John Mayall The Blues Alone feat. Keef Hartley ORIG UK Ace of Clubs/DECCA LP EX

	£		25
	$		33

Original U.K. 1967 Ace of Clubs/DECCA MONO pressing of John Mayall’s ‘The Blues Alone’ L.P. (Catalogue Reference: Ace of Clubs ACL 1243).  Ace of Clubs was Decca’s budget label however, unlike the budget labels run by a number of other major U.K. records companies of the day there is a fair amount of original material on the label including this record.  Keef Hartley is the drummer on the bulk of the tracks included here.  I believe this is probably a first pressing (the matrixes read ARL-8040-1A) and features grooved labels (typical of DECCA pressings of the period) and a flimsy card sleeve which is only laminated on the front (also typical of the DECCA pressings of the period which were always a little ‘cheap’).  This came in a batch of 60s British blues lps and they’d all been very well looked after and hadn’t seen heavy play and the same applies here.  Under an intense light I’d say there are a reasonable volume of very light ‘wispy’ hairline scratches however, this is what you expect of DECCA pressings of the period.  I believe this is a combination of the production process (the final wipe to clear debris) and the type of inner sleeve the records are stored in.  It is a stunning copy and a conservative EXCELLENT grade.  There is a little ‘yellowing’ around the B-Side spindle-hole which should be visible in the attached image however, I’d say the labels are still as white as the day this was pressed which is rare.  The labels on these Ace of Clubs records tend to get quite grubby.  It should be noted that I believe the record is still stored inside the original poly-lined inner bag.  The sleeve is a truly lovely example.  As noted above 60s DECCA sleeves are cheap and thin and rarely survive in anything better than excellent condition.  The laminate displays only limited wear which indicates this copy hasn’t been handled much and results in the sleeve having a certain ‘fresh’ appearance.  I’d say the two bottom corners display a minimal amount of wear however, the two top corners are as sharp as the day this was pressed.  Under an intense light I note a couple of creases near the opening edge of the sleeve which result from the sleeve being gripped in the fingertips while the vinyl is removed.  The rear of the sleeve is largely white and again like the labels is as white as the day this was pressed.  The sleeve is graded as being in EXCELLENT+ condition and really isn’t far off a near mint grade. 

Condition

VINYL – EXCELLENT

SLEEVE – EXCELLENT+

Final Remarks

This is a truly stunning copy and it will be very hard to find a superior copy!  Please check my other auctions for a large run of Folk, Pop, Rock, R&B and Soul collectables in similarly immaculate condition.  Save me as a favourite seller as there is plenty more where this came from!

General Conditions & Information

I have been a collector for in excess of 15 years now and regard myself as a conservative grader.  I know from experience that there is nothing worse than buying an item which is described with superlatives only for it to arrive and look like it has been scrapped along the floor (!).  As a rule I don’t submit anything to auction which I wouldn’t be happy receiving myself.  I endeavour to be accurate with my grading and all items are graded under an intense light.  Please take a look through my feedback as I’d like to think it speaks for itself. 

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Overseas Buyers

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