TOP UK 1968 FREAKBEAT = THE PRETTY THINGS "SF SORROW" PSYCH BEATLES EPIC LP

$ 322

$ 322 Sold For

Sep 20, 2026 Sold Date

Sep 13, 2026 Start Date

7 Number Of Bids

USA Country Of Seller

eBay Auctioned at

save auction

Description

.PLEASE READ BEFORE BIDDING: Please read the entire auction listing, including shipping costs, before writing to ask a question. OUR GOAL IS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. In order to meet that goal, we will ALWAYS work with our customers on any concerns that may arise. Because of that dedication, there should be no need to open a resolution dispute before working with us. Please keep in mind, we would prefer to continue to provide you the opportunity to acquire the rare music we present each and every week. Payment is required within seven days. We mail all paid items ONE WEEK after auctions end. Our listings are time consuming in detail and we are often traveling to find these gems, which at times delays the delivery schedule by a day or two. We ALWAYS process and ship every paid order. We have no control over parcels once they are mailed from our local Post Office. Overseas mail to some countries (Italy, Russia, France, in particular) has become very slow. Opening a dispute for slow mail is unacceptable. We work hard to provide excellent service as is represented by our well over +22,000 positive feedback. We use an ultrasonic KLAudio machine and thoroughly clean all records. Each order is carefully packaged by removing the LP from the jacket to avoid seam splits, use of 3 ml plastic cover sleeves over each LP and jacket, cardboard pad inserts, and placed in sturdy record mailers for safe delivery. We take Customer Service seriously, and want you to be satisfied. Please give us 5 stars in each category through the feedback system, and we will be able to effectively continue to fulfill your passion for rare and collectible music! We have served thousands of satisfied customers - far more than our feedback records indicate - and our aim is to continue to do so.

Thank you for your interest and support. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHIPPING: USA ~ 1 LP = $5.87 Media Priority rates vary by area; please inquire. All Canadian and Overseas shipping ~ Please inquire about rates. Priority shipping rates required on any order $200+ ~ Also, in the best interest of all of us, safe Express shipping rates on any order totaling $400+
Be certain that your Customs forms are processed by us and your package will be postmarked and mailed at our local Post Office.
Note to International buyers: If you are unable to bid on our auctions, send us an e-mail and we will try to fix your problem. Discount shipping on multiple LPs in same order. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1968 UK COLUMBIA
LEGENDARY PSYCHEDELIC CONCEPTUAL ..|/\|...............................................|/\|..
~
The PRETTY THINGS
"S.F. Sorrow"
~
..|/\|...............................................|/\|..
Made In England - (black/silver COLUMIA) - SCX 6306
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting harder to find by the day ....
TOP~COPY !
Near MINT ~ EVERYWHERE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original 1968 recorded GATEFOLD pressing of the British masterpiece psychedelic going over heads of the masses until years later when light-bulbs starting going off in awareness, and in-need of the vinyl. Estimated this preesing was sold alongside the blue / black label Columbia pressings when first released, going by the inner and label text. It's definitely from very few months at latest. The inner sleeve is advertising Sgt. Pepper, Floyd - Piper, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Lulu, etc.
Silver/black Columbia Records 1969 pressing, released one year later from the 1968 black/blue label pressing

