MONA BONE JAKON - CAT STEVENS 1st PRESS UK PINK ISLAND

	£		52
	$		69

CAT STEVENS – MONA BONE JAKON

ORIGINAL UK 1st PRESSING - PINK ISLAND - White ‘I’

RARE AND HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE UK LP, FIRST ORIGINAL PRESSING  E/X  E/X

“I have decided to sell my record collection which has been accumulated over many years”

I am not a trader or record shop. I am music fan who has collected vinyl records over many years and over the coming days/weeks I will be offering rare, and much sought after vinyl records including Prog Rock, Blues, Folk, etc from collectible labels such as Pink Island, Blue Horizon, Deram/Decca, Atlantic plum, Vertigo swirl etc etc..

Artist:  Cat Stevens

Title:   Mona Bone Jakon

Catalogue No:  ILPS 9118

Release Year:  1970

Country of origin:  UK LP - original Pink Island White ‘I’, guaranteed first pressing/issue.

This LP is in truly EXCELLENT CONDITION and is genuinely a reluctant sale.

There are absolutely no obvious visible scuffs, no sticking or jumps. Both sides of the vinyl and sleeve visually clean.

Like the classic Tillerman LP this is the other seminal master class LP from that era and is a beautiful example of Cat Stevens at the pinnacle of his distinguished song writing career in the early 70’s. If you’re looking at this sublime LP featuring some of the most unforgettable songs ever written, ‘Lady D’Arbanville’, ‘Maybe You’re Right’, ‘Katmandu/Fill My Eyes’, ‘Lilywhite’, et al… then it’s likely you are already aware of how brilliant and moving it was, and still is! This LP is now highly collectible, especially in this condition! This UK pressing on the beautiful Pink Island label of Mona Bone Jakon LP is becoming rarer by the day! Usually it turns up with some flaw or other which depreciates their value – however, this one will not depreciate because it is in Excellent condition!

Discerning and serious collectors and particularly Cat Stevens devotee’s know that to have this LP on this original Pink Island label in their collection is a ‘must’, and an indispensable addition to their catalogue – This rare pressing and highly collectible original UK Pink Island LP from Cat Stevens’ greatest era is greatly sought after!

Record Grading

Before I offer for sale I play grade to check my LP’s and I have just played both sides on an upmarket deck.

The LP plays excellent with just some minimal background noise on the quieter parts (static??) sound underneath the instrumentation on just a couple of the quieter songs. I include the previous comment only in case someone with more adept hearing than me and their expectations exceeds my own very high standards, but I can assure you the audio crispness and clarity of this LP is in tip-top condition! Even the ‘run-out’s are virtually silent! I must mention however there are 4/5 very small 'clicks' on the first track of side 1. But unless you are seeking an LP which is brand new (just out of the wrapper) you will not be disappointed – The winning bidder will be thrilled!

As always, I am being genuine and highly critical, but honest in my evaluation of the LP; You’d be thinking I’m doing myself an injustice with my description but I treat others the way I wish to be treated myself so I am describing it to the best of my ability. Also, I have not attempted to thoroughly clean the record in case of damage to the LP and because in my opinion it’s in such excellent condition it does not require any object or cleaning agent, in fact the only implement this LP requires is a stylus!

There are no ‘jumps’ or sticking whatsoever and the audio quality is truly amazing for an LP which, like Tea for the Tillerman, was produced in 1970 and is 40yrs old!

The winning bidder will not be disappointed

LP Cover

Original unlaminated single sleeve.

No rips, tears, unwanted ink, blemishes...etc. The LP cover is clean and in excellent condition with just minimal wear. It still retains bright colours and a solid structure. Square spine and absolute minimum feathering on the opening and edging. No cracks or splits and no creases. The unlaminated cover I would easily class as excellent – no unsightly blemishes!

Labels

Both Pink Island labels are free of unwanted ink and are bright and clean. Both labels are free of blemishes, rips or tears - truly stunning labels! Both are visually spotless and the printing and clarity on both labels is as the day they were printed. (Excellent+) See images.

Inner Sleeve

Lyric printed, (scribbled in blue ink by Cat Steven’s own hand) poly-lined inner sleeve. British patent numbers and, ‘Made in England’ print. No rips or tears or unwanted ink – Excellent.

Please take into consideration that I am not a photographer or a professional salesman. What you can be certain of are the descriptions of all the LP’s I shall be offering for sale, and that they are all critically evaluated.

I will do my best with any further images you require and, if you have any questions about the LP please email me.

Contact is to be made within 3 days of winning bid and payment to be made within one week of winning bid.

Postage and packing within the UK = £3.00

International worldwide postage = £7.00

(If the winning bidder requires further postage security on the LP please email for price – see details below)

Thanks and Good Luck!

I am a private seller gradually disposing of my vinyl collection.  Please note that whilst it is rare for items to be lost or damaged in the post, I am unable to accept responsibility for any loss or damage by the postal services. Whilst I am happy to provide assistance, advice, and proof of postage, all such claims remain the responsibility of the buyer. All items sold for more than £39 will be subject to an extra charge for 'signed for' posting (This is not usually very expensive) if the purchaser requires package to be covered for compensation to cover the unlikely loss/damage in the post an extra charge will be necessary. If compensation cover is required buyers should contact me so that the full cost can be invoiced for insurance purposes.

Review

Cat Stevens virtually disappeared from the British pop scene in 1968, at the age of 20, after a meteoric start to his career. He had contracted tuberculosis and spent a year recovering, from both his illness and the strain of being a teenage pop star, before returning to action in the spring of 1970 — as a very different 22-year-old — with Mona Bone Jakon. Fans who knew him from 1967 must have been surprised. Under the production aegis of former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith, he introduced a group of simple, heartfelt songs played in spare arrangements on acoustic guitars and keyboards and driven by a restrained rhythm section. Built on folk and blues structures, but with characteristically compelling melodies, Stevens' new compositions were tentative, fragmentary statements that alluded to his recent "Trouble," including the triviality of being a "Pop Star." But these were the words of a desperate man in search of salvation. Mona Bone Jakon was dominated by images of death, but the album was also about survival and hope. Stevens' craggy voice, with its odd breaks of tone and occasional huskiness, lent these sometimes sketchy songs depth, and the understated instrumentation further emphasized their seriousness. If Stevens was working out private demons on Mona Bone Jakon, he was well attuned to a similar world-weariness in pop culture. His listeners may not have shared his exact experience, but after the 1960s they certainly understood his sense of being wounded, his spiritual yearning, and his hesitant optimism. Mona Bone Jakon was only a modest success upon its initial release, but it attracted attention in the wake of the commercial breakthrough of its follow-up, Tea for the Tillerman.