Vinyl: GEORGE HARRISON 33 & 3rd LP 1st UK PRESS 1976~MINT- G/FOLD COVER~UNPLAYED MINT

It's easier to tell a lie, than it is to tell the truth, It's easier to kill a fly, than it is to turn it loose, It's easier to criticise somebody else, Than to see yourself. It's easier to give a sigh, and be like all the rest, Who stand around and crucify you, while you do your best, It's easier to see the books upon the shelf, Than to see yourself. It's easier to hurt someone and make them cry, Than it is to dry their eyes, I got tired of fooling around with other people's lies, Rather I'd find someone that's true. It's easier to say you won't, than it is to feel you can, It's easier to drag your feet, than it is to be a man, It's easier to look at someone else's wealth, Than to see yourself.

GEORGE HARRISON: "Thirty Three & A Third" LP. FIRST UK PRESSING, 29th NOVEMBER, 1976. DARK HORSE LABEL: K 56319. MAITRIX: K 56319 - A8 / K 56319 - B12 This album had the strangest maitrix end digits I have ever seen on any of Warner's records, I should really say CBS, because they pressed them. At least they were UK pressed and printed, all following covers, inner sleeves and records would be made in Germany and imported here. After the initial UK pressings 1970's, all "Thirty Three & A Third" re-issues were, that applied to Warner & Reprise etc. All the printing & pressing of this record, labels, cover & lyric sleeve, were made in Britain. Regarding the maitrix ending digits being so high for an album with such low sales, that only reached No.35 in the UK charts, even 'A8' is actually lower than the average UK first pressings on Side 1, Side 2 is the average at 'B12.' The lowest I have personally seen and sold on ebay nearly five years ago, had 'A4/B5', which was still out of proportion to poor sales of "Thirty Three & A Third." The majority had higher digits, in relation to standard CBS pressing batches that rarely rose above 'A3/B3' for big selling albums, was nonsense for such moderate sales. The stamping machine must have been set by an apprentice or by someone who had a liquid lunch in a pub! FIRST ISSUE "Gothic Print, London" GATEFOLD COVER, UNUSED AND PERFECTLY STORED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE FROM NOVEMBER,1976. ONE OF, IF NOT THE MOST STUNNING, PERFECT CONDITION UK FIRST EDITION, 1976 "Thirty Three & A Third" COVERS I HAVE EVER BEEN PRIVILEGED TO OFFER. THERE IS LITERALLY NO WEAR OR AGEING, NOT A SCUFF IN SIGHT AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY REASON FOR ADDING A MINUS TO A FULLY DESERVED MINT GRADING, BUT IT HAS BEEN STANDING UNUSED IN STORAGE FOR THE LAST 39 YEARS. FOR ONCE A VERY GENTLE RECORD IMPRESSION ON THE BACK STORAGE COMPARTMENT ONLY, CAN ONLY BE REGARDED AS A NATURAL EVENT AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS. IN REALLY STUNNING AND OUTSTANDING MINT- CONDITION. THE LYRICS AND CREDITS INNER SLEEVE ONLY HAS A MORE THAN REASONABLY GENTLE RECORD IMPRESSION. UK PRINTED WITH A DISTINCTIVE MOON SHAPE FOR ACCESSING THE RECORD, UNUSED, WITHOUT ANY CREASES, TEARS, AGEING OR SPLITS, ONCE AGAIN IN SUPERB MINT- CONDITION. THE IMMACULATE LABELS DO NOT HAVE ANY SPINDLE TRACES AND I COULD NOT FIND ANY HANDLING TRACES ON THE PRISTINE, TOTALLY UNMARKED VINYL. A DEEPLY GLOSSY BEAUTIFUL LOOKING RECORD IN UNPLAYED,MINT CONDITION. This is only the second time in 14 years on ebay, I have ever offered a UK first pressing of "Thirty Three & A Third" in the ultimate unplayed condition. Very rare with the cover so close to Mint condition and an unused, unsplit lyric inner sleeve, as much as I would love to hear and describe the magnificent tracks, I must offer this still unplayed, for what is rapidly approaching 40 years of age now.

