Rolling Stones BEGGARS BANQUET UK 1ST MONO UNBOXED 1968 PLAYS NEAR MINT-

	£		410
	$		543

ROLLING STONES - BEGGARS BANQUET

IN MAGNIFICENT LITTLE PLAYED CONDITION

RARE 1ST PRESS ON THE UNBOXED MONO DECCA LABEL

• CATALOGUE:DECCA LK4955
• MATRIX:XARL 8476-6A / 8477-2A

• FIRST PRESS
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 GG / 1 UA

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE RED AND SILVER LABELS ARE IN JUST MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE DEEP RED COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND HAS NO MARKS OR STAINS ON IT ANYWHERE. IT ALSO STRETCHES FULLY INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE AND LOGO'S ARE ALSO IN PRISTINE UNRUBBED CONDITION, WITH EACH LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.SIDE TWO HAS A LIGHT FACTORY CREASE LINE RUNNING DOWN THE LABEL AS YOU WILL SEE FROM THE PICTURES

A CLOSE STUDY OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST 5-6 REALLY SMALL AND BARELY VISIBLE SPIDER LINES, SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS INCREDIBLE VINYL HAS BEEN PLAYED IN THE PAST 43 YEARS

THE VINYL

A GLEAMING DISC THAT HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND SHEEN. THIS IS NATURALLY ALSO A HEAVY WEIGHT FIRST PRESS DISC.IN DAYLIGHT THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE ON THE SURFACE OF THE VINYL,AND IT LOOKS FLAWLESS, APART FROM A COUPLE OF REALLY TINY AND BARELY VISIBLE LITTLE HANDLING LINES. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES, AND A COUPLE MORE HANDLING LINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM NOW DOING WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THE RICH AND POWERFUL MONO SOUND IS JUST MAGNIFICENT AND PURE FIRST PRESS. THE REPRODUCTION IS JUST SECOND TO NONE, AND EVERY NOTE IS CLEAR AND CRISP.

THERE IS NOT ONE SECOND OF DISTORTION TO THIS AMAZING SOUND, MEANING THAT THE FEW PLAYS THAT THE LP HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH MAGNIFICENTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH WITHOUT ANY BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER, AND CERTAINLY NO LOUD CLICKS

THERE IS NEAR SILENCE BETWEEN THE TRACKS HAVING JUST SOME VERY LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND BARELY HEARD WHEN LISTENING AT NORMAL DISTANCE

I CAN'T EVEN SAY THAT I HEARD MORE THAN ONE OR TWO MINUSCULE DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH

THE RECORDING IS A VERY LOUD MONO CUT AND IS REPRODUCED SUPERBLY, SO PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE THIS GREAT ALBUM FOR YOURSELF

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS PLAYTHROUGH NEAR MINT MINUS, SOME MIGHT GRADE IT HIGHER

AN OUTSTANDING FIRST ISSUE VINYL

THE SLEEVE

LAMINATED WHITE GATEFOLD FROM GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE

THIS SLEEVE LIKE THE BEATLES WHITE ALBUM HAS A HISTORY OF BADLY YELLOWING, BUT HERE WE HAVE ONE THAT IS STILL VERY 'WHITE'

THE FRONT SURFACE IS IN FLAT AND CLEAN CONDITION AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASING OR BENDING TO ANY PART OF IT, NOR ARE THERE ANY DEFECTS TO THE LAMINATE ITSELF. IN FACT THERE ARE  6 TINY LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE AND THERE IS ONE  SMALL THUMB LINE NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.

THE LAMINATE GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR AND HAS NO PEEL, FLAKE OR LIFT

THE TOP EDGE HAS SOME LIGHT RUBBING SHOWING A FEW WHITE FLECKS ALONG THE EDGE

THE BOTTOM EDGE BY CONTRACT IS MINT AND TOTALLY UNWORN, WITH THE LAMINATE RUNNING FROM CORNER TIP TO CORNER TIP.

THE SPINE ALSO HAS ALL OF THE LAMINATE INTACT AND AGAIN THERE IS NO PEEL, OR FLAKE . EVEN DOWN TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS WHICH ARE JUST BARELY RUBBED. THE SURFACE IS VERY FLAT WITH A FEW LIGHT DIMPLES STOPPING IT BEING TOTALLY FLAT. ALL OF THE TYPEFACE IS IMMACULATE, AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE HOWEVER 

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS ALONG THE EDGE

THE REAR SURFACE IS AGAIN FREE FROM ANY HEAVY CREASING AND BENDS.AND IS IN THE SAME TOP CONDITION AS THE FRONT, WITH JUST A FOUR LITTLE LAMINATE LINES ALONG THE SPINE, A TINY SLIVER OF LAMINATE LIFT IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER, AND THE FAINTEST SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE WHEN THE SLEEVE IS ANGLED INTO A STRONG LIGHT

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS TWO PRISTINE INNER PANELS, ALTHOUGH I ALMOST MISSED THE ORIGINAL OWNERS NAME IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE IT HAS BEEN EMBOSSED. IT'S VERY SMALL AND NEAT AND ALMOST INVISIBLE

THE ORIGINAL WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE  WITH THE BLUE TEXT IS UNSPLIT AND ONLY LIGHTLY CREASED, THERE IS NO DAMAGE AND ONLY HAS SOME LIGHT AGEING TO THE PERIMETER EDGES, WHERE THE GLUE HAS DRIED AND LIGHTLY BROWNED OVER TIME

THE SLEEVE GRADES NEAR MINT MINUS

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY