Uriah Heep THE MAGICIANS BIRTHDAY 1972 UK LP A-1U/B-1U ILPS 9312 MINT AUDIO HEAR
£
206
$
273
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Description
URIAH HEEP - THE MAGICIANS BIRTHDAY
IN MAGNIFICENT 1-2 PLAY CONDITION
MINT AUDIO FROM START TO FINISH
NEAR MINT SLEEVE
- CATALOGUE:BRONZE ILPS 91233
- MATRIX: ILPS 9123 A-1U / B-1U (INVERTED 'U'S)
- FIRST UK PRESSING MATRIX NUMBER
- G.KONG ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX ON BOTH SIDES
- MOTHERS/STAMPERS:3 LD / 4 TG
THE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS OF MAGICIANS BIRTHDAY. THE PRESSING CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. FIRSTLY THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST END IN -1U AND THE LETTER U IS INVERTED 90 DEGREES WITH THE OPEN END OF THE LETTER FACING THE 1 DIGIT ON SIDE ONE
SECONDLY THE PRESSING MUST HAVE THE ISLAND CATALOGUE NUMBER. DESPITE THE RECORDING BEING ON THE BRONZE LABEL, THE EARLIEST ISSUES WERE GIVEN THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBERS. LATER ISSUES WOULD HAVE HAD THE 'BRON' NUMBERS.
THE LABELS ALSO HAVE ' MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED BY i ISLAND RECORDS LIMITED ' IN BLUE TYPEFACE AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE RIM
THE SLEEVE MUST HAVE THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBER IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE REAR SURFACE, AND BE PRINTED BY ROBOR (INSIDE THE GATEFOLD, BOTTOM LEFT CORNER)
ALSO FIRST ISSUES CAME WITH A LYRIC INNER SLEEVE WHICH ALSO MUST HAVE THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBER ON IT BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE B SIDE LYRICS
THE RECORD
THE LABELS
BOTH LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE LIGHT CREAM BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND IS UNMARKED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE,
THE BROWN TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS ABSOLUTELY ZERO VISIBLE SPIDER LINES, THE ALBUM CLEARLY HAS NOT BEEN PLAYED
THE VINYL
THIS HEAVYWEIGHT DISC HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LOOKS BEAUTIFUL. THERE IS NOT A MARK ON IT ANYWHERE, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE. OIT STILL LOOKS MINT
THE TEST PLAY
THIS DISC PLAYS ABSOLUTELY SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES. I HAVE NEVER HEARD A BETTER COPY.
THE FINAL TRACK ON SIDE ONE IS A GENTLE TRACK CALLED RAIN, AND I HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES I THOUGHT I HAD A GREAT COPY TO LIST ONLY FOR THIS TRACK TO LET THE DISC DOWN.
IT HAS ON MOST COPIES AN INHERRANT LIGHT BACKGROUND ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT, SPOILING THE MUSIC. ON THIS COPY IT IS PERFECT
THE VINYL HAS AN INCREDIBLE STEREO REPRODUCTION. YOU ONLY HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE OPENING FEW BARS, FOLLOWED BY THE AMZINGLY CLEAR VOCALS TO BE CONVINCED.
NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE
NO TICS OR POPS AND SILENT LINKING GROOVES
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS AUDIO AS MINT
PLEASE LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF
THE SLEEVE
NON LAMINATED MATTE ROGER DEAN GATEFOLD SLEEVE FROM ROBOR. ONLY THE FIRST PRESS SLEEVES WERE FROM ROBOR, AND THEY HAVE THE ISLAND MATRIX NUMBERS ON THE SPINE AND TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE REAR SURFACE. LATER ISSUES WERE GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE WITH THE BRONZE CATALOGUE AND MATRIX NUMBERS ON THEM IN THE SAME PLACES.
THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY CLEAN AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF THE ORIGINAL COLOUR, WITHOUT ANY RUBBING OR FADING, EVEN AT THE EDGES
THE COLOURS ARE VERY DEEP BUT OFTEN HAVE FADED DUE TO BEING LEFT IN SUNLIGHT. HERE THOUGH THEY ARE RICH AND VIBRANT ACROSS THE WHOLE SLEEVE
THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES ANWHERE, INCREDIBLY NOT EVEN ANY PRESSURE LINES BY THE SPINE.
NONE ON THE TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE
THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP AND SQUARE WITH JUST A TINY DOT OF RUB TO THE TOP RIGHT FRONT CORNER TIP
THE TOP EDGES HAVE FULL COLOUR WITH JUST THE TWO RIGHT TIP ENDS HAVING A PIN PRICK OF WHITE
THE BOTTOM EDGES ARE IDENTICAL WITH ONE EXTRA DOT OF RUB ON THE REAR EDGE NEAR THE RIGHT CORNER
THE SPINE USUALLY FADES BUT THIS ONE IS AS RICH AND VIBRANT AS THE FRONT AND REAR SURFACES. IT IS ALSO PERFECTLY FLAT AND UNSQUASHED, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECT. THERE IS THE TINIEST BIT OF RUBBING TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS ONLY
THE REAR SURFACE IS NEAR PERFECT. USUALY FOUND WITH HEAVY RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE, THIS ONE HAS ONLY A LIGHT SHADOW OF RING RUB UNDER THE TOP EDGE AND JUST OVER THE BOTTOM EDGE
THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND APTLY SHOWS JUST HOW LITTLE THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE.
OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A NEAR PRISTINE INNER SURFACE EVEN THE BLACK BORDER ONLY SHOWS A SLIVER OF GREYING AT THE BOTTOM
THE ORIGINAL LYRIC INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED AND AMAZINGLY HAS NO SEAM SPLITS , JUST A LITTLE LOIGHT AGEING
I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT
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