*David Bowie, 1973, Aladdin Sane LP, RCA Victor RS 1001, First Press -3T / -3T, Original Inner*
An original UK first pressing of David Bowie’s 1973 album Aladdin Sane, issued on RCA Victor and widely regarded as one of the defining releases of Bowie’s early-1970s period. This example retains its correct original sleeve, orange RCA Victor labels, and the original blue lyric inner sleeve.
The album is housed in the classic white-front sleeve featuring Brian Duffy’s iconic lightning-bolt portrait, one of the most recognisable images in popular music. The record itself is the genuine early UK pressing with hand-etched matrix numbers, confirming first-press manufacture.
Pressing & Technical Details: Label: RCA Victor (orange labels) Catalogue number: RS 1001 (LSP 4852) Country: United Kingdom Year: 1973
Matrices: Side 1: CPRY 4543-3T Side 2: CPRY 4544-3T
Sleeve printer: Interpak by Shorewood Packaging Co. Ltd., England. Inner sleeve: Original blue lyric inner with lightning bolt design
Historical Note: Released in April 1973, Aladdin Sane followed directly from the success of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, capturing Bowie at the height of his creative momentum. Often described as “Ziggy goes to America”, the album reflects Bowie’s experiences touring the United States, blending glam rock with jazz-influenced piano work from Mike Garson.
Tracks such as “The Jean Genie”, “Drive-In Saturday”, and the frenetic title track helped cement Bowie’s reputation as one of the most innovative and visually daring artists of the era. Original UK pressings like this remain highly sought after by collectors.
*Condition* Sleeve: The outer sleeve shows general age-related wear, including edge and corner wear, light creasing, and handling marks consistent with use. There is noticeable wear along the top opening edge. Some overall toning to the white background is present, typical for this title. Pen marks and handwritten markings are present in places from previous ownership. Spine remains legible. Graded Good / Good+. Inner Sleeve: Correct original blue lyric inner present. Shows wear, creasing, tape repairs, and pen markings from previous ownership. Graded Good. Vinyl: The record shows multiple light surface marks and hairlines, along with some more noticeable marks consistent with a well-played vintage record. No deep gouges or cracks observed. Visually grades Very Good (VG). Expect some background noise in quieter passages typical of a VG example, but no obvious signs of skipping. Labels are clean with light spindle wear; pen marks are present on one label. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
A genuine UK first pressing of Aladdin Sane, complete with original inner sleeve and correct early matrices. While not a high-grade audiophile copy, this is an honest, playable example of a landmark Bowie album and an ideal entry-level first press for collectors.
