Blake, William; Ginsberg, Allen (Glover, Albert; Olson, Charles)

Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake, Tuned by Allen Ginsberg

New York, NY, USA: MGM Records, 1970. First Edition. LP Record in Gatefold Sleeve. Inscribed, signed, dated & placed by Allen Ginsberg to Albert Glover. "To Young Old Listeners: The songs were first composed on tape recorder, improvised on pump organ in farmhouse upstate N.Y. in two nights after returning from Democratic Convention 1968 Tear Gas Chicago. These are half the Songs of Innocence & Experience now finished to music; the rest will be completely tuned in another year. Inspiration began 21 years, half my life ago, living in Harlem, in mind's outer ear I heard (William) Blake's voice pronounce The Sun Flower and The Sick Rose (and the Little Girl Lost) and experienced an illumination of eternal Consciousness, my own heart identical with the ancient heart of the Universe." (Allen Ginsberg, from front paste-down) A 12" LP Record in illustrated gatefold sleeve with some of the poem-songs from the Songs of Innocence and of Experience cycle (1794) by William Blake (1757-1827), the iconic British poet, artist & printer; recited & set to music by Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), a Founding Father of the Beat Generation-&-Beyond, with the participation of his companion Peter Orlovsky (1933-2010). As noted by Ginsberg in his notes for the album quoted above, & well-known to Third Mind Ginsbergians, Blake's exultant poems & artworks were among the primary inspirations for Ginsberg's own works since his supernatural experience of 1948. LP record in gatefold sleeve, first edition/printing/pressing, with all points in Morgan, F24(a), pg. 360. (we note that although Morgan refers to 1969 as the year of release, Ginsberg's date of "Dec(ember) 14-15 1969" in his facsimile handwriting following his notes at front paste-down indicates the likely first release of this album as early 1970). From the collection of Albert Glover (b. 1942), the acclaimed American poet, bibliographer, editor, publisher & academician who is the foremost living authority on Charles Olson (1910-1970)- the Great (in physical & literary stature) Black Mountain School-&-Beyond poet's poet who is our favorite Maximus Obscurantist, & who mentored/annointed Glover during the 1960s. At recto of attached sheet between inner gatefold covers, Ginsberg has cursively hand-inscribed, dated & placed in bold black ink: "For / Al Glover / & / thanks for / his rare / volume / of / Olson's / letters / for / Origin / (signed)-Allen Ginsberg / Sept. 22, 1970 / Cherry Valley / N.Y." The "rare volume" that Ginsberg refers to here must certainly be Charles Olson: Letters for Origin 1950-1955 (see our item No. 8126), which was edited by Glover & first published earlier in 1970- an instant rarity which Glover apparently gifted to Ginsberg at his "farmhouse upstate N.Y." Let us pause to consider the truly Olsonian layers & ripples of significance here- Blake, Ginsberg, Olson, Glover...it just boggles our Third Minds. An extremely scarce Ginsberg collectible in its rarest contemporary form (by the way, he never got around to a second album per quote above, that we or Morgan know of); with one-of-a-kind kaleidoscopic enrichment & top-tier associations & provenance. LP record appears to be in relatively near-fine condition, still housed in its original mildly age-toned blank inner sleeve & with a few discernable short scratches, marks & sparse, light detritus at both sides. Gatefold sleeve good-to-near-fine with mild-to-moderate rubbing, mostly faint scratching & a touch of age-toning to front, back covers & spine; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same with some mild-to-moderate loss of surface paper esp. at spine-edges, corners. Interior good-to-near-fine with light age-toning, moderate spotting to paste-downs & middle leaf; slight edge & corner wear to same incl. one very short closed tear from upper edge of front paste-down; mild smudging of three lines ("for," Origin," "N.Y.") at Ginsberg's inscription; slight bleeding of ink therefrom onto opposite front paste-down slightly effecting text. Near Fine / (Gatefold Sleeve) Good- Near Fine. [Item #8289]

Price: $500.00