Pharaohs - Awakening (Re-Issue)
NeverEnoughMoney
300 Posts
Anyone know where I can still buy Luv n Haight's re-issue of this? I gave up on ever finding the real one.Also, I imagine since it is Luv n Haight I don't really have to ask, but if anyone has it is the sound quality top notch?
Comments
I was shocked the day I found mine around the corner from my house, as it was a pretty picked over 'secret spot' that I just happened to go into on a day when I was exhibiting a keen eye for detail. I saw the spine and pulled it out. I swear this rack never changed, I just had missed it before. Pure luck. Clean as a bean, just a bit of color fade on the sleeve.
And the reish sounds great, I keep mine to play out. And In the Basement is worth checking too.
The album may be pretty rare pressing-wise (a few thousand?) but they got decent distribution, or toured enough to spread copies around. Like weldon irvine on nodlew, they pop up in the weirdest places. Old store stock in a storage unit surrounded by mantovani n doo doo pop.
It sold many thousands of copies and isn't nearly as rare as other band-released records of that caliber, from that time frame. The real challenge, however, is to find a true first pressing, with the alternate back cover. I've only seen it once in my life, and that was at Willie Woods' house, and it housed the original reference lacquer from the session. It doesn't even look that different, but if you see one, there will be no doubt that you've never seen it before.
I certainly would have been more shocked if I had found it in say, Wyoming, as obviously a group like the Pharoahs is gonna find it's way to DC. I was more shocked because I had picked through that stack at least 2 times previous(caught a bunch of quality, but available, jazz and soul, Eugene McDaniel's Outlaw being the most 'collectable'). I had already had the reish, so I knew what it looked like, I had just missed it, and so had everyone else. And that's not an album you ever really see in DC, not even trashed, and this was fresh.
Hey rob, that's wild... was this a one-off or do you know if an actual pressing get the alternate cover?
I'm also curious what other material ubiquity sorted through for the "in the basement" LP....
According to Willie, that's how it came out originally. He had both a first and a later pressing on hand, so I was able to compare them, and they are decidedly different. According to Willie, they repressed that LP numerous times in the day, and that's the only distinction I've ever seen between different pressings. I'll see if I can get a scan of it for everyone to see.
Not to diminish the event of finding a Pharoahs record. It ain't easy.
it also had a slight label variation and was just generally "different" all-around.
seemed more crude - i suspected it as an early pressing.
castillo has it now - perhaps he can shed more light as i haven't seen it in a year or so.
If you haven't noticed by my avatar yet, I am an awakening pharaoh (from the magick powerhouse of oz).
I'm afraid I can't help you, chris, for I have painted the entire cover green.
I also have this one, cover is red not orange, other gold color, even the letters on the front cover are different font types, same on the label, but the back cover is exactly the same as the other one (later press?).
I'm really curious to see the "alternate back cover"
a 'pharoahs' next to mccartney?? pfft!
I know. The Pharaohs don't stand a chance, but I still like the 'Awakening' LP.
And that's not sarcasm.
flipping the script!
it seems like there's an endless supply of 'freedom road' 45s around these days.
It's hard to escape that 45 in Chicago. I still haven't seen their other Scarab 45(s) yet though