sound and achieves a rich and weighty vibrancy unrivalled by the majority of decks within its price range

HOW WE CLEAN YOUR RECORD :- 

We use a V.P.I. HW-16.5 record cleaning machine to clean your vinyl. "A highly recommended machine" as quoted by Stereophile magazine. This removes any excess dirt before playing

HOW WE PACKAGE YOUR RECORD :- 

Your record will be package very securely to minimise any risk of damage during transit. We remove the record from the outer sleeve unless asked not to do so. This helps to minimise the risk of seam spliting. We use a high quality record mailer which is designed to give superior protection for your vinyl record. We place stiffeners either side of the record for added protection. The album will also be placed in a 450 gram Poly outer sleeve for even extra added protection

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING CHARGES FOR UK CUSTOMERS :-

We advise that items reaching over £39.00 in price to be insured and sent by Special Delivery. This protects both of us and ensures better handling of the parcel during transit.We are in no way out to make money from postage. The postage price includes the record mailer, stiffeners and plastic sleeve. We just want your item to reach you in the best possible condition. A breakdown of insured postal services are listed below. Please choose to use the relevant postal service for your own protection as once these rare records are lost they can quite often seldom be replaced

FIRST CLASS RECORDED FOR RECORDS INSURED UP TO £41  :-   £3.75

SPECIAL DELVIVERY FOR RECORDS INSURED UP TO £500  :-  £6.40

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION :-    

All parcels sent to the European Union are sent by Registered Mail. We will not ship abroad without insured post

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR SMALL PACKETS INSURED UP TO £500 :-  £11.99

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE USA AND CANADA :- 

All parcels sent to the USA & Canada are sent by Registered Mail. We will not ship abroad without insured post

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR INSURED UP TO £500 :-  £16.00

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN :- 

All parcels sent to the Australia & Japan are sent by Registered Mail. We will not ship abroad without insured post

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR INSURED UP TO £500 :-  £16.00

BUYERS OF MULTIPLE ITEMS :- 

Postage prices and courier methods for multiple purchases will be calculated after the auction end. It is impossible for us at the pre auction stage to determine these prices as the final weight is unknown.If you are the winner of multiple items the please await contact from us or alternately contact us yourself for a breakdown of the shipping costs.You will only pay the stamp price + relevant packaging charges so there are big savings to be made with multiple purchases

HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR RECORD :-

We can accept the following payment methods

UK BUYERS :- 

• PayPal
• Personal cheque (Please allow to clear)
• Bankers Draft
• Postal Order

OVERSEAS BUYERS :-

• Paypal only

TERMS AND CONDITIONS :-

We always try to appraise the record for sale as openly and honestly as possible and provide plenty of pictures for you to look at but please be aware that errors however rare do occur and not everyone has the same audio  equipment. There is no problem that cannot be worked out in a civilised manner. We urge you to contact us so that we can discuss any small problems that may occur. We offer a refund of the purchase price for returned items within 7 days of purchase and are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have during the auction

SAVE US TO YOUR FAVOURITES LIST AS WE INTEND TO LIST MANY MORE RARE VINYL TREATS OVER THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS