JOHN COLTRANE A Love Supreme 1965 US 1st press IMPULSE STEREO AS-77 VAN GELDER

	£		195
	$		258

JOHN COLTRANE - A LOVE SUPREME

A superlative copy of this rare and highly sought after 1965 US very first pressing jazz gem on the coveted IMPULSE! label, stereo A-77

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  AS-77A with VAN GELDER and "STEREO" stamped into the dead wax area

Side 2  AS-77B with VAN GELDER and "STEREO" stamped into the dead wax area

The appearance of the flat, heavy vinyl is truly excellent plus (EX+). Gleaming vinyl with jet black lacquering and in normal daylight no detectable marks at all - this vinyl, coupled with the awesome design and "as new" condition labels, really is an item of beauty. There are just a couple of very light, faint, thin spidery hairlines and a hint of some very light paper scuffing, only detectable on each side of the vinyl when it is scrutinised under a bright light and even then the vinyl has to be tilted at the right angle. This vinyl has obviously been played sparingly - I suspect less than 10 times - and remains in amazing condition, especially considering it's 54 year antiquity.

The labels are near mint. Beautiful light matt textured labels no marks at all, not even the usual couple of very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole - they simply don't exist. Beautiful colouring and art work, with all text still completely intact. Gorgeous!

The condition of the George Gray/Viceroy outer sleeve is again excellent plus (EX+) . Such an iconic sleeve, manufactured from thick cardboard with the outside of the gatefold having a heavily laminated glossy finish - beautiful. The inside of the gatefold is non laminated. There is no scuffing or rubbing on the bottom edges, and the top edges are similarly impressive but with just a single "nick" and a 1cm abrasion on the top front edge towards the corner. The spine is perfect - super rigid with no scuffing or creasing or "nicks", and likewise for the opening edges where there is no fraying at all...just perfect. Each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with no rubbing. The laminate is in great shape with just a couple of very minor blemishes ("blemish" is too strong a word) : a 3cm very thin horizontal laminate surface crease on the front side, just to the right side of the top of John Coltrane's head, a vertical hairline surface laminate crease adjacent to the front side opening edge (only visible in a bright light), and on the reverse side x3 1.5cm very, very light surface laminate creases adjacent to the edge - x2 to the spine edge and the other to the top edge. The inside of the gatefold, with all art work and text perfectly intact, is difficult to fault...not quite mint but almost.  

Finally, the quality of the audio is stunning. Again, difficult to fault with great tone and clarity throughout with no clicks, skips, crackle, or background interference. Utterly superb stereo reproduction with a group of musicians (John Coltrane - tenor sax, Jimmy Garrison - bass, Elvin Jones - drums, and McCoy Tyner - piano) at the top of their game. Sit back and enjoy the craftsmanship and musical ingenuity of this truly great jazz album.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. Part I - Acknowledgement

2. Part II - Resolution

Side 2 :

1.  Part III - Pursuance

IV - Psalm     

Comes with original ABC-PARAMOUNT inner sleeve with the original "1501 Broadway, New York 36 N. Y." text with no splits, tears or creasing, just perfect and remaining 100% fully functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly wonderful and impressive copy of this extremely rare and highly sought after 1965 US very 1st pressing jazz gem - seldom seen, so difficult to find (there can't be many left in condition as wonderful as this) and worthy of gracing any vinyl collection.

 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 48 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 63 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 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 £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; continental Europe £8 and Rest of the World £12, Royal Mail 1st class 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