Collecting "The Queen Is Dead"

Hi Stephane,

Great work as usual. Just a couple of notes. The Japanese Victor reissue LP was gatefold, even though the original Tokuma LP was not. Also, the promo Tokuma LP did in fact come with the usual promo label imprints.

Some artwork proofs exist where the inner-sleeve text is in red or blue(!) rather than the usual pink.

100_1344.jpg
 
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"Germany LP test pressing [RT Deutschland RTD36]
German test pressings of this album have white labels with "Nr. 36/01" and "Nr. 36/02" written or printed on the respective labels. The sleeve is expected to be of a generic kind. More information would be appreciated."

My German TQID TP comes in the standard German gatefold sleeve, has no "Nr." on the labels, just simple white labels. ROUGH 96 B-1U-1-1, same but A-etc stamped.... FEAR OF and THEM WAS... etched.

I would like to know more about my German black vinyl in a non gatefold sleeve if anyone has anymore info please.
 
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Argentina LP white label [Erahora 10005]
A white label promo or test pressing of this album has been reported. Information needed.

Not sure I have the stock copy...

white labels (a bit brownish), 10005/A etched, BLX 10005/B etched. Also SFR etched on both sides.

I'm fairly sure this and another Argentinian LP I have are test pressings and not just promos.
 
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A bit confused by this "Germany LP [RT Deutschland RTD36]
There are two different editions of the German LP. The most common edition was pressed on ocean green vinyl. The labels are almost identical to the UK labels but all the text on them is beige, the credits around them are in German, the catalogue number was adjusted and a GEMA box was added to the right. The sleeve is gatefold. The back is almost as minimal as in the UK, it only adds a German address for Rough Trade Records. The inner sleeve is just like the British one except for the fact that it is made of paper.
Ranked #29 in the 1992 Record Collector Top 100 Smiths collectibles, value £30.
Ranked #51 in the 2005 Record Collector Top 100 Smiths collectibles, value £45.

Although the latter edition is much sought after because of the fact that it is coloured vinyl, the other edition is actually the scarcest. It is in fact quite rare and few collectors have managed to get their hands on a copy. It was pressed on black vinyl and comes in a single sleeve. The rest is identical to the coloured vinyl edition. It has been speculated that this may be a promo or a reissue. The promo theory is unlikely (see promo description below), so the best theory at this point in time is that this is a budget reissue in a cheaper packaging."

I have a German green vinyl in a gatefold, a German black vinyl in a gatefold and a German black vinyl in a single sleeve. All etchings on all vinyl identical.

My single sleeve has no picture inner.
 
My German TQID TP comes in the standard German gatefold sleeve, has no "Nr." on the labels, just simple white labels. ROUGH 96 B-1U-1-1, same but A-etc stamped.... FEAR OF and THEM WAS... etched.

From the matrix numbers it's clear that this is a British test pressing, not a German one. Someone, perhaps a collector from Germany, may have slipped their copy in a picture sleeve.

Stephane
 
From the matrix numbers it's clear that this is a British test pressing, not a German one. Someone, perhaps a collector from Germany, may have slipped their copy in a picture sleeve.

Stephane

Can some UK white labels have been sent to Germany as promos?
 
Can some UK white labels have been sent to Germany as promos?

I guess it's not impossible. But it is much less likely than someone just slipping their test pressing in an extra picture sleeve. I know I've done that before. I bought a record from France and it arrived broken. I threw out the broken record pieces and put a test pressing in the sleeve because it was originally only in an inner sleeve and this way it got some form of extra protection. When I sold the tp I told the buyer the sleeve was not an original though.

Stephane
 
A bit confused by this "Germany LP [RT Deutschland RTD36]
There are two different editions of the German LP. The most common edition was pressed on ocean green vinyl. The labels are almost identical to the UK labels but all the text on them is beige, the credits around them are in German, the catalogue number was adjusted and a GEMA box was added to the right. The sleeve is gatefold. The back is almost as minimal as in the UK, it only adds a German address for Rough Trade Records. The inner sleeve is just like the British one except for the fact that it is made of paper.
Ranked #29 in the 1992 Record Collector Top 100 Smiths collectibles, value £30.
Ranked #51 in the 2005 Record Collector Top 100 Smiths collectibles, value £45.

Although the latter edition is much sought after because of the fact that it is coloured vinyl, the other edition is actually the scarcest. It is in fact quite rare and few collectors have managed to get their hands on a copy. It was pressed on black vinyl and comes in a single sleeve. The rest is identical to the coloured vinyl edition. It has been speculated that this may be a promo or a reissue. The promo theory is unlikely (see promo description below), so the best theory at this point in time is that this is a budget reissue in a cheaper packaging."

I have a German green vinyl in a gatefold, a German black vinyl in a gatefold and a German black vinyl in a single sleeve. All etchings on all vinyl identical.

My single sleeve has no picture inner.

My German black vinyl TQID is in a gatefold sleeve but the inner bag is just made of simple paper, means it has no picture. Mikael, does your gatefold sleeve black vinyl has a picture inner bag?
 
Yep, it has a picture inner. Only the single sleeve has a simple paper inner sleeve.
 
Yep, it has a picture inner. Only the single sleeve has a simple paper inner sleeve.

Thanks Mikael. As far as I remember my edition was sold in Germany ca. 1988 as a low budget re-issue? I bought it in Cologne in Saturn and Smiths vinyl albums were on sale for ca. 8 DM = 4 €.
 
Spain CS [Nuevos Medios 44 198 C]
Because of its unique artwork, this may be one of few cassettes found in the collection of people who don't usually collect this format. Not only does it use a different but similar photo of Alain Delon (view left), but the photo is also not saturated in green the way the usual artwork is. The track listing is given on the back, and repeated on the reverse of the insert along with credits. Information about the cassette itself is needed.


Here is my copy :


 
I bought this off ebay (the seller said it was a german print and the picture had a green label :\) and was wondering if anyone knew what it was? It doesn't seem to match any of the vinyls listed on passionsjustlikemine (its not a gatefold).


scaled.php
 
I bought this off ebay (the seller said it was a german print and the picture had a green label :\) and was wondering if anyone knew what it was? It doesn't seem to match any of the vinyls listed on passionsjustlikemine (its not a gatefold).


scaled.php

This is a bootleg reissue from 2007 (see below). Judging by your description, the seller had pictured the German 1986 issue.The original German Rtd36 has green labels.

From Passions:The picture disc, pink vinyl, green vinyl and multi-coloured splatter LP editions on Rough Trade are actually bootleg reproductions made in 2007

Hope this makes sense
 
ah thank you, thats what I was worried about. The sellers selling another copy now with the same image (username: c90_music) just so no one else makes the same mistake.
 
You should contact the seller and ask to return it, failing that open an case with Ebay for goods not as described.
 
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