ROLLING STONES BEGGARS BANQUET 6A/2A 1st PRESS MONO Unboxed RED DECCA EX
£
51
$
68
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Description
The Rolling Stones : Beggars Banquet
This very early mono pressing on the famous unboxed red Decca label plays with excellent audio and there are no clicks, pops or crackle at all. This is one of the earliest pressings as it has the first label variation - the Side number is on the left hand side, the J/T tax code is at the bottom of the label and Mirage Music is below the BIEM box.
LK 4955 // XARL - 8476 - 6A / XARL - 8477 - 2A // CK 1 / UH 1
The audio on S1 is Ex (tracks 1 & 2 are Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Ex (track 3 & 5 are Ex-)
The gatefold is Ex- (the spine is VG)
The labels are Ex
The original inner sleeve is Ex+
Visual grading
This vinyl has obviously been played a lot due to the amount of spindle wear. There are also a number of hairlines but these are superficial and there are no scratches. It just shows you how robustly vinyl was made back in the 60s as there was not even one click or pop during the entire playback. There are two longer and thicker hairline type marks on S1 but again they have no bearing on the audio. So it may not be visually perfect but it is certainly cleaner than many I have seen!
Play grading
You would expect some interference on the first few grooves on such an early pressing but I am pleased to say 'Sympathy For The Devil' plays with wonderful clarity from the very first note. There are no clicks or pops and no static or crackle either. This incredible quality continues - there is just no interference whatsoever. You can see why these early monos are so collectable as the clarity is so much better than on the later pressings. They were cut with thicker vinyl which helps of course. There is no distortion on the top end, not even on the high note guitar sections. The depth and sonic quality of the audio overall is in a word, stunning. The long fade out also plays with sublime sound and there is only a little static on the final few notes. I cannot adequately explain just how superbly this plays and I am confident in grading it as Mint- the clarity and power is just exceptional.
'No Expectations' plays you could say beyond expectation! Any record is judged by its clarity and whilst it may often seem I am repeating myself I truly believe in providing a comprehensive grading in my listings. This plays with near perfect precision but if I am being ultra critical there is just a minimal touch of distortion on the vocal every now and then. However, I must reiterate that it is oh so minimal! I am playing this through a stereo system so that may even explain the minimal distortion. It is still a supreme version and again there are no clicks or pops, no intrusive interference at all basically. This vinyl was pressed in late '68 / early '69 so for such a quiet track to play as clearly as this is a rarity.
'Dear Doctor' provides further evidence of a vinyl well cared for down the years. There is perhaps a little more distortion on the vocal but again maybe that could be eradicated when played as a mono record. The clarity is still very impressive and you can hear each note perfectly. It needs saying - there is no other 'background' on this track whatsoever!
'Parachute Woman' certainly plays with more distortion but I think this is common as many Stones' fans will know. Aside from that there is no other interference and still plays very well indeed.
'Jig-Saw Puzzle' plays with superb quality from the very first groove. A little ubiquitous distortion but nothing particularly intrusive and no clicks or pops again. In fact there is not one single click or pop across the entire side, how rare is that for a near 50 year old record?! If anything the distortion does increase on the vocal as the track progresses but the instrumental section at the end plays in fine style with no 'background' and even the long fade out plays perfectly.
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'Street Fighting Man' plays with superb power from the outset. The depth of the sound and the strength of the bass is incredible. Again there is a little distortion on the vocal but it isn't off-putting. The instrumental sections play with wonderful clarity and the end section plays fantastically well with no obvious 'background' on the long fade out whatsoever.
The quiet intro on 'Prodigal Son' is nigh on perfect with only a minimal number of barely audible dust ticks. It continues to play in fine style with just a little of the usual on the vocal. Once more there are no clicks, pops or crackle. A wonderful version.
Again the intro on 'Stray Cat Blues' plays with perfect precision. It then plays with real power but expect some distortion on the top end again. For fear of repeating myself I'm sure this could be improved upon. The quieter instrumental section towards the end plays so impressively and the long fade out is superb with only a handful of mega light dust ticks.
As if it needed saying the quiet acoustic intro on 'Factory Girl' has remarkable clarity and the remainder does not disappoint either. There is no interference aside from a little distortion.
'Salt Of The Earth' begins very clearly but there is definitely more distortion on this track. This may be due to the aforementioned reason but also because it is the final track on the side. It is only on the louder sections and there is no other interference. Again the fade out is stunning and has no 'background'.
In summary this highly collectable pressing does play with some distortion here and there but, it is worth repeating, there is not a single click or pop which is a massive rarity! The majority of the hairlines are very faint and have no doubt been caused by sleeve removal. There are a small number that are more obvious but this is still a very playable mega early pressing. The gatefold is also very clean overall but with a little wear on the spine.
The Gatefold
The laminated G&L gatefold is in excellent condition overall and the only obvious wear is on the spine. The tope edges have no shelf wear at all and the bottom edges almost as good with only a couple of minor 'dings' on each. The spine has a crease line running down it caused by it being opened so is unavoidable really. There is also an area of wear in the centre where the laminate has split and the majority of 'The Rolling Stones' is no longer there. The text at the top and bottom is however still legible. All corners are in excellent shape with only a little rubbing/creasing. The remainder of the gatefold is very clean. The laminate on the front cover has only a few light creases and 3/4 small creases next to the spine. The back cover has no issues, just a couple of creases next to the spine again. The inside of the gatefold is near perfect with only a couple of very faint creases and the opening edge has very little handling wear. Not perfect but better than many you see!
Inner sleeve
The poly-lined sleeve is in excellent shape with no splits or tears and only a little creasing.
The labels
The labels are have no marking or writing but there is a fair amount of spindle wear.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
LK 4955 // XARL - 8476 - 6A / XARL - 8477 - 2A // CK 1 / UH 1
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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