PINK FLOYD The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1967 UK 2nd press MONO SX 6157 VG

	£		137
	$		182

PINK FLOYD - THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN

An increasingly rare and sought after 2nd UK MONO pressing of this 1967 prog rock classic on the black & blue Columbia label, SX 6157

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XAX 3419 - 2 with stampers "1" and "0" at 9 o'clock and 2.30 o'clock respectively 

Side 2  XAX 3420 - 1 with stampers "1" and "7" at 9 o'clock and 2 o'clock respectively

In normal daylight 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. Close scrutiny under a bright light does reveal some light scuffs and wispy hairlines, however: on side 1 there are five wispy hairlines none of which are "feelable" or appear to be below the surface but one of them must be slightly below because there is some very light clicking during the first half of the fifth track on side 1. On side 2 there are five wispy hairlines, again none of which are "feelable" or appear to be below the surface (but are clearly visible under a bright light), and one further seven cm rotational hairline/scratch some of which IS feelable on track 1 (Interstellar Overdrive"). This scratch results in FIVE skips and a number of mild clicks during the first half of this track, along with a little background interference. Once past this blemish the final two thirds of Interstellar Overdrive plays really nicely, though I did notice a few further very light clicks later on in this same track but close inspection revealed no obvious reason for this (could just be dust in the grooves through decades of storage). One of the other side 2 "non-feelable" wispy hairlines does obviously go slightly below the surface because there is some further mild clicking starting towards the end of track 2 on side 2 and lasting for the remainder of that track and the next three tracks, with just a liitle very mild, sporadic clicking on the final track. I stress that this clicking (spanning most of side 2 from the end of track 2 onwards) is mild, but it is noticeable and it is, at times, a little intrusive. 

The labels are excellent. Difficult to fault with not even the usual few faint spindle 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 sit proud on the side 1 label. Excellent!

The iconic front side laminated Ernest J. DAY outer sleeve is excellent  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.There are seven 1-2 cm very minor horizontal laminate creases adjacent and horizontal to the spine but these are insignificant. There are some laminate creases on the right side towards the opening edge, however, which are a little more noticeable (see photo), but each of the opening edges remains firm with no fraying. On the reverse side the flip backs remain perfectly functional without even any of the usual "nicks". In fact, for the reverse side of this iconic outer sleeve I'm having difficulty identifying any 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...well, for side 1 it is truly excellent with great tone and clarity and no distortion. A great listen. Side 2 is variable and I refer you to my description above under the appearance and condition of the vinyl section for details of some side 2 clicking and x5 skips on "Interstellar Overdrive". I should add that much of side 2 makes for very good listening but there are noticeable blemishes (see above) and because of those blemishes I can only grade side 2 audio quality as "Good+", whereas for side 1 it is "excellent"...hence my overall assessment of audio quality as "VG". The bottom line question is "Does this record still make for a great listen?". The answer is "Yes!".

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 a small 1.5 cm tear at the top and a 2cm split in the middle of the bottom edge, both of which have been sellotaped over. But they are the only blemishes and this original inner remains fully functional and 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 very good copy of this rare and highly sought after 1967 UK original early press prog rock classic and, despite it's documented blemishes, a worthy addition to any serious record collection and only continuing 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 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