METROPOLIS - Take off with the crowd 7'' pre-AVATAR on ebay

ION BRITTON · Post by **ION BRITTON** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:02 am

Anyone know something about the originality of this ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-7-Vinyl- ... 27cbe8b98a

I found a small difference comparing it to the '06 copy that is listed on popsike: On the label letter 'A' of U.S.A. is 'touching' letter 'I' of ATLANTIS, something that doesn't happen in the copy that is currently listed on ebay. Is this a common phenomenon when labels are printed or it shouldnt have happened at all? Also, why the flyers say METROPLIS instead of METROPOLIS? Where all these originally given away for free with the 7''?

photo of '06 copy found at popsike

Prowler · Post by **Prowler** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:16 am

You're right, looks suspicious ... especially a 1978 7" that looks absolutely mint! If you compare the popsike EP you can see a little damage at the inner hole from playing the record. On the actual ebay pic there's nothing, absolutely nothing to see that this EP was ever played. Sure could be, but how real does that sound?

ION BRITTON · Post by **ION BRITTON** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:26 am

Yes, ebay copy looks almost unplayed, it seems its in an exceptionally good condition for a sleeveless '78 7'', but it could be the poor/inappropriate lighting that deceives us. I have doubts about the authenticity of the flyers as well. They could all have been written/printed long time afterwards, I mean the band surely must have been asked and shared info about its early days numerous times over the years.. Can't be perfectly sure though.

lunaboy · Post by **lunaboy** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:19 am

Hmmm.But when I checked eBay feedback as BUYER it shows,that he bought METROPOLIS from US seller.I think he just want to re-sell this 7" and also he said these flyers aren't original.He added them just to increase price.

ION BRITTON · Post by **ION BRITTON** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:38 am

Yeah, I just saw his purchase on his feedback. Still, can anyone explain the small difference I spotted on the label? In the description he says that the flyers are reprints, but I doubt these things were officially made in the first place.

Cyrcka · Post by **Cyrcka** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:42 am

the flyer and the insert looks like was xeroxed recently, looks like new! Also the photo looks like home made, i mean, seems that the logo was glued (theres some letters underneath) and also the photo in some paper photo and then was photocopied. But this is only for the band collectors, because the 2 trax are very average stuff.

lunaboy · Post by **lunaboy** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:51 am

ION BRITTON wrote:Yeah, I just saw his purchase on his feedback. Still, can anyone explain the small difference I spotted on the label? In the description he says that the flyers are reprints, but I doubt these things were officially made in the first place.

Yes.Difference on label is clear,but there's just 2 images on popsike to compare each to other.Maybe members of this board who have copy can explain this.

Prowler · Post by **Prowler** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:56 am

To produce such a difference there's only 1 way, the label must have been designed and printed twice! If you print a label at the pressing plant it costs the plant money, so they FOR SURE won't print 2 different versions by themselves. So wether it's a re-press ordered by the band (means there must be 2 editions of the EP being available or someone has tried to make a bootleg but then he must have tried to find a pic of the original background pic of the original label and typing all text by himself while always has to take care that the size of the letters is identical which sounds even more absurd). That's a pretty hard task to find out why there's such a difference unless someone knows a band member.

Khnud · Post by **Khnud** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:59 pm

Here's the copy the seller bought in February, and is trying to resell for twice the price:.

http://www.popsike.com/METROPOLIS-USA-L ... 67578.html

And the 06 copy:

http://www.popsike.com/METROPOLIS-USA-R ... 53243.html

Labels are slightly different, as previously noted.

Glockose · Post by **Glockose** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 2:14 pm

it looks real to me...

As for the fliers they are copies of the originals and have been floating around for a long time.

I got copies of these when I purchased a copy of the 45 from the band back in 1999

ION BRITTON · Post by **ION BRITTON** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:43 pm

Prowler wrote:To produce such a difference there's only 1 way, the label must have been designed and printed twice! If you print a label at the pressing plant it costs the plant money, so they FOR SURE won't print 2 different versions by themselves. So wether it's a re-press ordered by the band (means there must be 2 editions of the EP being available or someone has tried to make a bootleg but then he must have tried to find a pic of the original background pic of the original label and typing all text by himself while always has to take care that the size of the letters is identical which sounds even more absurd). That's a pretty hard task to find out why there's such a difference unless someone knows a band member.

Can someone who's into music business confirm that the situation is as described above?

How possible is it to have two slightly different labels that come from the same pressing? Or is it not possible at all?

Glockose · Post by **Glockose** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:16 pm

It is very possable

This was a BIG label, NOT PRIVATE.
They put out at least 50-60 45's and a few LP's (Mostly gosple)
Most with the same color skeem.

If you already have the Atlantis name printed and then just type set the rest for each release. There is no way all the labels are centered perfect.

ION BRITTON · Post by **ION BRITTON** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:21 pm

Glockose wrote: If you already have the Atlantis name printed and then just type set the rest for each release. There is no way all the labels are centered perfect.

Are you referring to a decentering of two completely different releases of the same label or to a possible decentering among copies of the same release?

Glockose · Post by **Glockose** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:37 pm

The same release.

If you already have labels printed with the Atlantis name and Logo (city line) and then for every release put them on the press with differany Type set(band name song titles......) there is no way to have all the paper centered.

I don't know how else to make you understand.

THERE IS ONLY ONE PRESS OF THIS RECORD

ION BRITTON · Post by **ION BRITTON** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 7:48 pm

It's clear enough now.

I was not talking about two original pressings of this release. I was thinking that maybe the seller tried to make a boot out of an original copy he got in his hands at some point but failed to make the label look exactly the same. Most probably that's not the case here.