| Tracklisting / Additional Info: |
1. Speak To Me
2. Breath In The Air (sic)
3. On The Run
4. Time
5. The Great Gig In The Sky
6. Money
7. Us And Them
8. Any Colour You Like
9. Brain Damage
10. Eclipse
This is, without doubt, the rarest pressing of The Dark Side of the Moon, and it's widely regarded to be the rarest Pink Floyd record never issued. It's difficult to piece together the precise details surrounding its origin, and opinion is divided about when and why it was manufactured, but there is no doubt about its authenticity and extreme rarity.
Some quarters believe this to be a promotional record but our experience tells us differently. For a start, if it was a promo-only format then it would be highly likely to carry a 'PRP' catalogue number prefix, as do the majority of other Toshiba-EMI promo discs from this period, and the absence of any promotional wording or logos, both on the sleeve and the record label, certainly does not support the promo theory. It's not a white label and there are simply no visual markers anywhere to indicate promotional status.
The alternative view, and the one to which we subscribe, is that it was created sometime in late 1977 or 1978 for Toshiba-EMI's (TOEMI) mail-order only record club. Record clubs were a popular marketing tool in Japan at this time, in much the same way that German, Swiss and Austrian record and book club editions were popular in Europe during the late 1960s. Japan's most successful clubs during the 1970s were the Sony Family Club and HMV Victor Family Club, and it is widely known that Toshiba-EMI were distributing home-grown artist repertoire thorough their 'Toemi' club brand. Popular opinion suggests that Toemi wanted to release some international artist repertoire through their club and they suggested exclusive club edition releases by some of the major international EMI superstars of the day, such as Beach Boys, Jeff Beck, The Band and Pink Floyd to name just a few.
Club editions were never distributed with obi-strips; the primary purpose of an obi is to highlight in Japanese the relevant artist and title information, along with any other pertinent promotion such as tour news, or the inclusion of a poster inside the record sleeve. This was not customary on a record club edition as all correspondence would necessarily have been in Japanese, with little or no need to supply additional translation on the record itself. None of the Sony or Victor club editions ever came with an obi either. It's not missing, it simply never had one.
The unique sleeve artwork depicts a live stage scene from their 1977 Animals Tour, which gives a good timeline basis for the belief that this was scheduled for a late 1977 or early 1978 release. Indeed DSOTM was reissued across much of Europe in 1978 - it's not proof but is at least good circumstantial evidence! The famous tan and red EMI label design also supports this date range. Further evidence in support of its record club origin is that there is very little on the sleeve or label that's printed in English. The song titles, band name and album title of course, but very little else. The back cover is virtually all Japanese script. The lyric insert is similarly basic, albeit with English lyrics.
Japanese record club editions are pretty scarce in any circumstance. They were never available to buy in shops, so unless you were signed up at the time of club distribution you had to rely on dealers and used record stores to stand any chance of obtaining a copy. Hard enough to do even if you live in Japan and virtually impossible if you live in Europe or the USA. Then factor in an additional ingredient; this edition was WITHDRAWN before it ever had a chance to be distributed!!! Floyd artwork is sacrosanct. The iconic prism design that adorned every other pressing of DSOTM is legendary in its own right. At the time this live sleeve probably seemed like a nice image to use but permission was not sought nor granted from the appropriate authority and its withdrawal and subsequent destruction was ordered before any copies were released.
That explains why this is only the *second* copy we've ever seen in over 20 years, so we weren't going to miss the opportunity to acquire it - it could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for you to own such a rare thing of beauty. One of the joys of collecting is that you just never know what you're going to find next, but chances are it won't be another one of these.
So far that's about as much as we've been able to determine, using resources in the UK and Japan, with a large dose of experience thrown in. If you are able to shed any more light on this extraordinary edition of DSOTM please feel free to contact us with details, or post them below on the community forum page for this record.
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| Availability: |
Currently Unavailable - You can request the next copy of this item
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| Year of Release: |
1978 - 31 years old |
| Artist: |
Pink Floyd (click here for complete listing) |
| Title: |
The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live Sleeve (click here for more of the same title) |
| Postage/Shipping: |
Add item to your basket for a postage/shipping quote |
| Format: |
LP RECORD |
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Japanese vinyl releases are premium quality pressings, much sought after by
audiophiles and collectors alike. In the 1960s Toshiba pioneered top quality
red vinyl pressings using their trademark ‘Ever-Clean’ process this utilised
a special ingredient intended to prevent the build-up of static electricity on
the vinyl. Japanese pressings are synonymous with quality - the vinyl shines
like no other vinyl - everything about their releases feels special. When US
audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab first released their series of high
quality pressings the records were manufactured in Japan. The sonic quality of
Japanese pressings is considered to be among the best in the world and, in
addition, they are beautifully presented, their covers usually printed on better
quality heavy stock paper and often including a bonus lyric insert with dual
language Japanese & English text.
Nearly all Japanese LPs were issued with an ‘obi’ - literally translated this
means ‘sash’ and is derived from the obi (sash) worn around the traditional
kimono dress. This delicate paper strip, usually wrapped around the left side of
the album cover, often contains marketing information and album content details,
all printed in Japanese kanji and ~kana script. Obi designs can be as varied as
the LPs they adorn, and some series of obi designs can be as collectable as the
artists’ albums they decorate. ‘Hankake’ (3/4 length obis) are nearly impossible
to find, and the ‘Rock Age’ series of obis are especially rare and valuable. Obis
make a unique, attractive addition to the overall package and are becoming
increasingly rare, especially on LPs from the 1960s and 70s. Their delicate and
disposable nature meant that very early obis were routinely discarded, so that now
they can often be worth several times more than the record they accompany.
In addition to Japanese pressings of regular albums there are numerous
Japanese-only releases. Labels and artists often issued exclusive records timed
to coincide with their Far East tour, or they re-released back catalogue albums
with a re-designed obi, displaying revised graphics and other consumer information.
Regardless of your musical taste, Japanese records make a stunning addition to
any collection. Audibly and visually they present the collector with a feast of
delights. Genuine mint condition records, complete with inserts and obi, are
becoming rarer every day. Whatever the digital age throws at you there is still
a valid opinion that says vinyl sounds best; with Japanese records you get top
quality pressings, a tactile picture sleeve that looks stunning and you can sing
along from the lyric insert. This is the real alternative to a download!
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| Record Label: |
Toshiba-EMI |
| Catalogue No: |
HW-5149 |
| Country of Origin: |
Japan
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| Language: |
Regardless of country of origin all tracks are sung in English, unless otherwise stated in our description. |
| Additional info: |
Deleted
Withdrawn
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| Condition : |
All items are at least excellent condition unless we state otherwise so please read our descriptions carefully. We try to source items as close to Mint condition as possible, many will indeed be unplayed and as close to new as you could hope to find. Others may be 'used', however, all will meet our strict grading and are 100% guaranteed. |
| EIL.COM Ref No |
PINLPTH385009 (quote this reference in any e-mails, letters, faxes or phone calls to help identify this item) |
| Genres: |
60s Rock, 70s Rock, Progressive, Psychedelic, 70s Artists
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| Related Artists: |
David Gilmour, Easy Star All-Stars, Nick Mason, Rick Wright, Roger Waters, Ron Geesin, Storm Thorgerson, Syd Barrett, Unicorn, Zee |
| Complete Stock List: |
Pink Floyd |
| email: |
sales@eil.com to contact our sales team. |
| Alternative Names: |
PINK FLOID |
| To order by phone: |
Call quoting EIL.COM reference number PINLPTH385009 |
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