GRAVE NEW WORLD - VERSIONS
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UK VINYL
UK release
Vinyl album: AMLH 68078 (A&M, UK, Feb 1972). Triplefold sleeve (one of if not the first!) with lavish booklet, both designed by Paper Tiger - arguably (IMHO) one of the best packaged albums ever! Inner spread is huge depiction of the wanderer in silver on background of rainbow colours. Front cover features William Blake painting "Glad Day" and classic logo, the other faces of the "triptych" feature quotations from "Hymn of Praise to Ra" and The Buddha. The 16 page booklet is BEAUTIFULLY produced in brown print on cream paper throughout. Each track has its own lyric page with intricate engraved illustrations and page decorations/borders and the inside back page photos of each of the band members. Initially issued with brown A&M label, later re-issued with silver label and updated office address (New Kings Road rather than St. George Street).
Front cover
Outer sleeve
Inner sleeve
To see the wanderer the right way up, click on the image below.
UK label
UK variant label
Slight differences in layout; publishing details have been re-aligned. On side 1, the variant has tracks 5 & 6 below the A&M logo and the album title is rather off-centre. The album title and band name aren't in bold, nor is the catalogue number and "STEREO". Not certain which came first, but I'd guess that this one, the untidier layout, was first and then corrected when the album was repressed.
Booklet pages 1-15 (page 2 is blank)
UK test pressing
Vinyl album: test pressing 1972, with bespoke painted cover. Plain white label with handwriting on one side. Came in a card sleeve, which the previous owner had decorated with a painting - a rather splendid addition to my collection!
Bespoke painted card sleeve
Label - reverse is blank
Vinyl album: test pressing 1972 (*) Spotted online. Same identifiers as above, but someone has added track details in different handwriting.
Labels
Vinyl album: test pressing 1972 (*) Another variant spotted online. Different handwriting again and side 1 has Strawbs Manager Mike Dolan's 1972 phone number.
Labels
UK silver label reissue
Vinyl album reissue. Silver labels
UK reissue back page of booklet
Autographed copy (page from booklet)
Autographed page of Booklet
I acquired this from someone a while back. Autographs not secured at the time of release (note that DC dated the signature), though the copy is a first release UK copy.
US VINYL
US release
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, US, 1972). Same as US promo above.
Nice A&M company inner sleeves associated with these releases. Ni idea which order they came in.
US labels variant 1 (Monarch pressing)
US labels variant 2 (Pitman pressing)
US labels variant 3 (Terre Haute pressing)
US inner
Blue US inner
Pages 14 and 16 of US booklet
US promo release
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, US, 1972) Whilst the US sleeve was simpler, only a gatefold sleeve rather than the triple sleeve of the UK version. The US sleeve had the normal front (except with a little A&M logo bottom right and the US catalogue number), and the "THOU HAST HEARD WITH THINE EARS AND THOU HAST SEEN WITH THINE EYES" panel on the back, but the decorative border in red. In the centre, the "wanderer" picture is reduced down to fit over the two panels of the gatefold.
The booklet was identical apart from the US address on the back cover and US publishing details on page 14.
US cover front and back
US labels variant 1 (Monarch pressing)
US labels variant 2 (Pitman pressing)
US labels variant 3 (Terre Haute pressing)
US silver label reissue
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, US, 1972). Silver label re-issue
Labels
Company inner sleeve (*)
Spotted online in a "Man's Best Friend ... Music" company inner sleeve, which includes album covers from as late as 1976
CANADA VINYL
Canadian brown label first release
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, Canada, 1972). . Gatefold sleeve, same as US release, but the front flap is not hollow, looks as though paper inner featuring "the wanderer" has been pasted over the inside and only the right hand side can hold the LP and the booklet. Back cover has Canadian A&M address "255 Yorkland Blvd., Willowdale, Ont.". Brown labels, same "spiky" typography as used on early silver label releases. Copy I have came with a light blue A&M company inner, which bears different address - "120 Milner Avenue, Agincourt Ontario" - so may not be the sleeve it came in. Booklet has US address "PO Box 782, Beverly Hills, California 90213" and was printed in USA. It could well be that US and Canada co-operated on printing the expensive booklet.
Canadian promo release
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, Canada, 1972). The Canadian promo sleeve is gatefold as per US release. The Canadian adress on the back cover is "255 Yorkland Boulevard, Willowdale, Ont." No booklet in the copy I have, but the record came in a "Listen To Your World" A&M company b/w inner sleeve.
Labels
It's taken two Ebay purchases to get this right. The first copy has a scribbled message on it: "Monic - call me!" If someone had done that to one of my records I know what I'd have called them. If Monic sees this - let us know what happened! The second turned out to be a mispress with two labels the same - fortunately they were both side 1!
