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Kate Bush : The Red Shoes A1 / B1 1st Press 1993

This first press plays with superb audio and has only minimal intrusion on the audio.  The vast majority plays with great clarity and depth and there is just one light click on S1 and minimal static on one track of each side.  S1 plays with very impressive audio overall and S2 is just stunning!  In fact I have only grades two tracks as Ex+ (one on each side) the other 10 all grade higher!

The vinyl is visually very strong also and it clearly has not been played very much based on the audio and the zero spindle wear.

The cover is in superb condition with hardly any wear and the lyric inner is indeed perfect.

This is the very first press as denoted by the matrix and the FOR H etching on the S1 run off.

EMD 1047 // A-1-1-1 D   FOR H (etched) / B-1-1-1 D

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (T1 Mint- / T4 Ex+ / T5 Near Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T2 Ex+)

The cover is Near Mint-

The lyric inner is Mint

The labels are Mint

Visual description

The vinyl is in excellent condition with a very impressive glossy sheen and has no obvious marks or scratches.  All I can see under a bright light are some faint hairlines and a handful of 'specks' that have no impact on the audio.  The labels are unmarked and have no spindle wear.

Play grading

'Rubberband Girl' plays with superb audio throughout with no sign of any interference, a couple of minor static ticks on the fade out that is all.  Crystal clear sound and Mint- is well deserved.

The intro on 'And So Is Love' plays beautifully with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks and the opening vocal is equally as impressive.  It continues to play so clearly and I only heard a handful of very quiet that are so much in the background as to be negligible.  Kate's voice is as emotive as ever and there is nothing to detract from the clarity on offer here.  I will grade as Near Mint although many would consider a little harsh :-)

The intro on 'Eat The Music' has no background and from then on plays with great quality and hardly any intrusion.  I heard just one faint dull sound during the first Papaya vocal but it really is very quiet.  99% is 'as new' but I will grade as Near Mint

'Moments Of Pleasure' has one click on the first note and then plays very clearly from then onwards.  Admittedly there is some light background during the quieter moments on the first half of the track but the higher octane vocals sections play with stunning precision.  The second half is so close to perfect with only 3/4 very quiet dust ticks.  Ex+

The quiet intro on 'The Song Of Solomon' is almost perfect with just one minor tick and the first verse just has a couple of light ticks, the clarity is still very impressive though.  The first chorus is faultless and it continues to play with sublime clarity and no interference.  A couple of very quiet ticks towards the end and light static on the fade out but overall I do think Near Mint- is fair.

The spoken intro on 'Lily' plays very clearly with only the bare minimum of very light static and as the track begins the playback is stunning.  This sonic quality is prevalent throughout and there are no negatives.  Near Mint

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The intro on 'The Red Shoes' plays perfectly and the opening vocal is the same.  From then on it plays so well - every verse and 'chorus' play with genuine quality and as the bass comes in around the half way point the audio is phenomenal.  You cannot fault entire track and Mint- is richly deserved.

The first verse on 'Top Of The City' does have a little static and then as the volume increases the playback is superb.  The The next quiet section has barely any background and from then on there is a lot to like!  The quieter moments have only very minimal light static and in no way is it intrusive.  There are no clicks or pops and overall Ex+ is about right.

'Constellation Of The Heart' plays with immaculate audio from the first note to the last with no interference at all.  Mint

'Big Stripey Lie' plays to the same high end standard with no intrusion on the audio.  Sterling guitar work here from Kate!  Another Mint track.

The opening vocal on 'Why Should I Love You?' is so clean with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks and then the first first and chorus play with STUNNING clarity and depth.  It continues to play with a quality that belies its age - love this track!  It of course features contributions from Prince and Lenny Henry and it just could not play any better.  A sublime Mint version.

'You're The One' is 'as new' right from the very start.  A relatively quiet track and yet the clarity is stunning.  Running at nearly 6 minutes you might expect some interference and yet all I noticed were a handful of very quiet dust ticks during the middle section.  The work from Jeff Beck is flawless and I am confident in grading this as Mint- but is a case of - is the the minus really required?  A fantastic version to end this superb album.

In summary this very first pressing plays to a very high standard with only minimal interference as detailed above.  The clarity of sound on both sides is very impressive and on S2 especially which is stunning and very close to perfect.  Only 'Top Of The city' has some light static but not that much!  In conjunction with a lovely cover and pristine lyric inner I am sure the winning bidder will be very pleased with their purchase.

The Cover & Lyric Inner

The glossy cover has been preserved so well and has no obvious wear.  The edges have only one tiny 'rub' each and the spine remains in superb condition with no wear.  The corners are also super clean and the opening edge is pristine also.  The front cover has only a couple of minor fade marks near the top edge which you can only see at a certain angle because they are so faint.  The back cover is immaculate with no wear of any kind.  A superb example overall.

The lyric inner looks like it has never been touched and is in perfect Mint condition.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with Rega Carbon Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

The record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

EMD 1047 // A-1-1-1 D   FOR H (etched) / B-1-1-1 D

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.

THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE MAY BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD).  AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN.  HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING.  PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH.  MANY THANKS.

ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.

I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 10% OF THE SHIPPING FEE ALSO!!

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