Black Sabbath 1ST LP UK VERTIGO SWIRL 'PHILIPS' NM-/NM

	£		381
	$		505

BLACK SABBATH - BLACK SABBATH

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

THE VERY RARE 1ST PRESS 'PHILIPS LABEL

• CATALOGUE:VERTIGO V06
• MATRIX:V06 1Y // 1 420 / 2Y // 1 420 
• VERY FIRST PRESS
• ONLY THE VERY FIRST PRESS HAS ' A PHILIPS RECORD PRODUCT' AT THE BASE OF THE LABEL
• INCORRECT SPELLING 'OSSIE' INSIDE THE INVERTED CROSS
• CORRECT @WARNING' WORDING AT THE FOOT OF THE SLEEVE

THE SUPERB VERY FIRST PRESS OF THE BLACK SABBATH DEBUT ALBUM. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE SABBATH COLLECTIBLE ALBUM AS IT IS THE VERY RARE FIRST PRESS WITH THE PHILIPS RIM WORDING. THIS WAS ONLY USED ON THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF ALBUMS OFF THE PRESS, AND LATER OMITED FROM THE FOOT OF THE LABEL. THE FACT IS THAT VERTIGO WAS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE PHILPS RECORD COMPANY, AND VERTIGO CAME ABOUT BECAUSE PHILIPS WANTED TO GET INTO SELLING PROG ROCK MUSIC BUT DIDN'T WANT IT PLACED ON THE MAINSTREAM PHILIPS LABEL, SO VERTIGO WAS BORN AND ALL OF THE THEN OBSCURE BANDS LIKE SABBATH, CRESSIDA ECT FOUND A HOME ON THIS NEW LABEL.

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE BLACK AND WHITE SWIRL LABEL IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE WHITE SIDE OF THE LABEL HAS A PERFECT CLEAN WHITE FINISH WITH UNRUBBED BLACK TYPEFACE.THE PHILIPS TYPEFACE RIM WORDING SITS AT THE VERY FOOT OF THE LABEL

THERE ARE 2-3 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE INDICATING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS CLASSIC ALBUM HAS BEEN ON A TURNTABLE IN THE PAST 40 YEARS

THE VINYL

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LUSTRE. IT LOOKS NEAR FAULTLESS IN DAYLIGHT,WITH JUST A COUPLE OF BARELY VISIBLE SUPERFICIAL HANDLING LINES, AND ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE SOME TELLTALE LIGHT WISPY HAIRLINES AND A COUPLE OF  LIGHT HANDLING LINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE THINKING OF BIDDING ON. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR EBAY VINYL SALES

THIS INCREDIBLY RARE ALBUM PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

THE FIRST THING TO MENTION IS THAT THERE IS NOT ONE BIT OF DISTORTION TO ANY PART OF THE SOUND, AND THIS MEANS THAT THE ALBUM WAS PLAYED WITH AN UNWORN AND CORRECTLY WEIGHTED STYLUS.

THE VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY SEVERE BACKGROUND CRACKLES WHATSOEVER, AND THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUPERB. THERE IS SOME VERY LIGHT AND BARELY AUDIBLE VINYL NOISE DURING THE MOST QUIET MOMENTS, AND I HEARD TWO DISTINCT TINY POPS DURING THE DRUM BREAK ABOUT 2 AND A HALF MINUTES INTO BEHIND THE WALL OF SLEEP ON SIDE ONE. OTHER THAN THIS A COUPLE OF RANDOM LITTLE DUST POPS, BUT THESE IMPERFECTIONS ARE REALLY VERY MINOR IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE ALBUM

PLEASE DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR HOW GOOD THIS IS, TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE RECORDINGS AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

I GRADE THIS ALBUM NEAR MINT MINUS / NEAR MINT

THE SLEEVE

THIS IS ANOTHER OF THOSE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET MINT SLEEVES. HERE HOWEVER IS ONE THAT SURELY RANKS UP THERE WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE.

AN UNLAMINATED GATEFOLD THAT HISTORICALLY TURNS UP WELL WORN, AND THIS IS SIMPLY DUE TO THE COLOURS RUBBING BADLY AND IN MOST CASES SHOWING A GREEN HUE THROUGH THE ORIGINAL IMAGE. THE GREEN COLOUR THAT IS APPARENT ON MOST COVERS IS THE BASE COLOUR THAT WAS USED UNDERNEATH THE GOTHIC IMAGERY ON THIS SLEEVE. THIS ONE HAS NONE SHOWING AT ALL

THE FRONT SURFACE FLAT AND CLEAN. IT HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES AND ONLY 2-3 REALLY SMALL AND BARELY VISIBLE LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE

THE COLOURS ARE ALL RETAINED AND THERE IS NO RUBBING HERE AT ALL

BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE VERY LIGHT SHELF WEAR AND RUBBING

THE SPINE HAS SUFFERED RUBBING AND THERE IS SOME COLOUR LOSS, AND SOME OF THE TYPEFACE IS MISSING

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL VERY SHARP WITH JUST A FEW TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE LP HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE A FEW TIMES

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME COLOURFAST CONDITION AS THE FRONT.AGAIN NO CREASES

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A REALLY NICE DEEP BLACK PAIR OF INNER PANELS, THAT HAVE JUST THE ODD LITTLE SPECK OF WHITE SHOWING THROUGH

THE INVERTED CROSS HAS THE INCORRECT SPELLING 'OSSIE' FOR OZZY OSBORNE

ALSO WHAT DENOTES THIS AS A FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE, AND NOT ONE THAT HAS BEEN SWAPPED CAN BE FOUND IN THE WARNING BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT SIDE

THE FIRST LINE OF THIS FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE STATES. Warning:Copyright subsists in all STEREO recordings, wheras later issues will have the word Stereo replaced with VERTIGO

THIS IS HOW YOU CAN TELL IF YOU HAVE A GENUINE SLEEVE WITH THE VERY FIRST PRESS ALBUM

THE VERTIGO SWIRL INNER SLEEVE IS IN UNSPLIT CONDITION, BUT DOES HAVE A COUPLE OF SMALL BROWN STAINS AND A 'BLACK SABBATH IN PEN ON IT

I AM VERY HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT MINUS

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY