"Strawberry Sampler Number 1" is a demo album by the English band Strawbs, originally released as a publisher's demonstration record. Its primary purpose was to showcase the songs of Dave Cousins and Tony Hooper to other artists, aiming to secure interest in their compositions.
This demo album featured early versions of songs that would later be re-recorded by the band for subsequent albums. One notable exception is "Ah Me, Ah My," which remained unchanged and was later included on the Strawbs' "Grave New World" album.
Initially, the album was released in a limited edition white label pressing, with only 99 copies on 12-inch vinyl. Over time, it gained notoriety as one of the UK's most collectible records due to its rarity, with reportedly only two known vinyl copies in existence at one point. However, there have been suggestions of additional copies surfacing, and the album has also been re-released on CD.
In November 2012, a copy of "Strawberry Sampler Number 1" was auctioned on eBay and fetched a final bid of £909.88, highlighting its significant value among collectors of rare vinyl records. This album stands as a unique piece of Strawbs' early history, showcasing their songwriting talent in its raw, demo form before their later studio recordings.
