The Running Man : The Running Man 1E / 1E 1st Press 1972 Neon Label

This rare first pressing on the very collectable Neon label plays with superb audio and minimal interference.  As always I have played every track in full and S1 in particular is absolutely stunning!  In essence there is no interference, it just could not play any better.  The clarity, depth and power of the audio is exceptional and S2 is not too far behind to be honest.  It has only minimal intrusion and this is described in detail below, the vast majority still plays to an incredible standard.  I have to say what really stands out when playing this great record is the sheer depth of the audio.  The playback is so rich and deep and that surely pays testament to how well infrequently it has been played and how well it has been preserved over the last 52 years.  Not surprisingly the vinyl is in lovely condition with only some light hairlines.  

The non-laminated gatefold is in excellent condition with only light wear and the original inner is very clean with just two small edge splits.

I tend not to use the word 'rare' but it certainly applies here!  As any collector will know only 11 records were pressed on the RCA Neon label and this was indeed the last one off the printing press.

NE 11 / AGBS 0736-1E / AGBS 0737-1E // A/C & A/H etched

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (T1 intro Ex- then Ex+ / T4 & T6 Mint- / T5 Ex+)

The gatefold is Ex-

The labels are Mint

The original inner sleeve is VG+

Visual description

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen with no obvious marks or scratches.  Under a bright light I can see a few faint hairlines but these are superficial as they have no affect on the superb audio.  S2 has one very small faint blemish but again no impact on the audio.  So small it hardly needs a mention really!  The iconic Neon labels are 'as new' with no marking and no spindle wear, superb!

Play grading

The opening track 'Higher And Higher' plays with stunning quality from the very first note.  The first vocal section is so clean and precise with no background static and I only noticed a couple of barely audible dust ticks.  It continues in the same way with no intrusion and just one mega light tick towards the end.  It is a Mint- start to the album.

The vocal intro on 'Hope-Place' is perfect and you get a real sense of the depth of the audio here, the playback is so strong and deep.  The instrumental section then plays with incredible sonic quality, I just cannot fault it.  There is no interference aside from a couple of minor statics and Russell's strong bass adds so much to the progressive sound.  His electric guitar work is quite impressive also!  The final vocal has no interference and this truly is a stunning example of this classic track.  I will grade as Mint- although even the minus may be a little harsh!

The delicate piano intro on 'Nicholas' plays beautifully with no interference and the opening vocal section is just as impressive.  This standard does not drop as it progresses and again the audio is so clear and precise.  Incredible clarity from start to finish and even the long fade out has no background.  This is Mint in every way.

The intro on 'Another' is 'as new' and the opening vocal is equal to that.  No ticks, clicks, pops or static the playback is phenomenal!  We all know how rare this album is but how many in existence today play as well as this?  In continues in the same way and the first quiet passage plays with stunning clarity with just one barely audible tick that hardly warrants a mention.  I only put it here because I am 100% complete with my grading and state any background even if minor and totally non-intrusive.  This instrumental continues to play 'as new' and that is no exaggeration.  The 'bass' section has a clarity of sound that is just STUNNING with just one very light tick and the remainder is more or less perfect with only more light tick.  Running at 10 minutes I cannot overstate just how well this track plays.  The clarity and definition of the audio is so impressive and from start to finish there are no clicks or pops and no underlying static either.  A couple of minor static ticks that is all and Mint- is very much deserved.  What a version!

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'Find Yourself' on S2 has only a little static on the intro and a couple of ticks but this does not last long.  There is a more obvious static click just before the percussion comes in but the opening vocal section then plays perfectly.  There is another static click sound right after and then the final vocal section is as clean as the first.  I will grade the intro as Ex- but the rest of the track deserves to be graded as Ex+ at the very least, the vast majority is certainly better than that.

'Look And Turn' has just one mega light tick at the start and you could easily miss it as it is so quiet.  From then on it plays with such quality and with zero intrusion on the audio.  The mid instrumental is a prime example of that - outstanding depth and warmth...again.  The end vocal is faultless - there is one quiet static swish on the fade out so I will grade as Near Mint

The opening vocal on 'If You Like' plays with sublime clarity and it continues to play with remarkable quality through every section and that includes the relatively quiet piano end section.  It has only the bare minimum of light static i.e. hardly any so again I will say Near Mint and it really is a superb listen.

The intro on 'Spirit' has only a couple of minor statics and the powerful opening vocal section plays with impeccable quality and the first instrumental is just incredible!  The clarity and power is off the scale and the depth of the audio is again hugely impressive.  There is no background and each note is so sharp and precise - there is literally nothing getting in the way of the audio.  It has to be turned up to max the playback is sensational!  The final vocal has no interference and the end instrumental keeps up the good work.  Mint- is deserved here at the very least.  It would have been Mint but for the two mega quiet ticks at the start!

The quiet intro on 'Children' plays very clearly with only minimal background static and the vocal section then plays in much the same way.  There is some light static here and there but again it is so quiet and does intrude on the audio quality, there are definitely no clicks or pops.  The music and vocals are still very much in the forefront.  Ex+

'Running Man' ends the album with superb audio from the get go.  The intro is 100% perfect and proceeds in the same exact way.  The vocal section when it eventually arrives is flawless and the one brief silent moment near the end has just minimal static.  A Mint- finish to a superb album.

In summary this rare first pressing plays with genuine quality on both sides with very little interference.  As you can see from my grading S1 is spectacular and S2 is not far behind.  It has only minimal interference and I do mean minimal!  I always grade with honesty and integrity and the vast majority still plays to a Mint standard.  The clarity, depth and power on both sides is phenomenal and it is clear this vinyl has not been over-played, one look at it confirms that.  These Neon pressings are highly sought after today and especially in this condition!  Collectability wise this is in the top 3 in my opinion and in conjunction with a very impressive cover the winning bidder will not be disappointed.

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

The cover is in excellent condition with not very much shelf wear.  The top edges are very clean with hardly any rubbing and whilst the bottom edges have more there is no actual damage to the surface.  The wide spine is still very strong with only minimal wear and remains 100% legible - there is just a little more wear towards the corners.  The right hand corners have just a little wear and the opening edge looks hardly touched it is that clean.  The front cover is in very clean also with very little fading / spotting around the edges which is impressive when you consider it is not laminated.  The spine just has a little more fading / spotting next to it but by no means excessive.  The back cover is in excellent order also with only light spotting and some faint ringwear.  The inside of the gatefold is in superb condition with no marking at all.  This is a fine example of this rare cover.

The plain white poly-lined inner (dated .72) has one very small side split, a small bottom edge split and one small 'nick' on the central aperture.  It has no obvious marking and only minimal creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

The record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

NE 11 / AGBS 0736-1E / AGBS 0737-1E // A/C & A/H etched

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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