Santana UK DEBUT LP VERY RARE 1ST LAMINATED A1/B1 NMINT

	£		19
	$		25

SANTANA  - SANTANA

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

FIRST PRESS  - ORANGE CBS LABELS

• CATALOGUE:CBS 63815
• MATRIX: S63815 A1  B1
• FIRST PRESS
• 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 SUCESS OVER HERE IN THE UK. IT WASN'T UNTIL THEIR SECOND ALBUM ABRAXAS 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 5-6 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.UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

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 4 THREE MINUTE SECTIONS FROM THIS ALBUM, INCLUDING THE DEAD WAX RUN IN AND EACH OF THE FIRST TRACKS ON EACH SIDE, FOLLOWED BY ONE RANDOM TRACK FROM EACH SIDE INCLUDING THE LINKING GROOVE.

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 ARE A FEW ODD RANDOM LITTLE DUST POPS IN ONE OR TWO PLACES, BUT NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES, BUT PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES AND YOU WILL HEAR WHAT I MEAN. THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A GREAT FIRST PRESS SANTANA ALBUM

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 SHINES LIKE NEW AND THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES TO THE LAMINATE OR ANY BENDS. IN FACT THERE ARE ONLY THREE VERY MINOR LINES. ONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE. ONE CLOSE TO THE SPINE, AND ONE VERY SMALL THUMB NAIL LINE CLOSE TO THE OPENING EDGE. THERE IS ALSO SOME VERY VERY MILD AGING TO THE WHITE SURFACE AROUND THE PERIMETER EDGES UNDER THE LAMINATE. 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, AS IS THE SPINE, WHICH HAS THE TAPERED FIRST PRESS ENDS, UNDAMAGED LAMINATE, AND PERFECT TYPEFACE.

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 COLOUR LOSS, BUT HERE WE HAVE ONE THAT HAS RETAINED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE BLACK SURFACE WITH JUST A VERY LIGHT TRACE OF RECORD SHAPE.

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE  NEAR MINT MINUS

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

GARRY