GENTLE GIANT S/T 1970 UK 1st press LARGE SWIRL 6360 020 1Y/1 2Y/1 BRILLIANT COPY

	£		283
	$		375

GENTLE GIANT - GENTLE GIANT

A beautiful condition copy of this rare and highly sought after 1970 UK 1st press progressive rock classic, on the coveted Vertigo swirl (large swirl) label, STEREO, 6360020

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  6360020  1Y//1  with stampers "420  1 3 1" at 1.30 o'clock

Side 2  6360020  2Y//1  with stampers "420  1 3 1" at 11.30 o'clock

The appearance and overall condition of the flat and nicely weighted vinyl is truly excellent plus (EX+). Both sides have retained an impressive jet black lacquered sheen and in normal daylight show no sign of wear and tear - a real "gleamer", in fact. Under a very bright light, and with close scrutiny, it is just possible to detect a the odd wispiest of wispy hairlines on each side of the vinyl, and even under a bright light you will need to look very hard - these are non-"feelable", are obviously surface only and completely non-intrusive in terms of both appearance and sound quality (which is terrific throughout). This record has obviously been sparingly played and it is hard to believe that it is now a 50 year old antiquity in such fantastic condition as this...there cannot be many better! 

The labels are excellent plus (EX+). Gorgeous condition labels with the coveted large Vertigo swirl logo and lettering, and all text perfectly intact also. if you look closely, and again under a bright light, you may just be able to detect a couple of very faint, and small, spindle trails on each label adjacent to the centre hole. Apart from that, perfect!

The iconic non-laminated HOWARDS PRINTERS gatefold sleeve is excellent (EX). Such an iconic and beautifully designed outer gatefold sleeve, but also quite fragile and prone to wear and tear and now so hard to come across a UK 1st pressing in excellent condition or better - this copy is a strong "excellent". No creasing and nothing nasty on this sleeve, and no unwanted writing or doodles or tears or rips, and still retaining the richness of it's original colouring with great clarity and definition, and the opening edges also remain firm with no feathering. The wonderful art work is truly something to behold - stunning. Nonetheless there are just a couple of very minor blemishes : there is some very mild (not immediately noticeable) fraying on the top half of the front side of the opening edge along with some equally mild and light surface creasing right in that same top edge opening corner (see photo...very mild indeed); there  is just the hint of a little compression in the bottom right corner; and there are a few very, very light marks/abrasions towards the bottom right edge in the inside of the gatefold - overall the inside of the gatefold is in excellent shape, with all of the exquisite art work, colours, and text (including song lyrics) beautifully intact. I should also mention that the spine, both outside and inside of the gatefold, remains rigid and in great condition with just a couple of very small and barely detectable light "nicks". I'm probably being a little too conservative by grading the condition of the outer sleeve as excellent - it really is a work of beauty and this copy is so, so impressive.

Finally, the quality of the audio is overall excellent plus (EX+)...superb, in fact. Impressive tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No skips, jumps, repeats, or obvious clicks (just the very occasional and very light background click which can only be attributed to either static or the odd speck of dust in the grooves resulting from decades of storage) and does not intrude upon the wonderful audio quality one bit, and no background crackle/interference either. This really is a terrific prog rock album, and I doubt that there are many UK 1st pressings remaining in as wonderful condition as this and with such brilliant sound quality, with every track making for a great listen.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. Giant

2. Funny Ways

3. Alcard

4. Isn't It Quiet And Cold?

Side 2 :

1. Nothing At All

2. Why Not?

3. The Queen

Comes with original Vertigo swirl inner sleeve, correctly dated and with horizontal "British Patent.." and "MADE IN ENGLAND" text with no tears, splits or rips, and barely any creasing - just some occasional and very minor fraying on the perimeter of the die-cut, and missing the inner polythene lining, but still remaining 100% functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a beautiful condition and immensely presentable copy of this increasingly rare and highly sought after 1970 UK 1st press prog rock gem - worthy of gracing 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 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 50 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 65 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 thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I also 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 UK £6 Royal Mail special delivery, signed for; continental Europe £10 and Rest of the World £14, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail, tracked and signed for.

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

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