Volume 5: The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death

The Riverboat pre-release subscription edition, 1965:

The 1967 Riverboat release:

The 1973 Takoma reissue:

Circa 1983 Allegiance Reissue:

This album was first released in a numbered limited edition of 50 copies with hand-written labels. The copy shown here is #1. Interestingly, this label shows the record as being 'IV' but Riverboat's February 1967 commercial release was of course 'Volume 5'. The Riverboat copies are pressed on a strange semi-translucent vinyl (try holding one up to the light). Early copies are all peppered with small craters; later copies are less translucent and have a flat surface. Takoma acquired the Riverboat metals and continued to use them for their own pressings.

Volume 6: Days Have Gone By

The original 1967 release:

Circa 1968:

Circa 1972:

Circa 1975:

The last Fahey album to be officially released in mono, and the last to use the black and silver label with the two horizontal lines. The 1975 label design is unusual in retaining the black rim of the 1972 design. Once again a single wrap cover which didn't disappear from circulation until circa 1976, when Takoma had some two sheet covers printed. Neither sleeve indicates whether the record within was mono or stereo; later records were labelled as stereo but were as usual the mono pressings. This was the only album where Tom Weller's 'psychedelic' era cover survived until the end; the three for Volumes 1-3 were replaced very quickly. Note the missing 'y' from 'factory' across all these label designs, which were obviously not prepared by anyone familiar with Fahey's intentions!
Takoma originally listed this album in April 1967 as due soon; at that point they were intending to call it 'The Portland Cement Factory at Monolith, California'. Shame, it's a great album title!

Requia

The original 1967 release:

Circa 1968:

Circa 1978:

Although Vanguard switched from a bronze to a champagne label (abandoning the 'STEREOLAB' moniker at the same time) in 1968, the original 1967 label (and sleeve, which also included the mono release details) remained available until well into the 1980s as old stock.

If you have a copy of the mono release of this album, and are able to let me have photos, I would be very grateful.

The Voice of the Turtle

Unreleased, circa 1967:

The 1968 Release:

Circa 1970:

Circa 1972:

Circa 1973:

Circa 1975:

Many of you will know that this album originally came in two different versions - one has 11 tracks, the other 12 with a considerable number of differences. Contrary to widespread belief the original release has the black & silver label shown here, which is found in both versions. Only one of these appears on the CD reissue. The existence of the second version isn't even mentioned in the CD's notes, and that CD needs a complete overhaul both with quality and content. So if you only have the CD or a post-1973 pressing of the album you probably won't have heard these tracks, recorded off the original 1968 LP shown here; click on the links below to get the mp3 downloads:

Bottleneck Blues - edited version to that on later album and CD

Bean Vine Blues - a completely different song; Joe Bussard Jnr. & Fahey.

A Raga Called Pat, Part III - a different mix, and considerably longer than the CD version.

A Raga Called Pat, Part IV - a different mix.

Train (shown on the label as 'The Little Train That Couldn't') - again, a completely different song, this is an outtake from the 'Transfiguration' sessions, with Fahey, L Mayne Smith and Mark Levine.

And here are four outtakes from the album: ....Lo How A Rose .... Kuolema .... Leaving Home .... Texas & Pacific Blues

The International Fahey Committee have a lot of really interesting stuff to say about this album. Sadly, at the time of posting this there are a few significant inaccuracies there too; for a detailed look at the complex history of the album you should read my 'Mystery of the Turtle' post.

(A note to the Concord Music Group: Please sort the 'Turtle' CD. These tracks and the others should be on it too, and you could master the whole thing rather better than Fantasy managed while you're about it.)

The Yellow Princess

The original 1968 release:

Circa 1978:

The New Possibility. John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album

The original 1968 release:

Circa 1970:

Circa 1973:

Circa 1975:

Circa 1977:

Circa 1983 Allegiance reissue:

Thel ast of Fahey's albums to use the black & silver label, although it's difficult to find.

As is so often the case, the orange label says 'monaural' although the record itself is stereo.

The 1976 style dragon label shown for this record is very unusual in being in black and ivory; the ivory is a very good match with the colour of the textured Takoma sleeve although that appears to be coincidence. This is the last Takoma label that doesn't show the title of the album.

Some copies of this album have sleeve notes on the back, some don't; I believe that only later pressings lack them, but that Takoma continued to use both sleeves. Maybe the sleeves without notes were intended for the non-Christian market.

Takoma era sleeves have the 'T' logo in the upper right-hand corner; this is removed from the re-issues.

Thanks to Malcolm Kirton for photographing the orange labels for me.