SIDE 1 "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" "Dear One" "Beautiful Girl" "This Song" "See Yourself" SIDE 2 "It's What You Value" "True Love" "Pure Smokey" "Crackerbox Palace" "Learning How To Love You" George Harrison - lead vocals, guitars, synthesisers & percussion Billy Preston - piano, organ & synthesizer Gary Wright - keyboards Richard Tee - piano, organ & Fender Rhodes David Foster - Fender Rhodes & clavinet Tom Scott - saxophone, flute & lyricon Emil Richards - Marimba Willie Weeks - bass Alvin Taylor - drums Recorded 24th May - 13th September, 1976. Produced By George Harrison

As an avid Beatles collector throughout the whole of the 1960's, after it was all over and they went their separate ways, it was only natural to follow up with all their individual projects, which was just as compulsive as every newly issued Beatles record had been. Right from the onset of the new decade, the 1970's produced a wealth of solo albums and the highest standard of their music was a direct continuation of all that preceded it. Obviously Ringo would be reliant on others to supply his material and John, Paul and George were always on hand to give "A Little Help To Their Friend," as well as writing him some songs, all three played and sang on his 1970's albums as well. Try finding one without at least one of them appearing! George Harrison was the one seen as most likely to struggle for success on his own, but 'the quiet one' became the first ex-Beatle to have a No.1 single with "My Sweet Lord." John Lennon never did achieve that in the 1970's, "Just Like Starting Over" was riding on a the crest of public grief over his brutal killing in 1980, when it made No.1. Even Paul had to wait until 1977 when "Mull Of Kintyre" hit the Top and became one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all time. George Harrison's first post Beatles venture into LP's was a resounding success as well, "All Thing Must Pass," a triple LP box set, was publicly and critically hailed as his masterpiece. George carried on writing and recording stunning LP's, but UK fans soon developed short memories, by 1975 they began to shun his latest offering's. By 1976, perhaps the adverse publicity had tipped the balance against him as an artist, George was back in a law court again, dealing with two other "Sue You, Sue Me Blues" situations. Vultures have long memories and in September, 1976, an outrageous five years after the event, George was found guilty of plaigerising the Chiffon's "He's So Fine" for allegedly writing "My Sweet Lord" with the same melody. Artists always have and still do 'borrow' chords, tunes and lyrics etc. to write a song from, they might as well have sued every artist who recorded a blues song they were credited with, sincerest sentiments in George's lyrics belonged to him, and him alone and the two songs were unconnected. If that was not a big enough blow for him, still in that same month of September, only three weeks later George was again back in a court, the law type, not a tennis court, now he was being sued for a rather large sum, $6million. After escaping EMI's steel like grip of a recording contract he founded a brand new label, "Dark Horse" had been signed to A&M for record distribution etc. George had been diagnosed as suffering with hepatitus, forcing him to miss the scheduled delivery of his first album by a mere eight weeks. What a way to treat someone who had dedicated his whole life to music, since an extremely young teenager George had more than played his part when the Beatles changed the whole face of record sales worldwide. They even dragged the music business kicking and screaming out of the rigidly set 1950's mentality of professional songwriters supplying material for untalented artists, once their popularity dropped so were they and another with the right image was wheeled in. Pink Floyd wrote "Welcome To the Machine" and "Have A Cigar" about the subject, today we have endless reality talent programmes that perpetuate that tired formula. The Beatles could not be controlled and they also championed black music in an era when America did not allow pictures of anything but a white face on LP covers, it needs to be said, I had never heard of Tamla Motown, Volt, r&b or soul until 1963, when the Beatles performed songs written by those amazing artists. In fact, George recorded a tribute to Smokey Robinson on this "33 & 1/3rd" album, sellers still fall over themselves making a fuss about the silly mis-spelling of a Smokey cover version on "With The Beatles", missing that beautiful performance, let alone understanding the actual relevance of recording the song in 1963. Thirteen years later in 1976, George's recovery from hepatitis had left him $6 million lighter and faced with hefty lawyers bills. George contacted Warner Brothers and offered them his "Dark Horse" label and his next LP, on condition