Difference between revisions of "The Last Magician Of Rational Thought"

Latest revision as of 21:36, 28 March 2020

The Last Magician Of Rational Thought - cut from the back cover - view of the cover notes

The Last Magician Of Rational Thought - Cover (Front)

This is the fourth of Palazzograssi's bootleg production.
The first release was Silence Is Platinum, the second one
was the Victims Of Circumstance 7" single and the third
was to be Reverberation Across The Nation, which first got
postponed, but then never saw the light of day.

Back cover with a number above 1526

Release Notes

• Label: Palazzograssi Records Inc.

• Catalogue#: PG04

• Format: 7" Vinyl Single

• Release Date: 1988

General remarks

• Pressed on white vinyl. The records play at 33rpm.

• According to the back cover notes this EP is limited
  to 1526 copies, although copies with higher numbers
  have also been seen, see the image on the right.

• The labels are either plain white or black. The black ones
  have the bootleg title spread with "The Last Magician" and "A"
  on Side 1 and "Of Rational Thought" and "B" on the b-side.

• A-side ROGI: "PG04-A", B-side ROGI: "PG04-B"

• The back cover image is a modified version of the Floodland
  back coverart. The lettering and the faces of Andrew Eldritch
  and Patricia Morrison were removed, the image cut and the
  contrast increased, see the images down below.

Sources

• As noted on the cover back the four tracks featured on this EP
  were recorded on January 11th 1985 and are alternative studio
  recordings taken before the final sessions of the First And Last And Always album.

A very interesting article on how the tracks for this bootleg were chosen and produced
by the Phantom Twins is available in the HEAVYLEATHER blog bootlegs archive under
The Sisters Of Mercy – The Last Magician Of Rational Thought.

Track List

Numbered green print standard cover (back)

Varieties

A number of varietes exist which can basically be described as:

The Standard Versions

• white sleeves with red text, numbering on the back, plain white labels on white vinyl

• white sleeves with red text, numbering on the back, black labels on white vinyl

• white sleeves with green text, numbering on the back, plain white labels on white vinyl

• white sleeves with green text, numbering on the back, black labels on white vinyl

These are the numbered copies of the common limited edition of 1,500 copies.

The "26" missing from the given limited-edition number of 1,526 refers to a series of copies

coming in silver gatefold sleeves with green text, which can be describes as:

• numbered with the letters from A - Z

• white vinyl singles with plain white labels

• the letter A exists twice

White sleeve with red print version

Cover and vinyl with black label

Red print version - back cover and vinyl with black label

White sleeve with green print

Numbered red print standard cover (back)

Silver Gatefold Edition with an insert that looks like the standard red print cover version and black-label vinyl

Special Edition
Apart from the above issues, a Special Edition of some 26 further copies was released.
These have white gatefold covers with red or green print. The vinyls are white with plain white labels.
They are numbered from A - Z on the back. The inside of the gatefold covers is silver.

Special Edition - white gatefold sleeve, red print

Special Edition - The inside is silver.

Gatefold version with green print, numbered A-Z (overview)

Special Edition with white vinyl

Unique issue with b/w textured card sleeve

Back cover without numbering or text

Unreleased Editions & Cover Test Prints

• A second set of standard versions (white covers with red or
  green print and black-label vinyl), i.e. the numbers
  002 (red text edition) and 602 (green text edition), were not released.

• A second gatefold edition of 26 numbered from A - Z similar to the
  released version but with Palazzograssi in black instead of green
  letters on the back cover was produced as for private distribution but
  never got that far. The accompanying vinyls have plain white labels.
  The covers are glossy silver gatefold sleeves with green print.

• More or less logically, a set of promos was produced as well. The
  sleeves are gatefold ones in silver with green text but without any
  numbering on the back. The issue came with white labels on white
  vinyl and have been kept for private use only. We have no information
  on how many of these exist.

• One unique issue exists which has a white textured card cover with
  black outline text. This copy is neither numbered and nor has it the
  usual Palazzograssi print on the back, see the picture on the right.

• Furthermore, some glossy blue testproof covers were produced
  of which only very few exist. Allegedly, the accompanying vinyls have
  white labels with someblack print on them. However, so far we have not
  been able to find any photographic evidence for the latter. Although only
  few were made, the existing ones are marked with the letters starting
  from A towards Z.

• Finally, there are some glossy silver covers with green print which served as testproofs for the original gatefold version,
  while these covers themselves are not gatefold. And there is no vinyl attached to them, either. However, just like with
  the blue testproofs, only few were printed and marked with the letters starting from A towards Z on the back.

Glossy testproof covers

Glossy testproof covers - front

Glossy testproof covers - back

Glossy silver testproof with green print (front)

Glossy blue test sleeve numbered "V" (front)

Glossy blue test sleeve numbered "V" (back)

Additional Pictures

Simulating the creation of the back coverart for this bootleg

Floodland - Coverart (front)

Letters and faces covered with black ink

A strong contrast filter is applied

Bootleg Cover (back)