Jester - s/t on Erika Records 1985

[Northwinds]

I was at our local fleamarket in Mansfield yesterday and came across this lp sealed. The vendor selling it had probaly 5 or 6 cardboard boxes of sealed lps, all genres. However, probably half of them had water/moisture damage of some sort. I flipped through them because he said it was a new batch (he claims to have about 7000 sealed lps to sell) and I have found a few gems in is previous offerings. Mind you these are a $1US each! After sorting through a bunch of Anne Murray, REO Speedwagon, Cher, Bobby Vinton, tons of disco era stuff and other chud, I hit this lp Jester

Never heard of them but I recollect that Jim sold one on eBay a few years ago. It had water damage at the top of the cover but being sealed and only $1, it was worth the minimal investment

So, I get it home and break the shrink, the rightside of the jacket is pretty hosed

Pull out the vinyl and it's clear red. Had some crap on it from the moisture from the jacket damage on it so I gave it a quick gentle cleaning and filed it away until I could get a chance to give it a final cleanup

But, sitting here this morning drinking my 3rd coffee, it popped in my head to just give it a listen while I was attending to some other stuff

This band sounded very similiar to early Liege Lord. Other then a few bar friendly ballads that very actually decent, they ripped into that hard driving pre-thrash early 80s metal I grew up with

Both lead guitarist's were way better then average for a local unsigned band. Singer has a great rangem typical Liege Lord vox highs. This is another band that deserves a mention and a what if... had they stayed together or got the right management

I am hoping next Sunday that I can find other copies. This looks like OSS as there were multiples of a lot of the lps in the boxes

Should you have an opportunity to get a copy, I have no clue how many were actually released, BUY IT

Their Fanclub address was shown as Bellflower, California which is the same town were Erika Records is located (at that time if they still exist)

This is a 5 track 33 1/3, best track IMO is Follower though all of them were easily listenable, in fact put a smile on my face. Best $1 I have spent in a long time. I grabbed some other killer stuff to, more of the classic hard rock variety including some obscuros

Anybody else ever hear of these guys or have copies?

EDITED to add images and fix a few typos

[Glockose]

I was at our local fleamarket in Mansfield yesterday and came across this lp sealed. The vendor selling it had probaly 5 or 6 cardboard boxes of sealed lps, all genres. However, probably half of them had water/moisture damage of some sort. I flipped through them because he said it was a new batch (he claims to have about 7000 sealed lps to sell) and I have found a few gems in is previous offerings. Mind you these are a $1US each! After sorting through a bunch of Anne Murray, REO Speedwagon, Cher, Bobby Vinton, tons of disco era stuff and other chud, I hit this lp Jester

Never heard of them but I recollect that Jim sold one on eBay a few years ago. It had water damage at the top of the cover but being sealed and only $1, it was worth the minimal inestment

So, I get it home and break the shrink, the rightside of the jacket is pretty hosed

Pull out the vinyl and it's clear red. Had some crap on it from the moiture from the jacket damage on it so I gave it a quick gentle cleaning and filed it away until I could get a chance to give it a final cleanup

But, sitting here this morning drinking my 3rd coffee, it popped in my head to just give it a listen while I was attending to some other stuff

This band sounded very similiar to early Liege Lord. Other then a few bar friendly ballads that very actually decent, they ripped into that hard driving pre-thrash early 80s metal I grew up with

Both lead guitarist's were way better then average for a local unsigned band. Singer has a great rangem typical Liege Lord vox highs. This is another band that deserves a mention and a what if... had they stayed together or got the right management

I am hoping next Sunday that I can find other copies. This looks like OSS as there were mulitples of a lot of the lps in the boxes

Should you have an opportunity to get a copy, I have no clue how many were actually released, BUY IT

Their Fanclub address was shown as Bellflower, California which is the same town were Erika Records is

This is a 5 track 33 1/3, best track IMO is Follower though all of them were easily listenable, in fact put a smile on my face. Best $1 I have spent in a long time. I grabbed some other killer stuff to, more of the classic hard rock variety including some obscuros

Anybody else ever hear of these guys or have copies?

The band was from PA, It was pressed at Erika.
There is a copy of ebay right now SS I think.
At least 500 pressed but I would think 1000

[Prowler]

Pretty good US Metal and for that 1 $ a real steal even though the sleeve is ugly damaged. Usually copies do sell in the 40 $ regions ...
You should put a pro printed sticker with both cover scans on a neutral sleeve and this way you'll get a great looking sleeve. Did that myself a few times.

[Khnud]

I've been looking for a copy for some time now. Have my eye on the ebay copy, but the increased exposure this thread has given it, I'm sure someone else will bid more than me.

[Northwinds]

I've been looking for a copy for some time now. Have my eye on the ebay copy, but the increased exposure this thread has given it, I'm sure someone else will bid more than me.

If he has any other copies (I would imagine they would be sealed) I would be willing to swap you a copy for something I can use. The odds that any other copies would be damaged are 50/50 I would say. He had boxes of stuff untouched clean and other boxes with moisture damage

[Aiden]

That's fairly cool Northwinds. Best of luck finding more stuff. Pity about the water damage but you can't buy much for $1 these days!!

