Pink Floyd DARK SIDE OF THE MOON UK LP 1ST Press MINT-

	£		315
	$		417

PINK FLOYD - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

• LABEL: HARVEST
• CAT:SHVL 804
• MATRIX:SHVL 804 A-2 / B-2
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 2 AP / 1 RO

THE FIRST ORIGINAL UK PRESSING WITH THE SOLID LIGHT BLUE TRIANGLE

Q: SO WHY IS THERE A FIRST PRESS, AND WHY IS IT SO DIFFERENT TO THE OTHERS?

A: PRETTY SIMPLE REALLY, AS USUAL A MAJOR MISTAKE WAS MADE IN THAT ONCE THE SILVER TYPEFACE TRACK LISTING WAS PIT ONTO THE BLUE TRIANGLE, YOU COULD HARDLY MAKE OUT THE WORDS, AND SO THEY JUST CHANGED THE TRIANGLE FOR AN OUTLINE INSTEAD OF A SOLID BLOCK. SEE SIMPLE REALLY BUT NEVERTHELESS, NOT MANY FIRST PRESSES MADE IT OUT AND SO THIS IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER PINK FLOYD LP'S THERE IS.

WARNING!!!!

A WORD TO THE WISE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO ADD A FIRST PRESS DSOM TO YOUR COLLECTION THEN THERE IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY COLLECTOR SHOULD ALREADY BE AWARE OF, BUT IF NOT, THEN LET ME EXPLAIN.

THE SLEEVE OF THIS LP IS A NON LAMINATED GATEFOLD, AND AS SUCH IS IS SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE FADING, SCRATCHING, AND MARKING THAT ANY NON LAMINATE SLEEVE IS PRONE TO, BUT ON A GENUINE FIRST PRESSING THE COLOUR OF THE SLEEVE IS VERY DIFFERENT TO LATER PRESSINGS AND WHILST THE MAJORITY OF SELLERS ARE HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY IT IS WORTH POINTING OUT THAT BECAUSE LATER PRESSED SLEEVES MIGHT HAVE LASTED BETTER, AND BE IN BETTER CONDITION, THE TEMPTATION TO MATCH A LATER PRESSED SLEEVE WITH THE 1ST PRESS VINYL IN CONSIDERABLE.

SO A FIRST PRESS SLEEVE IS A VERY DARK BLUE, WHEREAS THE LATER PRESSINGS ARE BLACK. I HAVE INCLUDED A PICTURE OF BOTH SLEEVES TOGETHER SO THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN, AND WHEN YOU SEE THEM NEXT TO EACH OTHER IT IS OBVIOUS, BUT ON THEIR OWN MAYBE NOT SO EASY. SO IF THIS PARTICULAR LP IS NOT FOR YOU, I HOPE I HAVE AT LEAST OFFERED SOME GOOD ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE BUYERS.

THE SECOND THING ABOUT THE SLEEVE THAT IS WORTH MENTIONING IS THAT THERE WERE TWO STYLES TO THE FIRST PRESS. BOTH STYLES HAVE THE FRONT GATEFOLD SEALED AT THE OPENING EDGE. ONE STYLE IS THAT OF HAVING A FLIPBACK WHICH WAS TUCKED IN TO THE OPENING AND THEN SEALED CAUSING A LITTLE RIDGE, AND THE OTHER STYLE WAS A STRAIGHT CUT OPENING WHICH WAS ALSO SEALED. EITHER STYLE IS TYPICAL OF FIRST PRESSINGS, AND IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE PRESSING DATE

THIS SLEEVE

OK LETS TAKE A REALLY CLOSE LOOK AT THIS SLEEVE. WELL FIRSTLY IT IS A FIRST PRESS DARK BLUE ISSUE, AND IT IS STRAIGHT CUT SEALED ON THE FRONT GATEFOLD. THE FRONT SURFACE IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION (MOST ARE RINGWORN, HEAVILY SCUFFED, AND DAMAGED) THIS ONE IS VERY VERY CLEAN AS I HOPE YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURES. THERE ARE NO CREASES, AND NO RINGWEAR, AND NO COLOUR LOSS. THE ONLY MARK IS RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM WHERE THERE ARE A FEW INDENTATIONS THAT LOOK LIKE SMALL SCRATCHES, BUT THEY ARE VERY SMALL AND ONLY STOP ME GRADING THE SLEEVE NEAR MINT AND REDUCING IT TO EXCELLENT+. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES AGAIN ARE USUALLY WELL WORN BUT THIS ONE LOOKS JUST FANTASTIC. THE SPINE IS PERFECT WITH JUST A TIP OF WEAR AT THE BOTTOM. ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT IS THE ORIGINAL STICKER IS ON THE TOP RIGHT CORNER.

FLIPPING THE SLEEVE OVER THE SAME HIGH STANDARD IS PRESENT WITH THE SMALL LITTLE MARKS AT THE BOTTOM, MAKES ME THINK THE SLEEVE WAS AT SOME POINT GRIPPED BY SOMETHING AND THEN PULLED OUT WHICH LEFT THESE LITTLE INDENT. AGAIN I MENTION THEM BECAUSE IT IS NOT FAIR OR RIGHT NOT TO, BUT THEY ARE PRETTY SMALL AND DO NOT DETRACT FROM THIS GREAT SLEEVE VERY MUCH AT ALL.

