BEATLES Sgt Pepper 1st Press Orig 67 UK Stereo COMPLETE

	£		97
	$		129

Hi, I am Mike, now 47 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 34 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and elusive items now. 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 potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade (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 reader – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. 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. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic , and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. No cash accepted overseas. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Album Title: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Producer(s): George Martin.

Track Listing: Side 1: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; With a Little Help From My Friends; Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds; Getting Better; Fixing a Hole; She’s Leaving Home; Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite . Side 2: Within You Without You; When I’m Sixty-Four; Lovely Rita; Good Morning Good Morning; Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise); A Day in the Life.

Label/Format: Parlophone – Yellow and Black format. Text and detail includes: Sold in UK Subject to Resale etc, The Gramophone Co Ltd etc, Made in Gt Britain. Also the embossed KT tax codes are included on side one of this unbanded Stereo copy. All this criteria meets with the recognised ‘First Pressing’ status of this classic masterpiece.

Label Conditions: Clean and attractive examples that show hardly any spindle traces at all (how many times can any person state this on a first pressed copy of this album?). There is not a trace of any wear or erosion around the hold area, how many times will this be seen these days? This original stereo ‘Pepper’, bar one small mark, must rank as one of the very best examples I have ever seen (or heard come to that). Both the tax codes are pristine mint. Stunning clean defined embossing and are totally unflattened or eroded like many. Both retain ALL ink and look like brand new. For a any record this age, let alone a very popular record that’s fast approaching 40, these tax codes look incredible. Blemishes? well there appears to be some very fine black shadow on the yellow ink on side one, possibly press ‘set-off’ on manufacture, its only very mild anyway. Similar on side two to the silver ink, this may have been handled before dry in manufacture. Light silver ink smudges can be seen, again hardly drastic, but these blemishes apart, you will never find first pressed stereo labels better. What is for certain this massively pressed very early copy has hardly ever been played. (Please see label scans for all information needed and please refer to my paragraph further down about ‘Spindle Marks’).

Cat Number: PCS 7027.

Mono or Stereo: Stereo (This famous album was also issued in Mono). Both versions are essential, the stereo is harder to find as a ‘first pressing’ compared to the mono.

Country of Manufacture: Gt Britain.

Rarity: As I always state, most Beatles standard issue albums are not that rare, with some exceptions (the original gold labels and 606-1 matrix mono Revolver with its different mix of ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. Also early original stereos and late mono versions and the export issues are far more difficult) all their albums sold in vast numbers, pressing plants could hardly keep up with demand. Finding clean, lightly played copies that still play well are rarer and far harder to find. So many were played into submission, trashed even, so when a very clean copy, for all the reasons I outline in my paragraph further down ‘mono vs Stereo’ shows a copy like this the exception rather than the rule. I regard this record to be the catalyst album that led to the eventual demise of the mono format. Such were the mind-blowing sounds on this record, that made for perfect stereo mixing and effects, it opened the music buying public’s awareness of what they were missing. The ratio of stereo to mono at this time was still heavily in the mono format, but the switch to stereo gained momentum post Pepper. As ‘first pressings’, the mono version will be found more often, but things began to change thereafter. A super clean available ‘first pressed’ copy of this album in stereo that plays supremely well and totally distortion-free is getting pretty scarce these days.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: YEX 637-1 / YEX 638-1

