ARETHA FRANKLIN LADY SOUL SUPER RARE ORIGINAL 1st PRESSING 1968 ATLANTIC MONO LP

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ARETHA FRANKLIN LADY SOUL SUPER RARE ORIGINAL 1st US PRESSING 1968 ATLANTIC MONO LP!!!!  ATLANTIC 8176
Mono copies don't show up very often!  Original US pressing from 1968 with Atlantic red and purple (plum) labels, NOT a reissue, not the UK issue. 
In 1968 many record companies phased out releasing mono copies of albums, and this was the last Aretha album to be released (to the public) in mono and they ended up releasing a very small number of mono copies.

This release is the only way to hear the original mono mix of this LP, and it's probably the most difficult Aretha album to find in mono - took me years to come across a nice looking and sounding copy.  This was my personal copy for a while, and while I had it I took very good care of it, any defects it has are from the previous owner.  The sleeve I bought it in describes it as VG++, but I'm going to be a little more conservative.

Vinyl is VG+
Sleeve is VG/VG+

Visual and play graded by the Goldmine standard:
"A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK". The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount. In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable."

This copy has a few light lines and marks on both sides upon close inspection, with only one that I can feel (side 1, People Get Ready, plays through nicely with a small click), other than that plays pretty quietly on my system with normal sounds associated with a VG+ record that's 47(!!) years old.  If you have a great way of cleaning your records you can give this one a nice cleaning and get an even cleaner sound out of this.  Sound on this one is still incredible.  No warps.

Stamped in dead wax: A-12733-1A  CT  T (side 1), A-12734-1B  CT  T (side 2)

The sleeve has little to no ring wear, but the corners and edges have wear.  About a 2" split along the top near the LP opening and a 1" split on the bottom hear the LP opening.  Has a price sticker along with the original hype sticker.  Spine is pretty good, readable with a few cracks, MONO designation on spine is very clear.  Cut out hole in upper left corner.  A previous owner, probably the original owner, wanted everyone to know this belonged to her and has written her name on this on the front, back, inside, both sides of sleeve, and both sides of label.  Original Atlantic inner sleeve is in tact without splits. 

See pics for detail and feel free to ask any questions.  You need to own this in mono!!  If you aren't picky about visual condition, THIS is your copy!  The sound is still amazing and overall it's still very nice!  If you are picky, this is your copy until you find a different one, but beware, they're difficult to find in super nice shape, and they're pricey!  Upgraded shipping is available at an additional fee.  Let me know how you want it shipped and pay the extra and I'll do it.


Lastly, a little history from Wiki:

Lady Soul is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, Released on January 22, 1968 by Atlantic Records. The album was her second R&B chart-topper, the follow-up to Aretha Arrives and included some of her biggest hit singles, "Chain of Fools" (#2 Pop), and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (#8 Pop), and "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (#5 Pop). It eventually sold over a million copies in the United States alone.

Lady Soul peaked at #1, #2 and #3 on Billboard's Black Albums, Pop Albums and Jazz Albums charts respectively. The single "Ain't No Way" - B-Side of "Since You've Been Gone (Sweet, Sweet, Baby)" - peaked at #9 on the Black Singles chart, and #16 on the Pop Singles chart. Gospel/R&B singer Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney Houston) and her group the Sweet Inspirations are credited as background vocals on several tracks, along with Aretha's sisters Carolyn and Erma Franklin. In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Lady Soul the 41st greatest album of all time. It is number 84 on Rolling Stone?s list "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Guests on this LP include Eric Clapton, Bobby Womack, and King Curtis.