1959 STILL SEALED RCA 45 RPM EP Elvis Presley's The Real Elvis (EPA-5120)

Offered is very rare STILL SEALED copy of Elvis Presley's EP The Real Elvis (EPA-5120, RCA 45 RPM EP). The original EP of this title was initially released in 1956, but the offered copy is from RCA's 1959 “GOLD STANDARD SERIES.” Starting in 1955, RCA began to offer successful singles and EP s as re-issues in their Gold Standard line. While often the singles of a particular artist were re-paired with other successful songs (cutting out the “dogs” as one RCA executive described the less successful singles), the offered extended play features the same four songs from the intiial release. “Don't Be Cruel” and “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” on Side 1 and “Hound Dog” and “My Baby Left Me” on Side 2. The offered example presents with its bag intact, promoting the “Nationally Advertised Price” of “$1.29” with the “Gold Standard Series” logo.

During the period, these plastic bags were used to seal some new records, while some sealed records featured the tighter cellophane wrapping—in later periods this became shrinkwrapped plastic. While the practice of listening to records before you bought them in the shop was still common practice at many record stores in the mid-1950s and early 1960s, the sealed record was gaining in popularity. It both protected the record from unnecessary handling, and provided record labels and retailers a surface on which to add and change pricing as well as promote the records. The offered EP presents with little to no wear, and the bag still maintains its integrity including its original perforated section near the bottom. We can only assume that the record inside has been incredibly well-preserved. The sleeve is in STUNNING Near Mint condition.