PINK FLOYD Dark Side of the Moon EARLY COPY COMPLETE EX

	£		45
	$		60

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Artist or Band: PINK FLOYD

Album Title: The Dark Side of the Moon.

Producer(s): Pink Floyd.

Engineer(s): Alan Parsons.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Speak to Me; Breathe in the Air; On the Run; Time; The Great Gig in the Sky.

Side 2: Money; Us and Them; Any Colour You Like; Brain Damage; Eclipse.

Label/Format: Harvest – matt black with outline turquoise triangle. This has ‘The Gramophone Company Limited’ text on the rims AND below the year of issue. These are not dead smooth either with multitudes of tiny dots giving almost textured feel to the fingertip. NOTE: This is NOT the rare solid triangle first pressing. (Please see my label scans for all information).

Label Conditions: Both are clean with any scuff traces faint and minor, as stated, these are not dead smooth with a more unusual almost textured look and feel and very much darker than many I have seen. Spindle marks are very few and faint.

Cat Number: SHVL 804.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 134 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity & What’s Included: The album itself is common, and that’s simply being honest. This album has sold in excess of 15,0000,000 copies, by any standards a phenomenal number – hasten to add quickly, not all this vast number would have been on vinyl and this is worldwide figure, so not all UK copies either. The very first pressing with the solid blue triangle label is very scarce but this is NOT that version. This is still an early copy and much heavier pressed than even slightly later pressed examples. This includes the less black cover that is open both ends. The very first covers were open only on the back, but that changed to accomodate the posters and stickers. Both crack-back stickers and two posters, both unmounted are included as well as the early black polylined inner sleeve. I do not offer this album often, so when I do, I only offer strong complete copies. These types are not so easily found with most being heavily played with missing or damaged inserts and badly rubbed, faded or ringworn covers. This cover is not pristine but still a very attractive example and those more difficult stickers pristine. Overall a very nice copy that will please many collectors.

Original Year of Release: March 1973

Matrix Nos: SHVL 804 A-3 / SHVL 804 B-2

Stamper Codes: 1 RGT / 3 GPR

Musicians: Dave Gilmour – Roger Waters – Roger Wright – Nick Mason. Guest Musicians/Vocalists/Voices Barry St John, Dick Parry (saxophones), Doris Troy, Claire Torry, Liza Stuke, Lesley Duncan.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Along with King Crimson’s masterful debut, this must rank as the greatest ‘Progressive Rock’ album ever issued. Okay its not the solid blue triangle original, but it’s still an early pressing and it appears little played. Any interested collector will know all about this album I feel certain with little or no introductions needed. A monumental issue that sold in massive numbers worldwide, and even today, this legendary record is still used as a reference test for hi-fi systems. The sound and production is definitive and will make any worthy system really excel with incredible details and dynamics. I play a copy of this album on average 4 to 5 times a year from different sources and I never tire of hearing again. This legendary recording really did bring Pink Floyd even more to the public’s attention and sales of their past and future albums were assured thereafter. I would imagine the majority of rock vinyl collectors will have a copy of this one but those who do need a strong complete copy without splashing out vast amounts for the solid triangle first pressing, this should fit the bill. For any younger collector who want to discover what vinyl has to offer, this too would be a wonderful place to start. This has long remained, and will always will be, one of my personal favourite albums ever – a true landmark recording in the history of rock music.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High: [Unlaminated covers are always the most vulnerable for rubbing, fading, sticker tears and ringwear, gatefolds are more prone still and the darker they are, the more this type of wear occurs and shows. Some sleeves have a textured finish or die-cut shaped edges or ‘windows’. These are even more delicate and the hardest to find in top condition. Fully laminated covers are more resistent to wear but often the laminate ages with dulling, creases and blistering. Many 60s covers have outer flipback construction, these are very vulnerable to damage]. (US covers are the most fragile of all, very rarely laminated and made with thick brittle card that rubs and ringwears badly. Seams and edges split easily). Please see format below to access this cover’s potential for wear and damage.

Cover Grade and Format: EX, an unlaminated gatefold format, this one has or had no sticker. This is not intense black, those came later, instead a more deep grey-black with a faint blue hue in the correct light. It has a much wider spine than most too. This example was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd and is open both ends, the EMI/Harvest information on the bottom left inside is blue, later ones were white. Included are the two posters, two stickers and the matt black polylined inner sleeve - those were soon withdrawn and replaced by white EMI inners.

Cover Front: One of the most recognisable and iconic covers ever issued in the history of rock. Being such a flat matt finish, both sides are highly intolerant of handling. They show fingermarks all too freely, so glad to state this has barely any traces at all. Once these are applied by sweaty or greasy fingers, they are nigh-on impossible to remove, so I consider it important to mention this has avoided them. This front is very nice and one of the earlier ones but with two open ends, not the very first format, most of those came with the rare solid pale blue triangle issues and some carried on a while later until changed. A cover that came in many different guises and variations over the years. This front is clean and attractive and given how wear-prone it is, very nice indeed. A tiny few, very faint rub traces and one small, mild scuff under the bottom corner of the prism. Retaining super original colour with barely any noteworthy ink loss or fading this is a lovely vintage example. Barely any creasing and no serious marks, it will take a fair degree of beating.

Cover Back: The back is even better and the lack of ringwear is highly noteable and great news. Indeed this is exceptional with few marks and barely a crease to be seen – very nice indeed.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little to fault here and both faces will be difficult to find better.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both pairs are in superb condition with barely any traces of wear and very straight too. I have examined these very closely, and there appears to be no tip-ins or enhancements.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Again I emphasise, BOTH open. Both very clean, very sharp with barely any wear and no feathering and guaranteed, untrimmed. Record and contents can be stored within either edge. But to reduce the risk of future ringwear, better to leave it empty.