Inner sleeve
1st Canadian silver label reissue
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, Canada, ??). Gatefold sleeve pretty much identical to the US release, except for Canadian A&M information printed in different type on the back cover. There are two variant sleeves, one with the address centred under the cover/booklet credits, one bottom left. Not known which is the earlier.
The booklet has the US A&M address on the back page. Labels are same as promo release above and brown label release aboveand also same blocky style silver labels used for eg Early Strawbs, so I think this is a reissue from between 1973 and 1974. The copy I have came with a nice A&M protective sleeve (made in England!) which fans could write away for to protect their record collections.
Labels
Inner sleeve
2nd Canadian silver label reissue (*)
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, Canada, ??). Spotted online. Silver label, very similar "spiky" style to above, but with French wording round the rim, so probably the second silver label reissue.
Labels
3rd Canadian silver label reissue
Vinyl album: SP 4344 (A&M, Canada, ??). Single sleeve, silver label. No booklet in my copy. Label style similar to Classic Strawbs and Best of Strawbs so I'd guess 1977 or later.
Labels
Canadian budget reissue
Vinyl album: SP69921 (A&M, Canada, ???). A&M white label budget reissue. Single sleeve, with the Hymn to Ra on the back, Front cover has SP -4344 under A&M logo at bottom right. No booklet.
Silver labels
Vinyl album: SP69921 (A&M, Canada, ???). Reissued on white A&M budget price labels, same typography as silver label reissue above. Single sleeve, with the Hymn to Ra on the back, and "Previously released as SP 4344". No booklet. There's a price code "D" logo top right (others I've seen are "G", so this is most likely a budget reissue.
White labels
Black labels ??
May also have been reissued on black budget price labels. Anyone seen one ?
EUROPE VINYL
Danish release
Vinyl album: (Sonet SLPS 1534, Denmark, 1972).
Identical apart from label on LP to UK release - UK addresses on booklet, sleeve.
Danish labels
Italian release
Vinyl album: SLAM 68078 (A&M, Italy, 1972). Three panel sleeve, identical to UK release, except that Italian cat number and distributor details are on the back. The booklet as per the UK release, except without an address between the two "blowing cherubs" on the back page. nice company inner sleeve.
Labels
Inner sleeve
Italian reissue
Labels
ASIA PACIFIC VINYL
Australian release
Vinyl album: SAML 934522 (labels are SAML 934,522) (A&M (Festival), Australia, 1972) - The Australian release was a single, high gloss sleeve - the front was the same as all the others, the back had the "THOU HAST HEARD WITH THINE EARS AND THOU HAST SEEN WITH THINE EYES" panel and a small typed track listing. Inside however was a four page booklet, with the band pictures on the front and credits on the back. In the centre, typed lyrics with selected graphics from the UK booklet.
See also NZ release below which seems to have had the same sleeve and insert.
Australian cover back
Australian labels
Australian front and back of booklet
Australian centre of booklet
New Zealand release
Vinyl album: SAML 934522 (A&M 1972). The New Zealand release is on brown labels, manufactured in NZ. However it seems to come in an Australian pressed outer single sleeve, with the same insert as the Australian release - perhaps both parts of Festival shared those costs.
See Australian release above for sleeve and insert.
Labels
Japanese release
Vinyl album: AML 141 (A&M (King Records), Japan, 1972) - The Japanese release is the full triple-fold cover, with the Japanese catalogue number added to the front cover at top right above the second "S" in Strawbs. The booklet is on slightly thicker, textured cream paper, but the printing is in black rather than the brown used for the UK booklet. The first few pages have credits and a piece in Japanese on Strawbs. The lyrics appear in both English and Japanese.
Japanese cover front and Obi
The obi overlaps itself on the back and see the text underneath you have to lift the flap.
Japanese labels
Japanese promo release ??
Vinyl album: AML 141 (A&M (King Records), Japan, 1972) Discogs lists a copy which refers to a promo stamp on the label. So it may be (unusually) that this did not have a promo release - anyone got one?
Thai (possibly bootleg) release
Vinyl album: (Stereophonic REO 787, Thailand, 1972) - Very poor, probably bootleg release in Thailand. The cover is a single sleev with the GNW front and back covers reproduced in badly printed bright green. The label has track details typed. For deranged completist collectors only ....
Thai cover front and back
Thai labels
OTHER VINYL
South African brown label release
Vinyl album: AMLH 68078 (A&M/???, 1972). The South African release is modelled on the US release, with similar gatefold not tri-fold cover. Th finish is matt on the black parts of the front cover but a little shinier on the William Blake painting and the Strawbs logo. Back cover is changed to give track list and credits (the reissue below had a 2 sided black and white insert - see below: highly likely that the original release would have had one as well, but my copy doesn't). Interpak printing credit bottom right.
