PINK FLOYD DARK SIDE OF THE MOON 1973 UK SOLID BLUE A2 B2, posters+stickers

	£		227
	$		301

PINK FLOYD - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

A nice copy of this rare and highly sought after very first 1973 UK pressing of this Pink Floyd/prog rock classic, complete with the coveted "solid blue" triangle and all posters & stickers, on the Harvest label, stereo SHVL 804

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  SHVL 804 A - 2  with stampers "2" and "L A" at 5 o'clock and 11 o'clock respectively

Side 2  SHVL 804 B - 2  with stampers "2" and "11 D" at 10 o'clock and 4 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the vinyl is very good. Both sides of the vinyl have retained a nice sheen but there are some scuff marks in evidence, even in normal daylight when tilted at the right angle. In particular on side 1 there is one pencil line scuff mark which transverses from most of the outer dead wax area to the inner dead wax area and another which crosses track 1 - both of these are non-feelable and are surface only. Under a bright light a good number of wispy hairlines and a few more small scuffs come into view - again, nothing nasty and nothing that is obviously "feelable" or beneath the surface, but some occasional mild clicking on playback indicates that a couple of the hairlines may indeed just intrude to beneath the surface. Both sides of the vinyl have obviously had a fair number of plays but playback indicates that there is a good number of plays left in this record as yet. The record is flat with no warping whatsoever and, of course, it is beautifully heavy duty - none of this modern day flimsy stuff. This vinyl was built to last - and it does!

The labels are excellent+. Beautiful labels with the coveted "solid blue triangle" in all it's glory on both sides. Just a few very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label, otherwise pristine.

The non-laminated gate fold sleeve is very good.  Such an iconic sleeve, and so rare to come across an original with the dark blue hue - even more noticeable on this copy than other 1st pressing "solid blue" copies that I have seen. There is mild scuffing on the the top and bottom edges along with noticeable rubbing on each corner and a few very minor, surface only abrasions mostly on the front side. The edges remain firm, however, along with the spine which has some sporadic mild scuffing but remains rigid and in overall very good+ condition. The inside of the gatefold is excellent, with no unwanted writing or doodles, and there are no nasty creases anywhere. There is just a little fraying on the back opening edge but this is very minor. The whole gatefold has a hint of ageing about it but nonetheless a solid very good.

Both posters are excellent, along with the original unpeeled "CRACK BACK" stickers. No blue tac residue, no pin holes, no nasty creases, no unwanted writing, and no rips or tears. Truly excellent condition for each.

Finally, the quality of the audio is very good. I stress from the outset that the whole record makes for a great listen overall but there is some occasional clicking (I noticed 13 mild clicks on the opening track on side 1 and a further 5 mild clicks on "The Great Gig In The Sky"), and some occasional mild background interference/crackle, a little more noticeable towards the end of side 2. Nothing too intrusive but it is there. On track 2, side 1 there is also a single "hiss" sound about half way through the track which lasts for a split second...it does not result in a skip but, again, it is noticeable. So, not perfect audio by any means (though significant portions of the album play with no discernible interference whatsoever) but still a very enjoyable listen.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. SPEAK TO ME 

2. BREATHE IN THE AIR

3. ON THE RUN

4.TIME

5. THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY

Side 2 :

1. MONEY

2. US AND THEM

3. ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE

4. BRAIN DAMAGE

5. ECLIPSE

Comes with original plain white inner sleeve  with the original PATENT Nos and "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN" text and which has no splits or tears and remains in excellent+ condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a solid very good condition copy of this rare and sought after 1973 UK very 1st pressing prog rock classic - a "must" for any serious vinyl collector and which will only continue to gain in value. 

 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 cardboard mailer along with at least two 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 £5.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; continental Europe £11 and Rest of the World £15, 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