What Would You Do with a Sealed, 1st Press Miles Davis "Kind of Blue"?
Thank you again to all for your different thoughts. The differences make me wonder what reliable online information where helps you decide the meaning of the matrix's, and/or this is (not) a "regular" or "record club" pressing, and so on? This education on online source(s) is much appreciated. Thank you. Enjoy your music. |
Speaking of Miles Davis, I am going nuts over his recordings lately. The traditional material is sensational, BUT the more modern records leading up to Bitches Brew are mind-blowing. His playing fits right in with keyboards, electric guitars, etc. hand-in-glove. I listened to a lot of Coltrane and Monk, etc. but didn't spend nearly enough time with M.Davis, especially with all the emphasis on how good KOB was, etc. Which it is- a marvelous record, but he's responsible for a lot of musical evolution into fusion groups as well (i.e.- Soft Machine, Pink Floyd, etc.). Someone told me he had a really nasty personality, but with the horn in his mouth he accomplishes something no one else does. |
Columbia CL1355 "Kind of Blue" Miles Davis: What you have is a Columbia "Record Club" version of this famous record. The record is the same as the standard version but was in a sealed plastic inner sleeve with a tear edge instead of the standard paper inner sleeve which would have advertisements for current releases with photos of the record covers on one side and advertisements for Columbia high fidelity" hi-fi's on the other side. It would be a six eyed Columbia (the Columbia logo repeated in small black boxes three per side with "LP" in a circle on the bottom). Many had a grey label and not the standard red label. It is hard to tell the age of the pressing since this record was available for many years in the record club catalog. It is hard to estimate the value since it is probably one of the most pressed and sold jazz records of all times (like Brubeck's "Take Five" also on Columbia) and cannot be considered a first pressing since it was available for at least ten years in the record club after its original pressing in 1959. I would open it up, relax, sit back, have a martini, and play it on some vintage hi-fi mono equipment (like a Thorens 124 with a wood Grado arm, Shure MD3 cart, McIntosh C8 pre, MC30 amp, an Altec 604 speaker) and enjoy. |
You have an EARLY pressing, NOT a first pressing. 1D / 1AD SD-1 1D indicates this side was pressed from one of the first 4 pressing stampers sent to Columbia record plants SD-2 1AD indicates this side was pressed from a MUCH LATER pressing stamper sent to Columbia record plants Given the matrix information and difference between the 2 sides, I would suspect that your side 1 was pressed near the end of the useful life of this stamper and probably does not sound as good as true first pressing. A first pressing of KOB would have matrix information for both sides showing some combination of 1A 1B 1C 1D....no higher. 1E or 1F represents an early repressing of this title. Columbia LPs of the period DID use thin clear sealed inner sleeves as described. I have purchased several first and early pressing Columbia titles from this period with sealed inner sleeves. These sleeves were not air tight, and the gauge of the material was very thin. It is possible for mold spores to have settled on the LP surface, even though the inner sleeve is "sealed". Value ? Whatever someone would pay. List it on EBAY with large clear pictures of the SEALED inner sleeve. Last 2 SEALED inner sleeve copies sold for $400+ https://gripsweat.com/search/?query=sealed+kind+of+blue+1355&button= |
I would invite a few friends over who can truly appreciate it, and listen to a piece of history. Ask them to bring over a few bottles of a 59 Bordeaux. Sadly I am all out of 59s, but it takes a discerning palate to appreciate that the 59s are often better than the highly touted 61s. Wonder if the same holds true for LPs...... ;-) |
My mono "Kind of Blue" has that limp plastic inner liner as you described. What you have is an original release. If the side 2 track listing had been incorrectly inverted, that would make it an early pressing in the run before they corrected the jacket (mine is that way). I have no idea of the collector value of a record with an unbroken inner seal, but, if you are concerned with mold, it might make sense to open the record and clean it thoroughly. Columbia was a big label that put out a large number of records for each release, so the original "Kind of Blue" is not extremely rare. |
If this is a truly sealed album then you need to ask yourself if you want to sell it to make the money. If it does not sell for what you want then open it and have it cleaned and play it. I do not like that it is already has mold and it will be left there because of the monetary value. I also agree with others that if the outside cover is not sealed it is not of a NM grade. Also I have read that albums get warped due to staying in the shrink wrap too long. |
Hello, I would have it “restored” with a Kirmus cleaner. Resleeve in a Mofi sleeve and find another outer storage outer sleeve. Keep everything and play it after you clean your stylus. I can only imagine the experience of listening to that. I have a pristine Dark side of the moon-mofi. I play it every once in a while. If someone wants to buy it let them inspect and listen to it. Please get the mold removed. Take it the the audio show and let DR Kirmus clean it if you do not have the coin to purchase one. |
I suspect that the manufacturer or LP records sellers in the 60s or earlier sealed some records into inner plastic bags in order to conceal their defects (warps or mold spots, which is the case here). A year ago I came across an LP by Miles Davis (not KOB, a later title) with sealed inner bag. I was about to purchase it - the outer jacket was opened but the record itself was sealed as described). I didn't purchase it then, but later on, the seller opened it and the record was warped and that warp could not be cured by a vinyl flattening machine. |
