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Unexpected Tom Petty "stamper" discovery

Did some New Years cull of Rock albums. Went through the Tom Petty catalog.

My faves are his first 3 albums, with my interest fading by his 5th, "Long After Dark"
I was a big fan, saw TP & the Heartbreakers perform arguably at their peak -New Years Eve, 1978 at the Santa Monica Civic.

Playing my 2nd least favorite album "Hard Promises," the great sonics kept me listening to it.

A quick Wiki revealed this, which I thought was cool:

"During the recording of the album, John Lennon was scheduled to be in the same studio at the same time. Petty was looking forward to meeting him when he came in. The meeting never occurred, as Lennon was murdered before the date of his planned visit the studio. Petty and the band paid tribute to the slain former Beatle by etching "WE LOVE YOU J.L." in the runout deadwax on early U.S. and Canadian pressings of Hard Promises."

After side 1 was finished, a quick inspection verified my suspicion-I have a Tom Port HOT STAMPER$$!!

All those Tom Port descriptors used for those $3-500 "WHITE HOT STAMPER" were heard!

Reality, I just thought the sonics were quite nice, so im keeping it. The album was a sealed copy. I found it during one of my neighborhood store, bin diving sessions years ago. It was played once back then, never saw daylight since.

Played side 2, then back on the shelf, where it likely won’t get played for another couple years.








tablejockey
minkwelder
256 posts
 
tablejockey,
I also got one of those mystery discs when I bought a copy of Stevie Wonder’s "Inner Visions" album. Side One was as it should be, but the flip side was from a completely different album by Yvonne Fair called "The Bitch is Black"!
At the time, I didn't know who it was. It wasn't until the internet came about that I was able to search with some of the lyrics to determine the identity of the artist.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
In 1976 I was a Cougar freshman when another dormie started flipping out gushing about how he had discovered The Next Big Thing who he guaranteed was going to be the most prolific performer in rock for the next 10, 20 years at least. Well it was an awfully good debut album. Which day by day we all were saying, you know that ones good too, until in no time flat it was they are all great which is about what it took back then to put me over the threshold of spending that kind of money, I mean we're talking it must have been at least $5, maybe $6, serious money. And so it was I came to own an original issue Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Still all great songs. Still his best work. Which is not a knock. Almost nobody gets to create a masterpiece, TP at least had one. But I haven't had a listen in a while and now all this talk about him caring about quality has got me keen to go home and see just how good it sounds. 

Thanks!

PS- Marty, you were right!
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Thinking about this got me curious, don’t want people thinking I’m cheap or a tightwad or anything. So I looked it up. Even worse than I thought. A new album in 1976 was $7! No wonder I was so picky. Those things were even more expensive than I thought!
tablejockey OP
3,940 posts
 
millercarbon-

I would be terribly conflicted,if I had to give up TP's debut or "Damn the Torpedoes.

TP's music was caught up in the 80's MTV movement, and I thought that was the "jump the shark" period. Also, Rock radio was turning into what is now-a list of songs on repeat.

My DTT copy may be an elusive "WHITE HOT STAMPER" grade that would list on Tom Ports sight for an amount I could never imagine coughing up!

Both of my copies are early  Backstreet labels. I believe later  presses are the blue/rainbow MCA label.

I have taken "Damn the Torpedoes" to shows and played it  on uber systems, and it would grab the attention of anyone in the room. 
Spectacular/breathtaking  sound on one of those 50k+ tables.

IMO, those 2 albums are in the rare, exclusive club-every cut is a great song.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Yeah well and looking back now I can see why. Price inflation has so distorted thinking we look at $7 and it feels like nothing. But $7 back then was not nothing! It was more like five times the minimum wage. So in other words, in order to get an album made back in the 1970’s your material had to be good enough to convince the suits kids would pay the equivalent of $60 in today’s money. I can hardly imagine how much better music would be today if the choices were like back then, radio or the $60 album. No wonder we had Rumours, Dark Side of the Moon, Crime of the Century....

Anyway you got me curious to see if I can find a nice copy of DTT. Sounds like it needs to be Backstreet to get that stunning/breathtaking sound. How can you tell? From the cover? Or do you need to look at the LP itself?
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