"RAM"
PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY
APPLE MAS-3375 MONAURAL
WEST COAST, LOS ANGELES PRESSING
ISSUED: 5/17/71

INCREDIBLY-SUPER RARE 'MONAURAL' PRESSING
 
ISSUED IN THE MONO FORMAT IN VERY LIMITED QUANTITY
ONLY FOR VERY FEW RADIO STATIONS IN THE U.S.A.

INCLUDES DJ RADIO STATION COPY OF THE "STEREO" COVER & DISC

CONDITION: (RECORD) NM (-)
ITEM#: PM092
PRICE: $21,500

4.7.24

"Ram" is the only studio album credited to the husband-and-wife music duo Paul and Linda McCartney, and PAUL'S second album post-Beatles BREAK-UP. Released on May 17, 1971 by Apple Records, it was recorded in New York with guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken, and future Wings drummer Denny Seiwell. Three singles were issued from the album: "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey", (PAUL'S first number 1 hit in America without the Beatles), "The Back Seat of My Car" and "Eat at Home". The recording sessions also yielded the non-album single "Another Day".

The album's release coincided with a period of acrimony between PAUL and his former Beatle band mates, and followed his legal action in the United Kingdom's High Court to dissolve the Beatles partnership. Today, "Ram" is held in high regard by many music critics and is often ranked as one of HIS best albums. It has also been recognized as an early indie pop album.

AS MONO WAS BEING PHASED OUT IN AMERICA IN LATE 1967, MONAURAL COPIES OF LP RECORD ALBUMS BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY RARER THAN THEIR STEREO COUNTERPARTS FOR NOT MANY WERE PRESSED, AND By 1970, IN A MERE THREE YEARS, mono was dead AND BURIED. the industry had risen up and squashed it like a bug beneath the shimmering brilliance of stereo sound. A number of radio stations still appreciated it, and new singles pressed for RADIO DJ use, regularly featured a stereo mix of the song on one side, and a mono mix on the other. VERY FEW Mono promos of LP ALBUMS STILL appeared on occasion.

IN MAY OF 1971 It was not then notable OR NOTICEABLE AT ALL when paul had Apple press a VERY MINIMAL AND small quantity of his second solo album in marvelous mono AND DISTRIBUTED SOLELY TO MOSTLY AM RADIO STATIONS IN AMERICA. what is eyebrow-raising is the value attached to copies of these rarities that have surfaced today.

The mono catalog number and MONAURAL legend on the labelS are the only visibly distinguishing factors, for there were no promo markings, nor was there a custom sleeve. Rather, most copies were delivered sharing a jacket with the regular stereo issue, and many were probably passed by without a second glance. Today, of course, it’s a different story.

FAB 4 COLLECTIBLES IS MOST PROUD TO FINALLY OFFER ONE OF THE ALL-TIME RAREST SOLO BEATLES - OR ANY BEATLES ALBUM -  IN EXISTENCE.  THIS MEGA-RARE ORIGINAL MONAURAL ISSUE OF PAUL McCARTNEY'S CLASSIC, "RAM" ALBUM IS IN OUTSTANDING CONDITION, AND IS THE VERY FIRST TIME IN OUR 25 YEARS IN BUSINESS OFFERING ONE OF THESE COVETED ALBUMS, WHICH WERE PRESSED IN VERY LIMITED QUANTITY IN THE MONO FORMAT AND SENT TO THOSE PRECIOUS FEW RADIO STATIONS IN THE U.S.A. THAT STILL PLAYED ANYTHING IN MONO BY THAT TIME.

created by THE ALBUM'S recording engineer Eirik ("The Norwegian") Wangberg, This ORIGINAL monaural version is not MERELY a TWO-TO-ONE "MIX-down" of the stereo ALBUM, it is INDEED a true mono mix. THE DISC CONTAINS UNIQUE MONO MIXES THAT HAVE NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCES FROM THE SONGS ON THE STEREO RELEASED ALBUM.  as indicated by the asterisk in the trail-off area, This genuine MONO issue was pressed by Capitol'S FACTORY in Los Angeles. Handwritten matrix numbers read "MAS-1-3375-F-1" on side one and "MAS-2-3375-F-1" on side two.

WITH ONLY LESS THAN 10 OF THESE RARE GEMS KNOWN TO EXIST AT ALL TODAY,  IT'S TRULY A WONDER TO SET ONE'S SIGHT ON THESE APPLE LABELS AND ACTUALLY SEE THE FACTORY PRINT "MONAURAL" AND "MAS-3375",  BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS - AN EXTREMELY LIMITED, VERY SPECIAL PRESSING OF THE ALBUM MANUFACTURED FOR A VERY SPECIFIC REASON.

THE CONDITION IS A BRILLIANT NEAR MINT ON THE LABELS AND A SPECTACULAR NEAR MINT (BORDERS VERY SLIGHTLY ON NM-) ON THE VINYL. NO WARPING, NO CHIPS, NO CRACKS. THE FABULOUS DISC DISPLAYS A HIGH-GLOSS SHIMMERING SHEEN WITH DEEP CLEAN GROOVES. This DISC HAS SEEN VERY MINIMAL PLAY TIME AND REPRESENTS one of the better condition examples known to exist and one of the rarest records EVER. It DISPLAYS BEAUTIFULLY and plays WONDERFULLY.
 

AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THESE MONAURAL DISCS WERE ISSUED EITHER IN PLAIN WHITE COVERS OR THE "RAM" STANDARD STEREO COMMERCIAL GATEFOLD COVERS. this copy IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING STANDARD STEREO COMMERCIAL GATEFOLD COVER, THAT WAS INCLUDED IN A COLLECTION recently ACQUIRED FROM A DJ WHO WORKED FOR A radio station in Michigan IN THE 1970'S.

INTERESTINGLY, WHAT REMAINS ON THE BACK COVER OF THIS DJ COPY, ADHERED BY SCOTCH-TAPE IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER IS THE RADIO STATION'S ORIGINAL TYPED-WRITTEN SHEET WITH THE CENTERED TITLE "RAM", AND THE TRACK LISTINGS FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE ALBUM. OBVIOUSLY, THIS WAS DONE FOR EASIER REFERENCE ACCESS TO THE TRACKS WITHOUT HAVING TO OPEN THE GATEFOLD TO SEE THE TRACK LISTINGS.
 

THIS COVER IS ACCOMPANIED BY ITS ORIGINAL NEAR MINT STEREO WEST COAST FIRST PRESSING OF "RAM" (WITH THE RARER CAPITOL LOGO 'SUBSIDIARY' PERIMETER PRINT LABEL), AND IS ALSO INCLUDED WITH THE MAJESTIC MONAURAL WEST COAST PRESSING, MAKING THIS PACKAGE COMPLETE.

ACCOMPANIED BY A LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY FROM PERRY COX, BEATLES U.S. RECORDS EXPERT. AUTHOR OF "THE BEATLES RECORD PRICE GUIDE" SERIES OF BOOKS, PURVEYOR OF VINTAGE ROCK AND POP MEMORABILIA AND AUTOGRAPHS.