GOD SAVE THE KINKS: MEGA-RARE 1969 PROMO LP/BOX SET

$

538

GOD SAVE THE KINKS
1969 Reprise promo-only box set,
including promo-only LP
THEN NOW AND IN- BETWEEN
[Reprise PRO 328]

This is the holy grail of vintage KINKS kollektables! (Don't worry, I won't keep up this konceit with the K thing.)

Masterminded by longstanding Kinks champion John Mendelssohn, this elaborate promotional set was designed to bolster flagging interest in the Kinks' discs, which had become less popular with the US public as they got better and more elaborate. It wouldn't be 'til the brothers Davies decided to pander to the lowest common denominator, in the 1970s, that they would again taste Stateside fame. This tale is one of rock 'n' roll's greatest tragedies.

THEN NOW AND IN-BETWEEN celebrated the baroque delights of the Kinks' great LPs FACE TO FACE, SOMETHING ELSE BY... and THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY, while acknowledging the band's earliest days as proto-heavy metal hitmakers, and including Ray Davies' two masterpieces, DAYS and WATERLOO SUNSET. As if this splendid, hen's-tooth-rate LP weren't enough, Warners/Reprise boxed it up in a quaint and fitting cardboard vessel, which contains the following [illustrated below]:

plain white cardboard box, decorated with "God Save The Kinks" sticker;

18-track promo-only LP, THEN NOW AND IN-BETWEEN;

assorted goodies, incl. Union Jack mini-flag; bag of now-brown grass, labeled OFFICIAL SOUVENIR FROM THE DAVIESLAND VILLAGE GREEN; another GOD SAVE THE KINKS sticker; 4-page CONSUMER'S GUIDE TO THE KINKS promo brochure; [not pictured--"God Save The Kinks" sepia-tone postcard];

complete but maddeningly mis-cut puzzle of the front and back covers to the VILLAGE GREEN PRES. SOC. LP [in dreadfully blurry photograph];
back cover shot of promo LP, with Mr. Mendelssohn's hip, witty and lengthy liner notes.

As you can see, the seams of the box are split, and, tho' scuffed and chipped, the seams are intact, and could be professionally restored and repaired. As is, the box is in solid GOOD/VERY GOOD-condition.

As for the other stuff in this cool kompendium:

RECORD:

Jacket has light ringwear/rubwear, but retains gloss to both sides. Spines, seams are slightly worn but intact. (1" split to ends of both seam mouths.)
Record has light paper scuffs, but vinyl remains lustrous and bright. The LP, kornerstone of this kollektion, is in strong FINE condition. (And that's by our tight-arsed, conservative grading standards, which many spectorcollector buyers have praised--just read some of our fine feedbacks!)

ASSORTED GOODIES:

All are intact, unstuck, unopened, and with minor handling wear, they're looking pretty good for being almost 40 years old. Puzzle pieces, being mostly hard sharp shapes, have some dings and dents in them, but are smooth and shiny. Overall, these extras are in VERY GOOD++/FINE condition. (We doubt the sticker will still stick, but it's unstuck, and has its original protective backing.)

This set will be shipped in two seperate boxes--one for the record, the other for the goodies and the flattened box. Thus, shipping will be doubly expensive for our European friends. PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN MAKING YOUR BIDS!

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Items will be very carefully and sturdily packed. Insurance is mandatory--for your peace of mind and ours too! Good news: it's cheap--typically $1.65 for items valued up to $50.00.  INSURANCE IS ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.