<img src= http://pics

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  MORE  THAN 400 LISTED ITEMS

 

► ► ► ► ►  ► ► ► ► ► ►► ► ►  ► ► ►  ►

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

 

·       JUDY GARLAND – THE LETTER  – ORIGINAL 1959 CAPITOL RECORDS STEREO LP STAO-1188

 

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

 

·       RARE ORIGINAL PRESSING WITH INTACT “LOVE LETTER”, NEATLY FOLDED AND TUCKED INTO THE ENVELOPE AFFIXED TO THE FRONT COVER

 

·       ORIGINAL BLACK CAPITOL LABEL WITH MULTICOLORED SPECTRUM (“RAINBOW) BAND ALONG THE LABEL’S EDGE, CAPITOL LOGO ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, AND PRINT IN VERTICAL STRAIGHT LINE SEPARATING THE SPINDLE HOLE AND THE LOGO

 

·       EXTREMELY RARE STEREO PRESSING, MANY TIMES RARER THAN MONO

 

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

 

·       ORIGINAL GATEFOLD COVER, MADE OF THICK CARDBOARD (AMERICAN STYLE) 

 

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

 

·       MACHINE MATRIX STAMP IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX).

 

(►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!)

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪

 

Conceived by arranger Gordon Jenkins as a relationship concept album (with one side each from the man and the woman), The Letter turned into something quite different when Capitol requested it be turned into Judy Garland's next LP. Garland and her narrator co-star, past Academy Award nominee John Ireland, look back at their relationship -- trading dialogue, singing reflective songs, and reading excerpts from "the letter," which he has written to her as one last plea before the end of their love affair. Jenkins' ambitious concept was written well and executed perfectly, and no one was better than Garland for a dramatic romantic role encompassing hope and humor. And yet, The Letter suffers, as all but the best concept albums do. Ireland is no match for Garland (fortunately his role is much smaller), and the few audio concepts on display tend toward gimmicks -- occasional sound effects, a humorous conversation between Garland and Ireland while a bluesman is singing at a Greenwich Village dive, and the Ralph Brewster Singers, who intrude very seldom but are stuck harmonizing at least one line that should never have been harmonized quite so reverently -- "It was just another saloon, with pretty good food." None of these songs were performed much afterwards, but they are very good; "The Worst Kind of Man," "That's All There Is, There Isn't Any More," and "The Red Balloon" would do well in anyone's repertoire. In all, The Letter is a fair concept album, its interruptions annoying but its overall power raised by the twin talents of Judy Garland and Gordon Jenkins. Capitol certainly pulled out all the stops in its recording and release; the original three-track stereo recording is exquisite, and upon its initial release, special copies of "the letter" were placed in envelopes and taped to the front of each record jacket.

 

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

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

 

 

·       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++, JUST A NOTCH BELOW NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions (probably just sleeve scuffs inflicted in storage over the years) 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.

 

(b)          The album comes with the original insert (“love letter”) still intact.

 

(c)           The record comes in the original stock inner sleeve.

 

(d)          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!

 

(e)           Stereo  pressing of this title is much rarer, and by far more preferable to its mono  counterpart. The mix is more graphic, the sound resolution more precise, and the channel separation (which does not exist on mono version) adds a whole new dimension to the music. Also, the stereo mixes are (by definition) somewhat different than on the mono version. We estimate that mono copies of this album outnumber stereo copies  by a ratio of at least 5:1.

 

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

 

 

·                               THE COVER

 

THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT VERY GOOD++ (VG++).

 

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

 

-        The gatefold cover has partially split seams on 1 out of 4 "legs" of the cover (about 4 inches / 1 inch = 2.5 centimeters).

 

-        Cover has two corners slightly worn / frayed / bent (just a beginning of the split seam)

 

-        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 1  (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 JUST A HINT of yellowing on both sides, apparently from aging.   Yellowing is also noted on the INSIDE gatefold

 

-        Minor water stain noted in one bottom corner (less than ¼ square inch in size)

 

-        Visible shelf wear noted on the top and bottom seams.

 

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

 

 

NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE  COVER

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

 

 

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.

 

 

WANT A DISCOUNT ?!? 

IT’S EASY: CLICK ► TO see HOW!

(please note recent changes in our policy)

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

 

 

FOR OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION, CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW:

 

► ►► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

 

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!

 

 

© 2001,2007 MDJ. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

On May-23-21 at 15:45:43 PDT, seller added the following information: