Deep Purple SHADES OF UK DEBUT LP 1ST YELL/BLACK MINT-

	£		310
	$		411

DEEP PURPLE - SHADES OF DEEP PURPLE

MINT MINUS CONDITION

• CATALOGUE: PARLOPHONE PCS 7055
• MATRIX:YEX 689-1 / 690-1
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 G / 1G
• STEREO FIRST PRESS
• 1968

DEEP PURPLE'S ICONIC DEBUT ALBUM, RELEASED ON THE PARLOPHONE LABEL. THIS WAS THE ONLY PURPLE ALBUM ISSUED ON THIS LABEL, AS THEIR SUBSEQUENT VOLUMES WERE ALL TRANSFERRED TO THE PROGRESSIVE HARVEST LABEL. THE BAND AT THIS TIME IN 1968 CONSISTED OF ROD EVENS, JON LORD, NIC SIMPER, RITCHIE BLACKMORE, AND IAN PAICE. NATURALLY THIS DEBUT ALBUM FAILED TO SELL IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES TO MAKE IT A COMMON ALBUM, AND IN FACT IT WAS REISSUED ON THE BLACK AND SILVER PARLOPHONE LABEL ONCE PURPLE'S POPULARITY HAD BEEN SECURED WITH LATER ALBUMS. IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT IN 1968 THE FLEDGLING PURPLE WERE NOT SELLING ALBUMS IN HUGE QUANTITIES, MAKING THIS THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ONE OF THEIR MOST COLLECTIBLE PRESSINGS

THIS IS THE SLIGHTLY MORE COMMON STEREO ISSUE IF YOU CAN CALL THIS ALBUM COMMON. THE CONDITION THAT THIS ALBUM IS IN HOWEVER IS JUST ABOUT AS GOOD AS YOU COULD EVER WANT. IT IS MAGNIFICENT, AND HAVING PLAYED IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING IT MINT MINUS. IT IS JUST THAT GOOD!

THIS IS ALSO A GENUINE VERY FIRST PRESS AS INDICATED BY THE 1G MOTHERS AND STAMPERS. THIS WAS EMI'S  IDENTIFYING FIRST PRESS MARKING

THE LABELS

THE FAMOUS YELLOW AND BLACK PARLOPHONE LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE BLACK IS RICH AND VIBRANT, AND FULLY EXTENDS ACCORSS THE SURFACE AND INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE YELLOW IS CLEAR AND CLEAN AND UNRUBBED. THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSINDICATORS INCLUDE THE KT TAX CODE, AND THE SOLD IN THE UK STATEMENTS ACCROSS THE CENTRE OF THE LABEL. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST TWO REALLY SMALL AND BARELY VISIBLE SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE. THIS IS A CLEAR INDIVATION OF TWO THINGS. ONE THAT THE LP HAS ONLY EVER HAD A COUPLE OF PLAYS IN ITS 40 YEARS, AND TWO THAT IT WAS HANDLED WITH EXTREME CARE

A GLEAMING PRISTINE LOOKING 1968 RECORD THAT DEFIES ITS AGE. ITS NOT VERY OFTEN YOU WILL FIND THIS ALBUM, LET ALONE  IN PLAYABLE CONDITION, THIS DISC LOOKS MAGNIFICENT. YES UNDER EXTREME ILLUMINATION THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WISPS, BUT HONESTLY THIS IS SUCH A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS VERY RARE ALBUM, THAT TO HAVE TO LOOK UNDER A SPOTLIGHT TO SEE ANY EVIDENCE OF BEING PLAYED IS ALMOST RIDICULOUS. ANYWAY THE PROOF IS IN THE PLAYING AND I HAVE RECORDED 6 SUPERB REASONS WHY THIS ALBUM IS CLASSED AS MINT MINUS CONDITION. I HAVE RECORDED THE INTRO TRACK ON BOTH SIDES AND 4 OTHER TRACKS WHICH INCLUDE THE SILENT LINKING GROOVE BETWEEN THE TRACK. I AM CERTAIN THAT WHEN YOU HEAR THE SUBLIME PERFECTION THAT IS THIS RECORD YOU WILL AGREE THAT IT FULLY JUSTIFIES MY GRADING.

