Elton John DON'T SHOOT ME I'M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER 1972 UK LP 1st NEAR MINT

	£		52
	$		69

I have come across a collection of records that defy time.

They belonged to a collector who was buying in the mid to late 60's through the 70's and 80's

However his family have said that he didn't own a record player until the mid 80's.

Very strange I know, but what it means is that the early records have in most cases never been played or at the most one play.

Naturally people's tastes in music change and that's why the 80's albums have had more play than the 60's

There are some incredible records in this collection

I aim to release one per day and will list them at 8pm UK time so that they don't get confused with my other listings

I will also be test playing each record prior to listing . My very very careful test play will go undetected however

ELTON JOHN - DON'T SHOOT ME I'M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER

SUPERB NEAR MINT AUDIO

1ST PRESS A2/B2

NEAR MINT 1ST ISSUE STAPLED SLEEVE WITH TEXTURED BOOK

• CATALOGUE:DJM  DJLPH 427

• MATRIX: DJLPH 427 A2 / B 2

• 'AGONG' ETCHED INTO DEAD WAX SIDE ONE

• 'BANG' ETCHED INTO DEAD WAX SIDE TWO

• TEXTURED 1ST ISSUE BOOKLET

THE CLASSIC DON'T SHOOT ME ALBUM FROM 1972. THIS IS A REALLY EARLY FIRST PRESS WITH VERY LOW MATRIX NUMBERS. THE VINYL WAS PRESSED IN BOTH STANDARD BLACK, AND PLUM TRANSLUCENT VINYL WHICH YOU COULD ONLY SEE IF YOU HELD IT UP TO A BRIGHT LIGHT. THIS IS THE TRANSLUCENT VINYL!

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE JET BLACK LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ON THEM AT ALL. THE COLOUR FULLY EXTENDS INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE.. THE YELLOW DJM LOGO IS UNRUBBED AND THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THERE IS JUST ONE TINY SPIDER LINE CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE SHOWING THAT THIS VINYL HAS ONLY EVER HAD A COUPLE OF TRIPS ROUND A TURNTABLE

THE VINYL

THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW, AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE. THIS IS A FIRST PRESS HEAVYWEIGHT DISC IN SUBLIME CONDITION. IN DAYLIGHT THE VINYL IS FLAWLESS, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE APART FROM A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES, AND SOME DULL PATCHES AND STREAKS EMBEDDED IN THE VINYL (NON SOUNDING)

PLAYING THE RECORD

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH MAGNIFICENTLY ON BOTH SIDES. CRYSTAL CLEAR AND CLEAN VOCALS, PRESICION INSTRUMENTATION

THE REPRODUCTION IS PURE FIRST PRESS WITH EVERY NOTE BEING CRISP AND CLEAR. CERTAINLY NO DISTORTION WHATSOEVER, AND NO HEAVY  / LOUD BACKGROUND CRACKLES OR CLICKS

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND EITHER AT ANY POINT SHOWING THAT THE COUPLE OF PLAYS THAT THE LP HAS HAD, WE COMPLETED WITH A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

I HEARD JUST A FEW SPECKS OF STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND IN 2-3 OF THE LINKING GROOVES AND 1 TINY LITTLE STATIC TIC DURING THE WHOLE PLAY THROUGH

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT FOR THE AUDIO

THE SLEEVE

FIRST ISSUE GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE SLEEVE WITH THE 1ST ISSUE TEXTURED BOOKLET WITH STAPLES SHOWING ON THE SPINE

 HIGHLY POLISHED LAMINATE ON THE FRONT SURFACE WHICH HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES. NO BENDS OR FOLDS EITHER J

THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP AND SQUARE

 THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE LINES NEXT TO THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, AND JUST TWO TINY ONES  ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

NO RING WEAR OR EVEN RECORD SHAPE

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE 100% FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR, GLOSSY LAMINATE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE FOUR SURFACES WITH JUST A PIN PRICK OF RUB TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT FRONT CORNER TIP

THE SPINE IS ALSO  MINT.  FLAT AND UNWORN WITH EVERY LETTER OF TYPEFACE CLEARLY LEGIBLE.NO LAMINATE PEEL OR FLAKE. THIS IS A FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE AS NOTED DUE TO THE STAPLES SHOWING ON THE SPINE. LATER ISSUES HAD THE BOOK GLUED IN

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND AGAIN SHOWS JUST HOW LITTLE THIS RECORD HAS BEEN OUT OF THE COVER.

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS CLEAN AS THE FRONT, GLOSSY UNBLEMISHED LAMINATE. NO PRESSURE LINES ON ANY OF THE THREE SEALED EDGES. ONE SMALL THUMB PRESSURE PIONT BY THE BOTTOM OF THE OPENING EDGE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE PAIR OF INNER PANELS. 

THE ORIGINAL 1ST ISSUE BOOKLET WAS ISSUED WITH TEXTURED PAPER WHEREAS LATER ISSUES WERE UNTEXTURED. THIS IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION

COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE 

 THIS IS A REAL RARITY AND A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE  MINT MINUS

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

GARRY