When Pink Floyd is mentioned around these parts, it’s usually because Dark Side Of The Moon has topped this list or that list. It’s a pretty common occurrence. However, this is not one of those instances. The top seller of August 2018 isn’t that behemoth. It’s an edition of the 1969 double LP Ummagumma. It went for $13,953, and that massive sale price raised eyebrows for multiple reasons.
First of all, only one record sold for more in 2018 — the one-of-a-kind sealed Canadian copy of Prince’s Black Album, which went for an eye-popping $27,500. This month’s number one is also the fourth highest seller of the last two years, behind an unreleased version of God Save The Queen by the Sex Pistols and a promo copy of the first Beatles hit, Love Me Do, which routinely tops this list. Plus, last time a Pink Floyd release made it to the number top spot here, the price was nothing compared to this month. And that was for arguably Pink Floyd’s best record!
So now you’re thinking, “OK, why is a copy of Pink Floyd’s ninth best album worth $14,000? How can it compare to those other ultra-rare releases?” Yes it’s a Japanese promo copy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a lot. As always, our resident discography specialist Brent Greissle came to the rescue.
One consideration is the color. While something like red wax seems relatively commonplace these days, it wasn’t back then. In fact, colored LPs often weren’t meant for mass consumption. “The label used red vinyl for promos at the time, and the Ummagumma promo happened to get that treatment,” he pointed out. “Early 45s were all colored vinyl, and a few releases in the ’70s were entirely colored vinyl. But for the most part up until semi-recently, the majority of stuff is on black wax.”
There’s also the particular nature of this release. Oftentimes when crate digging, you’ll find one old promo copy after another. So many clipped corners! Not this time. “Given that it’s Floyd, I’d assume not many promo copies were made, given the lack of actual effort needed to promote it,” Brent reasoned. “I’d also assume that radio stations would have played their copies to death, so good, clean copies would be hyper-rare.”
That means even though it doesn’t have a captivating backstory like the Canadian Black Album or an unreleased God Save The Queen single, all the factors start compounding on one another to create a very specific type of rarity.
Now it’s time for you to dig into the rest of the top 30, where there are plenty more stories to be found — like the hand-decorated copy of Guided By Voices’ Propeller or the first single from a pre-Bowie Davie Jones.
John And Philipa Cooper – The Cooperville Times
Sold for $1250.00 Label: Parlophone
Format: LP
Country: South Africa
Released: 1969
Genres: Rock, Pop, Folk, World, & Country
Styles: Folk Rock, Psychedelic RockElvis Presley – The Complete Elvis Presley Masters
Sold for $1295.00 Label: Legacy, RCA
Format: 30xCD, Comp
Country: US
Released: 2010
Genres: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Styles: Country, Gospel, Rock & Roll, RockabillyDavid Bowie – The World Of David Bowie
Sold for $1298.00 Label: Decca
Format: LP, Comp, TP
Country: UK
Released: 1970
Genres: Rock
Styles: Folk RockLittle Joe Hinton – Let’s Start A Romance / Your Kind Of Love
Sold for $1300.00 Label: Arvee
Format: 7″, Single
Country: US
Released: 1961
Genres: Funk / Soul
Styles: SoulAugust Tide – Laurie / Far Away Places
Sold for $1300.00
Format: 7″
Country: US
Genres: Funk / SoulGhost (32) – Elizabeth / Death Knell
Sold for $1315.00 Label: Iron Pegasus Records
Format: 7″, Ltd, Red
Country: Germany
Released: 2010
Genres: Rock
Styles: Blues Rock, Doom Metal, Classic RockThe Beatles – Meet The Beatles
Sold for $1315.00 Label: Capitol Records
Format: 7″, Jukebox
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genres: Rock, Pop
Styles: BeatPöbel – Es Lebe Hoch Die Perversion
Sold for $1358.00 Label: Panza-Platte
Format: 7″
Country: Austria
Released: 1981
