Today’s Jazz Vinyl Watch: Prestige, Blue Note(s)
Here’s some of the rare jazz vinyl we’re watching now on eBay:
Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Dig, Prestige 7012. This looks to be an original New York pressing with the gray cover as opposed to the blue cover. I would also assume that this is the “frame” cover, otherwise known as kakubushi. I always preferred the gray cover, of course, since it is the original, and I wonder why Prestige chose to change the color on the subsequent release. Perhaps someone out there knows — Rudolf? This one was in VG+ condition for both the record and the cover and is currently in the $150 price range with more than a day to go.
I am no longer in the market for this record, having just acquired an original pressing. Yay! Johnny Griffin, A Blowing Session, Blue Note 1559. This appears to be an original pressing and the condition seems to be somewhere between VG+ and M-. The start price is around $750 and, so far, there are no takers. The second copy, viewed here, looks to be in slightly worse condition, rated as “excellent” by the seller, although he describes light scuffs and the picture shows a back that has some dirt and wear. If I were wagering, I’d say this record and cover are VG+, the way I grade things. This one already has two bids and is at $404 with six days to go.
Al: no idea why they changed the colour of the sleeve. The label is a beautiful example of the first letter type used by Prestige on the early yellow labels. Also the shade of the lemon yellow is typical. It was constant with this letter type, later shades show variations from lemon to ochre.
Congrats on your original 1559.
Ehr… Al? You linked to the same Johnny Griffin album twice. Any chance you could add the correct link to the second, slightly worse looking Johnny Griffin? 😉
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And how ’bout this: maybe they turned the later cover of Dig to blue to maybe more or less make it look more Blue Note-ish? In the sense of competition and copying them? Or would this be too far fetched…?
On the Miles/Rollins “Dig”–there are NYC address/early pressings with the blue cover as well as the grey? That’s interesting, I guess that changed pretty early on in it’s run.
this is so unfair. that 1559 you listed is like only a few miles from me. some guy died, his records got sold, they probably payed $2 bucks for it. now its hiked up to a million. i deserve this record more than anyone. this record store bop street is the worst in town too. nothing is priced in the store, and when you bring something to the counter, everything is “rare” and they look up goldmine then go by the “goldmine + 10 rule”. Blue Note Live At The Roxy sells for 37.99 there. arrrrgh!
Tim — Prestige changed several of their covers early in the run. I can think of the Sonny Rollins Plus Four, the Teddy Charles Collaborations West and a few more where there are New York addresses with two different covers. Why they did this? Who knows? Maybe when they went from a framed cover to a cover with seams they wanted to make a change. Or maybe they felt buyers would want two copies of the same record if there were two different covers. Of maybe they just wanted to confuse people.
wasn’t “Miles” PR7014 changed from green to blue.
I have a lousy VG of the green version, but don’t know when the blue came in..
I also think that in those days nobody would have thought that 50 years later people would be discussing & collecting there albumcovers.
YES AL, IT WORKS, THANKS! I’M ALIVE AGAIN
maartenkools,
Prestige 7014 “Miles” was originally released with a green cover and “Prestige LP 7014? in script font on the upper right, then the text changed to “Prestige Hi-Fi 7014? in print, followed by the blue cover which retained the “Prestige Hi-Fi 7014? in print. I had an original green cover copy and it had a strange off-time low frequency thumping sound throughout that it appears Rudy filtered out on the later cuts.
Thanks Al. I’m fortunate to have a copy with the first cover. I had seen both versions with the NYC label and wondered what the deal was.
Al: It may be a marketing ploy, confusing people.
As already pointed out above by Aaron, the first original 7014 has a script catalogue number on a green kakubushi cover with a thin spine and NY adress on first pressing labels and on the rear.
The second original is also green, but with Prestige HI FI 7014 in print, no kakubushi, broad spine with album title, NYC on second style labels and on the rear.
The third original is similar to type two, but in blue, with NJ adress on second style labels and no adress on the rear.
(The first re-issue of 7014, PrLp 7254 has a new cover design.)
7014 is an example of minor (colour) changes, no design changes.
Other examples 7029, 7168, 7128.
Then we have design changes but maintaining the same artist:
7005, 7130, 7123, 7028, 7008, 7009 to mention a few.
To confuse people and to follow the trends, the original leaders were sometimes degraded to accompanying artists:
7043 Elmo Hope’s Informal Jazz became a Hank Mobley / John Coltrane album in the second original 7043. In the third original version it becomes a 7043 Coltrane album.
The original 7033 is a Jon Eardley album, the re-packaging of 7033 becomes a Zoot Sims – Phil Woods album.
Ditto 7021 Elmo Hope first version becomes a Frank Fostger album in the second version.
great info Rudolf!
Rudolf:
As always, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Prestige 7020 (Sonny Rollins Work Time) is another example of changing colors but keeping same photo/design. I was under the impression that the purple version was earlier than the lime green version..hope so, as mine is purple!
Maarten/BigBear: thanks.
Correct, Worktime 7020 is another example, the purple one with the script being the original. The green version has Prestige Hi Fi 7020 in print, and a broad spine with album title. The purple version has a kakubuchi frame cover and thin spine.
Rudolph says Prestige changed the color of Miles 7014 from green to blue when they moved to NJ, but I’ve seen blue covers with the W. 50th NYC address on a few blue covers. What’s the deal? Did they have some NYC back cover sheets left over and match them with the new colored cover? If so, they why do some of these copies come with NYC labels on the records? Just a little confused….
Drew: Aaron on Jan. 12th 2012 hereinabove gives the situation as I know it beyond any doubt. However with your remark, it may very well be that there have been four versions, the three as mentioned by Aaron and then the one you witnessed, being the penultimate. Interesting stuff indeed!
Question for Rudolf I have several names, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, John Coultrane all on Esquire label are they as collectable as on some of the bigger labels?
this dépends, some people want the original US productions, others will be as happy with the simultaneous UK pressing. Some want them both. The UK versions are certainly collectible, but fetch less than the US productions.