ORIGINAL "Columbia" double sided inner sleeve included
................................................... Bass Guitar, Guitar, Vocals – Wally Allen
Drums, Vocals – Twink
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Dick Taylor
Organ, Sitar, Percussion, Vocals – John Povey
Vocals – Phil May ................................................ history of rock is littered with lost masterpieces and opportunities missed, but few seem to have been as cursed as "SF Sorrow."
One would think that an album recorded at Abbey Road, at the height of British psychedelia, featuring Norman Smith in the producer’s seat, could do no wrong. After all, Smith had worked on both 'Sgt. Pepper' and produced 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn'.
Unfortunately, line-up problems and label problems delayed and buried the project. It should be remembered as a classic, however. Smith and the Pretty Things went to great lengths experimenting in the studio, layering overdubs of odd instruments at odd speeds. What makes this all so much more than the "kids in the candy store" overkill so endemic to the era is the subtlety with which the effects are handled and the fact that the songwriting is first rate. The album was conceived as a rock opera, and inspired Pete Townshend (unfortunately!) to write Tommy. Luckily, the songs are songs first, and the opera concept merely unites the album. While it’s possible to follow the story of a man’s life, from birth to love, war, madness and death, it’s handled more as poetry, less as libretto.
The first track, SF Sorrow is Born, is a mild introduction. Over a guitar groove we are introduced to our protagonist. The trumpet fanfares and phased out backing vocals and hand-claps at the end hint that the Pretties are no longer an R+B band.
Next, Bracelets Of Fingers brings in the psych elements more fully, with medieval guitars and wah-wah meeting choral vocals extolling the virtues of ecstasy. She Says Good Morning is a syncopated seventh chord groove, which builds to a fantastic fuzz climax. Private Sorrow brings in pastoral acoustic guitar, Mellotron and recorder finally decaying under organ chords. Balloon Burning brings back rock and fuzz and a wild, exhilarating guitar solo. Following is Death, a Baltic sounding pastoral track with fantastic bass riffs sliding around bouzouki and punctuated by gongs and chants. Baron Saturday takes us to syncopated rock, punctuated by keyboard chords, Mellotron glissando's and an array of shakers and hand-claps. All of this builds up to a percussion workout, spinning around the stereo field as more and more delay threatens to dissolve into feedback. There’s a brief, teasing interlude of Mellotron and acoustic guitar before we’re back into song for another chorus. The Journey starts in acoustic mode, and devolves into an echoing rock workout. Snippets of the rest of the album pop in and out like auditory hallucinations as the guitars and delay build, only to stop suddenly with an acoustic chord signaling the beginning of I See You. Deep fuzz lays underneath and the chorus swells with more tremolo chorale and Mellotron heavenly atmosphere. Guitar leads interlace the voice intones, ever more hysterically with sped up tape until it all snaps and Well of Destiny begins. This piece is abstract, with tremolo and delayed keyboard and guitar bouncing back and forth in an ever rising game of tag until a forceful guitar riff comes over the top obliterating it all as the fever builds to an abrupt end. Trust is a circling, layered canon, relatively stripped down and a welcome respite. Old Man Going rocks like early period Sabbath and again builds and builds to two cathartic moments, the fuzzy guitar solo and the point of collapse. Finally we’re left with the beautiful melancholy Loneliest Person, a wistful coda of voice and guitar alone.
The album had everything going for it, and like The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society and The Zombies’ Odyssey and Oracle, The Pretty Things somehow missed out achieving sainthood. The sound represents the top-peak of British psychedelia, and the songwriting is on a par with the best bands of the time. There’s more to discover with each listen, and each discovery is rewarding.

Side 1

"S.F. Sorrow is Born" – 3:12
"Bracelets of Fingers" – 3:41
"She Says Good Morning" – 3:23
"Private Sorrow" – 3:51
"Balloon Burning" – 3:51
"Death" – 3:05

Side 2

"Baron Saturday" – 4:01
"The Journey" – 2:46
"I See You" – 3:56
"Well of Destiny" – 1:46
"Trust" – 2:49
"Old Man Going" – 3:09
"Loneliest Person" – 1:29
CONDITION:
The cover: rated: M- Super clean stiff glossy gatefold in absolute collectible shape, no issues, has no faded areas, no split seams, no delete marks, has a light lamination crease at bottom right back cover yet light enough not visual on other side of cover. Overall presentable collection keeper

The vinyl: Rated: M- clean and smooth, plays beautiful throughout and both UK silver/black Columbia labels are barely handled (played)

A cool addition to anyone's music library! "EX" (excellent)
SEE: SELLERS OTHER ITEMS
(((similar grooves for "head" people...)))

................................................

NOTE: All Items backed by money back guarantee!
BEFORE BIDDING: IF you have a problem PLEASE agree in letting us solve an issude before you BEFORE leaving ANY negative feedback. Thanks! ................................................ GRADING SYSTEM:
All imperfections are noted both cover & record ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN 5 DAYS Of AUCTIONS END BIDDERS PLEASE = Do Not Bid If You Are Not Serious About Following Through The Transaction! ALL ITEMS GUARANTEED FOR WINNING BID