BEATLES SGT PEPPERS UK 1-BOX MONO PMC 7027

	A$		174
	$		111

OFFERED FOR AUCTION IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF A U.K. MONO (PMC 7027) PRESSING OF SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND ON THE SHORT-LIVED BLACK/WHITE PARLOPHONE "ONE-BOX" LABEL c1969.

IN 1969, THE FAMILIAR YELLOW/BLACK PARLOPHONE LABEL STYLE WHICH HAD GRACED BEATLES' LP's SINCE 1963 WAS REPLACED WITH A LABEL WHICH HAS COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE 'EMI 1-BOX LABEL' (referring to a rectangle, at the bottom of the label, within which the letters 'EMI' were printed).

COINCIDENT WITH THE NEW LABEL STYLE WAS THE DELETION OF THE MAJORITY OF THE BEATLES' MONO CATALOGUE. ONLY THREE BEATLES ALBUMS WERE ISSUED IN MONO ON THE ONE-BOX LABEL: PLEASE PLEASE ME, HELP!, and SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND. THE MONO ONE-BOX LP's SOLD IN SMALL NUMBERS AND WERE NOT RE-PRESSED WHEN THE ONE-BOX LABEL WAS RETIRED, ONLY A YEAR OR SO LATER, IN FAVOUR OF A LABEL THAT CARRIED TWO EMI BOXES (i.e. a second box at the top of the label).

DUE TO A COMBINATION OF POOR SALES AND THE SHORT LIFE OF THE ONE-BOX LABEL, ALL THREE MONO ONE-BOX LABELLED BEATLES ALBUMS HAVE BECOME PRIZED ITEMS FOR BEATLES COLLECTORS THE WORLD OVER. THE ONE-BOX PRESSINGS WERE THE LAST TIME THAT ANY OF THE BEATLES ORIGINAL EMI STUDIO ALBUMS WERE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE UNTIL 1982.

LP CONDITION:

IN PREPPING THIS ALBUM FOR AUCTION, I PLAYED BOTH SIDES ALL THE WAY THROUGH ON MY DENON TURNTABLE (which has a light tone arm response). SIDE 1 PLAYBACK IS GENERALLY EXCELLENT WITH ONE OR TWO CLICKS; SIDE 2 PLAYED FINE UNTIL THE FIRST ORCHESTRA RISE OF A DAY IN THE LIFE, WHERE THE NEEDLE STUCK ON A LOOP; A HEAVIER-BALANCED TONEARM MAY NOT HAVE ANY PLAYBACK ISSUE AT THE SAME SPOT.

THE VISUAL APPEARANCE OF THE VINYL IS VG+ WITH SOME MODERATE SURFACE MARKS ON BOTH SIDE; ALTHOUGH A 2 to 3mm DEEPER SCRATCH IS PRESENT ON SIDE 1, IT DID NOT COMPROMISE THE PLAYBACK OF THE RECORD - NEITHER IN CONTINUITY OR SOUND QUALITY.

THE CONDITION OF THE LABELS CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN IN THE SUPPLIED IMAGES SO PLEASE TAKE TIME FOR A VALUE APPRAISAL.


SLEEVE CONDITION:
THE CORRECT SLEEVE FOR THIS ALBUM IS A 'FLAPBACK' GATEFOLD (i.e. visible flaps at top and bottom of the gatefold inner), WHICH THIS SLEEVE IS. IT HAS THE 'PMC 7027' CATALOGUE NUMBER AT THE TOP OF THE BACK SLEEVE; AND ALSO HAS THE "THIS IS A MONO RECORDING" STATEMENT IN THE BLURB BENEATH THE PARLOPHONE/EMI LOGO'S. THIS IS NOT A PATENTS PENDING SLEEVE!

OVERALL SLEEVE CONDITION IS A STRONG VG AND IS FREE OF WRITING, STICKY-TAPE, STICKER OR GLUE RESIDUE, RIPS OR TEARS. ALL SEAMS, INCLUDING THE SPINE, ARE FULLY INTACT (i.e. no splits, no repairs, no protrusions). TOP AND BOTTOM GATEFOLD CORNERS HAVE MINOR EXTERNAL BUMPING AND WEAR. THE SIDE OPENINGS SHOW SLIGHT FEATHERING BUT THIS IS NOT SEVERE. THE FRONT COVER HAS A SOME CREASING AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER (see picture). THE REAR SLEEVE HAS THE MILDEST OF RINGWEAR AND HAS A FEW SHORT CREASE TRAILS HERE AND THERE. THE INTERIOR OF THE GATEFOLD IS SUPERB AND UNMARKED WITH TIGHT UNFEATHERED FLAPBACKS; WHEN OPENED, THE GATEFOLD ACTUALLY 'CREAKS' - WHICH MEANS IT HAS BEEN OPENED TOO MANY TIMES SINCE 1969 (the one-box's year of release).

THE CUTOUT SHEET IS PRESENT AND FULLY INTACT. IT IS IN NM CONDITION.

THE INNER SLEEVE THAT CAME WITH THIS COPY IS AN EMI PURPLE-SEPIA 'STOCK' INNER FEATURING ALBUM ART FROM A VARIETY OF EMI RELEASES (including Sgt. Pepper's). I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF THE PSYCHEDELIC INNER THAT ACCOMPANIED FIRST PRESSINGS WAS ACTUALLY SUPPLIED WITH THE ONE-BOX PRESSINGS BUT IT WASN'T IN THIS PARTICULAR ALBUM WHEN I BOUGHT IT.