BEATLES Rubber Soul 1st UK Orig 579-1 loudmix

	£		113
	$		149

Formerly mpsmith...

Hi, I am Mike, I have been a music collector for over 30 years now. My Ebay name has now changed at the request of Ebay for security - little else will change I hope, I will still try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find - I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any interested collector. You may notice I only submit one or two items a day for Ebay; time rarely allows more as I Play-Grade every record I offer (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story - I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. A ten pounds record that plays close to new is as important to the collector as a 250 pound record that plays less well. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. Good luck.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed. I also will buy quality single items or collections of original quality rock, 60s popular, folk, prog, psych and underground etc.

PLEASE READ ALL DESCRIPTIONS AND CHECK PICTURES CAREFULLY FOR ALL THE INFORMATION GIVEN.

Artist or Band: THE BEATLES

Album Title: Rubber Soul

Cat Number: PMC 1267 Mono 1st pressing with loud cut matrix.

Label and Condition: Parlophone original Yellow and Black. Sold in UK, Made in Gt Britain, The Gramophone Co Ltd on labels. Two lovely clean examples that still have a lovely fresh look, light+ spindle traces, this copy looks well below average plays, many are like spider’s webs, heavily matted into a bundle mass. This copy has the embossed tax codes of KT on side two near the centre hole. The are very clean and clear with no flattening and still black, always amazing to see this, they are so fine, just a few plays or trips out of the inner took the ink off these. These still are black and show superb clean and proud embossing. (Please see label scans for all information needed).

Country of Manufacture: Gt Britain

Rarity Factor: The rarest version of this classic album - for me still their finest - this original first pressing is the loud cut version with full dynamic loud mix.

Original Year of Release: 1965

Matrix Nos: XEX 579-1 and XEX 580-1 (Please see the very close up of the matrix for side one - I hope it shows up, I have enhanced to try to make is as clear as I can. The tiny pressing numbers appear to be 1 TM and 3 LA, these are always hard to make out definitely, but these are correct I think.

Album Information: This is a very important and quite rare record and I make no apology for the critical and detailed review I give this copy. I have often been quoted as saying this is my personal favourite Beatles album: well its a tough call, but for sure this is one of their very finest. Rubber Soul is a massive album, its was the first major transition for the fab four. They won over a huge new audience with a mature collection of songs with simple melodies and clever lyrics that belied their ages. Songs with more depth and a use of more instruments and yet another masterful production from George Martin. This album, it goes without saying, charted at number one in the US and UK - again it has to be said Beatles albums are not rare. But this an exception, by far the scarcest version of this album there is, and the most sought after, any Beatles first pressing is the most collectable, but when the actual sound varies to the later pressings, these are the most prized and coveted. The most played of all records, finding them with not too many plays with a cover that looks super clean and attractive are very hard to find at all now. Mono 1st pressed copies, especially in decent condition will always prove the toughest. The cover is really lovely with very little wear and the record is clean and generally plays well, but it has been played several times and there is some mild surface sounds in places - more details below.

Cover Condition and Details: Excellent, Single, laminated front, three large flipbacks on back. Use Emitex advert on back also and the word mono. Printed in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. Record comes in original lined tracing paper type (EX+, unsplit and clean, neat clear window).

Cover Lamination: Lovely clean and solid lamination that still retains a deep shine. No lifting, peeling or dry areas. A few light marks and a little, mainly light creasing, these show little on the very dark finished cover. No nasty deep indentations, this laminate is really nice with only tiny blemishes.

Cover Front: Very attractive with little wear. Deep, rich colour and very clean.

Cover Back: Black and white and no laminate - nearly always grubby, rubbed and with ringwear. This has little evidence of any of those. In fact this is very clean indeed with virtually no yellowing, this is still pretty white, not quite off the shelf but still very clean and nice. No writing, ringwear or rubbing at all. The three large flipbacks are very solid and neat. No lifting, or heavy creasing or tears. A couple of tiny light freys at the very edge of the bottom but this is very light indeed. The actual flipback edges are quite clean too showing only hints of the dark edges, most again have deeply discoloured lines where the laminate ends on the flipback edges making them very unsightly. This delicate back cover is really very nice and one of the best I’ve seen for this cover as an original.

Cover Edges/Corners: These are quite magnificent on this cover. Top and bottom are near perfect and unworn. The entry edge is neat too with only merest hint of any feathering. The spine is magnificent: unworn and square, all the text is pristine under the uncracked laminate. All corners are solid with little wear again. This fine original cover should please most collectors.

