| Tracklisting / Additional Info: |
1. EXP
2. Up From The Skies
3. Spanish Castle Magic
4. Wait Until Tomorrow
5. Ain't No Telling
6. Little Wing
7. If Six Was Nine
8. You've Got Me Floating
9. Castles Made Of Sand
10. She's So Fine
11. One Rainy Wish
12. Little Miss Lover
13. Bold As Love
It's a little known fact that this wonderful album was released twice in Japan during the 1960s. The first - this pressing - was in August '68 and it carries the catalogue number SLPM-1398. It was quickly repressed and reissued in 1969 with the catalogue number prefix changed to SMP-1398. Both issues have sleeves, labels and obi's with their respectively revised catalogue numbers - if you're lucky enough to find one do make sure all the numbers match.
This first ever Japanese issue is by no means Mint but it's such a rare pressing that it is a worthy addition to the collection. The unique sleeve artwork depicts a seated Jimi wearing a cool pair of rainbow striped trousers. The only psychedelic touches are the flame shaped 'speech bubbles' containing the album titles.
The heavy duty pasted picture sleeve is of solid construction. The front presents reasonably with faint ringwear above Jimi's head, some minor spots of green marker pen near the 'Axis' speech bubble and all the edges are a little worn. The red spine shows excessive wear and the titles are mostly missing. The back cover is a very simple white background covered in black type. There are only a few age-related spots of foxing around the edges and a date has been handwritten in the bottom left corner.
As is usual for a 60s Japanese pressing the lyrics are printed on the back cover. However, since they would not all fit in the space provided they end with the first line of 'Ain't No Telling' and then continue on a separate one-sided full size insert. This continuation lyric insert is in excellent condition, no tears, straight edges, clear print, with just minor yellowing around the paper edges.
The vinyl is in near mint condition. Visually it appears clean, bright and free of any surface marks. There are no skips, jumps or pops. Some would say it plays with 'atmosphere' but in reality there is minor unwanted noise so it's by no means a perfect sounding audiophile experience. If that's what you're after then this particular example is not for you.
The red Polydor labels show very few spindle marks around the centre.
There is no obi with this record. To put some perspective on that we have only ever seen the obi pictured in reference books, never for real and suspect a mint original complete with insert and obi would fetch at least three times the price of this copy.
In summary, this example is not perfect. But for its rarity it is about as good a copy as you are likely to find and if you don't already have one in your collection it's worth buying for the sleeve art alone.
Trivia - the actual trousers that Jimi is wearing in the photo on this record cover were auctioned in London on July 10th 2008. They fetched an incredible £20,000 ! |
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| Condition : |
All items are at least excellent condition unless we state otherwise so please read our descriptions carefully. We try to source items as close to Mint condition as possible, many will indeed be unplayed and as close to new as you could hope to find. Others may be 'used', however, all will meet our strict grading and are 100% guaranteed. |
| Availability: |
Currently Unavailable - You can request the next copy of this item
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| Year of Release: |
1968 - 45 years old |
| Artist: |
Jimi Hendrix (click here for complete listing) |
| Title: |
Axis: Bold As Love (click here for more of the same title) |
| Postage/Shipping: |
Add item to your basket for a postage/shipping quote |
| Format: |
vinyl LP album (LP record) |
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Japanese vinyl releases are premium quality pressings, much sought after by
audiophiles and collectors alike. In the 1960s Toshiba pioneered top quality
red vinyl pressings using their trademark ‘Ever-Clean’ process this utilised
a special ingredient intended to prevent the build-up of static electricity on
the vinyl. Japanese pressings are synonymous with quality - the vinyl shines
like no other vinyl - everything about their releases feels special. When US
audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab first released their series of high
quality pressings the records were manufactured in Japan. The sonic quality of
Japanese pressings is considered to be among the best in the world and, in
addition, they are beautifully presented, their covers usually printed on better
quality heavy stock paper and often including a bonus lyric insert with dual
language Japanese & English text.
Nearly all Japanese LPs were issued with an ‘obi’ - literally translated this
means ‘sash’ and is derived from the obi (sash) worn around the traditional
kimono dress. This delicate paper strip, usually wrapped around the left side of
the album cover, often contains marketing information and album content details,
all printed in Japanese kanji and ~kana script. Obi designs can be as varied as
the LPs they adorn, and some series of obi designs can be as collectable as the
artists’ albums they decorate. ‘Hankake’ (3/4 length obis) are nearly impossible
to find, and the ‘Rock Age’ series of obis are especially rare and valuable. Obis
make a unique, attractive addition to the overall package and are becoming
increasingly rare, especially on LPs from the 1960s and 70s. Their delicate and
disposable nature meant that very early obis were routinely discarded, so that now
they can often be worth several times more than the record they accompany.
In addition to Japanese pressings of regular albums there are numerous
Japanese-only releases. Labels and artists often issued exclusive records timed
to coincide with their Far East tour, or they re-released back catalogue albums
with a re-designed obi, displaying revised graphics and other consumer information.
Regardless of your musical taste, Japanese records make a stunning addition to
any collection. Audibly and visually they present the collector with a feast of
delights. Genuine mint condition records, complete with inserts and obi, are
becoming rarer every day. Whatever the digital age throws at you there is still
a valid opinion that says vinyl sounds best; with Japanese records you get top
quality pressings, a tactile picture sleeve that looks stunning and you can sing
along from the lyric insert. This is the real alternative to a download!
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| Record Label: |
Polydor |
| Catalogue No: |
SLPM-1398 |
| Country of Origin: |
Japan
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| Language: |
Regardless of country of origin all tracks are sung in English, unless otherwise stated in our description. |
| Additional info: |
Deleted
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| EIL.COM Ref No |
HENLPAX436273 (quote this reference in any e-mails, letters, faxes or phone calls to help identify this item) |
| Genres: |
60s Rock, 70s Rock, 70s Artists, Progressive, Psychedelic
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| Related Artists: |
Beautiful People, Billy Cox, Buddy Miles, Eire Apparent, Ernie Graham, Mitch Mitchell, Noel Redding, The Rubber Band |
| Complete Stock List: |
Jimi Hendrix |
| email: |
sales@eil.com to contact our sales team. |
| Alternative Names: |
JIMMI HENDRIX,JIMI HENNDRIX |
| To order by phone: |
Call quoting EIL.COM reference number HENLPAX436273 |
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