An incredibly rare first pressing of the self titled debut L...

Estimate

£8,000 - £10,000

An incredibly rare first pressing of the self titled debut LP by Complex. Originally recorded in November 1970 and released in May 1971. The initial intention was to present this as a demonstration record for bringing the band to the attention of major record companies for the purpose of obtaining a recording contract. It was recorded at "107 Studio" in St. Annes, engineered and mixed down by Graham Atkinson. Only ninety nine vinyl copies of the album were pressed by Craighall Studios in Scotland. The reason for such a limited release was the imposition of Purchase Tax on quantities greater than 99. This album has consequently become quite famous in psych rock album circles and is a highly prized record among collectors and fans alike. Full provenance is provided by the vendor who was in a group with Tony Shakespeare prior to the formation of Complex. It reads as follows...
In the mid-sixties, Tony Shakespeare and I were members of a couple of schoolboy ‘groups’ based in Poulton-le Fylde, Lancashire. In autumn 1968 another member and I moved away from the district and Tony went on to form Complex. I made visits back to Poulton over the next few years and in 1971 obtained one of the original 99 demo discs so that I could hear Tony’s new sound. At the time I didn’t appreciate the music style and so apart from sampling a few tracks the disc was hardly played. I put it to the back of the collection in my record case and that is where it stayed for almost 50 years. The case was moved to numerous flats and then houses around the country but has hardly been opened in 35 years. The disc has only been out of the case on 2 or 3 occasions. The condition of the cover is exactly as I remember it, always slightly too small for the disc.
Condition wise this copy is immaculate except for some minor spindle marks to the centre label. In the auctioneer's opinion this is a true collector's item.