KING CRIMSON IN THE COURT OF 1969 UK 1st press A2/B3 PINK ISLAND SUPERB AUDIO

	£		233
	$		309

KING CRIMSON - IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING (AN OBSERVATION BY KING CRIMSON)

Increasingly rare original UK 1969 12" LP, with gleaming and sparingly played 1st press A2 / B3 matrix vinyl on the pink "i" Island label, STEREO ILPS-9111

Matrix Numbers : Side 1  ILPS 9111 A // 2   1 2 8 ;  Side 2   ILPS 9111 B // 3   1 1 1 2

A very collectable copy of this rare and sought after 1st press progressive rock classic, the highlight being the gleaming vinyl and flawless audio quality

Both sides of the flat vinyl gleam with the original jet black lacquered sheen. The vinyl is totally flat and appears to be in virtually unmarked condition; even with close inspection under a bright light no wispy hairlines or light scuffs come into view - clearly this vinyl has been played only a few times. EXCELLENT PLUS (EX+)

If it wasn't for just a couple of small and very, very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label would grade the condition of the labels as being near mint, so certainly an EXCELLENT PLUS (EX+) is again in order!

The iconic non-laminated gatefold sleeve is a solid very good. All of the edges and corners remain firm and well defined, as is the spine, with no creasing or tears and all of the colours have retained their rich vibrancy. However, there is intermittent and clearly noticeable scuffing on the bottom edges and spine with much of the spine text either obscured or partially obscured (see photos). There is also an intermittent vertical strip of some mild discolouration parallel to the spine on the front side. The inside of the gatefold is excellent with no obvious flaws whatsoever, all art work and text in perfect condition, and the only blemish being just a little feathering on the front opening edge.  A solid very good overall.

The audio quality is stunning. No background crackle or other interference. No skips, repeats, pops, clicks, or jumps. Just perfect, with great tone and clarity throughout even at higher volume and frequency. This record has obviously been sparingly played. EXCELLENT PLUS (EX+)

The track listing is :

Side 1:

1. 21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN including MIRRORS

2. I TALK TO THE WIND

3. EPITAPH including MARCH FOR NO REASON and TOMORROW AND TOMORROW

Side 2 :

1. MOONCHILD including THE DREAM and THE ILLUSION

2. THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING including THE RETURN OF THE FIRE WITCH and THE DANCE OF THE PUPPETS

Comes complete with the original poly-lined "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS)" inner sleeve, with correct "British Patent" and MADE IN ENGLAND" text and with barely any creasing, no seam splits, no tears, no discolouration and remaining fully functional. Again, excellent plus (EX+).

A highly collectable copy of this increasingly rare and hard to find UK 1st press prog rock classic - a welcome addition to any serious vinyl collection - the highlight being the gleaming and obviously little played vinyl and, of course, the accompanying superb stereo audio quality.

POSTAGE COSTS :  For the UK, £5 using Royal Mail 1st class signed for; 

for continental Europe £14 using Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for,

and for the rest of the world £19 using Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for. I make no profit from postage.

Note that I always insert the vinyl(s) into a new plain white poly-lined inner sleeve in order to protect the original during postage, and separate this from the sleeve itself  to prevent seam splits. I use thick cardboard stiffeners and take great care in my packaging to ensure as far as possible that these precious records reach their destination in exactly the same condition as when they leave me.

 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 listings for more 60's and 70's classic vinyl.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting UK vinyl for over 50 years from a variety of sources : my own collection, friends and family, car boot and garage sales, door-to-door leaflets, and even through placing an advert in my wife's costume hire shop window! 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 questions asked" refund policy. If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. There is NO RESERVE on this item. Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint  The record 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, discoloration, 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 will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor  The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing

Bad  The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.