The Velvet Underground 3rd - back cover editions

[falconwhit]

Thank you for the recommendation. I just received a copy of this Dutch pressing today and it does sound quite nice, and it's more affordable than an original US pressing.

[Kent532]

You're welcome. Does yours have the different back cover as well? - I assume that all the dutch copies of this edition should have it, logically -

[falconwhit]

Yes - the back cover has the same photo as the front cover. And it looks better than the US split design imo.

[MJG196]

And it looks better than the US split design imo.

Using the identical photo was a good choice. Certainly better than the split photo - pure laziness! I can hear the conversation...

Record Company Guy: "We need a back cover that echoes the simplicity of the front cover, but gives the kid in the record store a bit more to bite on. Something that's gonna make him wanna buy it."

Graphic Designer: "See that photo? I'll cut it in half and we'll mirror-image it."

[iaredatsun]

I like the split image cover. I also somehow see it as a reference to the Murder Mystery track.

[Sheila Klein]

I always took the split image to be a keen illustration of the album's theme of psychic disunity:

• I think that I am upside-down …
  I'm going up and I'm going down …
  One minute up and one minute down …

• What do you think I'd see
  If I could walk away from me? …

• Here comes two of you
  Which one will you choose? …

• I saw my head laughing
  Rolling on the ground …

• But Billy said,
  That both those words are dead …

It would've been that much more powerful, though, as the front cover.

[velvetfan]

very cool find. lucky you.

[mangue]

Finally could check which version I have, bought it mid 1980s in Holland:
--backcover same picture as frontcover [same as Kent532's picture]

Backcover info - Verve Records - Stereo 2353.022
--All selections composed by The Velvet Underground. All selections published by Oakfield Avenue Music Company. Arranged and Conducted by The Velvet Underground
--℗ 1969 MGM Records, Inc.
--Marketed by Polydor / Printed in Holland

Label info - Verve Records - Stereo 2353.022
--All titles composed by L.Reed, except 3. [side 2] by J.Cale/L.Reed/S.Morrison/M.Tucker
--Arranged and Conducted by The Velvet Underground
--side 1 track 2.What Goes On (3:55) - wrong time as original US pressing [do all pressings have same mistake?]
note: difference between backcover and label info for "composed by"

Matrix numbers [very difficult to decipher]:
--side A: 2353 022 1Y 1 ℗ 1969 670 03 114
--side B: 2353 022 2Y 1 ℗ 1969 670 03 1 21
note: compared to discogs info this seems a mix-up; side A mix of variant 1&2; side B variant 3

BTW: a simple white protection innersleeve with 6/85 printed in the right lower corner [fits with the time I bought this one]

I'm generally not going into such details about my vinyl copies, so I don't know what most of the above could indicate, but this one got me very curious:
--could this be an original 1972 Dutch pressing, or most likely a later Dutch re-pressing? [but it's NOT the 1985 Polidor #2488 864!]
--what could the differences for the "composed by" info mean?
--why nowhere mentioned credits for Engineer and Photography?
--could there be a mix-up of the matrixes?
--what are the matrix numbers for other Dutch copies [e.g.for Kent532, who started this topic, and others who have]

[iaredatsun]

I always took the split image to be a keen illustration of the album's theme of psychic disunity:

• I think that I am upside-down …
  I'm going up and I'm going down …
  One minute up and one minute down …

• What do you think I'd see
  If I could walk away from me? …

• Here comes two of you
  Which one will you choose? …

• I saw my head laughing
  Rolling on the ground …

• But Billy said,
  That both those words are dead …

It would've been that much more powerful, though, as the front cover.

Good points, Phil.

[Kent532]

Answering Mangue's question, mine is:

Matrix numbers [very difficult to decipher]:
--side A: 2353 022 1Y 1 ℗ 1969 670 03 1 12
--side B: 2353 022 2Y 1 ℗ 1969 670 03 1 21

So, almost as yours except for the last number of side A. What it means, I have no idea. I'd like to think that it is a 72 original but it's hard to know if there were some other Dutch editions during the 70's - I have my doubts though -