Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge
    Just one of inkFrog's Creations

Description

ARTHUR LEE

"VINDICATOR"

1972 RADIO STATION DJ COPY

ORIGINAL STEREO

WHITE & BLACK PROMO LABEL

THICK VINYL CLEAN LABELS

INNER GATEFOLD COVER WITH PHOTOS

A&M

SP 4356

• RARE 1972 US ORIGINAL WHITE LABEL PROMO A&M first press STEREO DJ label (see photo). Beautiful US original gatefold cover (see photos). Radio Station DJ pressings are the 1st presses from the stampers and are usually pressed on superior thick non-flexible vinyl made to withstand the heavier use from radio play. There may have only been a few hundred or so of these pressings made in 1972 for radio use and they sound far superior to any other pressings. The STEREO punch of the promo vinyl is incredible. How many still exist is anyone's guess. This beautiful copy is from my personal collection (see photos).

• Please take a look at my other Rock, Psychedelic, British Invasion, and R & B LP auctions on the A & M, ATLANTIC, ATCO, ASYLUM, ABC PARAMOUNT, BRUNSWICK, CAPITOL, CHECKER, CHESS, COLUMBIA, DECCA, ELEKTRA, EPIC, FONTANA, GNP, GORDY, HI, IMPERIAL, KING, LONDON, MERCURY, MOTOWN, RCA, REPRISE, SMASH, SIRE, TAMLA, UNI, VEE JAY, VERVE, UNITED ARTISTS and WARNER BROTHERS labels.

Vindicator is, at turns, southern rock, blues, folk, psychedelic rock and, yes, R&B. Lyrically, it spans from blues ballad to the utterly (and intentionally) ridiculous. While so many solo records segue with few seams from an artist’s ensemble career, Vindicator proves to be something of a non sequitur. That is, Love ends and Arthur Lee begins.

Granted, there are some shades of what Lee would become (or probably always was) on Love’s grittier eponymous debut, shades that would be rubbed out gradually across De Capo and Forever Changes. Lee, famously, was somewhat controlling in Love, or he tried to be. But despite his better efforts, Bryan MacLean hedged Lee’s influence on composition and harmony, and probably to the benefit of Love. That’s not to say that Vindicator falls short, but only that it reveals what Love might not have been if Lee had his druthers. So, Vindicator is as much as album name as it is a statement for Lee, a practice in individuality, an exercise of personal salvation. Here, he does everything he ever wanted to do. Literally, everything.
The opening track, “Sad Song,” is a return to his southern roots, where Lee does Skynyrd before Skynyrd did Skynyrd. A moderately paced rock piece formed around a call and response–Lee calling, his guitar responding–“Sad Song” might tempt you to believe this is what the album is about. Until the record skips over to the second song. “You Can Save Up to 50% But You’re Still a Long Ways from Home” is a 17-second a cappella nursery rhyme that, after multiple listens, still struggles to find sense: “I pawned it / a black-white-yellow human / And if you don’t like what I say / Then vote for Harry Truman.” It’s the kind of quirk you’d expect–if you were expecting such a thing–to find snugly fit into the later tracks, not just as you were getting warmed up. But it seems to work as an attention grabber. Bizarre as it may seem, you want to listen to it twice. And it informs that maybe you have no clue what’s about to happen. In fact, it’s the same kind of subtle narcissistic kink as Lee’s notably flamboyant wardrobe. “Look at me,” it says.
And to his credit, he does settle down after that. His straightforward blues standard in “He Said She Said” (a likely nod to his Memphis nascency) is also one of the few rhythm and blues approximations found. While it hinges primarily on blues, it’s justifiably, and pleasantly, both.And that’s sort of how it goes: normalcy is met with brief episodes of eccentricity. Because for every blues and rock sanity, we find a “Hamburger Breath Stinkfinger,” the tale of an ill-advised date at McDonald’s, where Lee laments about the woman, “Oh what a dish / She smelled just like a fish.”
Throughout the wandering, Vindicator’s common thread would be Lee’s voice and his guitar. Consistent variations aside, both are reminiscent of Hendrix. Vocally, the best document of this is either “Busted Feet” or “You Want Change for Your Re-Run.” The latter is the best effort on the record next to “Everybody,” and arguably the best composed. Driving guitar is joined halfway through by a simple piano underpinning, arriving perfectly out of nowhere. The Hendrix influence isn’t surprising. And not because Hendrix is “influential.”
Friend’s in the early-’60s L.A. scene, Hendrix played guitar behind Rosa Lee Brooks when she sang the Lee-written “My Diary.” And Lee was known to frequent Isley Brothers shows, where Hendrix cut his teeth before “Hey Joe” forever wove him into the musical fabric. Lee even claims that it was Love’s version of “Hey Joe,” not Tim Rose’s, that inspired the version we all know. Even Hendrix’s later fashion sense offers a nod to the eccentric Lee, whose frills, tunics, scarves and hats were staples when Hendrix was still sporting a skinny tie as a backup. If that’s not enough, Vindicator is credited, not to Arthur Lee, but Arthur Lee & Band-Aid. On the record, Band-Aid is a mostly anonymous group of musicians. But the name was originally conceived by Hendrix and Lee for a group they intended to form with Steve Winwood. Of course, that would never happen.
So instead, we have Vindicator. Not a tribute to Hendrix. Not an evolution of Love. It’s Arthur Lee frantically and impressively trying to fit every ounce of his musical yearning into one record. Someone trying to prove his every potential in one fell swoop. Years of pent-up emotion and style are released, and with great effort. Most other times, such a product would be a disjointed mess. But here, it’s a sincere piece of man. Punctuated with the exclamation, “I’m not Love,” Vindicator succeeds in showing us who Lee is. “Look at me,” it says. And maybe that’s vindication enough (crosby).

