PINK FLOYD A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS 1/1 1st MONO PRESS 1968 Blue COLUMBIA EX AUDIO
£
246
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326
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.
Pink Floyd : A Saucerful Of Secrets 1/1 1st Mono Press Blue COLUMBIA Single Stampers
This very collectable first mono pressing plays with very strong audio for the vast majority. There are no clicks or pops and the overall clarity is very impressive. There is some static distortion on 2/3 tracks but it is not overpowering in my opinion and like I say most of the album plays with very clear audio. For example the majority of the title track 'A Saucerful Of Secrets' plays with great clarity and has just some static distortion on the end choral section.
The laminated Patents Pending cover is in superb condition with only very minimal shelf wear and the original inner sleeve has also been preserved so well. Both are stunning!
This is also one of the earlier first pressings as it has only a single stamper on each side - P on S1 and M on S2.
SX 6258 // YAX 3633 - 1 / YAX 3634 - 1 // P 1 / M 1
The audio on S1 is Near Mint (T1 Mint- / T3 ranges between VG+ and Near Mint / T4 Ex)
The audio on S2 is Ex+ (T1 end choral section VG+ / T2 Ex)
The cover is Ex+
The labels are Ex+
The original inner sleeve is Near Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen with no actual scratches. Under a bright light you can see some faint hairlines but there are no obvious marks. There is no groove wear or 'dulling' of the surface and the iconic blue Columbia labels are very clean with just some spindle wear around the centre circle. The KT tax stamp can be seen on the S1 label.
Play grading
The entire intro on 'Let There Be More Light' plays with great clarity and depth and I only noticed one light tick. The first is perfect and the following chorus is just as clean. It continues to play with sublime quality and this opening vocal section has to be one of the finest I have ever listened to. The psychedelic end instrumental more than keeps up the standard with a clarity of sound that is just stunning and that deep, rich mono sound is very much in evidence. The fade out has no background either and Mint- is very much deserved.
With complete silence in the dead wax the intro on 'Remember A Day' is as close to perfect as could be. Half a second of minor static distortion that is all! Wright's first vocal is so clean and the quiet piano section that follows shows how well this vinyl has been looked after - stunning clarity and no intrusion. The next vocal is faultless and the instrumental section then plays with that familiar deep tone again and... no interference. The audio definition is so strong and if there is any 'muddiness' to the sound it is kept to an absolute minimum. The final vocal / instrumental section play with exceptional quality with only a hint of barely audible static for a couple of seconds - this truly is a superb version. I will grade as Near Mint but I'm sure many would grade higher...if they played all of it!
This time there is one click in the dead wax but then the super quiet intro on 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun' plays so clearly with just one tick and hardly any static. Waters' opening vocal is so clean - there is no interference - and it continues in the same precise way. This is of course a very quiet track and yet the clarity of sound on this 55 year old record is STUNNING! The first repeated heart of the sun... just has minimal static distortion but it still plays very clearly with no ticks, clicks or pops. The remainder plays with very strong audio but with a little static distortion on the top end every now and then and a touch of crackle at the end of the fade out. I would say ranging between VG+ and Near Mint is a fair assessment of the audio... but more of the latter :-)
'Corporal Clegg' always plays with some static / inner groove distortion and it is just a matter of how much. You cannot escape it as you always find it on the first / early pressings. The good news here is that it is mainly restricted to some of the vocal passages but even then it is not excessive. The instrumental sections in particular play with superb clarity and depth and remember I am playing this record through a stereo set up so I am sure the audio could be enhanced when played as a mono record. Just played it again and yep the instrumentals are stunning, the end section could hardly play any better! I think Ex is about right.
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The intro on 'A Saucerful Of Secrets' plays so clearly and with barely any static. In fact the opening two minutes play with stunning clarity and there is nothing to detract from the audio. You can hear every subtle nuance in the music, every note in other words, and as the volume builds the playback is just as strong. Great clarity and power here. As Mason comes in around 3.45 the audio is very 'clean' and it continues in much the same way. Again there is a lot 'going on' here and yet the clarity of sound is very impressive. The next quiet section has only 3/4 very minor statics at the start and the beginning of the organ 'recital' could hardly play any better. There is just a little static as it builds and a couple of minor ticks but this is not intrusive in any way. The choral section begins strongly but as the volume increases there is some static distortion on the top end but is certainly not overpowering. A little more obvious towards the end and this is the only 'real' intrusion across the entire track. The vast majority of this classic is Ex+ and better than that in many sections and then VG+ during the choral section.
'See-Saw' has only 3/4 barely audible ticks on the intro and then plays very clearly for the majority. There is a little static distortion on the top end every now and then but it's not what you deem obvious and turning the treble up certainly helps. I am just being 'complete' with my grading - it isn't mint but it still plays with great audio with no 'real' intrusion. From start to finish there are no clicks or pops and Ex is deserved at the very least.
'Jugband Blues' ends this classic album with superb audio throughout and no interference. For a final track it plays with a very impressive clarity of sound and for once there is very little static distortion. Barrett's vocal is so clean and precise and the instrumental sections are very strong also. Just a touch more static on the final instrumental and then the brief silent section that follows is exactly that, totally silent. Barrett's final vocal plays with stunning clarity and this has to grade as Ex+ although even that may be a little harsh. A very strong conclusion for sure.
In summary this first mono pressing plays with excellent audio for the majority. You can tell it has been played by the spindle wear and that is probably the cause of the static distortion but the good news is that it is kept to a minimum. Much of the album does indeed play with stunning quality and I am sure the audio could be enhanced when played as a genuine mono record. A played record but it has been well preserved over the last 55 years. The cover pays testament to that also.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The laminated G & L Patents Pending cover is in lovely condition and is one of the finest examples I have seen. The edges and thin pinched spine are in superb shape and the corners are very clean also, only the bottom right one has a little more but still not an excessive amount. The opening edge has only minimal handling wear. The front cover has only one laminate crease next to the right edge and a small number of faint creases next to the spine as is common. The unlaminated back cover has been so well preserved and is totally unmarked. The flipbacks remain 100% attached to the cover with no marking / staining around the edges and only a small number of minor creases. The lower left corner just has a very minor crease. It has retained its original shape and structure so well and is a superb example of this iconic cover.
The original EMI inner is in fantastic condition with no side splits or tears, no marking and hardly any creasing. It is a first press one advertising 'Revolver', 'Yardbirds' and 'Manfred Mann' etc.
Play tested on my Rega P2 with Rega Carbon Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
SX 6258 // XAX 3633 - 1 / XAX 3634 - 1 // P 1 / M 1
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
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