PINK FLOYD WISH YOU WERE HERE 1st Press A1 / B5 MINT Great AUDIO BLACK WRAP

	£		40
	$		53

PINK FLOYD WISH YOU WERE HERE – STUNNING - 1st ORIGINAL UK PRESSING and 1st EVER ORIGINAL UK COVER. ULTRA RARE IN ITS ORIGINAL BLACK SHRINK WRAP

  Great Playing Record! Great Audio and Cover. Original UK PRESS Labels, original Post Card and Stunning clear audio throughout. This RARE 1st press looks and sounds UNPLAYED!

Complete with Original Post Card, Rare 1st press Inner Sleeve, all in ARCHIVE Condition. Original Year and Date of Release: 1975, this is a great all round complete 1st UK press with ULTRA RARE A1 Matrix . 

A brilliant package, and an ultimate collectable, getting rarer by the day!

CAT NO:....

Stereo 1975 Harvest Records SHVL 804   

LABEL PRESS DETAILS:

ULTRA RARE  A 1 / B 5  Matrix Press - with the iconic handshake label. Produced by Pink Floyd Music Publishers. 'MADE IN GT BRITAIN' text.

This is a rare A1 B 5 matrix UK pressing of the great WISH YOU WERE HERE. Finding a Complete 1st press in this wonderful condition is very rare indeed and makes this a very special chance to own a genuinely rare early press with brilliant clear sound.

MATRIX NOs. ON RUN-OUT GROOVE

A 1     B 5    matrix version   

TRACK LISTING…

1.  Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One) 
2.  Welcome To The Machine
3.  Have A Cigar
4.  Wish You Were Here
5.  Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part Two)

Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by Pink Floyd, released in September 1975. The album explores themes of absence, the music business, and former band-mate Syd Barrett. It was inspired by material the band composed while performing across Europe, and recorded over numerous sessions at London's Abbey Road Studios. Early sessions were difficult and arduous but it was Roger Waters' idea to split the centre piece track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" in two, and join each half with three new compositions. "Shine On" was a tribute to Barrett, who, coincidentally, made an impromptu visit to the studio while it was being recorded. 

As with their previous work, The Dark Side of the Moon, the band made much use of studio effects and synthesisers. Roy Harper was a guest vocalist on "Have a Cigar", and the album's packaging, again designed by Storm Thorgerson, featured an opaque black sleeve which hid the album artwork. Wish You Were Here was released in September 1975 to instant success; record company EMI was unable to print enough copies to satisfy demand. The album has been acclaimed by critics, and appears in Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour have each declared Wish You Were Here their favourite Pink Floyd album.

A great complete 1st pressing of what is undoubtedly one of the most iconic albums of the 20th century!!!     

WISH YOU WERE HERE is a musical masterpiece and is also an incredibly sensitive piece of vinyl. Worn copies can have a lot of surface sound even on musically complex and busy tracks like ‘Have A Cigar’. I am a huge fan of WISH YOU WERE HERE, and also a highly critical of the audio performance. I just cant stand to hear a pressing that is worn or plays with anything other than great clear sound, and it is so hard to find a 1st pressing with any like a great audio performance. 

I am pleased to say that this rare 1st pressing plays through with superb, un disturbed audio, and I will give a detailed account below. This great record plays up to the high visual grading and beyond . Strong sound free of any loud pops or clicks. Channels are clean and unstressed. There is some very light occasional static (as found on all vinyl) but it is very light, and by WYWH standards its virtually non existent.  The audio is brilliant strong and crystal clear, its is a stunning listen.

This great sounding press starts with surprisingly little static in that famous extremely long run in intro to 'Shine On' that is always plagued by crackle, hiss and static. Just great clear sound, the track plays superbly with not a single loud click or pop. The audio is sensational, and I really don't say lightly, other than on extremely rare occasions, and any pressing of Wish You Were Here is near impossible to find with this type of audio clarity. Again, the long intro to 'Welcome to the Machine', another delicate track also sounds fantastically clear and the whole of the first side really plays with superbly clear audio throughout. Any surface sound is extremely quiet and infrequent. Absolutely no loud pops or clicks, and certainly not even a hint of distortion. Absolutely fantastic, this is a truly great and rare pressing.

Side 2. also begins with great clear sound, and 'Have A Cigar' kicks in side two with amazing clearly, largely flawless audio.  Any background static I have to strongly state is far in the background, and in no way comes through any of the music anywhere on this vinyl.  I'm very happy to say that the same goes for the long intro to 'Shine On' part 2. So often heavily distorted and affected by clicks and hiss, it plays through with amazing clarity and near perfect audio.  Some occasional static, but it is light and really easily grades towards and at a full NEAR MINT all the way through. Even the stunning 'Wish You Were Here', such a difficult track to find with clear sound, pays superbly. This is undoubtedly one of the clearest pressings I have ever heard. Some light static but nothing in any way obtrusive and the clarity is sensational, even on the long quiet outro. An amazing audio performance. 

The record plays with staggering power, Great audio nothing obtrusive to distract from the overly enjoyment of this great record. Hardly any surface or static noise between the tracks, even in the long quiet sections it is clean, crisp and rich. There is some light static in places but it doesn't interfere with the bright audio, its extremely infrequent and barely detectable. 

The music jumps out, with definition and clarity, particularly on the percussion instruments, and vocals, which come through with tremendous power and clarity. As is the same with the keyboard layering and drums, whilst the guitars come through crisp and clear. On the whole this lp plays with superb, clear bright rich audio. I have given  a detailed account and l believe I have been extremely unforgiving in pointing out the slightest audio interference. Any surface sound absolutely minimal, the sound quality is so consistent and extremely high, I would easily give an overall audio grading at NEAR MINT!

THE RECORD – Visual Grading 

A stunning piece of glossy vinyl, this rare 1st press is really thick and chunky, with amazing deep clear grooves, it looks and sounds unplayed.  A couple of faint wispy paper handling marks only, and need to be seen under an intense spotlight. A really wonderful example that has been very little played!   A really great example. Any surface marks are absolutely minimal, the sound quality is so consistent with the great visual condition the record, I would easily give an overall audio grading at EXCELLENT PLUS to NEAR MINT!

THE COVER 

The Matt finish covers of  WISH YOU WERE HERE are very prone to wear. Being matt finish and WHITE, and not having the advantage of being laminated, these covers usually faired pretty badly, with serious ring wear and scuffed along the edges. The Spines are nearly always flattened, worn and scuffed. Not this one!

This 1st press comes with its original 1st Press Cover and has been protected from new in its original black Shrink Wrapping. That means that the cover has never been exposed to the light of day . 

This 1st Press Cover is in near perfect condition , and that is virtually un heard of for WISH YOU WERE HERE. The opening edges are very square and totally un frayed.  The Spine can be seen to be square and true beneath its protective black wrap.  All round, this is a really amazing example of a very delicate cover, it is hardly marked at all!     

And, this is an ORIGINAL 1st Press COVER. Strictly grades at NEAR MINT.

VINYL TESTED FOR ANY SIGNS OF WARPING:

NONE visible what so ever when tested by sight and on a moving turntable.