Waiting For The Sun

This specific pressing of Waiting For The Sun is the 1973 German reissue on Elektra, catalog number ELK 42 041, distributed by WEA Records GmbH through Kinney Music GmbH out of Hamburg. It is a stereo LP, also playable on mono phonographs per the front cover notation, and is distinguished from a closely related German variant by the absence of a label code on the butterfly label. The matrix and catalog references cross-reference the original US catalog number EKS 74024, which helps date its lineage clearly. This is not to be confused with other pressings of Waiting For The Sun in the catalog.

The front cover carries the familiar Waiting For The Sun imagery in its standard configuration, with a blue rectangle at the top bearing the catalog designation 42 041 (EKS 74024) and the STEREO notation. The rear cover continues the catalog reference as 42 041 with a circled B alongside (EKS 74 024) STEREO, a detail that matters when cross-referencing against the related German pressing with a label code. Both covers were printed in Germany, and the printing quality on these early 1970s West German Elektra pressings tends to be solid, with good ink saturation and reasonably tight registration. The gatefold, if present on your copy, would be worth inspecting carefully at the spine for any stress cracking, as these German Elektra pressings from this period are prone to seam splits given the paper stock used. The inner sleeve is worth noting as well since original inner sleeves specific to this pressing are frequently discarded or swapped out by the time copies reach the secondary market.

The labels use the Elektra butterfly design, which by 1973 had gone through several iterations. On this pressing, the label rim text reads "An Elektra Recording distributed by WEA Records GmbH, Made in Germany," which is a reliable identifier for this variant. The label itself carries no label code, setting it apart from the companion pressing referenced on Discogs. Collectors who have handled multiple German Elektra butterfly pressings from this era know that small typographic and rim-text differences carry real significance for provenance purposes. The vinyl weight and quality on these WEA-era German pressings is generally respectable, though not as heavy as some of the earlier UK or original US Elektra runs. Surface noise on well-preserved copies is typically low, and the German pressing plant work from this period holds up reasonably well sonically.

The track sequence here is the standard eleven-song lineup from the 1968 album: Hello, I Love You, Love Street, Not To Touch The Earth, Summer's Almost Gone, and Wintertime Love on Side One, followed by The Unknown Soldier; Side Two opens with Spanish Caravan and closes with Five To One. There are no bonus tracks or alternate mixes specific to this German reissue. The content is identical to what you would find on the original US Elektra pressing or any of the other European reissues from this period. For those interested in how this release fits into the broader Doors catalog on LP, the Complete Studio Recordings box set offers a useful comparison point for the mastering lineage.

What distinguishes this pressing for collectors is the specific combination of the ELK 42 041 catalog number, the Kinney Music GmbH Hamburg manufacturing credit, the WEA distribution rim text, and the absence of a label code on the butterfly label. The Discogs community data shows 2,747 collectors logging this copy against 463 who want it, which puts the want-to-have ratio at a relatively modest level, suggesting reasonable availability on the secondary market without significant scarcity. It is not a chase piece, but it is a legitimate period pressing with clean identifiers for the German market segment of a Doors collection. Collectors building a country-by-country set of Waiting For The Sun pressings will want this one specifically for the Kinney Music GmbH credit, which is a snapshot of the WEA distribution infrastructure in West Germany during the early 1970s. The album itself was a commercial and cultural flashpoint in 1968, covered extensively in contemporary press including Rolling Stone, and the German market clearly warranted multiple reissue runs through this period. A closely related compilation format exists as well in the Strange Days / Waiting For the Sun twofer release, which represents a different configuration of this material entirely.

This 1973 German Elektra reissue of Waiting For The Sun (ELK 42 041) is a competent period pressing with clear provenance markers and solid collector documentation. It will not command premium prices given the Discogs availability, but it belongs in any serious German-market Doors LP collection. Copies in VG+ or better condition with the original inner sleeve intact are the ones worth pursuing. A fair find at the right price.