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WE CURRENTLY HAVE  MORE THAN 300  LISTED ITEMS

 

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·       SYL JOHNSON – IS IT BECAUSE I'M BLACK – INSANELY RARE ORIGINAL 1970 TWINIGHT STEREO LP LPS-1002

 

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

 

 

*** ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST COVETED SOUL ALBUMS IN HISTORY ***

 

 

·       ORIGINAL RED TWINIGHT LABEL WITH RED PRINT AND LARGE "T" LOGO

 

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

 

·       ORIGINAL, THICK CARDBOARD COVER (AMERICAN STYLE)

 

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

 

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

 

 (►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get.  GUARANTEED!)

 

 

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Johnson's first album (Dresses Too Short) was fairly innocuous good-time soul, but he'd obviously been doing some thinking about the world around him in the interim between it and his second release. Is It Because I'm Black is characterized by socially conscious songwriting, especially in the seven-and-a-half-minute title track, an elongated, serious statement of black pride with a sad funk-blues groove. It wouldn't be fair to call Johnson a bandwagon jumper; this was before Sly Stone's There's a Riot and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On had made realistic ghetto songs chic, and it was a fairly gutsy move for a minor soul singer such as Syl to put such material to the forefront. While nothing else here matches that lost mini-classic, there are some good cuts along similar lines in which Johnson pleads for tolerance and justice, including covers of jazzman Oscar Brown's "Black Balloons," and Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," and, less successfully, the Beatles' "Come Together." The album was reissued in conjunction with 1968's Dresses Too Short on a single disc by Kent in 1997.

 

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY RICHIE UNTERBERGER, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

 

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·                               CONDITION:

 

·                               THE RECORD

 

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

 

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS STRONG VG++. A few light abrasions  ARE VISIBLE, but they appear fairly  insignificant relative to the overall condition of the vinyl, and are only moderately visually distracting. For most part, the vinyl looks impeccable, without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new. PLEASE NOTE: a long, but completely superficial, scuff extends along most of the side 1 and is not audible; it is only a minor visual distraction.

 

(b)          The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

 

(c)           Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

 

 

·                               THE COVER

 

THE COVER IS ABOUT VERY GOOD+(+)

 

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

 

-        Cover has some light ring wear (nothing significant); On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 3  (front side) and 4 (back side)

 

-        Back cover has circular tarnish (grayish, dust-covered sections, which closely follow the contour of the record),  probably caused by friction or by rubbing against other covers during the storage. The tarnish is similar in appearance to a common ring wear, but, UNLIKE ring wear, these grayish areas may be possible to clean up with a minor effort and with a right cleansing solution.

 

-        Cover shows some light yellowing on both sides, apparently from aging (nothing significant)

 

-        Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine.   (nothing significant)

 

-        Cover has a small cutout hole punched IN THE LABEL AREA. This affects the record, which also has a small cutout hole in the label area.

 

-        Front cover has a square-shaped razor-like line (cut) (BARELY VISIBLE), as if someone attempted to cut away the shrink wrap with a razor, but inadvertently left the mark on the cover as well. The paper slick is intact and no part is missing, but the razor line is faintly visible.

 

-        Cover has a partially split top seam (between 2 and 4 inches  / 5 to 10 centimeters)

 

-        Cover has a partially split bottom seam (between 1 and 2 inches  / 2.5 to 5 centimeters)

 

-        Cover has some fraying/wear along the top and bottom seams

 

-        Cover has two corners slightly worn / dinged (nothing significant)

 

-        Cover has a light "wrinkle" (crease)  in one of the corners.  (VISIBLE ON BACK SIDE ONLY)

 

 

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

 

 

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

 

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND (BUT DO NOT INSIST) that you select USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment.

 

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from one region of  the world to another. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►. While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

 

 

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(please note recent changes in our policy)

 

 

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FOR OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION, CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW:

 

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OUR REFUND POLICY :

 

WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED; Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►  for the full text of our policy

 

 

FINE (BUT IMPORTANT!) PRINT

 

 (1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year of the original release,  NOT necessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of the pressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters). (2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar or item specifics box alone; instead, please read the entire description and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NO order cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under any circumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4) We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you need to do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to provide matrix-, stamper- or other pressing  information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require this information, please contact us well before the final day of the auction. (6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shipping and Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7)  All Paypal payments must be made from confirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresses will be honored  (8) Absolutely NO partial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, please return it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilized people can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest; if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBay feedback, which speaks for itself  (10) All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be - solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner;  please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language (attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-death sarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller will accommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible and agreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever;  Thank You & Good Night!

 

 

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