BEATLES Sgt Pepper 1st press UK 67 MONO Rare WIDE SPINE

	£		90
	$		119

This is the incredibly rare 1st pressing of the 1967 UK MONO vinyl LP Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, on the black and yellow Parlophone record label with catalogue number PMC 7027, and complete with original laminated gatefold sleeve, insert, and multicoloured psychedelic inner protective sleeve.

MATRIX NUMBERS :  Side 1 : XEX 637 - 1    Side 2 :  XEX 638 - 1

STAMPER CODES :    Side 1 : 2 0    Side 2 :  2 M

These are EXTREMELY low stamper codes indicating a very, very early first pressing making this record even rarer.

Other characteristics which authenticate this as a first pressing are :

• Yellow and Black Parlophone record label
• the very wide spine (in outstanding condition, by the way : see further details below)
• "The Gramophone Co. Ltd" both on the lower perimeter of the central record labels and beneath the "PARLOPHONE" logo in the bottom right hand corner on the back of the outer sleeve
• "SOLD IN U.K. SUBJECT TO RESALE PRICE CONDITIONS" text just above the spindle hole on both sides of the vinyl central record label
• "K T" tax codes on Side 1 record label
• Made In Great Britain

VINYL : The overall appearance of the vinyl is truly excellent. There does exist surface marks on both sides of the vinyl but these are a combination of surface paper scuffs and spiderlines caused by light rubbing against the inner sleeve. There are NO "real" scratches and nothing to signifcantly impede upon the wonderful audio quality of the record. I have played the record right through, once, and have listened intently to it. There is a little background crackle (1st tracks on Side 1 and 2, for example and evident in other "quieter moments of the record") but I stress that this is background crackle and does not signicantly impede upon the unique MONO ambience of this unique masterpiece. At this point I would normally say that if you want an absolutely crackle free version of this record then don't buy this one, but a) the crackle on this copy really is not that significant, and b) I'm not covinced that you'd find a crackle-free version of this gem anyway. I counted two small clicks on "Within You Without You" and another small click on the run-off grooves at the end of Side 2 : I hesitate in claiming that there are no other clicks at all but if there are then I didn't notice them. There are some hairlines on the run-off grooves but these obviously do not impact upon the sound quality of the music.

I'm certain that there are very, very few 1st pressings of this album which sound this good. Actually, it doesn't just sound good...it sounds awesome.

The central vinyl record labels are each near perfect. Even the embossed K and T tax codes are included on this Mono copy and are themeselves unflattened, unrubbed...as new, in fact. I eventually detected a half inch hairline mark above the Parlophone logo on the Side 2 label, but only after studying it's condition intently under a bright light.

OUTER SLEEVE : The outer laminated Garrod & Lofthouse gatefold sleeve is in outstanding condition. It has a beautiful, completely unblemished massively wide spine - this alone is an extremely rare feature, and even more so that the spine is in virtually perfect condition : just a very, very light crease at the very top and bottom of the spine but that's it. All text is perfect and unworn underneath the uncracked laminate. There are NO scuffs at all...indeed, all edges are perfect. There is no peeling of the laminate. The only blemishes are a slight surface crease in the laminate at the top of the front cover, a couple of other even more slight surface/laminate creases on the reverse side, and the name "Jules" written in the faintest of yellow felt pens at the top right hand corner of the front cover...of course, it would be better if the name were not there in the first place but the saving grace is that you have to hold the cover up to the light to see it. If you look at the photo clearly you can just make out a couple of the letters.

Opening up the gatefold makes me want to cry (it opens up with a little crackle, by the way, showing just how carefully this album and it's cover have been maintained)! It's gorgeous - the colours are so vibrant - and immediately takes me back to 1967 when I was just a teenager and totally engrossed in what was the beginning of the most wonderful era of British pop and rock music. Oh how I wish...

The cardboard cutout insert is in MINT condition.

The psychedelic inner sleeve (a collector's piece in it's own right) has no splits or tears, no writing and just a little surface creasing down the left hand. "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN" and "PATENTS APPLIED FOR" are evident in the bottom left hand corner.

There is no question that this record, and cover, fully justifies an "excellent" rating. You'll have to search far and wide to find a better example of this increasingly rare 1st pressing copy of this classic album.

THE GRADING USED IS FROM THE U.K."RECORD COLLECTOR RARE RECORD PRICE GUIDE" (see below).

The tracks on this incredible album are :

Side 1 :

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing A Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!

Side 2 :

1. Within You Without You
2. When I'm Sixty-Four
3. Lovely Rita
4. Good Morning, Good Morning
5. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
6. A Day In The Life 

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions, and/or further photos can be supplied on request.

As usual with anything I sell on ebay...if you're not happy then send the item back in the same condition as I sent it to you within 14 days of receipt and I guarantee a full refund of the winning bid price (not including postage costs). Simple as that.

RECORD GRADING

My record grading abides by the “Record Collector” guide, which has established a set of standards for the condition of second-hand records. These indicate the amount of wear and tear the disc, sleeve, and other items (such as lyric inserts) have been subject to and the condition that they are in at present. The seven standard condition categories, and descriptions of what each one means, are listed below:

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