I got the same issue as this, Germany printed cover, and NCB (Scandinavian) label. So this issue should really not be entered as a German (GEMA) issue here. But as we don't have a NCB "flag" how to enter it? Separately for the respective NCB countries?
Also I think 1968 (or 1969?) can be correct for the issue with this label design, as I've seen other records from the same age registered here, ie Bee Gees: Odessa
ref. label design of this, I still believe it is from early to mid 70s, I just added another release with similar company style label design, from the UK label (Germany), original 75 release.
The six-digit catalogue-number stands for a late Sixties-Issue. Later German or UK-Issues of Polydor-records have a 7-digit catalogue number. I think the White box on the Label had been used in the late Sixties, too and not in the beginning of the 1970 decade. But i found one difference to the German First Issue Label: your Label Shows on the edge inside the Label a bulge. That is not typical for the German pressings.
What is missing from the deadwax is the Deutsche Grammophon / Phonodisc "320", if it were indeed pressed there. But this being 2nd hand, it might also be a German cover with a Scandinavian record inside? The labels look more like early 70s then late 60s, that white outline box with numbers and stuff, before all elements were separately arranged.
Hi, possibly a German pressing for northern countries in Europe, like Sweden, Denmark e.g., because of the NCB and not the GEMA inscription. The catalogue-nr. is the German-number.
Wolfgang Heilmann is the German Star-Photographer Wolfgang Heilemann from the German Teenager-Music-Magazine BRAVO.
Gerhard Kaiser in Essen, Germany, is the Name of the printing-office for the covers, not for the record itself.
Country might be open to discussion, see missing deadwax features characteristic for German releases. Discogs is no help, btw.
Interesting point regarding design credits, it credits Design: Holger Matthies, Hamburg. So did he also do it for the UK release, which does have a different back from this? (There's used a full size group photo different from that in the lamp base) Or did he only "design" the back based on the UK/world wide used front?
The Photographer Wolfgang Heilmann is credited on both, incidentally.
Printed by Gerhard Kaiser GmbH, Essen
Manufactured by Deutsche Grammophon
Deadwax (stamped)
1: 184169 A P 69 N
2: 184169 B P 68
Could this mean an original lacquer cut in 1968, and a "N"ew one cut in 1969?
Also noteworthy the "NCB" rights society instead of the more conventional GEMA