The Kinks- Father Christmas UK 7" 45 Single on Arista FULLY Signed/ Autographed

	£		66
	$		87

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Here is the 2 track UK 7" 45 single Father Christmas/ Prince Of The Punks by The Kinks from 1977. Housed in a card picture sleeve & released on Arista Records, the Catalogue Number is ARISTA 153. This example has blue injection moulded labels & a solid centre. I assume the package was made in England for UK release, as that’s where the record was made.

What makes this example special is that it is fully Signed/ Autographed by The Kinks- what I assume to be their then current line-up. The signatures were obtained by the original owner at a gig & are 100% genuine. There are five bold signatures across the back sleeve in either black biro (I think) or green felt tip pen. So we have Ray Davies (Lead Vocals), Dave Davies (Lead Guitar) & Andy Pyle (Bass Guitar) in black biro and Mick Avory (Drums, Percussion) & John Gosling (I think) (Keyboards, Piano) in green felt tip pen. Ray Davies has just signed Ray. The signatures for Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Andy Pyle & Mick Avory are very clear & obvious. The signature to the bottom right (green felt tip pen) is less obvious, so I am making the assumption it is John Gosling. It is possible it could be Gordon Edwards, who replaced John Gosling on Keyboards in 1978. Jim Rodford replaced Andy Pyle on Bass in 1978, so it is virtually impossible that it would be him with Andy Pyle’s signature present as well. Andy Pyle was only in the band from 1976 to 1978 while John Gosling was in the band from 1970 to 1978. As Pyle & Gosling left the band at the same time, I consider it extremely unlikely that Rodford was present at the same time as Pyle. This is why I assume the bottom right signature is that of John Gosling.

The Kinks played two gigs at The Rainbow, London on 23 & 24 December 1977. The one on the 23rd was titled “Christmas Party With The Kinks” while the one on the 24th was a standard gig, with support by Splinter. They played The Roundhouse in May 1978 before touring around the world on the Misfits Tour. They returned to London in October 1978 before heading around Europe, Australia & New Zealand & returning to the UK in December 1978.

This is obviously a guess, but I wonder if the signatures were obtained at The Rainbow in December 1977 on the just released single. Maybe they were obtained in May 1978 at The Roundhouse gig, although I would question why someone would be carrying round a Christmas single at that time of year. Also, I don’t know if Pyle & Gosling had left the band by this time, but assume they must have by (possibly) the October & (more likely) December 1978 gigs.

In summary, this is an opportunity to own a complete set of signatures by one of the world’s greatest bands. I know it’s not quite the Classic 1960’s line-up, as there’s no Pete Quaife, but it’s still an impressive item in its own right.

Condition as follows including photographs: The sleeve is in very good condition, due to creasing, slight wear & slight discolouration. There is slight corner & edge wear. The Vinyl is in very good plus condition. Both sides play through well, with no jumping, skipping or sticking. The overall sound is excellent on Side A & very good on Side B. There is occasional slight surface noise in the quieter passages of Prince Of The Punks. I don’t think the surface noise is invasive & so would not expect it to affect your listening pleasure. I always expect some sound from records of this age & condition. See below for NOTES ON CONDITION*.

Postage charges as follows: UK £3.10, Europe £9.35, World Zone1 £10.75, World Zone2 £11.80, World Zone3 £10.95. Will be sent as Royal Mail 2nd Class Signed- Large Letter to UK destinations & as Royal Mail International Tracked & Signed- Large Letters to Overseas destinations. PLEASE NOTE: Royal Mail Postage charges may be higher than you would expect. I ship at cost, including my packaging (which may also cost more than you would expect, if you don’t send parcels yourself). If you would like the item, please use this information to determine whether to proceed with your purchase. This applies to ALL buyers- UK & overseas. I will combine multiple purchases (where compatible) so by all means buy as many items as you want (Within International Weight Limits- Small Parcels 2KG, Printed Papers 5KG). If you purchase more than one item please don't pay until I have contacted you. I will send you an invoice with revised Postage. Although I try to keep costs down where possible by using Standard services, where multiple purchases are made it may sometimes be necessary to use other options. UK Standard & International Standard services only offer compensation up to £20.00. UK Signed For & International Tracked & Signed services offer compensation up to £50.00 while UK Special Delivery services offer compensation up to £2500.00 & International Tracked & Signed (with additional compensation) services offer compensation up to £250.00. For buyer & seller peace of mind, I may adjust the postage rate when sending an invoice.

*NOTES ON CONDITION: I grade according to the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide & will not necessarily list all individual points in the written description. There will be a blanket grade for each component (sleeve, record etc), which smaller factors fall into. The general appearance will be clearly visible in the photographs. Please study the photographs in detail as they form the bulk of the description. Please be aware that play grading is based on my interpretation of what I hear on my system only. Although it is an honest assessment, it does not automatically follow that you would reach the same conclusion when listening on your own system, as there are so many variables. I DON’T use Record Collector Rare Record Price Guide categories when play grading, just my own judgement.

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