THE ZOMBIES - BEGIN HERE rare 1965 UK beat 1st press LP, MONO DECCA LK 4679 VG+

	£		135
	$		179

THE ZOMBIES - BEGIN HERE

Rare and highly sought after 1965 UK very 1st pressing of this beat classic on the unboxed DECCA label, MONO, L K 4679

 Matrix Numbers :

  Side 1  ARL-6709-1A with stampers "1" and "U" at 9 and 3 o' clock respectively   Side 2  ARL-6710-1A with stampers "1" and "U" at 9 and 3 o' clock respectively 

These matrix and stamper numbers suggest that this was one of the very first copies off the first production run.

The appearance of the vinyl (thick, heavy and completely flat) is very good+. Each side of the vinyl has retained much of it's original sheen and has a truly impressive appearance, with all of the deep matt grooves remaining well defined and true. Careful inspection under a bright light reveals a few wispy hairlines and small (1-2cm) surface scratches all of which are non-"feelable", the exception to this being on side 1 where a 2cm scratch straddles tracks 3 and 4...a part of it is just feelable and it results in mild background clicking throughout most of track 4. None of these hairlines are obvious in normal daylight.

The condition of the Robert Stace front laminated sleeve is very good. The top and bottom edges remain in very good condition with barely any scuffing but there is obvious laminate creasing towards each of the two right side top and bottom corners and towards the bottom edge, and a further 8 obvious 1 -1.5cm laminate creases on the front side perpendicular to the spine, five of which impinge upon the spine itself. The corners remain well defined with minimal rubbing and all writing on the spine remains clearly legible. The reverse side suffers from some mild age discolouration, some minor surface blemishes (see photo) and a look and feel of mild grubbiness. The opening edge is not frayed but does have a mild residue margin where I believe sellotape was once in evidence - this applies to each of the front and reverse sides. There are no tears or splits or unwanted writing.

The labels are very good+. All the text and original colouring, along with the unboxed DECCA logo, remains nicely intact with just a number of light spindle trails on each label adjacent to the centre hole.

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent-. There is the aforementioned mild background clicking on track 4, side 1 and I won't deny that there is the occasional mild background click elsewhere along with just the hint of some occasional very mild background crackle but overall the audio has a lovely tone associated only with mono recordings and great clarity, and there is little to no distortion on either higher frequencies or higher volume. An excellent listen throughout to music that is both nostalgic but at the same time timeless.

Side 1 :

1. ROAD RUNNER

2. SUMMERTIME

3. I CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND

4. THE WAY I FEEL

5. WORK 'N' PLAY

6. YOU'VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME

7. SHE'S NOT THERE

Side 2 :

1. STICKS AND STONES

2. CAN'T NOBODY LOVE YOU

3. WOMAN

4. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW

5. I REMEMBER WHEN I LOVED HER

6. WHAT MORE CAN I DO

7. I GOT MY MOJO WORKING

Comes in the original poly lined DECCA inner which does have creasing at the bottom corners , along with a 5cm split at the top on the right edge, and a 3cm split one third of the way up on the left edge which has been sellotaped up. I will also supply a new white inner.

In summary, a nice and definitely collectible (and highly enjoyabe listen) of this very first pressing of this sought after 1965 beat classic, despite it's obvious blemishes.

 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 listings for more 50's, 60's and 70's classic vinyl.

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. 

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'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

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 removing the record from the outer sleeve in order to 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 will be Royal Mail 1st class signed for  : UK £5.00, continental Europe £8, and Rest of the World £12. 

 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.