Description WE CURRENTLY HAVE  MORE THAN 300  LISTED ITEMS Click here to see ALL our ROCK auctions Our PSYCH & PROGRESSIVE  auctions Our PUNK & NEW WAVE  auctions Our  JAZZ auctions Our BLUE NOTE JAZZ auctions  Our BLUES auctions Our CLASSICAL auctions Our COUNTRY auctions Our FUNK auctions Our LATIN auctions Our METAL auctionsOur REGGAE auctions Our SOUL auctions Our STILL SEALED ITEMS  Our PROMO auctions  Our AUDIOPHILE auctions · ROY ORBISON – LONELY AND BLUE -  ORIGINAL 1960 MONUMENT RECORDS STEREO LP   SM-14002 · ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING · *** ULTRA RARE ORIGINAL, AUDIOPHILE “GOLDEN STEREO” PRESSING; ONE OF THE RAREST EARLY STEREO ALBUMS IN EXISTENCE! *** · MONSTROUSLY RARE STEREO PRESSING, MANY TIMES RARER THAN MONO · ORIGINAL COPPER-AND-WHITE MONUMENT RECORDS’ “SWIRL” LABEL · 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) · CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS · THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING · MATRIX NUMBER IN TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) ENDS WITH '-1A/-1A'.  ON SOME LABELS,  SUFFIX '–1' DENOTES THE VERY FIRST, ORIGINAL PRESSING) (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!) Time and familiarity -- through multiple reissues -- may have muted the seeming significance of some of what's here, but in 1960 Sings Lonely and Blue was not only a breakthrough for Roy Orbison as his debut LP, but also for rock & roll. Up to that point, apart from Elvis Presley -- who was in a class by himself -- few white rock & rollers had even tried to make as bold a use of the LP as what we hear on this record. Orbison, his collaborator Joe Melson, and producer Fred Foster turned the singer's debut long-player into a huge canvas for a sound that combined rock & roll's beat, Nashville's countrypolitan sound, and the singer's unique multi-octave range and operatic intensity into something unique in music. The single "Only the Lonely" may have been the most accessible and commercial side of this new sound, but the whole album was packed with great moments and different permutations of that sound: the powerful lead vocal and the Boots Randolph sax break on "I'll Say It's My Fault"; the haunting Orbison-Melson "Come Back to Me (My Love)," which was like a mini-movie script, a vest-pocket romantic melodrama sung with operatic depth and played to a light rock & roll beat; Don Gibson's "I'd Be a Legend in My Time," and "I Can't Stop Loving You," both filled with larger-than-life musical attributes and emotions behind Orbison's extraordinary singing, Orbison treating the former almost like a Verdi aria while a sax solo, the Anita Kerr Singers, and a dense string section hold it in the realm of pop music; and "Bye Bye Love" given the new Orbison treatment and sounding like a country-pop symphony. The material was uniformly strong and consistent, probably due, in part, to the fact that Fred Foster was able to draw from nearly a year's worth of recording activity to assemble the contents of the album, and he also took advantage of the album's stereo release to devise a crisp, discreet, two-channel mix that brought out all of the details of this sound in notably sharp relief, creating one of the earliest stereo rock & roll albums that was actually superior to its mono equivalent. Indeed, Sings Lonely and Blue was among the first rock & roll LPs to attract the interest of serious audiophile enthusiasts. (REVIEW REPRINTED COURTESY OF BRUCE EDER, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/) TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY THIS GROUP OR ARTIST   CLICK HERE · CONDITION: · 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 EXCELLENT. This is one of those albums that are somewhat difficult to grade. It is somewhere between VG++ and NEAR MINT, just a notch below NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions ARE visible, but they are extremely shallow, superficial  and only moderately visually distracting (nothing significant).For the 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 (minor stain-like surface abrasion noted on two final tracks on side 1). (b) The record comes in a poly-lined inner sleeve, which has - apparently with success - shielded the vinyl from the harmful impact of elements over many years! (c) 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! (d) 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 20:1. (e) Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!! · COVER THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD++ (VG++). The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover: - Cover has a partially split top seam (between 1 and 2 inches  / 2.5 to 5 centimeters); This split seam was delicately taped by the previous owner with a piece of transparent scotch tape - 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 1 (back side) - Minor discoloration (color fading) noted along the spine  (VISIBLE ON BACK SIDE ONLY) - The cover has a few tiny scratch marks on the front side   (nothing significant) - Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine  (VISIBLE ON BACK SIDE ONLY) NO OTHER IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER: - No cut-out (drill) holes. - No cut-out corners - No saw-marks or indents - No dirt/dust rubbing stains (friction marks caused by rubbing against other covers) - No yellowing from aging - No writing - No stamps - No tearing: no chips, dents or nicks on the seams - No peel-off marks - No stains - No mold or mildew spots - No stickers or labels - No water damage - No warping - No wax, glue, paint or liquid drops on the cover - No glue traces or wax residue. - No bar codes - No RIAA stamps or stickers.  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 that you pay for USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment in order to obtain tracking information, which is NOT available for First Class International shipments. INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates click here. 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 HERE TO see HOW! (please note recent changes in our policy) FOR OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION, CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW: OUR VOLUME DISCOUNTS AND POSTAGE REBATES OUR GRADING POLICY ITEMS WE DO NOT GRADE HOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE WINNING BID OR RESOLVE A DISPUTE OUR PAYPAL “CHARGEBACK” POLICY ACCEPTABLE PAYMENT METHODS OUR REFUND POLICY POSTAGE RATES AND DISCLOSURES PAYMENT DEADLINES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) OUR REFUND POLICY : WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED (THE BUYER PAYS FOR THE RETURN POSTAGE); 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. Click here  for the full text of our policy © 2001,2007 MDJ. All rights reserved.