Spine and Text: An immaculate spine that is very wide indeed, I do not think I have ever seen this cover with a spine this width before. Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up dead flush and parallel. No text was printed on this spine and all the black ink and ray of light is unworn and clean. Its unusual to find this cover spine with such little wear or damage, this too on an exceptionally wide one that will prove more vulnerable, it will be immensely hard to find better.

Corners: Tiny tip rubs only, the spine pair are exceptional indeed. All retain excellent shape.

Cover Summary: An impressive, excellent example of this most famous cover. Perfect examples may exist but are very hard to find. With any blemising or wear so light on this uncompromising cover, I consider this a fine example, it should please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: Little short of Mint. A matt rich black polylined inner that is patented and includes the text ‘MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN’ in a blue-grey ink. The window is ultra neat and crisp and the lining very clear. Barely any noteworthy creasing and even ruffling is minor. All edges unworn with no splits or repairs, the bottom corners are vented in manufacture. The recessed top opening very neat also which is high indication the record has not be removed or inserted many times. This inner was withdrawn fairly quickly and replaced with a white EMI inner.

The Posters: Both practically mint, both unmounted (e.g. no pin-holes, cellotape marks or blue-tak marks) and quite possibly hardly even unfolded until I checked and photographed them. Both being as fresh and clean as manufacture day.

The Stickers: Both practically Mint, these are far harder to find like this and they do not wear as well as you may think. These are the early ‘FasPrint’ Crack Back types and neither are creased or blistered in any way, they simply look as manufactured. I actually wonder if they had even seen light of day or even removed from the cover, they look unhandled and immaculately clean and fresh.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: An impressive EX to EX+ with nothing more than a very fine and faint surface marks or hairlines seen under light. Few records avoid these minor surface blemishes and they have no sound of course. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with fine shine, intense black and very solidly pressed with a more substantial pressing weight than many examples. This is copy is actually HEAVIER than a first pressing I have here, that weighs 130 grams, this being 4 grams heavier. Very similar matrixes also, the first pressing is A-2 / B-2. A copy with very modest plays on all the evidence. Visually a super record that should please many, if not most collectors again.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippetts or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: A very fine copy of this most complex of recordings. Absolute silence is probably almost unrealistic on any played copy. Truly, many ‘virgin’ copies did not play silent from day one, fact. The heartbeat intro and outro are ultra difficult and most will have some minor (or not so minor) surface sound, clicks or crackle. Often careless dropping of the arm or premature lifting before the end inflicted scratches on those fine delicate beginning and end grooves. This has very little in unwanted sounds at all, anything is ultra gentle, infrequent and mild. As I was alone when play-grading this record (and neighbour away on holiday), I had the opportunity to really crank this up with a very ‘warmed up’ amp. The sound was simply breathtaking, at volume few would consider ‘normal’, and that was loud. Of course minor surface trace sounds are amplified to more audible levels, but at more realistic volume, they barely registered and even the quiet passages play very well. There are no groovewear distortions and most plays very quietly indeed. Remember, this is a vinyl record and around 37 years old, digital silence is not realistically possible. Many do suffer badly from surface sound and sometimes heavy crackle and only a small percentages of copies will play near ‘silent’ throughout – note the year of issue too – 1973 – the oil crisis year where many records were pressed on recycled or inferior lightweight vinyl. A record also highly intolerant of needle abuse or overplaying on heavy armed turntables, clearly this copy has avoided that. Just looking at the record’s complex groove patterns will tell any ‘vinyl-reader’ this is a phenomenal recording and those jagged grooves can and do easily damage if not treated with utmost respect. Hence any lightly played copy is essential and getting them is not quite so easy as you may think. Justifiably popular, these early copies were often played into submission and often on less than worthy equipment. Lightweight and ultra-fine stylus cause little to no wear to records and quite honestly, it’s pretty difficult to even think about wearing out any record these days (unless played about ten times a day for a year). I am more than familiar with the sound of this album and know most all of the notes in my head already. It’s a roller-coaster ride of mega-fi sound and pure musical genius. With so many famous parts, this album has reached legendary status. The heartbeats, those wonderful synths, the clock chimes and bells, the crashing aeroplane, the beautiful guitar breaks, the stunning vocals by Clare Torry on ‘The Great Gig in the Sky. Side two’s mind-twisting cash registers, that jaw-drop saxophone solo by Dick Parry and those creepy voices between songs and that awesome climax on ‘Eclipse’. A work of genius that simply refuses to age, for me Floyd were never quite this good again, was it even possible to be? Blistering peaks of high and low frequency sound, technical perfection, excitement and sheer wonderful entertainment. The details on the earlier pressed copies are second to none and no digital tweaking ever really improves what is perfection anyway. An album that opened many eyes and ears and introduced many to the earlier Pink Floyd catalogue and progressive rock in general. It probably helped sales of better quality hi-fi systems too – and yes this got me hooked fast. Most late teenagers or twenty-somethings bought cars – I bought hi-fi instead. This is a splendid looking record that I feel very sure will thrill many, but ‘silence’ from a vinyl copy is a near impossible ask. If that is mandatory, well the CD version will give you that, but only the vinyl still gives that definitive and sonic accuracy of the original. With just enough to remind you you are listening to a record getting to its late thirties, few will be disappointed I feel. My LP12 reveals all the good as well as bad on records, and there is no bad here and plenty of excellent. With the complete package on offer, it’s a fine all-round example that should please most collectors and music lovers – an excellent copy that is strongly recommended.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). The record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with THREE or EVEN FOUR ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. The thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 6,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.