Bid according to the condition stated below
FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MY GRADING SEE POLICY BELOW

Record Condition: Side 1 & 2: Near Mint ...the thick non flexible vinyl has full LIKE NEW gloss and looks unplayed. The beautiful white DJ "sample copy" STEREO A&M labels are clean and bright without writing, stains or tears (See photos).

Cover/Jacket Condition: Very Good+ ...the 41 year old beautiful blue cover has just the beginning of wear on the front or back and a cut out hoel at the top center edge (see photos). The seams are intact and sharp with wear at the corners. The spine is intact and lettering sharp with light wear (see photo).

Thanks for looking!!!

WHY BID ON THIS ITEM?

HERE'S WHY!

ALL MY LISTINGS INCLUDE:

UNDERSTANDABLE GRADING DESCRIPTIONS My cover/vinyl condition descriptions have NO AMBIGUOUS TERMS Words such as "JUST A HINT OF, ASSUMED TO BE, COULD BE, SHOULD NOT, MAY HAVE, MIGHT BE, BELIEVED TO BE, USUALLY, PROBABLY, BARELY, FAIRLY INSIGNIFICANT, MODERATELY VISUALLY DISTRACTING, WE ESTIMATE, OR WE SUSPECT THAT" do not exist in my descriptions. CLEAR PHOTOS My listings always include individual front cover, back cover (both showing the seams) and record label photos at a minimum, with no CROPPING or RETOUCHING EVER. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED RETURN POLICY No once in a lifetime return policy gauntlets to navigate through, no debates, no questions, no hassles, no problems. THE ULTIMATE GOAL Know what you are bidding on! It REALLY is the only way to bid! Don't you agree! BID WITH CONFIDENCE! PLEASE SEE THE PICTURES INCLUDED IN THIS LISTING WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET GUARANTEED! All images shown are ACTUAL PHOTOS OF THE ITEM you are bidding on. NO recycled photos of better condition copies from prior auctions to confuse you.  

Vinyl Grading Policy:

