The Beatles WHITE ALBUM UK LP 1ST T/LOAD MONO MINT-/NM-

	£		261
	$		345

THE BEATLES -WHITE ALBUM

• ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS THAT HAS THE EMI RECORDING MISSING FROM THE LABEL
• VERY LOW UNIQUE NUMBER 0016118

IT IS GENERALLY A FACT THAT LP'S THAT HAVE 00 BEFORE THE NUMBER SHOULD HAVE THE FIRST PRESS LP INSIDE. i.e NO EMI RECORDING, AND THOSE THAT START 01 OR GREATER WILL HAVE THE EMI STATEMENT

ONE OF THE FIRST PRESSINGS TO HIT THE STORES, THIS WHITE ALBUM FIRST PRESS HAS ALL OF THE HALLMARKS NEEDED TO BADGE IT AS SUCH, THESE INCLUDE:

• SOLD IN THE UK WORDING ON THE LABEL
• NO "EMI RECORDING" AT 9'OCLOCK ON THE LABEL ( ONLY HAS MFD IN U.K)
• APPLE RECORDS
• CATALOGUE: PMC 7067/8
• MATRIX NUMBERS XEX 709-1 / 10-1 / 11-1 / 12-1
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 HR / 3 HH / 2 PH / 1 RM

THE RECORDS

I WANT TO SAY THAT WHEN I FIRST SAW THESE RECORDS I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE DESCRIBING THE SOUND QUALITY AS EXCELLENT, BUT AFTER PLAYING THEM I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT BOTH RECORDS PLAY TO A MINT MINUS/ NEAR MINT MINUS GRADE. READ ON FOR ALL THE DETAILS

THE LABELS

THE LABELS AHVE ALL THE HALLMARKS OF THE FIRST PRESS. " SOLD IN THE UK"STATEMENT ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE LABEL. MFD IN UK AT 9.O'CLOCK AND NO EMI RECORDING STATEMENT. THEY ARE THE CORRECT DARK APPLE LABELS. THE COLUR IS RICH AND THE BLACK TEXT IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. ON BOTH LABELS THERE IS SOME LIGHT WEAR AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE. IT IS NOT ACTUALLY THE SPINDLE HOLE BUT THE GREEN COLOUR OF THE LABEL. ALSO THERE ARE MANY SPIDER LINES AROUND THE HOLE. THIS INDICATES A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF PLAY. I WOULD SUGGEST 20 TIMES, BUT THE MAIN THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT IT SAYS THAT THE LP WASN'T HANDLED WITH UTMOST CARE WHEN PLACING IT ON THE DECK AND THE SPIDER LINES WERE CREATED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER TRYING TO LOCATE THE SPINDLE. SO I WAS THINKING THAT THE VINYL WOULD PLAY ACCORDINGLY

THE VINYL

THE DISCS HAVE RETAINED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LOOK GREAT. THERE IS ONE SURFACE SCUFF LINE ON SIDE 3 WHICH I HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE OF, AND I THOUGHT THIS WOULD PROBABLY SOUND OUT, BUT I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO FIND THAT IT DIDN'T. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TINY SURFACE HAIRLINES. ALL OF THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE RECORD WOULD SOUND OK WITH SOME MILD BACKGROUND AND SOME POPS HERE AND THERE, AND POSSIBLY SOME GROOVE WEAR. BOY WAS I WRONG!!!

PLAYING THE RECORDS

 I HAVE RECORDED THE FIRST 90 SECONDS OF TWO TRACKS FROM EACH SIDE OF THE SET, MAKING 8 RECORDINGS IN TOTAL. THE RECORDINGS CONSIST OF THE 4  RUN IN GROOVES AND THE OPENING TRACK FROM EACH SIDE. BACK IN THE USSR, MARTHA MY DEAR, BIRTHDAY AND REVOLUTION. AND IN ADDITION THE LINKING GROOVE AND INTRO TO ONE OF THE OTHER TRACKS. I HAVE DELIBERATELY RECORDED THE ONE TRACK THAT ALWAYS SOUNDS TERRIBLE IF THE LP HAS ANY GROOVE WEAR AND THAT IS JULIS FROM SIDE 2.

