The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

(Mono 1st press Blue/Black Columbia R1/M1 Stampers)

This is one of the earliest Mono pressings as denoted by the top flipback on the back cover having no ''File Under Popular''.  This is also the first produced after the G1 as it has the R1 stamper on S1.  It is listed as no 6 on pinkfloydarchives so is certainly one of earliest ever pressed back in '67.

SX 6157 // XAX 3419 - 2 / XAX 3420 - 1 // R1 / M1

The audio on both sides ranges between VG and VG+

The laminated cover is VG

The labels are Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex+

Visual grading

The vinyl has been played a fair amount judging by the spindle wear.  Whilst there are a number of hairlines on both sides S1 is actually very clean with only 3/4 that are more obvious.  S2 is not quite as good sadly as there is one area where there are a couple of scuff type marks visible plus 3/4 obvious hairlines again.  However, I have seen many worse first mono pressings than this so considering its age it isn't in bad condition and there are no scratches causing clicks, pops or jumps.  The blue Columbia labels are extremely clean and have no marking or writing on them.

Play grading  

'Astronomy Domine' begins with very little 'background' and the music plays very clearly.  Thereafter this is some intermittent static in the background but it isn't intrusive and there are no clicks or pops.  Overall I was very pleasantly surprised with the audio quality here.  There are only two faint clicks on the fade out.

'Lucifer Sam' plays in a similar fashion.  These mono pressings have more 'sound' than their stereo counterparts and this is obvious here.  The audio is very much in the forefront, it plays with a great depth and warmth and I think you can hear each instrument more clearly if that makes sense.  There is a little distortion on the vocal in some sections but the actual music is extremely clear.  A wonderful listen with no obvious interference.

The intro on 'Matilda Mother' has some light static on the intro but again there are no clicks or pops again.  A touch of distortion again on the vocal but that is always the case on these first pressings.  The remainder plays very well but with a little static hiss in the background I would say.  The fade out plays incredibly well with barely any 'background'.

'Flaming' is similar but with a little more static in certain sections I would say.  The audio is still very clear and once more no clicks or pops.

The quiet intro on 'Pow R. Toc H' is exceptionally good and has barely any interference.  From that point on there is some obvious static but again it remains a very good listen.  This static is certainly higher in the mix on the louder sections and there is more distortion on the louder instrumental section in the middle.

The opening vocal on 'Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk' plays with great clarity.  The instrumental section after does play with some distortion but it is worth saying again there are no clicks, pops or jumps.  Some vocal distortion on the end section but an excellent listen nonetheless.

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There is some light crackle on the 'Interstellar Overdrive' intro and the next section then plays very powerfully and with great clarity.  As the track progresses there is certainly some crackle but (and this is getting boring now!) there are no clicks or pops.  The long middle section has more of the static/crackle/distortion so I would grade this track as VG but for its age and rarity it is still perfectly playable and some sections do grade better.  The crescendo ending plays very well.

'The Gnome' has a minimal amount of background only and plays with impressive clarity.  The vocal and the music really stand out on this mono pressing and does not disappoint.  Yes a little static but not particularly intrusive.

There are a couple of pops in the dead wax and one quieter one on the 'Chapter 24' intro and the remainder plays clearly but with some crackle in the background again.  This is a little more obvious in some sections but isn't that loud in my opinion.

'The Scarecrow' has excellent audio from start to finish.  A little 'background' yes but nothing what you would call intrusive and the section where the music builds towards the end is of wonderful quality and even the fade out plays superbly.

As is so often the case 'Bike' does have some distortion and there is a little more static/crackle here.  In saying that there are no clicks or pops and again the crackle is not loud.  The end section actually plays very clearly with hardly any 'background' and is an excellent finish to this iconic album.

In summary this mega early first mono pressing has some 'background'.  Mainly some static and crackle here and there but there are no annoying clicks, pops or jumps.  There are some marks but you have to remember this is a 51 year old vinyl and it has been played a fair amount which can account for some deterioration in sound.  It still remains a worthwhile addition to any collection for its rarity alone i.e. no 'File Under Popular' on the cover.

Cover

The laminated E.J. Day cover does have some shelf wear but is overall in very good condition with no splits and no writing either which is a rarity.  The edges are actually very clean with barely any rubbing and the thin pinched spine is also in great shape and is 100% legible with only three tiny crease marks.  It is the two right hand corners where most of the wear is visible and mainly top right I would say.  There is some creasing/rubbing on both.  The opening edge has some handling wear but not a vast amount.  The laminate on the front cover has no splits but there are a number of creases mainly on the right hand side and running down the spine area.

The back cover has largely been well preserved and the flipbacks are relatively clean with little of the staining that you so often see.  There is one crease and a couple of minor marks and that is all.  The back cover itself is in excellent order with no marking and is certainly cleaner than so many you see today and as stated it has no 'File Under Popular' on the top flipback.  There is a little creasing and some wear on the top corners of the opening edge. 

Inner sleeve

This original inner sleeve has no splits or tears and has only a small amount of creasing.  This one has 'Sgt. Peppers' and 'Piper' advertised on it amongst others of course.

The labels

The famous Blue/Black Columbia labels are in excellent condition with no marks or writing on them.  There is a fair amount of spindle wear as mentioned but this is mainly around the centre hole only.  The "KT" tax stamp on the S1 label.

At the bottom of the label is "Made in Gt. Britain."

Text around the bottom edge of the label states..

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

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

SX 6157 // XAX 3419 - 2 / XAX 3420 - 1 // R1 / M1

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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