BEATLES RUBBER SOUL 1965 UK orgnl early yellow/black pressing, MONO PMC 1267 VG+

	£		32
	$		42

THE BEATLES - RUBBER SOUL

An increasingly rare and sought after copy of this 1965 UK MONO very early pressing on the UK PARLOPHONE label, MONO PMC 1267

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XEX 579 - 4  with stampers "T" and "G 0 R" at 9.30 o'clock and 3.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2  XEX 580 - 4 with stampers "4" and "G A M" at 8.30 o'clock and 2 o'clock respectively

The appearance of this heavy vinyl is very good plus (VG+). The vinyl is flat and each side has retained most of it's original beautiful glossy sheen. In normal daylight each side of the vinyl appears truly excellent with just a couple of wispy hairlines and light scuffs noticeable when the vinyl is tilted at the right angle. Closer scrutiny under a bright light does reveal more wispy hairlines and lights scuffs on both side of the vinyl, but none of these very minor blemishes are "feelable" and none appear to be below the surface - certainly the excellent audio quality supports this. I have no hesitation in grading the overall condition of this record as a solid very good plus with the jet black lacquer still intact and giving off a lovely gleam- remarkable, and rare, for a 53 year old classic such as this.

The labels are excellent. There are a number of faint spindle trail traces on each side adjacent to the centre hole but apart from that no other blemishes whatsoever, with all writing perfectly legible and lettering beautifully defined, and the yellow "PARLOPHONE" text and logo each retaining their rich colour vibrancy. Note the presence of "THE GRAMOPHONE CO. LTD...." text on the perimeter of the label and the "SOLD IN THE U.K. SUBJECT TO..." text across each label, and the rare "K" and "T" tax codes on the side 2 label all of which confirm this to be a very early pressing.

The iconic front laminated Garrod & Lofthouse outer sleeve is in a solid very good condition.  All edges remain firm with barely any scuffing including the rigid spine where all writing remains perfectly legible. There is, however, a small 3mm "nick" on the top edge and a further 1cm scuff on the same edge. Each corner remains a nicely defined right angle but there is a little rubbing on each. There are a number (I counted 19) 1-2cm very light laminate surface creases adjacent and perpendicular to the bottom and top edges and spine, one of which does slightly impinge upon the spine itself (between the words "Rubber" and "Soul" - see photo), there is some very light and sporadic small laminate creasing towards the right side (just under Ringo's face), when held in the right light and tilted at the right angle some very light ring wear comes into view towards the opening edge, and the opening edge itself (both of them) do suffer from some very light and mild fraying. On the reverse side the flip backs are in excellent condition but there are x3 laminate surface creases on the bottom flip back and a further x2 on the side flip back; and, finally, there is some mild fraying in the middle of the opening side (left edge) along with some very mild discolouration and mild "grubbiness". There are no doodles or unwanted writing, and the colours and photos on both sides of the sleeve remain rich, vibrant and clear. Note the "12 LL" text on the bottom flip back which is indicative of a very early pressing. In summary a number of mild blemishes, with the emphasis on "mild", but nonetheless a solid "very good".

Finally, the quality of the audio is very good+ (at least). Terrific MONO tone and clarity, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips, no nasty clicks, no pops, and just the merest hint of a little background crackle/static which is just (and only just) detectable during the odd quiet moment/interlude and (for some reason) during "The Word" and at the end of side 1 (insignificant, really) - along with one light click towards the beginning of "Think For Yourself" and two mild clicks during "Michelle" (one towards the beginning and one at the end). If it wasn't for these few, very minor blemishes I would have no hesitation in grading the audio quality as excellent.  This LP is timeless and each track on this classic Beatles album makes for a great listen -enjoy!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. DRIVE MY CAR

2. NORWEGIAN WOOD

3. YOU WON'T SEE ME

4. NOWHERE MAN

5. THINK FOR YOURSELF

6. THE WORD

7. MICHELLE

Side 2 :

1. WHAT GOES ON

2. GIRL

3. I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU

4. IN MY LIFE

5. WAIT

6. IF I NEEDED SOMEONE

7. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

Comes complete with original die-cut "USE EMITEX" tracing paper lined inner which does suffer from some creasing but no tears or splits and remains fully functional and in overall VG+ condition.  Note that I always post the record(s) in a new plain white inner sleeve(s) in order to protect the original(s).

In summary an overall VG+ copy of this increasingly rare 1965 UK very early MONO pressing Beatles classic with the truly impressive MONO audio being the highlight - a worthy addition to any serious Beatles vinyl collection and will only continue to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class : UK £3.00; 

and Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for continental Europe £9, and Rest of the World £13. 

PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE PAYING!!

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler