There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Pink Floyd’s 1973 opus, Dark Side of the Moon, is one of the most iconic albums of all time. The Hipgnosis designed sleeve, A prism refracting white light into a rainbow on a black background, is in some cases more recognisable than the music itself. Even those who haven’t heard a note of Pink Floyd’s music will know what it is. Then, however, something different appeared on the market from Japan.
While details are somewhat scarce, is said that this alternative sleeve was created sometime in late 1977 or 1978 for Toshiba-EMI’s (TOEMI) mail-order only record club in Japan. These were a popular marketing tool in Japan at this time, and it is believed TOEMI wanted to expand their international artist repertoire through their club releases.
The unique sleeve artwork depicts a live stage scene from their 1977 Animals Tour, which adds to the narrative that this was released between 1977/78. The famous tan and red EMI label design also supports this date range. Further evidence in support of its record club origin is that there is very little on the sleeve or label that’s printed in English. The song titles, band name and album title of course, but very little else. The back cover is virtually all Japanese script. The lyric insert is similarly basic, albeit with English lyrics.
This is, without doubt, the rarest pressing of The Dark Side of the Moon, and it’s widely regarded to be the rarest Pink Floyd record never issued. This has sold as high as £3500, and is one of the ultimate investment pieces. Regardless of its origin and the divided opinion about when and why it was manufactured, there is no doubt about its authenticity and extreme rarity.
This article appeared in issue 25 of Long Live Vinyl magazine, available now
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- Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon - 5th - Stickered - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £25.00, $31.50, €29.50 (New Item) (arrived 26-May-2022 10:31)
PINK FLOYD The Dark Side Of The Moon (1979 UK issue of the classic 1973 10-track LP with 'EMI Records' perimeter label text, housed in the iconic gatefold picture sleeve with circular title sticker and blue copyright statement inside lower left.The non-barcoded gatefold picture sleeve is in Excellent shape with just minor edge/ringwear & the vinyl grades EX with medium spindle marks & only the odd paper hairline detectable SHVL804)
- Pink Floyd - See Emily Play - Wide centre - G - UK - 7" vinyl - £50.00, $63.00, €59.00 (New Item) (arrived 13-May-2022 15:41)
PINK FLOYD See Emily Play (1967 UK wide centre 7" vinyl single, also featuring Scarecrow, Columbia company die-cut paper sleeve. All text on the labels remains unblemished. Side A is VG+, with Side B at G condition with visible scuffs/hairlines (not affecting play) A PF classic! DB8214)
- Pink Floyd - London 1966/1967 + CD & DVD - Sealed - UK - 10" vinyl - £75.00, $94.50, €88.50 (New Item) (arrived 02-May-2022 16:48)
PINK FLOYD London 1966/1967 (2017 UK Limited Edition TRIPLE-DISC set featuring the 2-track single pressed on Red Vinyl 10" and CD including an extended version of 'Interstellar Overdrive' and 'Nick's Boogie' by the classic Pink Floyd line-up featuring Syd Barrett; plus a Region 0 NTSC DVD containing a film shot by Peter Whitehead featuring a fascinating insight into the early world of one of the biggest bands ever with full length & extremely rare performances from the classic late 60s Pink Floyd line-up of Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters & Rick Wright at Sound Techniques, London and the now legendary '14 Hour Technicolor Dream Extravaganza' gig in April 1967 at Alexandra Palace and bonus interviews with Mick Jagger, Michael Caine, David Hockney & Julie Christie. All three discs are UNPLAYED housed within the 11" x 11" hardback book which remains sealed within its hype-stickered shrinkwrap KSCOPE526)
- Pink Floyd - The Wall - stickered p/s - German - 2-LP vinyl set - £60.00, $75.60, €70.80 (New Item) (arrived 06-May-2022 11:34)
PINK FLOYD The Wall (1979 German issue 26-track double vinyl LP with picture labels, housed in a stickered gatefold picture sleeve with matching lyric card inners. The sleeve is excellent with just a little light wear to the top edge & both vinyl discs are excellent likewise, with only faint signs of cosmetic wear not affecting play 1C198-63410/11)
- Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon -VG/EX - Italian - vinyl LP - £35.00, $44.10, €41.30 (New Item) (arrived 06-May-2022 12:20)
PINK FLOYD The Dark Side Of The Moon (1977 Italian 2nd pressing 10-track EMI Harvest LP, non laminated gatefold picture sleeve with lyrics across the centre. The sleeve is strictly graded VG/VG+, with a little general ringwear and minor shelfwearscuff marks/light edge rubbing but has no splits or tears. The vinyl remains a beautiful EX/EX+ with very few signs of play, priced advantageously! 3C064-05249)
- Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £20.00, $25.20, €23.60 (New Item) (arrived 07-May-2022 15:08)
PINK FLOYD A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (1987 UK 11-track vinyl LP with picture labels, the group's first album after the departure of Roger Waters, gatefold picture sleeve with illustrated lyric inner. The sleeve has some minor general wear with a scuff to the top edge but is otherwise in excellent condition, whilst the vinyl has just light cosmetic marks leaving it VG+/EX- EMD1003)
- Pink Floyd - More - 5th - UK - vinyl LP - £25.00, $31.50, €29.50 (New Item) (arrived 07-May-2022 15:26)
PINK FLOYD More (1978 UK fifth issue of the 1969 13-track stereo vinyl LP on the two EMI box logo label with 'EMI Records' perimeter text, front laminated picture sleeve with East facing couple on the back cover. A fantastic soundtrack to Barbet Schroeder's exploration of drug addiction on the Balearic Island of Ibiza, starring Mimsy Farmer and Klaus Grunberg. The sleeve shows just a little light shelfwear & the vinyl remains in excellent condition with few signs of play SCX6346)
- Pink Floyd - The Wall - 1st + Sticker - VG - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £75.00, $94.50, €88.50 (New Item) (arrived 09-May-2022 09:58)
PINK FLOYD The Wall (1979 UK 26-track double LP with picture labels, gatefold picture sleeve with matching card lyric inners & loose artist/album title sticker. The sleeve shows light wear with moderate foxing to the inners and a seam split toone; the sticker is creased from being stored in the sleeve and the vinyl is EX- with little evidence of play SHDW411)
- Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - Mono Mix - Sealed - Japanese - vinyl LP - £79.99, $100.79, €94.39 (New Item) (arrived 12-May-2022 11:16)
PINK FLOYD The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (2022 Japanese issue Amazon limited edition Mono Mix of their legendary 1967 debut album, remastered in 2017 from the original analogue tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman, and pressed on 180-gram black vinyl. Picture sleeve replicating the original psychedelic artwork, with bespoke hype sticker & factory sealed. This is the UK/EU pressing, exported to be sold in Japan, This is the UK/EU pressing, exportedto be sold in Japan, specifically through Amazon Japan, and includes Japanese liner notes and lyric sheet insert, along with a picture obi-strip. Also includes a very limited 9½" square print of the album artwork, which remains in an unopened protective bag, and taped to the LP!)
- Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother - 2nd - French - vinyl LP - £45.00, $56.70, €53.10 (Back In Stock) (arrived 16-May-2022 14:30)
PINK FLOYD Atom Heart Mother (Early 70s French second issue of the 1970 5-track LP on the green Harvest label with SACEM text, gatefold picture sleeve with band name on the front. The sleeve shows just moderate shelfwear and the vinyl remains in excellent condition with few signs of play SHVL781)
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