If I can see mold on the,LP, it is not sealed. I have several sealed lp’s From the 80’s my favorite is a sealed copy of Venom’s Welcome to hell LP! original copy. There’s a small chance it’s. The purple copy, which it’s worth a lot. I. Have about 15-20 sealed metal LPs from the 80’s i was in Tampa a long time ago, when aces records was still. Open, I mkxed out my discover card, as they were slowly closing, i bought 500$ of records, all 80’s metal records, they all remain sealed to this day, as I had most of those already on LP or cd. i enjoy looking at. Them. I love my sealed copy of Exodus bonded by blood, on torrid! among so mnay others. keep it sealed if it is truly sealed. all mine are unopened and still sealed. As new. if it’s open, it’s not sealed. |
Yeah, LP outer covers were sealed in plastic shrink wrap in the U.S. at the time, but not necessarily in the UK and the rest of the world. As I said, Columbia Records at that time was also sealing the LP itself inside an inner sleeve that was a plastic bag. I remember sliding my mom's Johnny Cash album back into that plastic bag of an inner sleeve, and having a hell of a time getting the sleeve to stay in place on the LP as I slid both back into the outer cover. When I joined the Columbia Record Club in 1962 or 3, my first month's selection (Johnny Horton's Greatest Hits) had a standard paper inner sleeve. So I guess by then Columbia had stopped using the plastic inner sleeve. |
KOB even in the condition you have isn’t going to sell for thousands. Hundreds perhaps. So for me, it’s like unlocking and opening a perfect time capsule that is yours and yours alone. Listen and enjoy it. Now, if the same conditions were to happen for say Sonny Clark Cool Struttin’ on Blue Note or Kenny Dorham Quiet Kenny on New Jazz... then I would sell them for thousands. Miles on Columbia, enjoy it on a lovely night with a cocktail, wine, tea, whatever you’re into. |
bdp24, You believe correct! Around that time Classic was promoting it and a rep came to our little audio club in Seattle and told us all the story. Then played each version. Which after him explaining exactly what happened and why and the result and a bunch of stuff about Miles was really one of the more fascinating demo’s, for me anyway. The new correct speed version definitely sounds better. Shifting speed shifts tonal structure we’re not talking something tiny you would never notice this is pretty easy to hear. But only side by side. You’d have to be awfully perfect-pitch golden-eared to notice any other way. For example, I have a copy. Probably the correct speed version. Would have to look to see. Whatever. Its Miles. If I want better I know where to go- Better Records. |
Whether to keep, open, and listen, or to sell? Well, how much do you like Miles? One thing to know is that the LP was long available only mastered at the wrong speed! That speed inaccuracy changed the pitch and tempos of the music, of course. The mistake was not discovered and corrected until Classic Records reissued the album in the 90's, I believe. |
Had time to further confirm this is a first press, mono, from all the following together: - LP labels are the Iconic red and black 'six eye' Columbia label and "CL 1355." - Matrices run-outs are stamped "XLP47324-1D" (side 1) and "XLP47325-1AD" (side 2). - LP label, side 2 lists tracks as "All Blues" then "Flamenco Sketches." - LP is in a limp, clear plastic inner sleeve, rounded on three sides, plus one side straight. - LP cover, back, has Cannonball Adderley's name misspelt as "Adderly." - LP cover, back, lists "Flamenco Sketches" then "All Blues (so opposite order of the label). There may be other tell signs for a first press, so thank you in advance. |
bpd24 is correct on inner sleeve. I’m confusing record lables! It’s that flimsy film type. As far as what to do with it...Unless you're not into MD, open it up an enjoy it. What's the point in owning any material thing, and not enjoy it. I'm always on the lookout for a good period mono. One of these days. |
Columbia Records in the early-60’s had an inner sleeve of very soft, very thin, limp plastic. It was a bag rounded on one side (following the curve of the LP), and perforated on the opposite. One had to rip open the bag liner along the perforation to unseal the LP. I know this because my mother’s Ring Of Fire: The Best Of Johnny Cash LP was exactly so. I assume the outer cover was also shrink wrap sealed when it left the factory, so the OP’s LP is in one sense still sealed, the other way opened. |
let’s define some terms here. you have the record, the inner sleeve, the outer jacket, and the plastic cover for the outer jacket. the inner sleeve is not sealed on an original pressing. it’s open on one side. if it is sealed then you have a re-issue; and there were dozens, maybe hundreds of separate re-issues of various levels of performance for KOB. most of very limited value and very common. to be viewed as a sealed original pressing; it would have to have the outer plastic cover be completely sealed and never opened. then you would have to satisfy all the other ’tells’ for an original pressing. which are many. google is your friend; lots of info out there on 6 eye Columbia Kind of Blue original pressings. and then there are the mono versions too. and the white label promo pressings (most desirable of the early pressings). good luck on your research. the best sounding KOB is the earliest 4 disc single sided Classic Records 45rpm re-issue. it has the corrected speed and is a fantastic transfer. that one will cost you $500 if you can find it. and it does not matter if it’s sealed. |