Both brown and silver labels mis-credit "Heavy Disguise" to John Ford and David Cousins rather than just John Ford. The back cover is correct.
Back cover
Labels
South African silver label release
Vinyl album: AMLH 68078 (A&M/???, 1972). As for the original except with silver labels, and the whole outer cover is laminated. Inside there is a 2-sided LP sized black and white insert on stiffwhite card with credits and lyrics, framed by some of the booklet corner graphics (but no other pictures). Tiny print credit to Interpak back, bottom right.
Both brown and silver labels mis-credit "Heavy Disguise" to John Ford and David Cousins rather than just John Ford. The back cover is correct.
Insert
Labels
Kenyan release
Vinyl album: AMLH 68078 (A&M/EMI 1972). The album was pressed by EMI in Kenya under licence, but the sleeve and booklet for this release are identical to the UK release and were almost certainly provided by the UK to Kenya -Grave New World missed out on releases in some territories as the packing was so expensive and short runs not viable.
Labels
Israeli release
Vinyl album: AMLH 68078 (A&M, Israel, 1972) - Front cover similar to UK, but back cover a bit scrappy.
Israeli cover back
Israeli labels
Indian release
Vinyl album: SP. 4344 (A&M/The Gramophone Company of India 1972). This is a cheap and cheerful sngle sleeve release. The front copies the US release. The back cover is plain white with the Hymn of Ra in black, scant design credits for front cover and liner illustrations, booklet design (the copy I have has no "liner" or booklet). Details at the bottom for The Gramophone Company of India Limited, Eagle Litho printing credit bottom right.
Back cover
Labels
Venezuelan release
Vinyl album: LPS-77995 (A&M/Palacio di la Musica, 197?). Modelled on the US release, gatefold, with the wanderer on the inside and the Hymn to Ra on the back cover. Also on the back cover bottom left, a box reading "DISCO ES CULTURA" and distribution info under the A&M US address: "Fabricado y Distribuido por el Palacio di la Musica S.A, Apartado 1637, Caracas". On the front cover, the Venezuelan catalogue number has been printed (badly) above the A&M logo, bottom right and at bottom left there's a boxed "STEREO COMPATIBLE". Silver labels, but the previous record in numbering sequence (77994) was Carpenters: A Song For You also released in 1972, so either Venezuela got silver labels earlier than the UK and other places, or these were later releases, possibly 1973 or 1974.
As sometimes is the case with South American releases, the track listing on the labels has been translated (see below) and the album's name is merely "New World" (Nuevo Mundo):
- Benedicto (Benedictus
- Hola Hombrecito Del Jueves (Hey Little Man - Thursday's Child)
- Reina De Los Sueros (Queen Of Dreams)
- Fuerte Disfraz (Heavy Diguise)
- Nuevo Mundo (New World)
- Hola Hombrecito Del Miercoles (Hey Little Man - Wednesday's Child)
- La Flor Y El Joven (The Flower And The Young Man - NB label misprinted to obscure the beginning of the track title, so this is what a translation service thought it would be)
- Manana (Tomorrow)
- Envejeciendo (On Growing Older)
- Es Hoy, Senor? (Is It Today Lord?)
- El Final Del Viaje (The Journey's End)
Labels
CASSETTE & 8-TRACK
UK cassette
Cassette: ZCAM 68078 (A&M, 1972). Standard Precision tapes release with green body and paper labels (also spotted online with white body). Unusually Precision haven't messed around with the running order.
Cover
Labels
UK cassette reissue
Cassette: CAM 68078 (A&M, 1973 or later). A&M UK took over producing their own cassettes from 1973 onwards.
Cover
Labels
US cassette (*)
Very likely to have been a US cassette release - anyone got one?
Canadian cassette (*)
Very likely to have been a Canadian cassette release - anyone got one?
Italian cassette
cassette: EM-K78078 (A&M, Italy). Comes in a bright orange cassette box to match thecassette itself. Insert has other The track listing doesn't (as I previously thought) follow the vinyl album, swapping "New World" and Is It Today Lord" (not certain I'm ready for a transition from "Ah Me" to "New World"!)
Cover
Labels
Running order
Side 1:
Benedictus
Hey Little Man ... Thursday's Child
Queen Of Dreams
Heavy Disguise
Is It Today Lord
Hey Little Man ... Wednesday's Child
Side 2:
The Flower And The Young Man
Tomorrow
On Growing Older
Ah Me Ah My
New World
The Journey's End
UK 8-track
8-track: Y8AM 68078 (A&M, UK). As with cassette releases Precision Tapes, who produced tape products for A&M in those days, tracks were re-ordered. With 8-tracks, apparently, there was an audible changover between each set of 2 tracks, so the running order was revised as follows, even splitting some tracks in two. This once, they kept things mostly the same as the LP running order, only shifting one of the short "Hey Little Man" tracks.
