Santana SANTANA UK DEBUT LP VERY 1ST LAMINATED SLEEVE A1 / B1 1-2 PLAY MINT

	£		41
	$		55

SANTANA  - SANTANA

IN MAGNIFICENT 1-2 PLAY MINT!!!! CONDITION

FIRST PRESS  - ULTRA HEAVY VINYL

& LAMINATED SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:CBS 63815
• MATRIX: S63815 A1  B1
• FIRST PRESS LAMINATED SLEEVE
• BARELY PLAYED

THE VERY VERY RARE FIRST PRESS SANTANA DEBUT ALBUM.

WHY IS THIS RARE?

WELL BECAUSE SANTANA'S DEBUT ALBUM CAME HOT ON THE HEELS OF THEIR SUMMER OF 69 PERFORMANCE AT WOODSTOCK, AND WHILST THE ALBUM WENT ON TO SELL REASONABLY WELL OVER THERE, MAKING NUMBER 4 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS, IT COMPLETELY FAILED TO ATTRACT THE SAME SUCCESS OVER HERE IN THE UK. IT WASN'T UNTIL THEIR SECOND ALBUM 'ABRAXAS' WAS ISSUED THAT SANTANA HIT THE BIG TIME OVER HERE WITH TRACKS LIKE BLACK MAGIC WOMAN AND SAMBA PA TI. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT INTEREST WAS SPARKED IN THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, AND SALES BEGAN TO SOAR. HOWEVER THE FIRST PRESS ALBUMS WERE LONG DELETED AND SUBSEQUENT PRESSES WERE DEAD EASY TO SPOT. QUITE SIMPLY ONLY A GENUINE FIRST PRESS HAS A LAMINATED SLEEVE, AND THATS WHY THEY ARE SO HARD TO FIND. VIRTUALLY EVERYONE YOU SEE WILL BE THE UNLAMINATED SECOND PRESS OR LATER

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

CBS ORANGE LABELS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS TOTALLY UNWORN AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. CLEARLY A WELL CARED FOR 41 YEAR OLD ALBUM

A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST 1-2 MICROSCOPIC SPIDER LINES SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS MARVELLOUS VINYL HAS BEEN PLAYED

THE VINYL

THE VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW IN DAYLIGHT AND IS MADE OF THE VERY HEAVY VINYL THAT MOST LATE 60'S RECORDINGS WERE PRESSED ON.IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE IS NOTHING TO SEE. SPOTLESS!!!

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 DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I FIRMLY BELIEVE 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 CLARITY OF THIS FIRST PRESS IS JUST INCREDIBLE. EVERY NOTE IS CRISP AND CLEAN, AND THE WHOLE ALBUM SOUNDS SUPERB ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION AT ANY POINT TO THIS CRYSTAL CLEAR REPRODUCTION

I AM JUST BLOWN AWAY BY THE INCREDIBLE STEREO SOUND THIS RECORDING PRODUCES AND ALL OF THIS WITHOUT ANY BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR LOUD CLICKS

NO VINYL NOISE AND ONLY A COUPLE OF TOTALLY RANDOM SPLIT SECONDS OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC.

I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT I HEARD NO MORE THAN 1-2 OF THE TINIEST DUST POPS THROUGH THE WHOLE PLAYTHROUGH

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS OUTSTANDING DISC MINT!!!!

TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THIS IS THE FIRST PRESS WITH THE LAMINATED FRONT SURFACE AND THE NON LAMINATED REAR SURFACE.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY FLAT AND CLEAN. THE LAMINATE GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR, AND THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES TO THE LAMINATE OR ANY BENDS.

THERE ARE ONLY SIX VERY TINY LINES ALONG THE SPINE. ONE ALONG EACH OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, AND ONE BARELY VISIBLE THUMB LINE  NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THE LAMINATE ITSELF IS FREE FROM AMY PEELING OR FLAKING AND IS PRISTINE.

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE ALSO FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR, WITH THE LAMINATE RUNNING FULLY FROM CORNER TIP TO CORNER TIP

THE SPINE IS TOTALLY FLAT WITH THE FIRST ISSUE TAPERED ENDS. IT IS 100% UNSQUASHED, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. NO LOSS OF COLOUR AND EVEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS ARE UNRUBBED

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND AS NEW, AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THE LP HAS HARDLY EVER BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE AND WHEN IT WAS IT WAS HANDLED WITH EXTREME CARE.

THE REAR SURFACE HAS THE FRAGILE DUSTY BLACK SURFACE WHICH USUALLY WEARS BADLY AND SUFFERS FROM SEVERE COLOUR LOSS, BUT HERE WE HAVE ONE THAT HAS RETAINED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE BLACK SURFACE WITH JUST A VERY LIGHT WHITE LINE JUST UNDER THE TOP EDGE. THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAS NEATLY PENNED HIS NAME JUST UNDER THE TOP EDGE, BUT AS IT WAS IN BLACK BIRO, IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO SPOT

THE ORIGINAL CBS ADVERTISING INNER SLEEVE IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. ADVERTISING CASSETTES AND 8-TRACK CARTRIDGES ON ONE SIDE, AND OTHER CBS ARTISTS IN CASSETTE SHAPE ON THE OTHER

TOTALLY UNSPLIT AND UNCREASED WITH JUST A SPECK OF AGEING TO THE EDGES.

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE  NEAR MINT MINUS

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

GARRY