Sold Date: May 26, 2024
Start Date: March 26, 2024
Final Price: $25.00 (USD)
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In the Court of the Crimson King (subtitled An Observation by King Crimson) is the debut studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969 by Island Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influential of the progressive rock genre, where the band combined the musical influences that rock music was founded upon with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.  Considered by many critics to be one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time, it reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and number 28 on the US Billboard 200, where it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Barry Godber (1946–1970), a computer programmer friend of Sinfield's, painted the design for the album cover. He used his own face, viewed through a mirror, as the model. Godber died in February 1970 from a heart attack, shortly after the album's release. It was his only album cover; the original painting is now owned by Robert Fripp. Fripp had said about Godber's artwork:  “Peter [Sinfield] brought this painting in and the band loved it. I recently recovered the original from [managing label E.G. Records's] offices because they kept it exposed to bright light, at the risk of ruining it, so I ended up removing it. The face on the outside is the Schizoid Man, and on the inside it's the Crimson King. If you cover the smiling face, the eyes reveal an incredible sadness. What can one add? It reflects the music.”

THIS COPY is a US 1978 Presswell repressing on the Atlantic label. (See Notes, below.)  The vinyl is in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition.  The original textured gatefold cover is in Excellent [EX] condition.  The original inner sleeve has one tiny tear at the top on one side (see photo), but has no splits, writing, stains, etc.  The original inner sleeve is in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition.

Notes

Produced for E.G. Productions, 'David & John'.
Recorded at Wessex Sound Studios, London.

Ⓒ 1969 Atlantic Recording Corporation

Reissue with new catalog number and 75 Rockefeller Plaza address on each label.

White gatefold text.

Matrix/Runout codes are hand-etched.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): ST-A-69 1699-PR

Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): ST-A-691700-PR

Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A, Variant 1): ST-A-6916 99D

Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B, Variant 1): ST-A-691700-F

Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A, Variant 2): ST-A-6916 99D 4141 (PR)P

Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B, Variant 2): ST-A 691700-F G14P (PR)P 

ENJOY!