Bob Dylan – Great White Wonder

Some versions have record 1 as record 2 and vice versa.

A news article on this release as published on pages 1 & 108 of the 8 Nov 1969 issue of Billboard magazine reads:

Illegal Dylan LP Stirs Sales Storm

NEW YORK - An unauthorized Bob Dylan LP, selling for as high as S12.98, is stirring a sales flurry around the country and in Canada. Columbia Records stepped in late last week to curb the sales of the album, titled "Great White Wonder," with simultaneous legal proceedings in a Federal Court, a California State Court and a Canadian Court against the bootlegger, the manufacturer and the distributor of the record. Notice to retailers who are selling the recording has been issued by Columbia advising them that unless the record is withdrawn from sale, appropriate legal action will also be brought against them individually.

The unauthorized album, which originated on the West Coast, is reported to be potpourri of tapes made in Dylan's cellar in Woodstock, N.Y., concerts and broadcasts. The LP is packaged in a blank white wrapping and is easily distinguished from a genuine Columbia album because there is no label copy on the record. However, Columbia has received numerous complaints from consumers about the poor quality of recording which they believe to be a regular Columbia album.

In New York, Ben Karol of King Karol said he had been approached by a young salesman to carry the "Great White Wonder" album on a cash-on-delivery basis but he had declined. He said he had heard the album was being sold in Greenwich Village, but had become scarce even there. Other leading dealers here also said they were not stocking the record.

Sales on Coast

Los Angeles has had a sales run of the LP for about a month. Sales activity started in a small way, then spread to San Francisco and Seattle. Bob Murphy, Columbia Record sales manager here, explained the operation this way: "A truck would pull up to the 'head shops' along Hollywood Boulevard, and offer the LP on a cash basis. They wouldn't write an order, they just took cash. First they started with the 'head shops' and they then went to the reputable record shops. The price started out at $12.98 and went down to a low of $5.98."

In Chicago, Dave Simmons, of Flypped Disc, said that the persons distributing "The Great White Wonder" came to the store Oct. 28 with three copies of the LP and wanted to know if they wanted more. He bought the three albums, but did not buy any more, since the sale was strictly on a cash basis.

"Sales have been steady but not outstanding," said a spokesman from Chicago's One Octave Lower. "We haven't gone out of our way to advertise. We just have it on the racks as 'Bob Dylan.' "

All of the Chicago stores have done little to promote the album, with just a copy in the window being enough for most stores.

Toronto Sales

In Toronto, the "Great White Wonder" album is being sold exclusively at A&A Records, one of Canada's largest retailers. The album is being sold for $10.95, and A&A manager, Sam Bornstein, reported that about 400 copies had been sold within a five-day period. Bornstein said that his source was in Vancouver. As far as he knew, the distributors were only making one retailing deal per city, to avoid the chance of being located by Columbia or Albert Grossman's office. Grossman is Dylan's personal manager. Bornstein said he was willing to take the risk of selling an album. "The word of mouth on the album has been incredible," he said.