Ernie B and original pressings
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 10:25 am
Stumbled upon this old thing when surfin' Ernie B's record shop earlier: Burning Spear - Social Living (Blood and Fire, 1994) marked as being the original UK pressing.
"Used record. Jacket is very nearly new. Vinyl sounds new or very nearly new. Original UK press. Recorded 1980, this was pressed in 1994."
If I'm not mistaken it was recorded in 1978, not 1980 and issued by Island in the UK also in 1978, making this B&F release a reissue. Ernie B's wants $69.99 for it and one might say that it feels a bit on the steep side, even if it would have been the real UK original pressing in NM condition from Island.
I've seen several other people on eBay charging ridiculous amounts for records they advertise as original pressings when infact they are not, but I find it somewhat more alarming when one of the worlds biggest reggae distributors does it. People new to reggae collecting might think that $70 is what this should cost and cough up only to get suckered in the end.
So what I really wanted to say with this post is: Record collecting noobs, if you see a record you're interrested in that seems expensive take time and do some research first, it will save you big money in the end. Old records are'nt always by default expensive, some were pressed in very large amounts and are not as rare as sometimes advertised. And obviously, just because it says 'original pressing' it doesn't mean that this is always the truth. Some people seem to confuse original pressing with old pressing.
"Used record. Jacket is very nearly new. Vinyl sounds new or very nearly new. Original UK press. Recorded 1980, this was pressed in 1994."
If I'm not mistaken it was recorded in 1978, not 1980 and issued by Island in the UK also in 1978, making this B&F release a reissue. Ernie B's wants $69.99 for it and one might say that it feels a bit on the steep side, even if it would have been the real UK original pressing in NM condition from Island.
I've seen several other people on eBay charging ridiculous amounts for records they advertise as original pressings when infact they are not, but I find it somewhat more alarming when one of the worlds biggest reggae distributors does it. People new to reggae collecting might think that $70 is what this should cost and cough up only to get suckered in the end.
So what I really wanted to say with this post is: Record collecting noobs, if you see a record you're interrested in that seems expensive take time and do some research first, it will save you big money in the end. Old records are'nt always by default expensive, some were pressed in very large amounts and are not as rare as sometimes advertised. And obviously, just because it says 'original pressing' it doesn't mean that this is always the truth. Some people seem to confuse original pressing with old pressing.