Which One Is Authentic?

Which One Is Authentic?

A. Special Broadcast Jam Sessions/Charlie Christian-Wes Montgomery/Beppo BE-KOG 14800
B. King Of The Guitar/Wes Montgomery/special broadcast jam session/Beppo BE-KOG 14800
C. King Of The Guitar/Wes Montgomery/special broadcast jam session/Beppo BE-KOG 14800

These three records are officially titled as above. The first one, with its unique left-side jacket, was a surprising find at a used record store in Osaka, unlike the commonly seen two versions of King Of The Guitar. At first, I doubted my eyes, but the tracklist matched, confirming it as a Boris Rose private pressing. It was a truly unbelievable encounter on May 13, 2000, after years of Wes collecting.

This unbelievable pressing differs from the other two versions. Besides the front jacket design, the back includes liner notes titled “Guitars of Greatness” by someone named E.S. Spoe, with descriptions of Wes, Christian, Teddy Byrne, and Billy Bauer. The third person on the jacket is likely Teddy Byrne.

The release date is crucial. Even as a private pressing, it needs an original designation. These records were released between 1970 and 1975, but even in the 80s, the same tracks appeared on unrelated illustrated jackets.

To identify the original, look at the center label’s hand-engraved record number on the looped space outside the grooves. Here’s a comparison of the three records:

A.beppo green : Side A【BE-KOG 14800 A】    Side B【BE-KOG 14800 B】
B.beppo pink  : Side A【BE-KOG 14800 A】    Side B【BE-KOG 14800 B】
              : Side A【BE-KOG 14800 A-2】  Side B【BE-KOG 14800 B-2】
C.beppo blue  : Side A【BE-KOG 14800 A-2】  Side B【BE-KOG 14800 B-2】

The Beppo Pink has two sets of engravings, with “A-1” indicating a first press, while “A-2” signifies a second press.

There is also mysterious vertical writing on the bottom right of the Beppo Pink and Blue jackets, which translates to: “This album is placed in relation to ‘Kool Mastersounds’ in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photos by ‘Kool Ray 2.'”

Here’s my theory: Boris Rose likely released Beppo Green as the first press but faced copyright issues. Subsequently, Beppo Pink was re-released, possibly with an arrangement with “Kool Mastersounds.” Once sold out, the second press versions (Beppo Pink and Blue) followed. Usually, one press run is around a thousand copies, but these were likely recalled before selling out, leading to limited imports to Japan. The first press had better jacket quality, hinting at its authenticity.

However, the record number [BEPPO-KOG 14800] includes “KOG,” part of the second press title “King Of The Guitar.” If the first press lacked this title anywhere, it’s puzzling.

For discography purposes, I’d like to consider Beppo Green as the original. If anyone has information, please reach out.

Addendum: June 1
Another perspective: Comparing Beppo Green and Beppo Pink revealed Beppo Pink’s superior sound quality. This suggests that the original Beppo Green’s poor quality might have led to its recall (if it happened) and the re-release as Beppo Pink. It’s rare for private pressings to have varied jackets, indicating high sales. Notably, Boris’s records often had liner notes by E.S. Spoe, like “Chazzer” and “Mopaque.” Collectors confirm early records frequently had liner notes and variable jacket designs.