QUEEN Queen 3U/3U 1st Press 1973 Superb NMINT- Cover & Stunning MINT- Audio
£
44
$
58
£ 44
Sold For
Jun 23, 2025
Sold Date
Jun 13, 2025
Start Date
14
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently. Queen : Queen 3U / 3U 1st Press 1973
This first pressing may well be the finest example I have ever played and is a FINAL UPGRADE archive classic in every sense. It has been so well preserved, the cover also, and has clearly not been played very much. This is part of a Queen collection that I recently purchased and the previous owner was very fastidious about his records that much is obvious! The clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio here is so impressive and S1 in particular is just stunning. S2 is equal to that really with only a couple of very quiet ticks that are totally non-intrusive. There are so many highlights, too numerous to mention really, but needless to say the winning bidder will not be disappointed! The vinyl is in lovely condition also with no spindle wear!
As stated the non-laminated cover is also in fantastic condition and what you really notice, apart from how clean it is, is how well it has retained its original shape and structure. Evidently it was stored very carefully. It is easily one of the best if not the best I have ever seen. The original inner sleeve is also in great condition. A stunning album all round!
EMC 3006 // YAX 4623 - 3U MG 1 / YAX 4624 - 3U AA 1 // KIP-HUGGYPOO KISSY & AGAIN! etched on the run offs
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The cover is Near Mint- The inner sleeve is Ex+
The labels are Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in superb condition and still hold a lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. Only under a bright light can I see a few very faint hairlines as you would expect but there is nothing that stands out. There is no groove or surface wear and the run outs are very clean also. The EMI labels are pristine with no marking or spindle wear.
Play Grading
The unmistakeable intro on 'Keep Yourself Alive' plays with stunning clarity and depth and Freddie's opening vocal section is comparable to that with no intrusion whatsoever. The instrumental piece is just as strong and clear and it continues to play with a sonic quality that is out of this world! Roger's drum solo is perfect as is the rest of the track including the fade out. This is without doubt a Mint start to this classic album.
The quiet intro on 'Doing All Right' plays so clearly with only a handful of very quiet background statics and the opening vocal plays beautifully. Again the clarity during the Should be waiting for the sun vocal passage is incredible and the double bass section has only a couple of barely audible statics. The first high octane section plays with real power and depth and again... there is no interference. The remainder is of the same high end standard and this may well be the 'cleanest' version I have ever heard. To say it plays 'as new' is no exaggeration, I cannot praise it highly enough. The quiet end piano section again shows off the clarity on offer here - no background at all. I will say Mint- but including the minus does seem a little harsh!
'Great King Rat' keeps up good work and plays with phenomenal audio through every vocal and instrumental section. The clarity of sound is so impressive where each note is so clean and precise. The sonic quality remains undiminished by time and it just could not play any better. The 'prog' mid section is a prime example of that - well it's all prog really! The power and depth of the audio here is exceptional as is the quiet section that follows. Brian's solo is 'as new' and in all seriousness I just cannot believe what I am listening to here! There is no distortion and to the end it plays with impeccable quality including the fade out. I am confident in grading this as Mint all the way.
The intro on 'My Fairy King' plays perfectly and Roger's 'vocal' could not be enhanced in any way! Freddie's opening vocal is equal to that and from then on it plays as per the rest of the side. This track often plays with a 'tinny' distorted sound I find but that is absolutely not the case here, I cannot fault the quality of the audio. The quieter section plays with sublime clarity and the closing instrumental is quite simply STUNNING! So powerful and deep and the quiet finale has no background. A breathtaking version that has to grade as Mint and could this side play any better? No, no way!
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The run in on S2 is so clean and then the classic intro on 'Liar' could not play any better. The opening vocal section is perfect as is the following instrumental. It continues in the same manner and the power and depth of the audio is tangible. The All day long vocal is stunning and the power emanating from the Red Special right after has to be heard to be believed! The depth and resonance of the audio is incredible and the 'choral' like end vocal is equal to that, it is STUNNING! To the final note it plays with a genuine dynamic quality and of course no interference and Mint is again deserved.
Another long intro on 'The Night Comes Down' and again there is not so much as a dust tick. The opening vocal / chorus is just as clean and 'as new' sounding and it proceeds in exactly the same way. It is a relatively quiet track and yet there is no background. Every vocal perfect and every instrumental section flawless - the closing instrumental is a case in point. Early Queen certainly did 'prog' extremely well! Mint
'Modern Times Rock 'N' Roll' plays loud and true with genuine power and no distortion. There is one dull tick sound at the start of the first vocal but it does not detract from the overall sound as it is very much in the background. The remainder plays without fault and Mint- is still a fair assessment of the audio.
'Son And Daughter' then plays with outstanding quality and no interference. John's deep bass is very much in evidence here and adds so much to the sonic 'landscape', great sound. Freddie's vocal is also very clean which is quite rare as there is often some vocal distortion on this track and if there is any here it is so so minimal. It's easy to 'forget' closing instrumentals but the playback on this one is superb, no background not even on the fade out. Mint-
As any Queen aficionado will know 'Jesus' often plays with a fair amount of distortion but the sound quality here is stunning. There is one minor background tick on intro but aside from that the clarity, depth and power of the audio is up there with the best I have ever heard. The mid instrumental is phenomenal! It is so powerful - turn it up to max! It 'fills' the room with incredible depth and resonance and the end vocal / echo affect has no intrusion either. Easily a Mint- version.
The piano intro on 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' plays to perfection and this level is kept up as it progresses. Another track that is often beset by sound issues the playback here is very clean and there is no intrusion on this brief introduction to the track. The long fade out plays with great clarity also with only a couple of mega quiet statics. It is Mint- and I defy anyone to find a more 'complete' version of this classic debut album!
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The cover is in lovely condition with barely any wear. It is now 52 years old so for this non-laminated cover to keep so well is a genuine rarity. It shows again how well the previous owner looked after his records. The edges and spine are incredibly clean and the corners are just as impressive, maybe just one tiny barely visible crease bottom right. The opening edge looks hardly touched and the front cover is stunning with only a minimal amount of ringwear as is common with this album. The back cover is just as clean and overall I think Near Mint- is deserved, I'm not sure I've seen better.
The paper lyric inner is in excellent shape with no side splits and only one tiny tear on the top edge. It has barely any marking and only minimal creasing.
EMC 3006 // YAX 4623 - 3U MG 1 / YAX 4624 - 3U AA 1 // KIP-HUGGYPOO KISSY & AGAIN! etched on the run offs
Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT VM-95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
Recent Feedback
THIS IS WHAT A SELLER SHOULD BE LIKE ON HIGH END VINYL! Exactly as described if not better ! I could not be a happier customer .. well packed for international flight .. and shipped and received very fast .. No worries here this guy is the topsGREAT AS DESCRIBED BEST SELLR OF ALL THE UK PEOPLE AND I HAVE BOUGHT FROM ALL OF THEM
Beautiful record as described, fast safe delivery, top seller. Cheers Steve.
Another fantastic LP from this seller - condition exactly as shown and the audio as described! Fast delivery, vinyl properly and carefully packed. Very highly recommended A++++
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Great seller and great vinyl record, professionally packaged. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and will certainly buy again!
Postage & Packaging
I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping. This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage. The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered. Any over-payment will always be refunded.
The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD). An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known. Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing. Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Many thanks.
All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection. They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection. I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.
The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each. There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up! Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!
UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £22.95 then £2.50 per extra
REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra
If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed. If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!
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