Elton John – Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975 LP Original Canadian MCA Custom Picture Label Gatefold Pressing w/ Lyric Booklet) - EX/NM Vintage Vinyl (MCA-2142)

Catalog a landmark 1975 autobiographical concept album complete with its original Alan Aldridge gatefold jacket and illustrated lyric booklet for your archival inventory: Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy by Elton John. Made in Canada by MCA Records (Canada) on custom illustrated Captain Fantastic MCA Records labels (MCA-2142; matrix labels MCA734 / MCA735; SIDE ONE / SIDE TWO), this 12-inch vinyl LP was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, produced by Gus Dudgeon, engineered by Jeff Guercio (assisted by Mark Guercio) at Caribou Ranch (Colorado), and remixed by Gus Dudgeon and Phil Dunne at The Marquee Studios (London), with orchestration on "Tell Me When The Whistle Blows" arranged by Gene Page. Featuring Elton John, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson, and Ray Cooper, the 10-track sequence spans Side One ("Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy", "Tower Of Babel", "Bitter Fingers", "Tell Me When The Whistle Blows", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight") and Side Two ("(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket", "Better Off Dead", "Writing", "We All Fall In Love Sometimes", "Curtains"). Housed in its original gatefold outer sleeve (MCA-2142) featuring cover design and surrealist illustrations by Alan Aldridge and Harry Willock (with lettering help from Geoff Halpin at Bloomsbury Group) and graphics concept/art direction by David Larkham and Bernie Taupin, the complete set includes both the original custom Alan Aldridge illustrated Lyrics booklet insert and an archival Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi) Original Master anti-static inner sleeve.

Structural & Visual Inspection

• Vinyl Surface & Labels Condition - EXCELLENT / NEAR MINT (EX / NM): Glossy black vinyl retains deep groove luster with crisp micro-groove definition, showing only faint, non-feelable hairline sleeve marks and minor surface dust flecks under angled macro inspection. Both Side One (MCA734) and Side Two (MCA735) custom full-color Captain Fantastic MCA Records labels (MCA-2142) remain bright, vibrant, and clean with sharp white typography, minimal spindle marks, and clean center holes.

• Jacket, Booklet & Inner Sleeve Integrity - VERY GOOD PLUS / NEAR MINT (VG+ / NM): Original gatefold outer sleeve exhibits vivid Alan Aldridge front-and-back surrealist cover artwork and clean portrait photography of Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and the band inside, showing light edge/corner rubbing, mild ring wear along the upper border, and a solid intact spine with no seam splits. Includes both the original custom Alan Aldridge illustrated Lyrics booklet insert (clean and intact with light handling wear) and a clean Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi) Original Master anti-static archival inner sleeve.

Condition Assessment Disclaimer: Please note that we are not professional graders; all condition assessments are determined visually to the best of our abilities. Prospective buyers and collectors are encouraged to carefully examine the accompanying high-resolution photographs—which depict the exact item you will receive—to form their own final grading assessment.

Item Specific Details