ROLLING STONES - THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST - rare 1967 1P/P1 1st MONO LP

	£		74
	$		98

THE ROLLING STONES - THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST

An increasingly rare and highly sought after copy of this 1967 UK 1st MONO press rock gem on the unboxed DECCA label, MONO TXL 103

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  ARL - 8126 - 1P with stampers "2 G" and "1.1" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Side 2  ARL - 8127 - P1 with stampers "1" and "1.1" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively (I think I've got the stampers correct - they are very hard to make out)

The "K T" tax codes are also present at 12 o'clock on each side of the dead wax areas, again indicative of a very 1st UK pressing

The appearance of the thick, heavy duty vinyl is excellent. Completely flat and when viewed in normal daylight still retaining a nice glossy sheen with occasional wispy hairlines and some very minor scuffing - only really noticeable when viewed under a bright light with nothing "feelable" and appearing to be surface only.  Overall I would grade the condition of the vinyl as VG+.

The labels are excellent. The only blemishes are some light spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each side. The turquoise background finish and silver writing remain as impressive as ever.

The front and back (but not centre) laminated Robert Stace gatefold outer sleeve is VG+.  All edges remain firm with minimal scuffing and that includes the rigid spine where all writing remains perfectly legible. The iconic front and reverse side artwork and colouring remains completely intact with a vibrant appearance - very impressive. Each corner remains a nicely defined right angle with minimal scuffing which is a little more pronounced and noticeable at the top and bottom of the spine. There is just a little light laminate creasing on the front side to the right of the 3D picture, at the bottom right hand corner and adjacent to the spine but none of this is immediately obvious. The 3D picture itself remains in perfect condition. The centre of the gatefold is wonderful, with all artwork and colouring completely intact and no unwanted writing or doodles. There is some mild scuffing on the bottom edge but nothing that is intrusive. The opening edges remain rigid with no feathering apart from each end of the right side of the top cover where there is some mild but noticeable fraying and scuffing. The only other blemish is just a slight flattening of the spine - no doubt this could be corrected - along with x3 small "nicks" - all minor. Note the darker blue (almost purple) colouration of the front sleeve which is again unique to very first UK pressings. VG+ is a fair and accurate overall grading of the condition of the gatefold. 

Finally, the quality of the audio is VG. In fact for much of the record the audio quality is VG+ or excellent with impressive tone and clarity even at higher frequency and volume. The exception to this, and why I have to downgrade the overall audio quality to "VG", is a single laudable click during the interlude between tracks 2 and 3 on side 1, and 3 mild but noticeable clicks towards the end of the penultimate track on side 2 ("2,000 Light Years From Home") which are accompanied by some mild background crackle which extends into the first minute of the final track - I can find no obvious reason for this and a thorough clean of the disk reduced the intrusiveness of both the clicks and the background interference, though they are still just noticeable. There is also just the hint of some mild background crackle at the beginning and end of each side. Despite these flaws this record still makes for a great listen and do nothing to reduce it's collectability as a true "1P" and "P1 very first UK MONO pressing.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. sing this all together

2. citadel

3. in another land

4. 2000 man

5. sing this all together (see what happens)

Side 2 :

1. she's a rainbow

2. the lantern

3. gomper

4. 2000 light years from home

5. on with the show

Comes with original psychedelic red and white inner sleeve with a single 10cm split at the centre of the bottom edge, some mild creasing towards the corners, and some mild fraying on the opening edges - still functional though and in overall VG condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a solid VERY GOOD (many would grade as VG+, I am sure) copy of this rare and highly sought after 1967 UK very first mono pressing - a worthy addition to any vinyl collection and will only continue 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 :

UK : Royal Mail 1st class signed for  :  £5.00, 

Continental Europe : Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for £10, 

Rest of the World : Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for £14. 

 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