SOUNDS SPEAK LOUDER AND CLEARER THAN ANY OF MY WORDS AND ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU HAVE A CAREFUL LISTEN TO ALL OF THE RECORDINGS. YOU WILL FIND THAT THE RUN INS ARE SILENT, NO BACKGROUND AND NO CLICKS OR POPS, AND THE MUSIC IS CRYSTAL CLEAR WITHOUT ANY GROOVE WEAR DISTORTION, EVEN ON THE VERY VULNERABLE "JULIA"

I WAS AMAZED AT THE QUALITY OF THESE RECORDS. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT DISC ONE PLAYS TO A MINT MINUS STANDARD AND THE SECOND TO A NEAR MINT MINUS STANDARD. THE ONLY REASON FOR THE SLIGHTLY LOWER GRADE FOR DISC TWO IS THEAT ON THE FINAL TRACK ON SIDE THREE THERE ARE A FEW SECONDS OF VERY VERY LIGHT DISTORTION IN THE FORM OF WHAT SOUNDS LIKE STATIC. AND ON REVOLUTION NUMBER NINE A FEW LIGHT ROTATIONAL POPS RIGHT AT THE START FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS

HONESTLY THE LP'S ARE JUST AMAZING AND THE ONLY REASON THAT I CAN THINK THAT DESPITE THE CARELESS HANDLING WHEN PLACING THEM ON THE TURNTABLE, THE DECK USED WAS A TOP QUALITY ONE WITH CORRECT BALANCING AND PROPERLY WEIGHTED ARM, WITH A DECENT DAMPER WHEN LOWERING THE STYLUS.

THERE IS JUST NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE ANYWHERE, AND NO CLICKS POPS OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE COUPLE OF INSTANCES I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, BUT LISTEN TO THE EIGHT RECORDINGS AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT I HAVE SAID IS THE FACTS, AND ALL OF THE LP'S PLAY IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. THEY ARE JUST BRILLIANT. THE FINAL PROOF FOR ME WAS THAT THE RUN OUT GROOVE IS AS SILENT AS ALL THE REST

YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY TO HAVE THESE IN YOUR COLLECTION

Mono/Stereo Differences

This release is probably the most essential to have in both mono and stereo, as almost every track has some difference. But the following thirteen tracks have the most marked variations.

"Back In The U.S.S.R."

The airplane overdubs occur in different places on the mono and stereo versions.

"Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da"

The stereo version has hand-clapping during the intro, the mono version does not.

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

The stereo version has some vocal sounds from George at the end, the mono version does not.

"Blackbird"

The bird sound effects are quite different between the stereo and the mono release.

"Piggies"

The pig sound effects are quite different between the stereo and the mono release.

"Don't Pass Me By"

The mono version is much faster than the stereo, and therefore is shorter.
The violin sounds at the end are markedly different.

"Why Don't We Do It In The Road"

The stereo version has hand-clapping during the intro, the mono version does not.

"I Will"

The stereo version has more prominent bongos.

"Birthday"

The stereo version has extra vocals at the end of the second chorus.

"Sexy Sadie"

The stereo version has two taps on the tambourine during the intro, the mono version only has one.

"Helter Skelter"

The stereo version has a fade-out/fade-in dummy ending with Ringo's shout of "I've got blisters on my fingers", the mono version does not ! ... this makes the stereo version almost a minute longer.

"Long, Long, Long"

The stereo version is fine, but on the mono, George's double-tracked vocal is embarrassingly out of synch.

"Honey Pie"

The stereo version has a shorter guitar solo than the mono version.

THE SLEEVE

FULLY LAMINATED TOP LOADING ORIGINAL MATCHED SLEEVE. I SAY MATCHED BECAUSE THE CORRECT SLEEVE FOR THE MONO PRESSING DOES NOT HAVE THE SMALL "STEREO" WORDING IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE BACK OF THE SLEEVE.

THIS IS A VERY LOW NUMBERED SLEEVE 0016118

THE SLEEVE IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, AND IS ONE OF THOSE SLEEVES THAT USUALLY SFFERS FROM MANY FLAWS, SUCH AS RING WEAR, LAMINATE PEEL, HEAVY CREASING AND SEVERE BROWNING.

SO STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE, THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THERE ARE NO NEAVY CREASES AT ALL ANYWHERE, AND AMAZINGLY NO RING WEAR. THE WHITE SURFACE HAS YELLOWED LIGHTLY WITH AGE, BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS MUCH AS MOST I HAVE SEEN. THE LAMINATE ALSO HAS NOT PEELED OR FLAKED AS IS USUAL. THE MOST PROMINENT PLACES ARE THE WMBOSSED BEATLES LOGO AND THE SPINE, BUT ON THIS COPY THERE IS NO FLAW AT ALL IN THE LAMINATE.

THERE IS ONE LINE THAT HAS STARTED TO BROWN ON THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH I AM CERTAIN WILL BE VISIBLE IN THE PICTURES, OTHER THAN THAT A COUPLE OF BARELY VISIBLE TINY LAMINATE LINES ON THE RIGHT EDGE, AND AMAZINGLY NONE AT ALL NEAR THE SPINE. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL, AND GREAT TO FIND IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION. FINALLY ITS WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THE NUMBER IS STILL PRETTY WELL LEGIBLE AS A LOT OF THESE SLEEVES YOU JUST CANNOT MAKE OUT THE NUMBER.

THE BOTTOM AND RIGHT EDGES ARE TOTALLY UNWORN AND STILL 100% LAMINATED. ONE SMALL SCUFF TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AT THE VERY TIP.

THE OPENING EDGE IS ALSO EXCEPTIONAL. FOR AN ALBUM THAT HAS HAD REASONABLE PLAY MOST SLEEVES WOULD BE FOUND WITH DOG EARRED AND FRAYED OPENING EDGES, BUT THIS ONE IS JUST ABOUT AS GOOD AS YOU COULD WISH TO FIND, WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL INDENTS IN A FEW SPOTS. IT IS REALLY A SIGN THAT THIS HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR.

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME SUPERB STATE THAT THE FRONT IS IN, AGAIN NO CREASES OR HEAVY RING WEAR, JUST THE SIMILAR AMOUNT OF LIGHT YELLOWING.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS THE SAME HIGH GLOSS FINISH TO THE LAMINATE, AGAIN LIGHTLY YELLOWED, BUT NO HEAVY CREASES. THE TWO FLIPBACKS ARE IN PERFECT CONDITION AND PROPERLY STUCK DOWN

INSIDE THE SLEEVE THE 4 PHOTOS ARE TO BE FOUND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THEY ARE THE ORIGINAL ISSUE PICTURES ON THE HEAVIER CARD, NOT LATER COPIES ADDED TO THE ALBUM. THESE ARE GENUINE ITEMS, VIBRANT IN COLOUR AND HAVE NEVER BEEN STUCK TO ANYTHING OR PINNED TO ANY WALL. AS GOOD AS YOU WILL FIND IN MY OPINION

THE POSTER IS OFTEN FOUND BADLY WORN , TORN OR STAINED, B UT HERE WE HAVE ONE THAT I SUSPECT HAS ONLY BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE A FEW TIMES AND HAS CERTAINLY NOT BEEN MOUNTED ON A WALL OR ANYTHING. THE QUAD FOLD CREASE LINES ARE VERY SHARP AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR CREASES ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE PAPER, JUST A FEW LIGHT SIGNS OF VERY MILD AGING IN JUST A COUPLE OF SPOTS. ALL IN ALL I WOULD GRADE THE POSTER EXCELLENT PLUS

THE TWO BLACK INNER SLEEVES ARE THE ORIGINALS AND ARE CLEARLY THE POOEREST PART OF THE SET, BUT AGAIN THEY ARE THE ORIGINAL ONES ISSUED WITH THIS LP. ONE OF THEM HAS A SPLIT TO ONE SIDE OF THE SEAM AND A SMALL TEAR ALONG THE TOP AND A LITTLE NICK OUT OF THE CENTRE HOLE, WHILST THE OTHER HAS JUST A SMALL TEAR ON THE TOP EDGE.

THE LP'S HAVE BEEN PLACED IN MEW POLY LINES INNERS TO PROTECT THE ORIGINALS FROM ANY FURTHER PUNISHMENT. I AM SURE REPLACEMENTS COULD BE LOCATED IF DESIRED

I GRADE THE ENTIRE SLEEVE AS EXCELLENT PLUS

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

GARRY