BEATLES UK - Sgt Pepper's ‘Fourth Proof’ Mono LP.

PMC 7027 – Original Black and Yellow Parlophone label.

An original UK pressing, in 100% original condition featuring the rarest known  variant of this ground breaking album.

This unique variant of this remarkable album features effectively a pre- production sleeve.  After the first  Three  ‘ Proof ’ sleeves, these  ‘ Fourth  Proof ’  sleeves  were passed around at EMI for final agreement.     It is believed that only  40 – 50  ‘ Fourth Proof ’  sleeves  were ever printed !.   As these  sleeves were ‘ Proof ’  copies they  were NEVER meant to be released to the general public,    but  a small   number  of these ‘ Fourth Proof ’ sleeves DID  find their  way onto the public market !.   

These ‘ Fourth Proof ’ sleeves  have a number of  unique printing differences from the final agreed production sleeves: 

1. a   ‘ FOURTH   PROOF ’   and a  ‘ A R ’    and   ‘ D  13217 ’    appear printed on the top flipback on the inner gatefold of the sleeve.  There is a story about this that the old style of  ‘ visual ’   flipbacks were on their way out and that ‘ Sgt Pepper ’  was to feature the new   ‘ inner ’    flipback design.  It was therefore thought that the above text would  NOT be  seen !.  Apparently the ‘ A R ’ stands for the designers initials and the  ‘ D  13217 ’  is the internal catalogue number for the printers of the sleeve, ‘Garrod and Lofthouse’.

2.  the rear of the sleeve features the text   ‘ Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd ’  but with  an  additional  ‘ Patents Pending ’ text,   only a very small number of very early Pepper Mono sleeves had this additional text.    Standard  sleeves normally  just state   ‘ Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd’  (G&L).   By the time of the official launch of Sgt Pepper in June 1967, G&L  seem to have  got their ‘ Patents ’ confirmed and the  ‘ Patents Pending ’  text  was removed from the sleeve !.  

3. Georges jacket appears Pink  in colour, but on the standard Pepper sleeves it appears  as a  Red colour !,

4. Johns jacket appears Yellow in colour, but  on the standard Pepper sleeves it appears as a  Green colour !.

CONDITION:

THE MAIN SLEEVE:  is in very good condition, the sleeve is fully laminated.    The original exposed flipbacks can be seen when the sleeve is opened.  The spine is in  very good condition, a very strong and complete spine that has some rubbing and scuffing on, 60% of the text on the spine is readable.  There are NO tears,  or stains on the sleeve.  A very good  original solid sleeve.

THE INSERT:   the original Green  cardboard  ‘ cut-out ’  is present and is in excellent condition.    There  is a  small amount  of  what   appears to be some artwork    in ‘oil colours’ !  on the rear of the  insert !

THE INNER SLEEVE: is in  good+ condition and is  the original  Red and White  ‘Wavy’  pattern sleeve.        There is  some   edge  rubbing  wear to all three of the    folded  edges.   I have carried out a neat repair to one of the corners  where there was a tear.   This repair  has  been done with a  special  cellotape that  will not discolour of leave   a  residue over time. 

THE VINYL:   is in near excellent condition,   the vinyl  is made from  the  period  thick, heavy vinyl, it is dark and has a high gloss.

The Matrix are:    XEX 637-1      and        XEX 638-1,

Mother / Stampers are:          3   7      R T T   and         2      O P R.

THE AUDIO:   is near  excellent,  each side  begins with come crackle  but soon  settles  down.    The record lays flat on the turntable and plays without the needle sticking or jumping.  

THE LABELS:  are in very good+ condition.    There  is  a  ‘ KT ’ embossed onto side Two.   

TO GRADE THE CONDITION OF THE RECORD I AM USING THE OFFICIAL GRADING SYSTEM FROM THE RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE.

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE BEFORE YOU SEND PAYMENT.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE.

ALL PHOTOS AND RECORD DESCRIPTIONS ARE MY OWN AND ARE ALWAYS OF THE ACTUAL RECORD FOR SALE.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL ITEMS ARE PAID FOR BY AT LEAST ONE WEEK FROM THE END OF THE AUCTION.

PICK UP OF ITEMS CAN BE ARRANGED BUT THE BUYER MUST PAY CASH ON COLLECTION.

POST AND PACKING IN THE UK AND OVERSEAS.

ALL RECORDS WILL BE SENT 1ST CLASS POST.

PACKING - ALL RECORDS ARE SENT OUT WITH MULTI LAYERED CARD STIFFENERS.

ALL RECORDS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THEIR  ORIGINAL INNER AND OUTER SLEEVES  TO AVOID ANY DAMAGE,  THE RECORD WILL THEN BE PUT INTO A SECOND INNER SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION WHILE IN TRANSIT.

DISCOUNT WILL BE GIVEN ON POSTAGE FOR MULTIPLE PURCHASES.

IN THE UK – RECORDS  THAT SELL FOR OVER THE VALUE OF £41 WILL  BE SENT  ‘RECORDED DELIVERY’ AND THERE MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR INSURANCE AS THE SELLER HAS NO PROTECTION IF THE ITEM GOES MISSING IN THE POST ETC, THEREFORE THE POST AND PACKING CHARGES MAY VARY.

SHIPPING COSTS OVERSEAS.

I WILL BE HAPPY  TO SEND RECORDS ANYWHERE OVERSEAS.

ALL  RECORDS THAT ARE POSTED OVERSEAS WILL BE SENT ‘RECORDED DELIVERY’   AND THERE MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR INSURANCE AS THE SELLER HAS NO PROTECTION IF THE ITEM GOES MISSING IN THE POST ETC, THEREFORE THE POST AND PACKING CHARGES MAY VARY.

THEREFORE PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE BEFORE YOU SEND PAYMENT.

SEE MY OTHER ITEMS FOR SALE.