they bought out his A&M contract first. I never know when all this is common knowledge but it's too closely connected to "Thirty Three & A Third" to not include here, I followed every move on a weekly basis through a weekly intake of three UK music papers. I never dreamt one day it would be so useful for a global Internet or how it would become ingrained enough to reproduce the events all the years later. Once settled with Warners and back in full health again, George could at last begin work on this his next album, while into these background details, the title "Thirty Three & A Third" was so named because that was his age at the point he chose the LP title. Which coincided with the 'RPM' (Revolutions Per Minute) Long Playing records rotate at, in a way inadvertently echoing the title of "Revolver," coincidentally in November,1976, that had been issued exactly 10 years earlier. You could well expect this first album on 'Dark Horse' would reflect on such a troubled year George had just been through, the lyrics have plenty of hints of troubled times, but the deeply beautiful melodies created a stunning set of songs, reflecting the same strength of character the other three Beatles needed as solo artists. George also had his inner spirituality to draw on and talking about the Beatles, no less than three tracks on this album originated while he was with them, one song was from 1967 and the other two were written during 1969. If escaping from the stranglehold EMI's 1960's contract placed onto all four Beatles, well into the solo years,was not enough to cope with, with all the protracted court cases just finishing, now George had even more to contend with. Good old EMI now dealt him another blow, they knew in advance George had a new album being released in late November to December, so they compiled and issued "The Best Of George Harrison" during the same December,1976. A wonderful album admittedly, how could it not be? EMI's album also failed to sell, poetic justice maybe, but meanwhile it had competed with sales of his new record launching the new record company, after all those problems that had to be overcome before the release. Now the part I intensely dislike having to write,"Thirty Three & 1/3rd" struggled badly to sell here, a No.35 chart peak and just four weeks very slowly getting there, was not the ideal start for his own label, George, or his outstanding new songs deserved. The court stories were plastered all over our national newspapers,"Ex-Beatle Sued," that is the one and only reason I can offer for such a poor reception. The most damage to his own self esteem and reputation, was removing the right to say he had written "My Sweet Lord," that fantastic production and up-lifting lyrics were tainted forever. George produced "Thirty Three & A Third" himself, playing with him on the album included the likes of; Gary Wright, Billy Preston, Tom Scott and Willie Weeks etc. Not an easily found LP in top condition, I have sold many copies on ebay of George's solo LP's but this is only the fourth since 2001. I only sell the Beatles solo LP's as near to mint as possible, an undamaged gatefold cover, unsplit & untorn lyrics inner sleeve and most importantly to me, an unworn record have become a tall order. I do not believe in 'impossible' and accept that patience is required, this was worth waiting for! The labels are in pristine condition, without any spindle alignment traces on either side. The CBS, British very first pressed record really is a beauty, with that very special glossy sheen of Mint vinyl. The mastering and the pressing itself was right up there with Warner and CBS's highest standard's, Reprise etc. records speak for themselves, as mid-1970's Neil Young fans can vouch for. Not forgetting Led Zeppelin records, so that will means virtually no surface sound, the meticulous mastering for this unplayed record spared the usual heavy handed over playing. The covers and the inner sleeve suffered in a direct proportion to the records and even if lightly played, there is still 39 years of uncaring storage to take into account. As mentioned I will of course respect the condition and off this unplayed, but I must include one from one of the album's finest song and performance. Originally written in 1967 during the Beatles inspired psychedelic era, "See Yourself" features truly inspired lyrics, George's ability to write them is the main reason I feel his superb albums should be far more widely heard, even if you are not that interested in hearing what he had to say, a deeply beautiful melody can be enjoyed for that alone. I find it difficult to sing the praises of the poetic nature of the song without giving a taster of it to the uninitiated. One verse will also make the perfect way to finish the description, I consider the musical content all important, the first verse says it all, all the verses are top of the page;

