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

	£		156
	$		207

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 11 o'clock

Side 2   6360011  2Y//1 420 with stampers "11 5" at 9 o'clock 

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

1. Non laminated gate fold sleeve; 

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

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

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 flat, heavy 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 some wispy hairlines and pencil thin light scuffs come into view (including a pencil thin light, surface only single scuff on side 1 which traverses almost a whole radius - again, not at all obvious in normal daylight) indicating a reasonable number of plays, but there is nothing "feelable" or obviously below the surface or intrusive and clearly there's lots of plays 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 VG.  All edges, including the spine, remain firm but there is mild but clearly noticeable scuffing on the top and bottom edges - more so on the bottom edges than the top. Each corner remains a nicely defined right angle but there is scuffing on each corner. The scuffing on the spine is much milder and intermittent with all writing remaining perfectly legible. There are four tiny "nicks" on the front cover and a further three on the reverse side - insignificant really. There are a further few small surface marks on each of the front and reverse side but you need to tilt the cover in a good light to notice them. The inside of the gate fold is excellent with a couple of small, very minor scuff marks towards the top edge. but no doodles or unwanted writing and the photos and text remain excellent. The colouring of both the outside and inside of the gatefold remains beautifully vibrant and well defined. There is no fraying on either of the opening edges. 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 EX-. 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 just the hint of some very, very mild and occasional background crackle during Planet Caravan and a couple of the quieter moments/interludes on side 1 but this is really is non-intrusive. To be specific I would grade the quality of the audio on side 1 as VG+ and on side 2 as excellent, where I could detect no background crackle/interference at all. The bottom line is that 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 inner sleeve with no tears or splits and just a little age discolouration towards the edges (originally I believe there was a polythene lining for this sleeve but that has long gone!). The "British Patent" and "MADE IN ENGLAND" text is correctly located 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 (at least) 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 : £10.00

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