PINK FLOYD The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1967 UK 1st press STEREO SCX 6157 EX+

	£		330
	$		437

PINK FLOYD - THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN

An increasingly rare (especially in such truly excellent plus condition as this) and sought after 1st UK STEREO pressing of this 1967 prog rock classic on the black & blue Columbia label, SCX 6157

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  YAX 3419 - 1 with stampers "1" and "R" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively 

Side 2  XAX 3420 - 1 with stampers "1" and "G" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

 The appearance of the thick, heavy duty vinyl is excellent+. Completely flat and when viewed in normal daylight still retaining it's original jet black glossy sheen with a beautiful luster. in fact in normal daylight both sides of the vinyl are hard to fault in any way. Under a bright light and when tilted at the right angle I can just make out a few small wispy hairlines and a couple of small and pretty much insignificant scuff marks on side 2. It is obvious that this record has not had many plays and considering it's 51 year antiquity is in remarkable condition...I can't imagine that there can be many UK 1st press copies in better condition than this.

The original 1st pressing labels are pristine. Again, difficult to fault with not even the usual few faint spinle trails. The background, black matt texture of each label is completely intact as is the silver writing and "MAGIC NOTES" logo. The "K" and "T" tax codes are proud on the side 1 label. Outstanding!

The iconic front side laminated Ernest J. DAY outer sleeve is excelent+.  All edges remain impressively firm with (unbelievably) no scuffing at all. And this includes the spine which is rigid and all writing perfectly legible. Each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with no scuffing, and even the laminate is in near perfect order with the only very minor blemishes being three 1-2 cm laminate crease lines horizontal and adjacent to the spine, and just a tiny area of laminate lifting in the top left hand corner. There is no hint of ring wear and no fraying whatsoever on either of the opening edges. On the reverse side the flip backs remain perfectly functioning without even any of the usual "nicks". There is just a hint of some very mild age discolouration on the flip back adjacent to the spine and a few more small, faint age discolouration spots towards the top left corner but, again, I'm having difficulty to identify any significant and obvious faults at all. All imagery and art work on both the reverse side, and of course the iconic front side photograph, remain fully intact with the front side as vibrantly iconic as ever.

Finally, the quality of the audio is stunning. Fantastic tone and clarity throughout, even on the higher notes and frequencies. No distortion, no skips, clicks or even the usual light background crackle. The dead wax areas are silent, the interludes are silent, and in between it's great music all the way. Every track makes for a great listen. What more could one ask for?!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. ASTRONOMY DOMINE

2. LUCIFER SAM

3. MATILDA MOTHER

4. FLAMING

5. POW R. TOC H

6. TAKE UP THY STETHOSCOPE AND WALK

Side 2 :

1. INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE

2. THE GNOME

3. CHAPTER 24

4. THE SCARECROW

5. BIKE

Comes with original "E.M.I. RECORDS" inner which has some sporadic age discolouration and light creasing and a one cm tear on one side, but no splits and still fully functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an outstanding copy of this rare and highly sought after 1967 UK 1st press prog rock classic, worthy of gracing any serious record collection and only continuing to gain in value. There really can't be many better condition UK 1st pressings of this progressive rock masterpiece better than this still in circulation.

 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 never intended selling any of my records but I am now retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. My only wish is that they go to good homes.

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 Royal Mail 1st class, tracked and signed for  : 

UK £5.00, continental Europe £10.00, and Rest of the World £14.00. 

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

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