What are your go to LP's for evaluating new gear or new tubes?

@billpete

Does your remaster have this Barcode number by any chance?

Barcode: 602517753129

If so, you have an Island 2008  "Back to Black" 180g remaster. Pressed in the UK. Discogs doesn't have photos of the labels nor any dead wax matrix info. It was only released in Europe. It should also contain a mp3 voucher.

My vote is to drag this out until we get the correct information. We seem to have inadvertantly hi-jacked the original intent of the thread. @billpete, you are the OP. It is your thread. If you don't mind. I would like to get to the bottom of this. Or we can start a new thread.

Here is another concern. Are we speaking of solid pink labels pressed in the UK? I ask because there were both pink label and sunray labels being pressed at the same time all over the world. For example: The Netherlands, Scandanavia, and Israel among others were pressing sunray labels. While, Germany, France and Argentina were pressing solid pink labels. All of them pressed in 1970. Those production plates had to be distributed throughout the world as fast as they could produce them. I think that it would be impossible to have a difference between the pink and sunray labels. Unless it is narrowed down to just UK pressings. The UK  didn't distribute a repressing with the sunray label until 1971. If there is a difference between the two labels. I am inclined to believe that it didn't happen until the repressing was released in the UK in 1971. So in theory. You could have a  1970 Scandinavian sunray label that was pressed with plates made from the same production master as the UK pink labels. So I must ask both @billpete and @bdp24 where were your pressings made? And when were they pressed?

@flash56 

I don't mind this at all. I'm enjoying it since I've been an avid listener of Cat Stevens for at least 55 years. My wife is also a big fan. He is/was a truly unique talent, being gifted a fantastic voice and multiple musical and artistic talents. 

My 180G has the barcode 42284 23521. Below that is the number 842 352-1 and beside that is LC00407 and the Island insignia. To the left it states P 1970 Universal Island Records Ltd. C 1970 Universal Island Records Ltd.

If there may be more info inside the gatefold, I can take the cello off. I've just left it on to preserve it. The label on the record is another sunray pink rim Island label that says made in the EU. In the wax, appears to be A33 842 352-1 S1 320

@flash56 

I don't mind this at all. I'm enjoying it since I've been an avid listener of Cat Stevens for at least 55 years. My wife is also a big fan. He is/was a truly unique talent, being gifted a fantastic voice and multiple musical and artistic talents. 

My 180G has the barcode 42284 23521. Below that is the number 842 352-1 and beside that is LC00407 and the Island insignia. To the left it states P 1970 Universal Island Records Ltd. C 1970 Universal Island Records Ltd.

If there may be more info inside the gatefold, I can take the cello off. I've just left it on to preserve it. The label on the record is another sunray pink rim Island label that says made in the EU. In the wax, appears to be A33 842 352-1 S1 320

oops, repeating myself :)

@billpete

I found it! It is not a remaster. It is a 2004 reissue on 180g vinyl. It may have included an insert advertising other Universal albums. Some did and some didn't. It was released in the UK and Europe. 

Is your regular Island copy of TFTT pressed in the UK? Is it a pink rim palm tree label? I assume that it is a gatefold. It will probably be printed in small font on the inside in one of the corners underneath the "I" logo which may be pink or white. If it isn't. It would be my guess that it is a UK pressing. There were many reissues with pink rim labels between 1971 - 1972 out of the UK.. A couple of them were not gatefold. If it was not pressed in the UK. It would be my guess that it would say which country somewhere.on the cover or labels.

Thanks for taking the time to check for me.