Black Sabbath Vol 4 UK 1st PRESS Vertigo Swirl RARE

	£		155
	$		205

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BLACK SABBATH

VOL. 4

6360071 Release date 1972 Stereo

1st pressed thicker vinyl! Lightly played ! TOP aural delivery!!1st issue gatefold sleeve with picture booklet attached! Inner vertigo sleeve ! The earliest matrices with George Peckham etched logos of PECKO/PORKY on run offs of the vinyl! ONLY found on these very, very first UK pressings! This album was produced well before the date of release which was September 1972!Awesome exhibit!

Matrices 6360 071-1-V//1  and 6360 071-2-V//1 and an Additional stamper 1  on EACH side. Impossible to locate and one of the very first to roll off the press…

Album sleeve

EXCELLENT +

Howards Printers , first issue gatefold .Stapled booklet  attached and with no rips/tears, displaying each member of this notorious rock band of the seventies, in super techni-colour, with beautiful unfaded images . Edges minimal wear and so rare to locate in this sensational condition . Photo booklet measuring 12”x12”, which is firmly attached to sleeve, has no handling impressions/folds.  

The album cover is possibly one of the best ever viewed. Most are found with massive ring wear and surface rubs, owing to the delicate textured outer finish ,only found on the earliest issue sleeves !!The “open grain effect” finish presents a very soft layer, which has caused great problems for the collector , trying to locate a decent example of this album sleeve. This particular gatefold is exemplary and has beautifully maintained outer faces on front/reverse covers. There does not appear to be any ring wear visible either and the spine is near perfection, save for the extreme edges which show the lightest of rubs. These near perfect outer faces,  make this 1st issue sleeve “super rare” , as most are found stained and heavily worn. Just one ultra light crease visible, if angled against a strong light from BOTH outer gatefold faces! Absolutely superb with spinal column unbelievable, solid and square,  clearly showing title . One of the booklet pages has a  minor corner bend,  otherwise,  perfect perpendicular edges .Near mint- condition and impossible to locate .

Remarkable for a 38 year old gatefold sleeve! This is the earliest issue, as later sleeves have the booklet as an insert ,and is not attached to centrefold of album cover. Also the later editions have a smoother finish and are not textured. The reissue covers appeared more shiny, with a faint sheen on later issues, and were mainly finished in this way, to protect the covers, which were seen to become worn very quickly . The open grain effect finish ,on these very first pressed gatefolds , made every fingerprint visible and no wonder the finish was changed quite quickly, hence the importance of locating a first issue album sleeve in this sensational, near perfect condition.Apart form some rubbing on the extreme edges of this cover, there is very little in the way of handling evidence, hence its rarity! A Stunning exhibit.

Vinyl

1st pressing with the earliest matrices .

Most are found with 1Y-1,2Y-2 matrix but this vinyl boasts 1-1 matrices, with a thicker feel to the vinyl. Absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to locate, as this must be one of the first to roll off the press.

Ex+ condition as vinyl is virtually unmarked when viewed against ordinary light. Even against a strong halogen, there is little sign of play, except for a few hairlines on either side, where sleeve has brushed the surfaces.

To enhance the collectability of this record, hand etched PORKY and PECKO (George Peckham inscribed )are located on each side, in the run offs of the record, ONLY found on the earliest first pressings.

Thicker feel than later releases ,which are far more flexible and of a lighter weight. These first UK pressings have the wider vertigo channels, which make the tones reverberate with the deepest of bass resonance, throwing the audio into an incredible dimension of dynamic sound.

Labels

Black and white vertigo swirl in excellent condition. A few spindle lines only. No mottling, peeling or lifting of any kind. Central spindle hole in superb condition, displaying an almost perfect symmetry, with no evident wear . Beautiful examples with vertigo black and white swirl ,side A, and side b has vertigo logo, with track listings ,plus “All rights” text on perimeter rim, ONLY found on the very first and earliest pressings.

Audio

EXCELLENT ! Mostly clear channels. Hardly any static detected and if heard, it is very distant and does little to interfere with the music presentation. The tones are vibrant with an extra warm punch. Possibly the best Sabbath album to be released, owing to the change in rock rhythms and undulating moods . The listener remains spellbound as tempo ranges from heavy metal guitar bashes to soft lyrics, accompanied by gentler guitar riffs, offering silent interludes at times against a cacophonous roar of screeching electric guitar strings! Allusions to drugs such as Cocaine on a few of the tracks (eg Snowblind)  which had to be recorded twice, without the intervention of Cocaine being repeated by Osborne throughout the track.  FX ,S1Tr4, has minor surface where the silent passage tests the audio to the extreme, but NO audible scratches from entire two sides of play.   One of the best aural deliveries of this awesome heavy rock psyche . Will find difficult to better !

Complete with vertigo swirl inner sleeve in excellent- condition. Poly lined with a little glue staining on inner top edge, nicks on central edge and a general browning, caused through the ageing process. A superb collectors’ item on offer here.

Without doubt, the best Sabbath album ever to be released with the earliest matrices . Impossible to locate, with an exceptional 1st issue Howards Printers album sleeve , 37 years old as the vinyl reflects a stunning, mirror-like sheen. Possibly one of the best examples in existence today . Sheer investment quality .

Shipping

UK-£4.00  special delivery, next day £7.50

Europe-£13.75 ISF/priority mail (includes full insurance £2.50)

USA/Japan-£16.75 signed for service/priority mail ( includes full insurance £2.50 )

Please note that there was a price sticker on reverse face, but this has now been removed , very carefully,without any damage being inflicted on surface of the gatefold. There is some light ,visible  rubbing on extreme outer parts of the rear face, so not perfect finish,but a very ultra clean visual/feel . Rare to find such minimal wear on this 1st issue sleeve. A very solid excellent grading and has that "fresh" appearance,associated with a light handling history.

Postage for Europe should read £12.25 and Rest of world-£15.25 respectively

International signed for/fully insured and guaranteed safe packaging