Bob Dylan GREAT WHITE WONDER TGWW 1st Pressing with unique history Not TMOQ

$

50

You are bidding on a vintage original copy of the famous GREAT WHITE WONDER. This is one of the first pressing without matrix numbers. The sleeve is one of the first examples without any printed or stamped title (though it has been written on in ink, presumably by the DJs at KPPC).

A bit of history from Wikipedia on TGWW:

Great White Wonder, or GWW, is the first notable rock bootleg album, released in July 1969, and containing unofficially released recordings by Bob Dylan. It is also the first release of the famous bootleg record label Trademark of Quality (or TMQ). Several of the tracks presented here were recorded with The Band in the summer of 1967 in West Saugerties, New York, during the informal sessions that were later released in a more complete form in Dylan's 1975 album The Basement Tapes. Much of the other material consists of a recording made in December 1961 in a Minnesota hotel room (referred to as the "Minnesota hotel tape"), studio outtakes from several of Dylan's albums, and a live performance on The Johnny Cash Show. It was the first time that these previously unheard of recordings came to the market; many more would be released in similar formats over the coming years, though most were single albums, not double albums like this record. The album was nicknamed the "great white wonder" due to the original pressing's plain white gatefold cover; newer pressings contain the name stamped on it.

"The west coast radio stations were first to pick up on Great White Wonder. Five radio stations—KCBS [sic—should be KCSB-FM] in Santa Barbara, KNAC in Long Beach, KRLA in Pasadena[1] and KMET-FM and KPPC-FM in Los Angeles—immediately began playing the album. KRLA was the first. Unconcerned with legal niceties, these LA radio stations were quite willing to fuel demand for both Great White Wonder and the spate of bootlegs that soon followed its metal-stamped heels."[2]

More info from BOB's BOOTS, and online Dylan site dedicated to unauthorized recordings!:

One of the most famous bootlegs of all time.  This is the first bootleg ever to be produced in the rock-and-roll era. Great White Wonder was originally released in the United States in July of 1969.  There was  little on this piece to identify it to the world.  It came out in a blank white gatefold cover, with blank white labels.  The only identifying mark whatsoever is the matrix number:  GF 001/2/3/4. "

Later issues had different Matrix numbers. This copy however has NO MATRIX NUMBERS at all, presumably preceding the first 'commercial' releases.

The handwritten list of tracks on this copy corresponds to the contents listed on Bob's Boots with some discrepancies: The order of sides is reversed on this copy with the Bob's Boots contents of side 4 listed as side 1 here,; 2 as 3; 3 as 2 and 1 as 4. The labels have handwritten tracks corresponding to what is written on the inside of the sleeve. As KPPC probably got this copy directly from the makers and there was no printed track listing or even album side numbers on the labels, whoever sussed out the contents just listened to the last side first and wrote down what he heard as he heard it ending up with a reverse order of sides. That's my guess.

There are some other small differences. OPEN THE DOOR RICHARD is called OPEN THE DOOR HOMER on Bob's Boots. On this copy, the chorus is 'Open the Door Richard'. On this LP, between the Pete Seeger Interview and SEE THAT MY GRAVE IS KEPT CLEAN "Fare Thee Well" is listed and is not given a separate physical track being included as part of track 2 (Interview). I don't know 'Dink's Song" (from the Bob's Boots track listing), so Fare Thee Well is probably the same song. The first line of Fare The Well on this LP is "If I had the wings of the lowest dove" (or something like that. I can't make out the word before 'Dove'!)

Side 3 here has the same track listing and order as Bob's Boots side 2, song # 1 being "New Orleans Rag" and # 4 "Sitting on a Barbed Wire Fence". They were left blank presumably as the original track lister didn't know the names of the songs. On side 4 of this LP track # 3 is listed as Dylan's rap on posters and Hezikiah Jones. The track includes a spoken word section by Dylan on photos of him etc and a song about a Hezikiah Jones who's name is mentioned a number of times in the lyrics. On Bob's Boots track three is listed as BLACK CROSS, Perhaps they are the same song. On this LP track 4 is called RAMBLIN AROUND (repeat) but it is in fact I A'INT GOT NO HOME as per Bob's Boots.

In short, the contents seem the same, the differences probably due to the lack of liner notes, label track listing etc! Probably they were all smoking dope too!

What makes this copy special is that it was once a radio station KPPC's copy, KPPC being one of the first 5 Radio Stations to get and play GWW! Presumably they got this directly from "Ken and Dub", the bootleggers. That there is no matrix numbers is also suggest of one of the very first copies pressed. As well, the word DEMO is written in ink on both inside sleeves in a different hand than the track listing, perhaps indicating it was one of a few copies pulled out and directed towards radio stations by the bootleggers. Perhaps those LPs in earliest circulation were Test Pressings of some sort.

Condition is so-so. I listened to most of it. It's playable though somewhat noisy. There's a lot of light scratches and surface markings to the vinyl, though the vinyl retains most of its original gloss. I noticed no skips. The vinyl is fairly thick.

The sleeves both have 6 or 7" seam splits along the bottom edge. There is some tearing and a slight loss of material along the middle of the spine. It is rubbed and shows wear, and of course is written on, though that is GOOD since it establishes its provenance of having been a KPPC copy.

You can certainly get better condition copies than this one, but you are unlikely to get another with such a combination of details that seemingly point to being the earliest pressing. The KPPC Radio Station Library markings establish the provenance pretty well, and from that the early status of the pressing seems nearly certain.

A Dylan Rarity for the completist!

California residents MUST add 8.5% Sales Tax or provide a valid California Resale number. No exceptions!

The LP will be packed in a 12" LP mailers with 12" bubble wrap. The LP will be removed from the sleeve.

Overseas shipping will be $35.00 via US Post Office registered Mail.

Thank you!