Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 18, 2016

DEAR JERRY: Years ago you provided a list of 78 rpms that sold for big dollars.

Now what I'd love to see is a similar report for albums, regardless of style of music and country of origin.

You can ignore oddities, such as acetates and test pressings.
—Dale Corday, Elko, Nev.

DEAR DALE: I have done a few more of these market reports than just the on for 78s, but I have yet to include overseas albums in the mix.

Strangely, many top dollar LPs in recent years are ones made outside North America, especially the UK.

Because there are so many high ticket albums, I had to set a $10,000 minimum.

Order is from highest amount down, and rounded up or down to the nearest $100:

$29,000
"The Beatles" (a.k.a. the White Album) (1968) Apple 7067/7068
Two monaural discs, UK first issue numbered edition. Making this copy so desirable is the front cover is stamped No. 0000005.
Since the first four copies went to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, none of which have been offered for sale, this one became the lowest number available. I'm surprised that George Martin didn't get it.

$24,300
"Please Please Me" Beatles (1963) Parlophone PCS-3042
First UK pressing, black label with gold print.

$20,300
"The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (1963) Columbia CL-1986
Includes four tracks later deleted: "Let Me Die in My Footsteps"; "Talkin' John Birch Society Blues"; "Gamblin' Willie's Dead Man's Hand"; and "Rocks and Gravel." U.S.

$15,400
"Complex" self-titled LP by a UK psych band (1970) Complex CMPL-001
This is a private pressing by Complex, of which only 99 were made.

$13,900
"The Rolling Stones" (1969) Decca RSM-1
Promotional only compilation for Decca UK. Reportedly, 200 made, with an unknown quantity of those signed on the back cover by the entire band: Mick Jagger; Keith Richards; Bill Wyman; Charlie Watts; and Mick Taylor. This sale is for a signed cover.

$13,900
Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" (1975) Harvest SHVL-814
The UK copy fetching this amount was in the original shrink wrap.

$13,000
"J.S. Bach Suites (Pour Violoncelle Seul)" Andre Levy (1960s) Lumen 3447/3448/3449
Three individual volumes, sold as a set. Levy, an esteemed cellist, is very collectible. Sold separately, each album can bring $3,000 to $4,000. France.

$12,900
"David Bowie" (1967) Deram DL-44
Other than being a pristine album, this Japanese pressing has its two original obis intact. That's what makes it a real rarity.

$12,900
"Mozart a Paris" Fernand Oubradous (1950s) Pathe DTX-191/192/193/194/195/196/197
Deluxe boxed set of seven LPs. Includes exquisite booklet. France.

$12,400
"A Hard Day's Night" Beatles (1964) Parlophone PMC-1230
First UK monaural pressing, black and yellow label.

$12,000
Pink Floyd "Entremeterse" (a.k.a. "Meddle") (1974) Odeon LDC-36879
Chilean issue released three years after the 1971 UK and U.S. versions.

$12,000
"Hear the Beatles Tell All" (1964) Vee Jay PRO-202
White label, promotional issue only. Less than two dozen are known to exist. Commercial pressings have a black label. U.S.

$11,000
"Ram" Paul & Linda McCartney (1971) Apple MAS-3375
Has "Monaural" printed on labels. One of a handful made for selected AM stations that had no need for stereo albums. U.S.

$10,900
"Led Zeppelin" (1969) Atlantic 588171
First UK pressing of the band's first album. Has "Led Zeppelin" and the Atlantic logo in turquoise lettering on the front cover. On later issues, those colors were different.

$10,900
"Hunky Dory" David Bowie (1971) Gem Records
Known in fandom as the "BowPromo," this UK promotional package predates the British RCA Victor version.

$10,800
"Johnny Burnette and the Rock'n Roll Trio" (1956) Coral 57080
Rockabilly from Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette, and Paul Burlison. U.S.

$10,200
"Dark Around the Edges" by Dark (1972) SIS 0102
UK Progressive/psych rock.

$10,100
"Let It Be" Beatles (1970) Apple PXS-1/PCS-7096
Limited edition, UK boxed set with the LP and the 164-page book, "The Beatles Get Back." This set was factory sealed.

$10,100
"Apache (Sound Track From Yosemite Dedicated to Jimi Hendrix)"/"Inca" Satya Sai Maitreya Kali (1972) Akashic 2777/2964
Double album. "Apache" (2777) and "Inca" (2964) were also issued separately. Includes inserts, booklet, and poster.
Among the session personnel is Mike Love, of the Beach Boys. U.S.

$10,100
"Beethoven Violin Concerto" Leonid Kogan (violinist) with Constantin Silvestri conducting the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra (1960), from UK Columbia SAX-2386

$10,100
"Matt Covington" (1970s) Zip CJC-18686
Self-titled LP by little known soul singer. U.S.

$10,100
"The Man Who Sold the World" David Bowie (1971)
Known as the "Special Edition," has a full color head shot of Bowie that is not on either of the more comon copies. Reportedly, only 1,395 were sold in the U.S.

IZ ZAT SO? While researching these pricey albums, I found some singles — 45s, and 78s — that sold for as much or more than the LPs.

Here's hoping you have some in your vinyl vault:

$32,000
"Tar Road Blues"/"Flagin' It to Georgia" Jaydee Short (1930) Paramount 13091
78 rpm.

$30,000
"My Bonnie"/"The Saints" Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers (Beatles) (1962) Decca 31382
This is a black and multi-color commercial issue, not the more common pink promotional copy. 45 rpm.

$20,300
"Love in Vain Blues"/"Preachin' Blues" Robert Johnson (1939) Vocalion 04630
78 rpm.

$17,200
"Poor Me"/"34 Blues" Charlie Patton (1934) Vocalion 02651
78 rpm.

$17,200
"Street Fighting Man"/"No Expectations" Rolling Stones (1968) London 909
Fairly common 45 ($10), but with an incredibly rare picture sleeve.

$12,100
"Terraplane Blues"/"Kind Hearted Woman" Robert Johnson (1937) Vocalion 03416
78 rpm.

$10,300
"Lonesome Old Jail"/"Greyhound Blues" D.A. Hunt (1953) Sun 183
45 rpm.





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