THE OPENING EDGE IS JUST RAZOR SHARP, AND IS AM OF THE OPINION RIGHT NOW THAT THIS LP HAS NOT BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE ON MORE THAN A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS.

THE INNER GATEFOLD IS IN SUPERB CONDITION, NO COLOUR LOSS

THE INNER BLACK POLYLINED SLEEVE IS INCLUDED WITH THIS SET, AND TO BE HONEST THIS IS THE WORST BIT ABOUT THE WHOLE PACKAGE. IT HAS A SMALL TEAR AROUND THE INNER RING, AND THE PAPER IS A LITTLE CREASED. I THINK THAT WHEN IT WAS PUT BACK INTO THE SLEEVE FOR THE LAST TIME IT GOT CAUGHT, AND WASN'T PUT BACK WITH TOO MUCH CARE RESULTING IN THE SMALL TEAR AND THE CREASING I BELIEVE OCCURRED OVER THE YEARS AS THE RECORD HAS REMAINED IN THE SLEEVE. WHEN I GOT THIS LP IS WAS HOUSED IN A STRONG PROTECTIVE PLASTIC COVER, AND THIS IS WHY THE SLEEVE IS IN SUCH GOOD CONDITION. SO EVEN WITH ALL THIS THE INNER SLEEVE STILL RATES A VG+

THE TWO POSTERS AND TWO STICKERS ARE IN MINT CONDITION, AND LOOKING AT THE POSTERS I WOULD SAY THAT THIS MAT BE ONLY THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME THEY HAVE EVER BEEN UNFOLDED RIGHT FINALLY ONTO THE VINYL

THE LABELS AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ARE THE FIRST PRESS LABELS, AND THEY ARE IN IMMACULATE CONDITION. NOT ONE BLEMISH, AND NO SPINDLE HOLE WEAR AND I AM ABLE TO SPOT ONLY 2 VERY VERY LIGHT SPIDER LINES, AND THIS JUST ABOUT CONFIRMS IT FOR ME THAT THE RECORD NOT ONLY HAS BEEN HANDLED WITH UTMOST CARE, BUT IT CANNOT HAVE HAD MORE THAN 2-3 PLAYS IN ITS LIFETIME.

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LOOKS QUITE SIMPLY STUNNING. THERE ARE NO HANDLING MARKS, NO SCUFFS, OR SCRATCHES ANYWHERE ON THE VINYL. EVEN UNDER THE MOST INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NO MORE THAN A FEW VERY VERY FAINT NEAR INVISIBLE WISPS.

GENTLY LOWERING THE STYLUS ONTO SIDE ONE I AM THRILLED TO SAY THAT THE RUN IN IS NEAR SILENT. AS YOU KNOW THIS LP HAS MANY MANY QUIET PASSAGES AND NEEDS TO BE NOISE FREE TO GET THE BEST REPRODUCTION POSSIBLE, AND THIS DOES NOT DISAPPOINT ONE BIT. THERE IS THE FAINTEST BIT OF STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND FOR THE FIRST FEW SECONDS, BUT THATS IT, AND THE REST OF THE SIDE PLAYS WITHOUT ANY NOISES, EITHER DURING THE TRACKS OR INDEED THE LINKING GROOVES. ONE OTHER THING TO SAY IS THAT THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND AT ANY TIME INDICATING THAT EVEN THOUGH THE RECORD WAS ONLY EVER PLAYED A COUPLE OF TIMES, THAT IT WAS NOT SUBJECT TO A HEAVY OR WORN STYLUS.

FLIPPING THE RECORD OVER SIDE 2 STARTS WITH THE SUPERB "MONEY" AND ONLY ONCE AGAIN FOR A FEW REVOLUTIONS CAN YOU HEAR ABOUT 5 VERY VERY FAINT LITTLE POPS, WHICH IS MORE THAN LIKELY DUST TRAPPED, AS I CAN'T SEE ANY REASON FOR IT, BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS IT'S GONE, AND THE REST OF THE ALBUM PLAYS TO PERFECTION.

THESE MINUTE LITTLE NOISES ARE WHAT HAS STOPPED ME FROM GRADING THIS A MINT LP, AND CALLING IT MINT MINUS INSTEAD, BUT REALLY IT IS ABOUT AS MINT AS YOU ARE EVER GOING TO FIND, AND LETS FACE IT EVEN BRAND NEW VINYL HAD ITS NOISES WHEN PLAYED. SO THIS LP IS REALLY EVERY THING YOU COULD EVER WANT AS A COLLECTOR, AND I MAKE NO APOLOGY FOR GRADING IT AS HIGH AS THIS.

THIS WILL NEVER EVER IN MY OPINION NEED UPGRADING, AND IS A TRUE HIGHEST GRADE COLLECTIBLE

ONE OF THE BEST COPIES EVER TO BE PUT ONTO EBAY