The Arkay IV -(same) Rare 1960s Acetate LP Garage Psych

$

1,020

About This Record.  This an insanely rare 12” original Audiodisc LP acetate copy of the Arkay IV LP that was released on Marion Records in the mid 1960’s.  I believe there were one hundred (100) copies pressed of the original LP.  Being a devotee, to the best of my knowledge, the only stock copy of this LP to surface ever on eBay or elsewhere on-line sold to a Japanese buyer on eBay, complete with original insert, for about $5,000 in 2001!  I have never seen or heard of another copy, how about you?  Again, this is an acetate copy, with no cover, but even rarer!

I can assure you this is garage beat rock with psych thrown in, even some fuzz, and a parting 1960’s punk scream in the final seconds of the last song!  Some of these cuts are different than the cuts on the original LP.  I believe the eight (8) songs on this acetate make up the original LP, but I am not sure.  I’ve never seen the original LP, just the old popsike listing from 2001 that for some reason is no longer available on popsike.

I bought this acetate a few years ago and love it but am narrowing my collection to non-promo, and non-test pres, and non-acetate vinyl.  That’s why I sold my Doors acetates and test pressings recently.  READ MY FEEDBACK!!!!

This could be the only, the ONE and ONLY Arkay IV acetate . . . I am pretty darn sure it came from Mike Greisman’s record collection, and that it was likely the source of some of the cuts Mike put on the re-issue of this LP on Cicadelic Records in the 1988 which contains slightly different songs than the original LP, and now is in and of itself a rare-ity in vinyl 22 years later.  But then again, only one original has surfaced too.

This acetate plays the following songs:  Little Girl (alternative version); Way Back Home; I’ll Keep on Trying; I was Walking; Hear me my Friend; Another Way; Supreme Love; and In my Way.

Awesome mid 1960’s Garage Beat with some psych thrown in, complete with Hammond Organ, and even some punk 1960’s with a blood curdling scream or two! Right at the end of Side 1!

I have played this only twice, yes only twice, and I burned a CD using high quality audio equipment and an Alesis Masterlink deck, using my Benz Micro LP cartridge and Rockport turntable the second time.  I will include a copy of the CD for the lucky purchaser.

Please note that I work for eBay and eBay company policy requires that I inform any potential bidders of this fact, and direct them through this link to the Code I have to abide by as an eBay employee:  http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/everyone-employee.html No, I don't work in the collectibles division or anything, I'm just a regular eBay employee like you and me who lives near San Jose and is a vinyl hound but is required to tell you this. 

Cover Condition.  Fair.  Paper Audiodisc sleeve with Madison Avenue NYC address is in fair condition with tears and wear in many places but it is pretty much intact except top right part of one side of paper sleeve is torn, so missing 20%.  Not bad.  See photos.  There is no traditional LP cover; just a paper sleeve for the acetate.  

Vinyl Condition.  Bright and especially shiney Vinyl looks VG better because of very very light marks, but these are paper marks, and they are there given the sensitivity of the surface of this acetate pressing which is much less resilient than your normal pressing that can withstand minor brushing of the paper sleeve without problems; not so for an acetate!  Vinyl plays strong EX- because of some background noise that you cannot really hear once the music starts, but the background noise (like on all acetates) is most definitely there and noticeable at the beginning, and at the end, of each song.  No loud pops or clicks in the vinyl; no scratches etc. that produce any concentric ticks or noise.  The very light marks evident on the vinyl are from the frayed paper sleeve, no deep marks.  Very nice!  Just some light clicks and pops randomly, and that background noise between tracks.  I'm trying to be conservative here.  Some folks might think this plays VG because they know the background noise is there even though it gets lost; most listeners might even think it plays better than EX-.  But you be the judge.  If you have an inferior cartridge or turntable, it will not play the same.  I test played and recorded this on my Rockport Sirius turntable with a Benz Micro LP cartridge.

You will NOT be disappointed, but this, like all acetates, has some acetate background noise that I have a hard time hearing over the music oncethe music begins, as noted above.  MANY plays left; I have only played this twice and believe I am the 4th owner.   No, it has never been cleaned (which ruins some acetates!)_, just carefully dusted with compressed air!  Acetates are very fragile.

Label Condition.  White labels with song titles from both side 1 and side 2 written on both plain white Side 1 and Side 2 labels.  See photos please!  Hard to grade!  One label has bubbles in the paper too.

About Me.  I have been a Record Collector for over 35 years.  With two kids in college, I often sell records so I can buy more vinyl or, in this case, pay the last college tuition bills of the year!  99% of what I sell is vinyl; read my Feedback! Common LPs are a waste of your time and mine!    I bought this many years ago during my travels and have kept in well preserved.  This comes in a new rice paper equivalent sleeve, and new 4 mil plastic sleeve.

Shipping and Payment.  PayPal only.  I ship promptly worldwide and do not overcharge for shipping . . . contact me if you paid more than the USPS postage sticker on your package and I’ll happily refund you the difference.  I will ship by any method you want.  But if you do not insure, the record will be shipped at your own risk.  I offer full refund on this record including shipping both ways.  CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS:  Please add sales tax.

Hi friends; thanks to a band member who pointed out my mistake (Skip Niebauer), this acetate is NOT the same as the Arkay IV's LP as I state it "might be" in my advertisement.  Even Better.  It appears to be a one-off pressing they did on vinyl, kinda' like a band might do by burning a CD today for PR purposes long before their sole LP ever hit the streets (whatever streets those might have been).  So, even Rarer than the Arkay IV's mystical LP on Marion, and all these songs are unique to vinyl, although I think one or two might have been the mixes released on the Cicadelic Reissue CD/vinyl from 20 years or so ago.  Anyway, here is what Skip had to say about this slab of vinyl:

"Here's the story.  First of all, the disc is not a pressing. In 1965 we recorded 8 songs at Gateway Studio in Pittsburgh.  A few months later we had a meeting with Lou Guarino of World Artist Records also located in Pittsburgh (The company was "hot" at that time with the likes of Chad & Jeremy, Lou Christie and the Skyliners). He liked us but wanted to rerecord 3 of the tracks at Capitol Records Studio in New York.  In those days many record companies and especially the ones in New York wouldn't or couldn't listen to a tape. You had to give them a record. I don't know if it was ego or stupidity especially in light of the fact that they were in the "business" and high quality reel-to-reel recorders were everywhere - but not in the music business offices.  Anyhow, Guerino had an acetate cut which he sent to John Abbot a well known arranger (Fifth Dimension, etc.) so he could write the charts for the 12 or so musicians that would play on the New York session. We met with Abbot the night before the session and it was an acetate that he was working from. We sang but did not play on that session. Even though we were all members of the musicians union we couldn't play because we weren't dues paying members of New York Local 802.
Some deal!
That's the basics. It's an original cutting.
***
 In 1966 & 1967 we recorded more songs, some at Gateway and some at
Cleveland Recording. The songs on the album  were drawn from
all those sessions.
***
If you'd send me closeups of the label I might be able to give you more details.
Any questions?
Best Regards,
Skip Niebauer"