SPRING (THE HONEYS, BEACH BOYS) ULTRA-RARE SEALED ORIG '72 PROMO LP w/INSERT

$

30

SPRING (FORMERLY KNOWN AS “THE HONEYS”) - THEIR FIRST, ONE AND ONLY, SELF-TITLED 1972 ALBUM PRODUCED BY THE BRIAN "BEACH BOY" WILSON , AND FEATURING A STELLAR PHIL SPECTOR ‘WRECKING CREW’ ORCHESTRA – ORIGINAL 1972 UNITED ARTISTS STEREO LP UAS-5571

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

*** STILL SEALED GUARANTEED ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING ***

·       *** PROMOTIONAL COPY; THE RECORD (PROBABLY) HAS STOCK LABELS; HOWEVER, THE EMBOSSED PROMOTIONAL STAMP ON THE COVER CLEARLY IDENTIFIES THE ITEM AS PROMOTIONAL ***

·       ORIGINAL BEIGE UNITED ARTISTS LABEL WITH BROWN LOGO

·       THE ALBUM IS GUARANTEED TO COME WITH ITS ORIGINAL INSERT / LYRICS SHEET

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

·       ORIGINAL GATEFOLD COVER, MADE OF THICK CARDBOARD (AMERICAN STYLE)   (SORRY, INSERT NOT INCLUDED)

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

·       As far as I know, this album is currently out of print and unavailable on Compact Disc, or in any other format.

Not the 1971 album, also self-titled, by Spring, a progressive rock group with the same name, this particular Spring is an excellent artifact from the world of the Beach Boys, and is highly entertaining with much historical value. The album features Marilyn Wilson-Rovell and Diane Rovell, who Creem magazine managing editor Ben Edmonds explains in his trippy liner notes were the Rovell Sisters and the Honeys, and is produced by Marilyn's husband, Brian Wilson. The gals stare out of the gatefold in a blurry blue hue -- an appropriate image for a disc that never got the notice it deserved. The album begins with "Tennessee Waltz," a two-minute version that puts the vocals front and center in a fusion that might be called "girl group folk music." Not as orchestrated as the Beach Boys' thick harmonies and the all-pervasive carbon-copy wall of Spector-ized sound, this is more like Brian Wilson emulating Spector's work with the Teddy Bears, light and airy with the ladies' voices very present and in control. The major find here is track two, "Thinkin' 'Bout You Baby," written by Wilson and Mike Love. It is the song "Darlin'" in different form, and it is lovely hearing that melody with other lyrics and in this unique setting. Renditions of the Shirelles' "Mama Said" and Bonnie Bramlett's "Superstar" don't fare as well as the originals and more obscure tunes here though. On the popular covers they come off as a forced girl group, abandoning the folksy charm of the first two songs. They overdo a song that Rita Coolidge made a name with, and if Bramlett didn't like what Karen Carpenter did to her song, she might take solace in the fact that at least this album stayed underground and was a tip of the hat to Bramlett's songwriting genius. Tommy Roe's "Everybody" gets a similar treatment to the group's version of "Mama Said," and at least the cover tunes give insight to what the group was attempting to do.

They do it much better when Wilson gives them material, or uncovers music like "Now That Everything's Been Said," the title track to Carole King's lost classic, the City album. It is one of Spring's best moments, but the tonal quality remarkably favors King. The addition of Carole King and Gerry Goffin's song covered by Ricky Nelson and Ben E. King in the mid-'60s, "Down Home," is also a treat. What you get with the Spring album is Wilson lovingly creating music with his significant other, and unearthing some gems in the process. The best tracks, along with the early version of "Darlin'" and the two Carole King covers, are the Wilson co-writes "Sweet Mountain" (penned along with co-producer and co-arranger David Sandler), "Good Time," which Wilson put together with Alan Jardine, Dennis Wilson and Greg Jacobson's "Forever," and Floyd Tucker's "Awake." The album just misses being a grand slam, perhaps because the production doesn't hit you over the head the way Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" or the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" exploded off the turntable. Despite a few flaws, this is as essential a recording as the City's 1969 debut, Now That Everything's Been Said, and really should have made some serious noise. The LP was re-released on Rhino as well as a 1994 issue on See for Miles that listed the group as American Spring, probably to keep the confusion down regarding the aforementioned Pat Moran ensemble. The original album art on the United Artists vinyl is a bluish/sea-green head of a statue with stars in its eyes on the front cover and hearts in its eyes on the back. That artwork was kind of prophetic, as this album is a true artifact in every sense of the word, and one with some great moments that are truly important, not just because they are obscure.

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

If I had a choice of a pop album of the century (20th Century, that is), this one would be a strong contender for the #1 spot. Not only can this album (which the sisters Marilyn Wilson (Brian Wilson's wife) and Diane Rovel recorded in 1971) easily measure up to anything Beach Boys ever recorded (yes, "Pet Sounds" included), it can withstand with ease any comparison with such pop icons of the 70's such as Carpenters and Bread. The intricate harmonies, the quality of musicianship, the integrity and originality of Brian Wilson's production and arrangements --- and, mamma mia, those voices - it all adds up to a totally memorable, winning combination. So much so that the Spring's version of "Superstar" easily outshines the more famous Carpenters version by quite a few light years…The musicians on the album include almost the entire Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" orchestra, which explains why on this disc you will hear some of the most wonderful pop sounds ever recorded. Why this legendary long-lost album has been out of print for almost 20 years is beyond me. Grab this rare and out-of-print beauty now, or wait until the next "Spring"…

The PROMOTIONAL, RADIO STATION-, AUDITION OR DEMONSTRATION COPIES AND RELEASES (such as the one we have here) were often distributed among the radio stations before the record was released to the public, sometimes as much as four months ahead. These records are generally considered to be the "first among equals", which is to say the VERY FIRST generation and the VERY FIRST pressings of the particular title; a PROTOTYPE and the earliest known official pressing of the record.

·                               CONDITION:

·                               RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded! 

(a)          THE ALBUM IS STILL FACTORY SEALED AND IS BELIEVED TO BE PERFECTLY MINT. Please note: sealed items are assumed to be mint.   

(b)            The record is  apparently 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!

(c)           The album is guaranteed to come with its original insert / lyrics sheet

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

·       COVER

COVER IS (WEAK) NEAR MINT, STILL SEALED AND COVERED IN ITS ORIGINAL ?SHRINK WRAP   (A SMALL PIECE OF SHRINK WRAP IS MISSING)

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-         Cover has two corners slightly dinged  / bent.

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

-         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), I assess the severity of ring wear as 1.

-         Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the seams   (nothing significant)

NO OTHER IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER:

-        No split seams

-        No cut-out (drill) holes.

-        No cut-out corners

-        No saw-marks or indents

-        No dirt/dust rubbing stains (friction marks caused by rubbing against other covers)

-        No yellowing from aging

-        No writing

-        No stamps  (EXCEPT for the promo stamp)

-        No peel-off marks

-        No stains

-        No mold or mildew spots

-        No stickers or labels

-        No water damage

-        No razor marks, scratches, pressure marks, lines, streaks, or  cuts.

-        No warping

-        No wax, glue, paint or liquid drops on the cover

-        No glue traces or wax residue.

-        No bar codes

-        No RIAA stamps or stickers. 

   This record is visually graded. If you have any questions please email me - I will always try to consistently deliver outstanding customer service with the Top Rated Plus sealed on my listings. All LP's mailed in Record / LP mailers.  Payment to be made within 3-Days of auctions end.  Please check out my other Records up for auction.  I Do Not Ship Internationally & Accept PayPal ONLY !!