Genres: Rock
Styles: PunkJuly (3) – July
Sold for $1394.00 Label: Major Minor
Format: LP, Album, Mono
Country: UK
Released: 1968
Genres: Rock, Pop
Styles: Psychedelic RockMelvins – Endless Residency
Sold for $1395.00 Label: Amphetamine Reptile Records
Format: 5×12″, Red + 3×12″, S/Sided, Red + Box, Ltd, HAZ
Country: US
Released: 2011
Genres: Rock
Styles: Alternative RockRon B (3) And The Step 2 Crew – Stitch By Stitch / Live Entertainer
Sold for $1400.00 Label: Asiatic Records
Format: 12″
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genres: Hip HopMichael Garrick Septet – Black Marigolds
Sold for $1433.00 Label: Argo (2)
Format: LP, Album, Mono
Country: UK
Released: 1966
Genres: JazzMasayuki Takayanagi Quintet – Flower Girl
Sold for $1453.00 Label: Not On Label
Format: LP, Album, Ltd
Country: Japan
Released: 1969
Genres: Jazz
Styles: Latin JazzLove Company (2) – Somebody Help Me Be Fair / Love Tempo
Sold for $1500.00 Label: SRO Records
Format: 7″
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genres: Funk / SoulMayhem – Deathcrush
Sold for $1500.00 Label: Posercorpse Music
Format: 12″, EP, Ltd
Country: Norway
Released: 1987
Genres: Rock
Styles: Black MetalEminem – Infinite
Sold for $1588.00 Label: Web Entertainment
Format: LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1996
Genres: Hip Hop
Styles: Hardcore Hip-Hop, ConsciousDon Rendell Ian Carr 5tet – Dusk Fire
Sold for $1802.00 Label: Columbia
Format: LP, Album, Mono
Country: UK
Released: 1966
Genres: Jazz
Styles: Contemporary Jazz, ModalRaymond Harper & The Melody Makers (4) / The Enchanters (3) – Safari
Sold for $1818.00 Label: Doctor Bird
Format: 7″, Single
Country: Jamaica
Released: 1966
Genres: Reggae
Styles: SkaGuided By Voices – Propeller
Sold for $2000.00 Label: Rockathon, Old Age / No Age
Format: LP, Album, Ltd, Num, W/Lbl
Country: US
Released: 1992
Genres: Rock
Styles: Indie Rock, Lo-FiBlues Addicts – Blues Addicts
Sold for $2000.00 Label: Spectator Records
Format: LP
Country: Denmark
Released: 1970
Genres: Rock
Styles: Blues Rock, Garage Rock, Psychedelic RockDangerous Rhythm (2) – No, No, No
Sold for $2099.00 Label: Orfeon
Format: 7″, EP, Mono
Country: Mexico
Released: 1979
Genres: Rock
Styles: PunkDavy Jones – You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving
Sold for $2325.00 Label: Parlophone
Format: 7″, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1965
Genres: Rock, Pop
Styles: Pop RockGary Walker & The Rain – Album No. 1
Sold for $2325.00 Label: Philips
Format: LP, Album
Country: Japan
Released: 1968
Genres: Rock
Styles: Beat, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Pop RockLazy Smoke – Corridor Of Faces
Sold for $2500.00 Label: Onyx (5)
Format: LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1968
Genres: Rock
Styles: Psychedelic Rock, BeatThe Beatles – Please Please Me
Sold for $2558.00 Label: Parlophone
Format: LP, Album, Mono, Bla
Country: UK
Released: 1963
Genres: Rock
Styles: Beat, Rock & RollThe Smiths – Reel Around The Fountain / Jeane
Sold for $2763.00 Label: Rough Trade
Format: 7″, TP, W/Lbl
Country: UK
Released: 1983
Genres: Rock
Styles: Alternative RockJean Dubuffet – Pleure et Applaudit
Sold for $2905.00 Label: Galleria Del Cavallino Venise
Format: 10″, Ltd, Num
Country: France
Released: 1961
Genres: Non-Music, Classical
Styles: Spoken Word, Experimental, Free Improvisation, NoiseOpus (9) – The Atrocity / Good Procedures
Sold for $3500.00 Label: Catatonic Records (3)
Format: 7″, Single
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genres: Rock
Styles: PunkDavie Jones With The King Bees – Liza Jane
Sold for $3947.00 Label: Vocalion Pop
Format: 7″, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1964
Genres: Rock, Blues, Pop
Styles: Beat, Rhythm & BluesPink Floyd – Ummagumma
Sold for $13953.00 Label: Odeon
Format: 2xLP, Album, Promo, Red
Country: Japan
Released: 1970
Genres: Rock
Styles: Psychedelic Rock, Experimental, Classic Rock
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