I COULD GO ON FOR AGES ABOUT HOW GREAT THIS RECORD SOUNDS, BUT JUST LISTEN TO IT AND THAT WILL TELL YOU ALL YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW

PLAYING THE ALBUM

GENTLY LOWERING THE STYLUS ONTO SIDE ONE,  BEARI IN MIND THIS IS A 40 YEARS OLD DISC IT IS JUST INCREDIBLE. THE SOUND GENERATED FROM THE STEREO PRESSING IS CRYSTAL CLEAR, AND CLEAN, AND EACH NOTE IS HEARD PERFECTLY. 

 I HAVE HARDLY SEEN ANY COPIES OF THIS ALBUM OVER THE YEARS, BUT THOSE THAT I HAVE HAVE NOT COMPARED TO THIS EXAMPLE IN THE SLIGHTEST. I HAVE RECORDED SIX EXCERPTS FROM THE LP WHICH INCLUDE BOTH SIDES INTRO TRACK AND THE DEAD WAX RUN IN, AND 4 OTHER PIECES ARE WHERE I HAVE CAPTURED THE FADE OUT END OF A TRACK, THE SILENT LINKING GROOVE, AND THEN THE FIRST MINUTE OF SO OF THE NEXT TRACK. I CHOSE TO DO THIS AS I AM SURE THAT POTENTIAL BIDDERS WOULD FAR RATHER HEAR WHAT THE SILENT SECTIONS SOUND LIKE AS BACKGROUND NOISE IS OFTEN MASKED BY THE LOUDNESS OF THE MUSIC.

ONE FINAL NOTE ON THE PERFORMANCE IS THAT WHAT LITTLE PLAY THE ALBUM HAS HAD, HAS BEEN DONE ON A DECENT HIFI SYSTEM AS THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHICH COULD BE CAUSED IF THE STYLUS BEING USED IS OR WAS TOO HEAVY OR WORN. THIS ONE SOUNDS SUPERB!!

THE SLEEVE

THE SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, NOT QUITE AS SUPERB AS THE VINYL AS IT DOES HAVE A FEW LIGHT LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE WHICH DO SHOW AS THE SURFACE IS VERY VERY GLOSSY. TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND YOU WILL SEE THEM, BUT OVERALL THE SLEEVE GRADES A FULL EXCELLENT GRADE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS AS MENTIONED FULLY GLOSSY AND GLEAMS LIKE A MIRROR. THE SURFACE IS CLEAN AND THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR FOLDS AT ALL, JUST THE SMALL LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE, AND A COUPLE OF THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.

THE TOP EDGE IS UNWORN AND THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS MILD SHELF WEAR NEAR THE SPINE. THE SPINE ITSELF IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE AND PRETTY WELL FLAT. THE OPENING EDGE IS VERT SHARP DETAILING ASWELL THAT THE LP HAS HARDLY BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, UNLAMINATED AND UNWORN, NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO PEN MARKS ETC. THE ONLY MILD BLEMISH IS ON THE BOTTOM FLIPBACK WHICH HAS A LITTLE WEAR. PERFECTLY STUCK DOWN JUST LAMINATE FLAKING

THIS ALBUMN COMES WITH THE ORIGINAL ADVERTISING INNER SLEEVE WHICH IS IN MINT CONDITION

I HAVE PLACED THIS CAREFULLY INSIDE THE SLEEVE, AND THE DISC HAS BEEN CLEANED AND PLACED INTO A NEW POLY LINED INNER.

THIS WILL BE SHIPPED TO ITS NEW OWNER IN A PROFESSIONAL MAILER WHICH WILL HAVE 2 CARD STIFFNERS INSIDE TO PROTECT THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL ALSO BE PLACED INTO NEW PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE FIRST AND THE DISC WILL BE PACKED OUTSIDE OF THE COVER TO PROTECT IT FULLY. THE WHOLE THISG WILL BE SENT RECORDED DELIVERY IF WITHIN THE UK, AND INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR IF ABROAD

SO HERE YOU HAVE A VAULT CONDITION, NEVER NEED TO UPGRADE VERY RARE DEEP PURPLE DEBUT ALBUM  

I HAVE GREAT PLEASURE IN OFFERING IT TO ALL THE COLLECTORS OUT THERE

GARRY