THE BEATLES A Hard Day's Night 1964 UK 1st press LP PARLOPHONE PMC 1230 VG++

	£		34
	$		45

THE BEATLES - A HARD DAY'S NIGHT

A lovely copy of this 1964 UK very 1st press Beatles classic on the PARLOPHONE label, mono PMC 1230

 Matrix Numbers :

Side 1 XEX 481 3N with stampers "8" and "R 0 P" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Side 2  XEX 482 - 3N with stampers "2 and "R M R" at 9 o'clock and 3.30 o'clock respectively

Note the authenticity of this July 10, 1964 1st pressing : Black label with yellow logo and silver print. “The Parlophone Co. Ltd.” printed at the start perimeter print. “Recording first published 1964? and “Sold in U.K. subject…” text. Labels have thin print. With or without KT tax code on the label (this one does not). Matrix numbers: Side 1: XEX 481-3N; Side 2: XEX 482-3N. In fact this copy is the first variant of the first pressing, defined by the line space taken up by "Songs from the film A HARD DAY'S NIGHT" - later issues took up less line space; and the fact that on later pressings the song title "IF I FELL" was either at the beginning of line 2 or had a line all to itself.

The appearance of the vinyl is VG+. Completely flat with nice sheen and clean, clearly defined grooves throughout. In fact, in normal daylight the condition of the vinyl appears as excellent; it's only under a bright light that a number of light wispy hairlines and small, mild paper scuffs come into view - all surface only. There are no scratches, and certainly nothing nasty below the surface - it's the impressive lacquered sheen that is most striking. Amazing condition for a 53 year old classic record such as this. 

The labels are each excellent. Just a few very faint spindle trails adjacent to each of the centre holes, otherwise excellent. 

The iconic, front-side laminated Garrod & Lofthouse outer sleeve is very good+. There is no scuffing or rubbing on any of the edges, including the spine, each of which remains nicely rigid. The opening edges also remain perfectly defined with no fraying. There is no laminate lifting and no creasing apart from six 1cm horizontal laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the top edge (one), the bottom edge (two) and the spine (three) two of which impinge upon the spine itself with one of these creases causing the spine to partially buckle when slight pressure is exerted. The reverse side flip backs are excellent and remain 100% functional though there are four noticeable horizontal blemishes on the vertical flip back (see photo) and the odd light laminate crease (5 in total) on the other two flip backs. The photographs (front and back) and all text remain rich and vibrant. Finally, each corner remains a nicely defined right angle with barely any rubbing at all.

Finally, the quality of the audio is VG+. Nice tone and clarity with no distortion either at higher volume or higher frequency. No clicks, no pops, no skips, just the occasional nanosecond of static/crackle and just a little background crackle at the beginning and end of each side...very mild but slightly more noticeable on side 2. I noticed that the stylus picked up quite a lot of dust/dirt on play grading so I am putting this occasional, mild background crackle down to dust in the grooves through 40+ years of storage - I'm sure a proper clean would remedy this minor aberration. Every track still makes for a great listen!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. A HARD DAY'S NIGHT

2. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER

3. IF I FELL

4. I'M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH YOU

5. AND I LOVE HER

6. TELL ME WHY

7. CAN'T BUY ME LOVE

Side 2 :

1. ANY TIME AT ALL

2. I'LL CRY INSTEAD

3. THINGS WE SAID TODAY

4. WHEN I GET HOME

5. YOU CAN'T DO THAT

6. I'LL BE BACK

Comes with original "USE EMITEX" polythene lined die cut inner sleeve which has some mild creasing towards the corners but no tears or splits and remains in excellent condition. Note that I supply an additional plain white inner with every record that I sell to help minimise the risk of damage to the original inner (some of which are collectibles in their own right) as a matter of course.

An increasingly rare (certainly in this condition) cherished very 1st press copy of this classic album with minor blemishes only and certainly good enough to grace any Beatles vinyl collection, with every track making for a great listen.

 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 over the years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am 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. 

I try to be as accurate and as objective as possible when describing my records, sleeves, and inserts on ebay. But inevitably opinions and descriptions are always prone to some subjectivity, and opinions and what constitutes "Near mint" or "Excellent" can sometimes differ. 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 will resolve the issue I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

I always start my auctions at a low price to encourage bidding and in the knowledge that the market normally finds it's own level with the end price being indicative of the true market value of the item being advertised.

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 is Royal Mail 1st class : UK £3.00, continental Europe £7, and Rest of the World £11. 

NOTE that for items selling for more than £40 I insist upon tracked and signed for postage which incurs a further £2-6 P&P costs, dependent upon location so, please, do not pay until I have invoiced you!!

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint

Description: The record 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

Description: 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

Description: 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

Description: 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, discoloration, etc.

Fair 

Description: 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 will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor

Description: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

Description: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.