WAYNE SHORTER SPEAK NO EVIL 1966 US BLUE NOTE BST 84194 RVG, EAR, LOVELY COPY

	£		262
	$		346

WAYNE SHORTER - SPEAK NO EVIL

A truly impressive copy of this extremely rare and highly sought after 1966 US very first pressing jazz gem, on the BLUE NOTE label, stereo ST 84194

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  BNST - 84194 A with "VAN GELDER" machine stamped onto the dead wax area, and the first pressing Plastylite "EAR" logo

Side 2  BNST - 84194 B with "VAN GELDER" machine stamped onto the dead wax area, and the first pressing Plastylite "EAR" logo 

The appearance and overall condition of the heavy, flat vinyl is a solid excellent (EX). Gleaming vinyl with jet black lacquering giving a beautiful appearance in normal daylight. With close scrutiny under a bright light the appearance remains impressive with just a few wispy hairlines coming into view (nothing "feelable" or beneath the surface) and some very light, superficial residue marks resulting from storage in a replacement poly-lined inner (the original "27 YEARS BLUE NOTE" inner sleeve is available and will be carefully inserted into the outer sleeve). Brilliant, and amazing for a 53 year antiquity such as this...it is now becoming very difficult to find US Blue Note (pre-Liberty) first pressings where the vinyl is in as good a condition as this.

The labels are excellent. To be precise, the Side 1 label is near perfect with just a few small and very light spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole just visible under a bright light; the Side 2 label is exactly the same except for the word/name "DRAGON" written on the circumference at the top of the label (see photos). Note the "BLUE NOTE RECORDS INC"...later issues have "Liberty" resulting from the sale of Blue Note to Liberty 

The condition of the non-laminated outer sleeve is excellent minus (EX-). Such an iconic sleeve and the only minor blemishes that prevent me from grading the condition as "excellent" are 4cm of light scuff marks on the bottom edge adjacent to the spine and a further 4cm of light intermittent scuffing on the same edge at the other end, some intermittent light scuffs and "nicks" on the spine itself, just the hint of some very mild ring wear on the front side, a few tiny "nicks" on the front side, and the name/word "DRAGON" hand written onto the reverse of the sleeve. All edges are firm, and this iconic REID MILES designed thick cardboard sleeve has more than stood the test of time, with the front side photo and colouring remaining impressively clear and all writing on the reverse side remaining both crisp and clean. Impressive.

Finally, the quality of the audio is brilliant. Great tone and clarity throughout with no skips, repeats, jumps or nasty clicks, and barely any background interference at all - just the hint of a little background crackle right at the beginning of side 2 and for a few rotations during the middle of side 2, no doubt down to dust in the grooves through decades of storage and for which a professional clean would probably cure though these few light clicks are non-intrusive anyway. There is a visible speck of dirt/dust right at the end of the final track on side 2 which does result in 4 light (but audible) clicks right at the end of side 2 as the stylus enters the dead wax area - I am sure that this tiny speck is removable...I have tried but to no avail, and it's a very minor blemish anyway which does not diminish the great listening experience of this wonderful LP. Sit back and de-stress to the wonderful music of five jazz musicians at the top of their game : Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums).

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. WITCH HUNT

2. FEE-FI-FO-FUM

3. DANCE CADAVEROUS

Side 2 :

1. SPEAK NO EVIL

2. INFANT EYES

3. WILD FLOWER

Comes with original Blue Note "27 YEARS BLUE NOTE" inner sleeve with the original "43 WEST 61st ST. NEW YORK 23 N.Y." text and in overall excellent condition still, though there is a 1.5cm edge split at the top of the left edge and a further 4cm edge split at the middle of the bottom edge; barely any creasing or age discolouration though, and still remaining fully functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly impressive copy of this extremely rare and highly sought after 1966 US very 1st pressing jazz gem - seldom seen, so difficult to find and worthy of gracing any vinyl collection. It is very difficult to find a US Blue Note first pressing in condition as impressive as this.

 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 49 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 during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 64 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

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 thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick 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 will be UK £5.00, Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for; continental Europe £9 and Rest of the World £13, Royal Mail 1st class/Airmail tracked and signed for. 

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

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records 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

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

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

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, discolouration, etc.

Fair

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 are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

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

Bad

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