SAM COOKE NIGHTBEAT ULTRA-RARE ORIG '63 RCA VICTOR STEREO LP '60s SOUL MILESTONE

$

100

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  NEARLY 200  LISTED ITEMS

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·        SAM COOKE - NIGHT BEAT - ULTRA-RARE  ORIGINAL 1963 RCA VICTOR STEREO LP LSP-2709 

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       If this is of any relevance – and we do not claim that it is – we feel this is the greatest American album ever recorded, in any genre, by any artist. Certainly, it has been on top of ►our personal top list for the past 20 years, and is in no danger of ever being “deposed” by any other album or artist. When it comes to this album, we are entirely partial and not even minimally objective: you are bidding on the greatest recording of American Popular Music in the past 120 years.

·       EXTREMELY RARE STEREO PRESSING, MANY TIMES RARER THAN MONO

·       ORIGINAL BLACK RCA VICTOR LABEL WITH "SILVER TOP" [RCA VICTOR’S NAME IS IN SILVER LETTERS] AND DOGGIE LOGO ON TOP CENTER OF THE LABEL

·       DEEP GROOVE PRESSING

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       ORIGINAL, THICK CARDBOARD COVER (AMERICAN STYLE)

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

·       MACHINE-STAMPED MATRIX NUMBER IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) OF THE RECORD

·       MATRIX NUMBER IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) ENDS WITH '-2S/-2S…'.  ON SOME LABELS,  SUFFIX '–1' DENOTES THE VERY FIRST, ORIGINAL PRESSING)

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you'll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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Saddled with soaring strings and vocal choruses for maximum crossover potential, Sam Cooke's solo material often masked the most important part of his genius -- his glorious voice -- so the odd small-group date earns a special recommendation in his discography. Thankfully, Cooke's voice took center stage on this admirably low-key session from February 1963, recorded in Los Angeles with a quartet of studio veterans. Unlike so many session crews and producers of the time, these musicians gave him plenty of space and often simply framed Cooke's breathtaking vocals. (On one of the best tracks here, "Lost and Lookin'," he's barely accompanied at all; only bass and cymbals can be heard far in the background.) The results are wonderful -- except for his early Soul Stirrers sides, Night Beat is the best place to marvel at one of the two or three best voices of the century. The songs are intimate blues, most taken at the pace of a late-night stroll, but despite the dark shading and heart-rending tempos, Cooke's voice is so transcendent it's difficult to become depressed while listening. Cooke also wrote three of the songs, including the excellent "Mean Old World," and rendered the traditional "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" practically unfamiliar with his own re-arrangement. Cooke also stretches out on a pair of jump blues classics, "Little Red Rooster" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll," summoning some honest grit for the former and putting the uptown swing into the latter. He also allows some solo space, from Barney Kessel's simple, unadorned solo on "Get Yourself Another Fool" to Billy Preston's playful organ vocalizing on "Little Red Rooster." If Sam Cooke had lived longer, there would've been several more sessions like this, but Night Beat is an even richer treasure for its rarity.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY JOHN BUSH, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

Call this a labor of love, if you will: advertising the music and the vibrant, joyful voice of my all- time favorite singer - and spreading the Sam Cooke gospel in the process !!! That's heaven to me, indeed. Sam Cooke was the greatest American singer of all times, hands down; no ifs, ands or buts. Respectfully, the fans of Enrico Caruso, Frankie Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat "King" Cole or Billy Ecstine can take their case elsewhere - my judgment is final (and also shared by such an authority as Jerry Wexler, legendary Atlantic A&R man, who - to paraphrase his words - proclaimed that Sam Cooke was a "perfect" singer, who "had it all"). In an unlikely event that you are totally unfamiliar with Sam's music, this is the fifth  album he recorded for RCA Victor, in 1963. Sam croons his way through 11 blues, gospel and soul numbers by Charles Brown, Bessie Smith, Howlin' Wolf, Joe Turner, plus some originals (of which "Lost and Lookin" is probably the very finest Sam Cooke ballad he ever penned - it has to be heard to be believed), with a small blues combo comprising of unbelievably competent musicians. This is an embarrassment of the riches of the American vocal artistry; Crooning raised to the level of aesthetic and philosophical principle. Absolutely critical and indispensable work in every respect imaginable !!!  Track listing: Nobody knows the trouble I've seen - Lost and lookin' - Mean old world - Please don't drive me away - I lost everything - Get yourself another fool - Little red rooster - Laughin' and clownin' - Trouble blues - You gotta move - Fool's paradise - Shake, rattle and roll.

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·                               CONDITION:

·                               THE RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS STRONG VG++, JUST A NOTCH BELOW NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions (probably just sleeve scuffs inflicted in storage over the years) ARE VISIBLE, but they appear fairly  insignificant relative to the overall condition of the vinyl, and are only moderately visually distracting. For most part, the vinyl looks impeccable, without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(a)          The record comes in the original stock inner sleeve.

(b)          The record has a "deep groove" (an indent in the label about 1/2-inch from the edge of the label, which on SOME labels is associated with very early or first pressings).

(c)           The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(d)          Stereo  pressing of this title is much rarer, and by far more preferable to its mono  counterpart. The mix is more graphic, the sound resolution more precise, and the channel separation (which does not exist on mono version) adds a whole new dimension to the music. Also, the stereo mixes are (by definition) somewhat different than on the mono version. We estimate that mono copies of this album outnumber stereo copies  by a ratio of at least 5:1.

(e)           Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

·                               THE COVER

THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD++ (VG++).

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-        Cover has JUST A HINT of ring wear (nothing significant); On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 2.

-        Cover has some tiny, faint, barely visible writing on its back side (other Sam Cooke album titles circled with a blue ballpoint pen)

-        Back cover has some light yellowish stains, probably from exposure to humidity  (nothing significant)  (less than 2 square inches in size)

-        Cover shows some light yellowing on back side, apparently from aging.

-        Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the top seam   (BARELY VISIBLE)

-        Minor shelf wear noted on the top and bottom seams (nothing significant)

-        Cover has two corners slightly worn / dinged  (nothing significant)

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND (BUT DO NOT INSIST) that you select USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from one region of  the world to another. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

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OUR REFUND POLICY :

WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED; Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here  for the full text of our policy

FINE (BUT IMPORTANT!) PRINT

 (1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year of the original release,  NOT necessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of the pressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters). (2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar or item specifics box alone; instead, please read the entire description and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NO order cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under any circumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4) We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you need to do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to provide matrix-, stamper- or other pressing  information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require this information, please contact us well before the final day of the auction. (6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shipping and Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7)  All Paypal payments must be made from confirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresses will be honored  (8) Absolutely NO partial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, please return it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilized people can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest; if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBay feedback, which speaks for itself  (10) All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be - solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner;  please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language (attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-death sarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller will accommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible and agreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever;  Thank You & Good Night!

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