BLACK SABBATH PARANOID 1970 1st UK 1Y/1 2Y/1 Vertigo swirl, "BIG BEAR" outer VG+

	£		181
	$		240

BLACK SABBATH - PARANOID

A rare and increasingly sought after copy of this 1970 UK very 1st pressing heavy metal classic on the coveted VERTIGO SWIRL label, 6360 011

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  6360011  1Y//1 420 with stampers "1 21" at 10.30 o'clock

Side 2   6360011  2Y//1 420 with stampers "11 4" at 12 o'clock 

Note the credentials for this being a very first UK pressing : 

1. Non laminated gatefold sleeve; 

2. Earliest 1Y//1 and 2Y//1 dead wax matrices; 

3. "Jim Simpson, Big Bear" text credits on inside of gatefold. 

4. There is no break in between the tracks "Hand of Doom" and "Rat Salad" - i.e. looks as though there are only three tracks on the B side of the record when there are actually four

The appearance of the  vinyl is VG+. In normal daylight a few very light surface scuffs and wispy hairlines are just visible when held in the right light and at the right angle but the overriding impression is one of a beautiful jet black sheen and impressive luster. Under a bright light a good number of wispy hairlines and pencil thin light scuffs come into view indicating a good number of plays, but there is nothing "feelable" or obviously below the surface or particularly intrusive and clearly there's lots of life left in this slab of vinyl. In the 60's and early 70's the vinyl was built to last, and it does! A solid very good, undoubtedly.

The labels are excellent. No obvious blemishes at all, just the usual few very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre holes. The coveted Vertigo spiral artwork, on both sides, remains beautiful with all the white text on the black background on side B just perfect. Brilliant!

The non-laminated, iconic outer sleeve is again VG+.  All edges, including the spine, remain firm with just some very mild, intermittent edge scuffing.  The exception to this is the bottom edge where there is 1cm and 2cm of more obvious and pronounced scuffing adjacent to each of the bottom corners. There are seven 1cm surface creases on the front side adjacent and perpendicular to the spine - not particularly intrusive but they are there nonetheless, with two of these creases impinging upon the spine itself.All spine text is clearly legible though the top of some of he ext is slightly marred by mild scuffing (see photo). There are a few very light score marks on the front side but these really are minor and only detectable in the right light and when tilted at the right angle, and on the reverse side there are a few minor surface nicks. The colouring of both the outside and inside of the gatefold remains beautifully vibrant and defined. There is no fraying on either of the opening edges. Opening out the gatefold just transports you back to the 70's : iconic and wonderful all rolled into one. There really are no blemishes of note on the inside of the gatefold but note the "Big Bear" credit which authenticates this as a very 1st pressing (this credit was removed on later pressings).

Finally, the quality of the audio is VG+. There is impressive tone and clarity throughout with no no skips or nasty clicks (actually I detected no clicks at all upon playback). There is a little background crackle, however, hardly intrusive but nevertheless noticeable during some of the quieter moments (there are not many), at the beginning of each side, and during some of the interludes. I have to say that this mild sporadic background crackle does not spoil any of the listening experience for me - every track makes for a great listen and the classics "Fairies Wear Boots", "War Pigs", Electric Funeral", and "Iron Man", sound as magnificent as ever - wonderful!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. WAR PIGS

2. PARANOID

3. PLANET CARAVAN

4. IRON MAN

Side 2 :

1. ELECTRIC FUNERAL

2. HAND OF DOOM

3. RAT SALAD

4. FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS

Comes with original iconic Vertigo swirl poly lined inner sleeve with a single 1cm tear towards the centre and a little age discolouration is on the edges. The correct "British Patent" and "MADE IN ENGLAND" text is correctly in place at the bottom of the sleeve. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a solid VG copy of this increasingly rare and highly sought after 1970 UK 1st pressing heavy metal masterpiece - a worthy addition to any vinyl collection and only continuing 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 :

for the UK, Royal Mail 1st class, tracked & signed for  : £5.00, 

for continental Europe international tracked & signed for : £11.00

and for Rest of the World international tracked & signed for £15.00

 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