• All records and jackets are visually graded unless noted otherwise. CAUTION: Please be aware that the play grade may differ from the visual grade. If you want me to play a particular song and give you an assessment of background noise, etc. Please email me. We all have records that look worn but play great and vice versa. It is not possible to play as well as visually grade each LP listed. I TRY TO GRADE CONSERVATIVELY under the guidelines on this page, which generally follow the GOLDMINE standards. Although I try to be conscientious as a grader, there is the possibility that something could slip by me. In the event an item is not as described, REST ASSURED I will always offer a money back guarantee for purchase price of the item if returned safe and secure and requested within seven days of receipt.
• Mint = A mint item must be absolutely perfect. Certainly never been played if not still sealed. This would be an item where it was opened but not played maybe just to check the label variation.
• Near Mint = The record shows no obvious signs of wear. The vinyl should show no wear from playing only the slightest of paper scuffs are acceptable. The jacket should look as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink-wrap.
• Near Mint-/Very Good++ = The record or cover is clearly better than VG+ but not Near Mint. There should be some signs that the vinyl was played infrequently and otherwise handled P)� P)� 0previous owner who took excellent care of it. Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have light scuffs and or very minor light%2�;� �;� es that do not affect the listener experience at all. The label and spindle hole will be without flaws other than the lightest of spindle trails from being played only a few times if at all. The cover should be bright and sharp and will have only the very first evidence of discoloration or ring wear or creased corners. Although there may be some evidence of seam/spine wear, seam splits are not permitted for this grade. The jacket may be marked as a cut out by a drill hole, saw mark, cut corner or punch hole. I will try to list any cover flaws of significance.
• Very Good+ = This is equivalent of the VG+ grade in Goldmine. The record will show signs that the vinyl was played but taken care of. Record surfaces will show signs of wear including some light scratches/scuffs that do not significantly affect the listener experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Spindle holes will have some wear but not be enlarged or damaged in any way. The cover will have general wear/ring wear but not to the extent that it materially impairs enjoyment of the picture cover. Slight seam splits are OK for this grade. Again I will try to list any cover flaws of significance.
• Very Good = Unless it is a rare collectible, I usually will not sell records where both the cover and vinyl are below a VG+ grade PERIOD. This grade is included since some times there may be either a cover or record that the flaws in VG+ grade above are more pronounced but the other part of the package is of a higher grade. If it is the vinyl I will play grade it to be sure that the listener can still enjoy the music.
• BID WITH CONFIDENCE! All items are FULLY GUARANTEED. If requested within five days of receipt, I will refund your full purchase price (excluding refund of shipping costs) upon return of the item if you are not satisfied, period. If you want protection related to lost or damaged shipments you must insure your winnings. I pack all records removed from the jacket, sandwiched between corrugated cardboard before insertion into the mailer box. Many times I will also use bubble wrap or a box inside a box packing method to further protect your item.
• I do not grade inner sleeves but will let you know if there are any inserts, posters, stickers or other items included with the RECORD or TAPE.
• Items that do not sell are usually not re-listed. Please contact me if interested and provide sufficient information to identify the item.

Payment and Shipping

Payment & Shipping Terms:

• All payments in US dollars only, Paypal, Cashiers Checks, Bank Checks According to ebay policy, I can also no longer accept cash by mail as a form of payment even if the buyer is using registered mail and is willing to accept the risk of loss. All non personal check acceptable payment methods get shipping within 2 business days of receipt. Personal checks are accepted if drawn on a US bank and buyer is willing to wait for me to ship until your check clears. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding acceptable payment methods.
• Please wait for an invoice before checkout. Winning Bidder must contact me or make payment within 3 days (72 hours) from receipt of my auction closing invoice..MY AUCTION TERMS ARE THAT PAYMENT IS REQUIRED WITHIN 7 DAYS FROM CLOSE OF AUCTION.
• I follow the ebay non payment rules so if you have not made payment do not be surprised if you get a eBay non paying bidder notice after 7 days. I agressively work to get my final value ebay fees back if the item is not paid for within the auction terms.
• IF YOU CANNOT PAY WITHIN THE DESIGNATED TIME FRAMES PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE BIDDING!
• All winners will receive the following: Winning confirmation (within 1 day after auction end), Payment confirmation (upon its arrival), and shipping confirmation (upon its departure).



• Buyer pays all Shipping and Handling charges. Media Mail shipping in the US generally runs $4. Priority Mail is quoted at cost upon request.
• PLEASE READ THIS: For buyer protection, I only ship priority airmail with insurance and tracking for international destinations unless the total value of the shipment is below $50. In this case, upon buyer request I will ship First Class Airmail quoted at actual postage cost based upon weight. INTERNATIONAL First class airmail generally runs $18.50 for the first LP and $3 for each additonal LP. CANADA runs $9 for the first LP and $3 for each additional LP.
• PLEASE NOTE: RATES MAY CHANGE WHEN SHIPPING MORE THAN 6 LP's or 4 POUNDS SHIPMENT WEIGHT. I will also require that ALL orders over $50 include the cost of registration or some form of tracking (priority mail international shipping) so that both the buyer and seller have a tracking number for the parcel.
• Registered mail costs $11.50 additional beyond basic shipping costs.
• I also reserve the right to require that orders are shipped via express international mail in special situations depending on details of the transaction and the buyers feedback rating.
• If you cannot agree to pay for priority mail postage or registered international mail for orders over $50, please do not bid on these auctions.

inkFrog Analytics