Vinyl Condition: Visually I would grade this as EX- to EX, it has only very light surface marks/hairlines, nothing heavy at all. Now as I have often stated in my descriptions about vintage mono records. These were always the most vulnerable to wear as they were virtually always subjected to use on heavy armed decks of the 60s. These are were not subtle and took no prisoners. They relied on weight to track and not careful engineering. Just a few plays on these decks subject the delicate groove walls to wear making them very noisy with moderate to heavy distortion, the high frequencies were always the most affected - I am sure most collectors of a certain age remember these decks. Now as stated this record has been played several times, but not too many. Its almost certain been played on a Dansette or something similar. The classic early signs of any wear on these records was slight surface sounds or clipping on the tracks nearer the centre where the backforce and tracking angle was more severe. This copy has such symptoms, but I suggest only very light and most of this record plays to a very respectable, even high standard. There are NO pops or ticks, almost unbelievable but true (this is 1965 LP!). Surface sounds are only very light to light apart from ‘Michelle’ which has sightly more surface sound. This track is a nightmare on vintage mono copies, being the innermost track this will have some surface sound on around 90 per cent of copies. If you have an original mono copy of this and it plays perfect with zero sounds - treasure it, it will be the exception rather than the rule. Most of the Beatles albums have at least one track that will cause problems with distortion: on Pepper its ‘She’s Leaving Home’ on Help! its ‘Yesterday’ and on With the Beatles its ‘Money’. The mix on this first press is truly awesome, massive dynamics and detail - this is one of George Martins’ finest productions, and oh so scarce now. The 579-1 matrix is really becoming tough to find. Although there is some light surface sound in places most is lost in the huge mix and loud sound. No detail is lost and really little spoilt my pure pleasing play-grading this one. It will not be offered often and be very wary of copies that are without full details. I put brief descriptions track by track below to let you know exactly what this plays like - my regular buyers know how tough I grade and fussy I am, I would rather undergrade that overgrade even to my own cost. This record is so important and any interested bidder needs to know exactly what they are getting - remember too this record is fast approaching forty years old now.

Track Listing: Drive my car (near perfect); Norwegian Wood (This bird has flown) (near perfect); You wont see me (plays very well, tiny surface sound only); Nowhere man (similar to previous, fraction more); Think for yourself (same again); The word (plays very well, tiny surface sound only); Michelle (has more surface sound but far less than many I’ve heard, often unlistenable on overplayed copies); What goes on (near perfect); Girl (near perfect); I’m looking through you (near perfect); In my life (plays very well, tiny surface sound only); Wait (plays very well, tiny surface sound only); If I needed someone (plays very well, very tiny surface sound only); Run for your life (near perfect).

Album Played For Grading: Yes, see above.

Final Summary: I hope my very strict guide helps - this is being very critical, many would simply say plays well and thats it. In truth it plays at best Mint(-) and at worst (1 track) VG - an average of EX would be fair. Finding this very scarce original record that will outperform this copy will not be easy. My deck brings out every little detail - good and bad - and believe me the good far outweigh any bad - apart from ‘Michelle’ which is near impossible to find mint and this still is not that bad really. If you are a perfectionist do not bid. If you can take a little light surface sound and want to own a rare first pressing, go for it - I would doubt if you would be dissappointed. The vintage sound of the real item cannot be beaten, a dead silent clinical CD version will sound nice, yes, but will it sound right? All that feel of the time is lost on this format for records of this type along with much of the original fine detail. The sounds locked away in these vintage grooves is the way this masterpiece was supposed to sound - George Martin and the Fab Four wanted it this way. This still fine copy is a gateway into the recording studio and if played on a decent quality modern deck will still last a lifetime. Any of the mostly light surface sound present almost adds to the romance and nostalgia of this album, this may sound crazy, but its true - most where present is lost in the mix anyway. This original production is unique and will not be heard often now, the second pressing, although still not what I’d call common does sound very different with a more subdued sound and mix. Vintage copies of Rubber Soul I have found to be the hardest of The Beatles albums to find, especially in anything like decent condition. I would think this copy with its lovely cover and fine sounding record will please most collectors, maybe not the connoisseur who demand perfection whatever the cost. I am a fussy buyer and collector and this one still pleased me, putting the age and scarcity into context, I hope it will you too - Mike.

Payment Details please read carefully:

Buyer pays: (UK) £2.50 P&P , for first-class delivery with standard £28 insurance. Items that sell over £75 will be sent via Special Delivery which are insured for £250.

Europe: £4. This is covered up to £28 (45 Euros) insurance and would be sent 1st-class airmail. A recorded airmail service is now in place for Europe too: this means any item will be fully covered to its true value, No customs sticker is needed for Europe, so this is a worthwhile investment. This costs extra £3, the item is tracked and the item has to be signed for - I will use this service to Europe as standard for very expensive rare items e.g. records over £75.

USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and other Far Eastern countries etc: £5.50. This is covered up to £28 (43 US Dollars) insurance and would be sent 1st-class airmail. Please note I do not profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more).

Extra insurance is available for non-UK items but will cost an extra £4, the item will be covered for up to £500 insurance.

PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.65 to cover PayPal or cash conversions.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Mailing Details: All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken out of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with a minimum of TWO stiffners for extra protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection and three or four stiffners. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other intesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear if any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.