[Northwinds]

I've been looking for a copy for some time now. Have my eye on the ebay copy, but the increased exposure this thread has given it, I'm sure someone else will bid more than me.

$187

[Khnud]

Just as I suspected.

[Glockose]

The record sold BIG for this reason. NOT because it is good. or HEAVY METAL.....


Troy Dean Van Leeuwen started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester,

Van Leeuwen went on to play with Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's alternative rock supergroup A Perfect Circle. The band's debut album Mer De Noms became the highest ever debut for a rock band, with 188,000 copies sold in its first week.

After recording three tracks on A Perfect Circle's second album, Van Leeuwen successfully auditioned for Josh Homme's Queens of the Stone Age, and was welcomed into the band as their second guitar player. In addition to guitar, Van Leeuwen was also required to play lap steel and keyboards. Since joining the band in 2002, Van Leeuwen has recorded two studio albums - Lullabies to Paralyze in 2005 and Era Vulgaris in 2007 - as well as recorded with various band members' side projects such as The Desert Sessions, Mondo Generator, Eagles of Death Metal and The Gutter Twins. He created his first side project Enemy in 2005, but currently is with his new side project, Sweethead.

[Northwinds]

The record sold BIG for this reason. NOT because it is good. or HEAVY METAL.....


Troy Dean Van Leeuwen started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester,

Van Leeuwen went on to play with Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's alternative rock supergroup A Perfect Circle. The band's debut album Mer De Noms became the highest ever debut for a rock band, with 188,000 copies sold in its first week.

After recording three tracks on A Perfect Circle's second album, Van Leeuwen successfully auditioned for Josh Homme's Queens of the Stone Age, and was welcomed into the band as their second guitar player. In addition to guitar, Van Leeuwen was also required to play lap steel and keyboards. Since joining the band in 2002, Van Leeuwen has recorded two studio albums - Lullabies to Paralyze in 2005 and Era Vulgaris in 2007 - as well as recorded with various band members' side projects such as The Desert Sessions, Mondo Generator, Eagles of Death Metal and The Gutter Twins. He created his first side project Enemy in 2005, but currently is with his new side project, Sweethead.

Interesting info from Wiki but I have to assume someone just actually wanted it more then someone else

Case in point... why is the Czar 7" held in such high regard? I know Joe, grew up with him in fact and he does not even take the 7" seriously which is why the Master is slowly rotting away unclaimed at MCE/HullyGully. Joe plays in Dishevelled (Pantera influenced) now in the Albany area. The Czar 7" was important to me because my original copy was stolen in the late 80s and I was willing to pay Jim top dollar for it just to get it back in my collection in the same complete minty condition, not because it sounded good or anything. I like the 7" a lot, it was pretty heavy for it's time but most guitar players dismiss it since Joe could not play a real solo to save his life back then besides some whammy bar trickery. I paid just over $200 for it a few years ago because I wanted it, not because it was a stupendous release. Before the Internet age, that 7" would have been fogotten just like so many other local acts

[doomedplanet]

Czar is a great single, good example of small label early 80's US metal. It is in high regard because of this. It was known and collectible pre-internet. Sleeved copies have been scarce for a long time.

[Glockose]

I really don't think I can help you.

To metal folks the Jester LP is 50-$75.
(I know Jim got 100) But that was JIM, And yes there is a differance.

Jester going for 180 has to do with Other collectors getting in on the bidding NOT JUST METAL folks.

Hey I thought that was pretty easy to figure out. But ....
It's really hard for me to believe you cant figure these things out.

Sorry I am not tring to give you a hard time, I thought I was helping you learn but I guess thats not going to work.

[Glockose]

Czar is a great single, good example of small label early 80's US metal. It is in high regard because of this. It was known and collectible pre-internet. Sleeved copies have been scarce for a long time.

100% correct, copies missing the PS sold for 100+ 15 years ago

[Northwinds]

Czar is a great single, good example of small label early 80's US metal. It is in high regard because of this. It was known and collectible pre-internet. Sleeved copies have been scarce for a long time.

100% correct, copies missing the PS sold for 100+ 15 years ago

I guess I was fortunate then. I have had several copies over the years waiting for a complete copy and never paid more then $35 personally in that same timeframe. Last Vestige in Albany sold them for around $40 when they had them in stock prior to the recent full copy they sold on eBay within the last year. I sold one on eBay a year or so ago and it went for over $100. Last one I personally purchased on eBay (naked) was around $35 2 or 3 years ago from a seller who found 5 copies somewhere in Vermont

If you dig Czar, check out Joe's band now, heavily influenced by Pantera

http://www.myspace.com/dishevelledny/mu ... r-46962594

[nightsblood]

Sleeved Czars are a bitch to find these days; I've seen 3 of them offered for sale since 2007, and they all brought at least $200. Unsleeved ones turn up from time to time and the price fluctuates; sometimes they still push $100, sometimes they're as little as $35-ish, and everything in-between. The price for sleeved copies is a function of several factors:
It's been known to collectors for a long time, including circulation on boot cds.
It has 2 strong, heavy tunes on it
It has a pic sleeve
Qty has never turned up
All this adds up to a single that's gonna bring a couple of hundred in today's collecting market.
I have no idea if disheveled are popular or not; if so, that's another factor in its favor