It's easier to tell a lie, than to tell the truth, It's easier to kill a fly, than it is to turn it loose. It's easier to critisise somebody else, than see youself.

{Roy}

R & M RECORDS. My lifetime's love of music and records began at a very young age, the arrival of the Beatles and the 1960's decade in general had a very profound effect. It was only natural to bring all my first hand experience of collecting vinyl into becoming a professional record seller. Nearly thirty years ago we entered into the wonderful atmosphere of record fairs with the highest possible standards set. When the Internet became the world's new market place for vinyl, in 2001 it was time to join ebay. Those standards were rigidly adhered to as they will always continue to be, the basics of honesty and integrity were very much part of the era the music I love originated in, so here is our friendly and very efficient service we are proud to provide; EVERY RECORD IS FULLY PLAYED AND COMES WITH A 'NO ARGUMENT' MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. I USE GOOD OLD COMMON SENSE AS WELL AS A GLOBALLY ACCEPTED GRADING TERMINOLOGY FROM THE U.K. "RECORD COLLECTOR PRICE GUIDE" BOOK. THERE IT CLEARLY STATES "Sound Quality" AFFECTS EVERY GRADING LEVEL AND THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY POSSIBLE WAY TO ACCURATELY GRADE RECORDS. i.e. COMBINING A STRICT VISUAL INSPECTION WITH VERY CLOSELY LISTENING TO EVERY SECOND, UNLESS PERHAPS IN THE CASE OF GENUINELY UNPLAYED VINYL. EVEN THEN WE STILL TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR A RECORD WHEN A CUSTOMER RECEIVES EITHER A SEALED OR AN UNPLAYED RECORD. MY DESCRIPTIONS WILL ALWAYS BE 100% HONEST AND TOTALLY ACCURATE ON ALL GRADINGS FROM 'V.G.' ( VERY GOOD), TO THE ULTIMATE 'MINT' CONDITION. ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR ITEMS ARE WELCOMED AND WILL BE PROMPTLY REPLIED TO. WE ARE FULLY EXPERIENCED AT SHIPPING WORLDWIDE AND NO EFFORT IS SPARED TO PROTECT RECORDS AND COVERS ETC. WE WELCOME BIDDERS FROM ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. ALL RECORDS ARE REMOVED FROM THEIR SLEEVES AND PLACED INTO NEW PROTECTIVE CARD SLEEVES AND THEN PLACED INTO NEW, HEAVYWEIGHT PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVES. THE GREATEST ATTENTION IS PAID TO MAKING THE PACKAGING EXTREMELY STRONG & SECURE. EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE A SAFE DELIVERY AND WE ONLY USE THE VERY BEST QUALITY PACKAGING MATERIALS, THE COST OF THE ITEM IS IMMATERIAL, EVERY RECORD IS TREATED EXACTLY THE SAME. WE DO NOT TREAT POSTAGE AS A MONEY MAKING PROJECT, POSTAGE IS LESS THAN COST, USING ONLY PROFESSIONALLY PACKED BOXES WITH SUBSTANTIAL PROTECTIVE PACKAGING THAT DOES WEIGH A LITTLE EXTRA. UNDER PAYPAL & EBAY'S GUIDELINES, ALL RECORDS WILL BE SENT VIA A FULLY INSURED TRACKABLE SERVICE. We have kept all our charges at the same level for years now, but due to the Post Office's new price increases, regretfully we will have to increase the cost of LP's, however, singles will remain unchanged. Ebay were aware of that happening and have increased their minimum postal cost for LP's to £7.00, that figure has been enforced by the UK Post Office and it will become our UK First Class, Recorded Delivery cost for albums up to the value of £46. A temporary reduction this week means we can now post LP's for £5, but who knows how long before the Post Office return to £7? For LP's valued above £46, the cost will be £9, we are unhappy about either increase but our high standard of packaging has meant in 13 years of ebay trading, there has not been one record damaged, we are determined to maintain that in the present and future. IN THE UK RECORDS UP TO THE VALUE OF £46 WILL BE SENT RECORDED DELIVERY, OVER £46 WILL BE SENT SPECIAL DELIVERY. FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD ALL RECORDS WILL BE SENT VIA 'INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR.'

POSTAGE COST FOR LP's UK: UP TO VALUE OF £46, FIRST CLASS RECORDED DELIVERY £5.00 UK: OVER VALUE OF £46, FULLY INSURED SPECIAL DELIVERY £9.00 EUROPE: FULLY INSURED VIA INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR £15.00 USA,JAPAN & REST OF THE WORLD FULLY INSURED VIA INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR £20.00 POSTAGE COST FOR EP's & 7" UK: UP TO THE VALUE OF £46 FIRST CLASS RECORDED DELIVERY £3.00 UK: OVER THE VALUE OF £46 FULLY INSURED SPECIAL DELIVERY £6.00 EUROPE: AIR MAIL VIA INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR £10.00 USA, JAPAN ETC. AIRMAIL VIA INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR £12.00

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