Desmond Dekker - Compass Point Vinyl - UK First Pressing
£
22
$
29
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Description
NOT BEEN PLAY TESTED!
Desmond Dekker – Compass Point (1981)
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Label: Stiff Records (Custom Abstract Patterned Label by Barney Bubbles)
Cat No: SEEZ 36
Matrix / Runout: Side A: SEEZ 36-A2 (V at 3 o'clock) (STERLING at 12 o'clock) (7 at 9 o'clock) / Side B: SEEZ 36-B2 (V at 3 o'clock) (C or O/0 STERLING at 9 o'clock)
Description:
An authentic, definitive first-generation 1981 UK retail pressing of Desmond Dekker's island-groove studio album, representing a masterful intersection of Jamaican reggae heritage and elite transatlantic production. This copy holds exceptional acoustic and historical value because the UK manufacturing plant utilized duplicate physical metal master parts imported directly from the original US mastering session at Sterling Sound in New York City. The machine-stamped "STERLING" text in the dead wax confirms the lacquers were cut by chief engineer Ted Jensen, ensuring that Robert Palmer's tight, pulsing basslines and Dekker's dynamic vocals retain their full, uncompressed analog punch. The runouts also showcase the characteristic factory "clock" stamp configuration—including a prominent "V" pointing to an authorized European pressing facility utilized by Stiff Records, alongside distinct Mother and Stamper indicators (7 and C or O/0). Visually, the record features stunning, custom center paper labels boasting an artistic, Henri Matisse-inspired cutout pattern designed by legendary Stiff Records graphic designer Barney Bubbles. The rim text explicitly denotes "SEEZ36 ℗ 1981 STIFF RECORDS MADE IN ENGLAND" alongside standard publishing and copyright blocks. The album is housed in its absolute earliest-variant, single-pocket outer jacket, which features Bubbles' abstract waterfront artwork on the front and a stark, intimate black-and-white portrait of Dekker by photographer Graham Hughes on the reverse. Strikingly, this early jacket run lacks any modern barcode, local UK printing plant credits (such as Robor or Garrod & Lofthouse), or "Printed in England" notations due to a chaotic production rush at the label. Crucially, the front cover retains its highly collectible, original circular promotional hype sticker which boldly proclaims "PRODUCED BY ROBERT PALMER SEEZ 36". The record rests safely inside its factory-correct, proprietary heavy black paper inner sleeve featuring a clean center die-cut circle designed to beautifully showcase the custom labels beneath.
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