Outer front and head
Cartridge front, back and head
Running order
Program A:
Benedictus
Hey Little Man ... Thursday's Child
Queen Of Dreams (part 1)
Program B:
Queen Of Dreams (part 2)
Heavy Disguise
New World
Program C:
The Flower And The Young Man
Tomorrow
Program D:
Hey Little Man ... Wednesday's Child
On Growing Older
Ah Me Ah My
Is It Today Lord
The Journey's End
UK 8-track reissue (*)
8-track: YAM 68078 (A&M, UK, 1973). A&M took over manufacturing cassettes and 8-tracks in 1973. Listed in 1973 catalogue.
US 8-track (*)
8-track: CAM 68078 (A&M, US). Running order is a travesty of the UK album running order, see below:
Label
Programme 1
Benedictus
Is It Today Lord
The Journey's End
Programme 2
Hey Little Man, Thursday's Child
Queen Of Dreams
Hey Little Man, Wednesday's Child
Ah Me, Ah My
Programme 3
Heavy Disguise
New World
On Growing Older
Programme 4
The Flower And The Young Man
Tomorrow
Italian 8-track(*)
cassette: EM-S 88078 (A&M, Italy) Spotted online. As with the Italian cassette above, the running order follows the vinyl. Shocking orange plastic cartridge!
Cartridge front and back
CD
Pony Canyon CD release, 1989
CD: D32Y3578 (A&M Japan/Canyon Records, 1989). Front of booklet is as per UK release (no logos). The back of the booklet is the "Hymn of Praise to Ra" which appears on the back of the UK album, scaled up to CD size (UK credits for booklet design and William Blake picture credit at bottom). Inside the booklet is a 2 page spread of "the wanderer", with the Buddha quote at the bottom. The tray back has the UK back panel decorative border, but with a track listing inside rather than a quote.
Two inserts: the first (a 2-side 4x2 CD sized insert, folded to make a 4pp booklet then folded again to fit in the CD case) has a biog in Japanese (dated March 1989) with the lyrics in English, as set out in the vinyl album, and also in Japanese (see pages 3 & 4). The second is a 2-sided 2x2 CD black and white promotional insert with other releases in the "A&M CD Super Seclection 2000".
Insert - 4 2x2 CD spreads
Promo Insert - 2-sided 2x2 CD insert
CD and Obi
Tray back
Si-Wan CD release
CD: SRMC 0075 (Si-Wan, 1997). Outer booklet nearly matches UK "tryptych" LP release but with a bigger A&M logo and Si-Wan cat number. Inner EXACTLY matches the original UK three panel gatefold sleeve in miniature. Tray back resembles UK version, with decorated border, but instead of a quotation it has the track listing and Si-Wan dragon logo and cat number.
The main treat is that they include the booklet - 20 pages long - pages 1, 3-16 and 20 of which reproduce in facsimile the original booklet in its entirety (apart from the A&M address between two cherubs on the back page; only the cherubs remain). Additional items are:
Very nicely done indeed.
Outer cover
Inner cover
To see the wanderer the right way up, click on the image below.
Booklet page 2
Booklet pages 16 and 17
Booklet pages 18 and 19
Tray inner and tray back
Universal CD release
CD: 540 934-2 (A&M, 1998, REMASTERED WITH 2 BONUS TRACKS) Covers booklet match front cover and "Ra" quote, inner spread reproduces the wanderer. No lyrics, but six pages of new sleeve notes by Dave Cousins and John Tobler.
A&M 1998 CD releases (Antiques, Witchwood, GNW, BATS, Hero, Ghosts)
These Universal releases have manufacturing details printed in the clear plastic centre on the silver side (ie bottom) of the CD. The first releases were made in Germany by PMDC. They seem to have been re-pressed later by other companies - EDC and Universal M&L and these are coming up on Discogs as different releases, but I'm not going to start scanning CD bottoms on Strawbsweb! No other changes as far as I can see in packaging.
Booklet front (p1) and back (p12)
Booklet pages 2 & 3
Booklet pages 4 & 5
Booklet pages 6 & 7
Booklet pages 8 & 9
Booklet pages 10 & 11
CD and sticker
Tray back and inner
Russian bootleg CD release, no date
CD: MRCD 005 (Unknown, no date) with 2 bonus tracks) Reported as an "unofficial" release, based on the Universal remaster. Single sheet inner, with a few typographic errors ("S. Cousins" and "Tony Viconti". Morgan Studios referred to as "Modern Studios".
Insert
Tray back and inner
CD
Universal Japan HMCD reissue (2018)
CD: UICY-78837 (Universal, Japan, 2018) Beautiful facsimile reissue - the first trifold CD replica - including original booklet and Japanese booklet, based firmly on UK vinyl release. Obi mimics original Japanese release.
CD and Obi