Stamper Codes: 2 LT / 4 GDH

Brief Artist & Album Info: I really feel its unnecessary to tap out lengthy paragraphs about the importance of this landmark and groundbreaking album, any music lover, collector and Beatles fan will know most all there is to know already and almost certainly will know more than me anyway regarding fine details. What I think is far more important is to make clear what is actually here on offer and the visual and playing conditions, because simply I do not offer albums of this magnitude lightly. A copy of ‘Pepper’ has to be of a certain quality and grading simply to allow me to even offer one and boy does meet my criteria. This ranks as one of the very best Stereo genuinely early pressed ‘Peppers’ I have ever heard and it will take something pretty much out of the ordinary to find a copy that will outperform it aurally or visually. This is a complete copy: the labels meet the recognised criteria to be a ‘first pressing’. The cover has the narrow format spine and clearly has ‘stereo’ on the sleeve with the PCS number. The original ‘Patents Applied for’ psych inner is included and again its a super one. The insert of course is included also. I scrutinise any Beatles album closely before I decide to buy. This copy has one ultra fine mark on the beginning area of ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’, that apart its probably the most stunning copy of this album I have ever seen as a stereo first pressing - its so clean and evidently hardly ever been played. There are barely any more traces to be seen, even under angled bright lighting this hardly shows up anything, bar that small mark, this could be the most astonishing Stereo Pepper you could ever wish to see – I could hardly wait to get this on to my Rega, nervously with breath held, was this very fine mark going to sound? Well it does, but only quite briefly as very low level clicks and after playing the entire album it was the only blemish really to be noted. A relatively brief and minor flaw but hardly the end of the world when compared to most copies that will be seen. Whenever I manage to get a copy of Sgt Pepper that passes my critical visual threshold for offering, the first track I usually play is ‘She’s Leaving Home’, only very rarely will this song play perfectly with distortion and breakup being almost the norm (especially on mono copies). As I have stated many times before, Beatles albums always have at least one ‘critical track’ that nearly always gives problems. On Rubber Soul its ‘Michelle’, on Revolver its ‘In My Life’, on Help! its ‘Yesterday’, on For Sale its ‘Mr Moonlight’ on With the Beatles its ‘Money’ - on this album its ‘She’s Leaving Home’ and often also the final song, ‘A Day in the Life’ - I can only assume the groove patterns on these tracks were such they clipped and damaged more easily along with the fact they are tracks nearer the centre which is explained below too. This copy plays both songs (and all others bar the fewish light clicks as mentioned) as near perfect as you will ever hear, I could hardly believe it myself, what a delight to hear a really early original stereo ‘Pepper’ this clean and distortion-free. I can hardly reiterate enough this is the exception rather than the rule, if you dont believe me, try listening to your own copy, is it totally noise-free, distortion-free, devoid of pops or loud regular occurring clicks and all high frequencies sharp and clear? If it is, treasure it, most are not these days. This vintage copy is truly exceptional and could mean a huge upgrade for many collectors, I would guess most serious collectors will have this already but are the conditions up to scratch (or not as the case may be). This record is a visual delight and the audio playback is breathtaking. I had fully intended to describe every song track by track, but to be honest they all play pretty much the same, near faultless (again the light clicks apart on 64) and most collectors will truly enjoy this fantastic copy.

Cover Grade and Format: Critically graded at EX++, any real wear is very minimal indeed and this remains a very attractive sleeve. Its a gatefold format, laminated all over (including the centrefold). Two huge flipback on the top of the inner. This has the original PCS 7027 Stereo cover with the narrower spine format. Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. A very attractive example of what is arguably the most famous over ever made, a few blemishes yes, but remember this is a genuine very early example. Later versions may look ‘more perfect’ but they were not around when the hype and hysteria was at its peak, these vintage early stereo covers were more prone to use and abuse and rarely survive looking even half this good. (Please refer to my paragraph further down about ‘Covers etc’).

Cover Front and Laminate (very critically observed and graded for all): Very clean and attractive with moderately strong colour, that is to say not pale nor very intense but somewhere between. I have found many ‘Peppers’ with covers of varying degrees of colour intensity, I would presume every time it was printed it could vary slightly and almost certainly did. This is clearly not faded in any respect as the centrefold is slightly less intense than some later versions I have seen, the back has immense deep rich redness – they simply varied slightly. The laminate on this front has a few light ‘crows feet’ type creases, certainly nothing remotely heavy and most are ‘lost’ in the this amazing cover’s artwork. This front retains a high shine and attractiveness factor with no dulling or friction rubs. Surface laminate marks are minimal with just the odd tiny hairline type or tiny blemish under light. No peeling – just one tiny dry spot near the bottom right corner – or heavy pressmarks. A very small light ‘graze’ on the top right edge, again pretty minor. With so many Pepper covers looking in poor, well worn states, this front sets a very high standard.

Cover Back and Laminate: A very striking and very intensely coloured back, mostly very similar to the front in terms of wear (or lack of). The deep red is unforgiving for highlighting creases but hardly on view here anyway, just a very few of the usual fine types near the spine edge. No peeling, dry areas or indentations, the odd tiny faint surface blemish trace under light. Deep shine and only a very faint pressmark from the massively thick pressed LP that’s been inside all these years. Again even this only shows under angled light. Both front and back have hardly any traces of any dulling or dulled areas. This vintage back will be hard to find much better anywhere.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Still lightly crackles when opened (pretty much the only crackle I heard from this copy!) Without any exaggeration, this Pepper centrefold is the best I have ever seen bar none. Again clean and with beautiful laminate shine. Both the large flipbacks are firmly stuck down and uncracked or split, frayed or significantly creased – there is just one hairline crease on the left flipback and just one beyond – an amazing fact for this cover. Shape and neatness is superb with a ‘factory fresh’ finish. No grime or dust build up on the ends and very unusually, no pulls where the faces meet up when close. These often pull badly on this cover and many similar – Zappa’s ‘Money’ parody of this album does just the same on the laminated originals. This has been kept inside a gatefold heavy duty cover all its years but even with that high-grade protection dust can still creep inside with time, but none here whatsoever. This centrefold, I promise, will be virtually impossible to find better on an original sleeve.

Top Edge: Virtually unworn with rock solid laminate still. A tiny chip on the back edge near the right corner.

Bottom Edge: A very fine surface laminate split on the centre front, that apart virtually unworn again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Generally clean, very sharp with barely any wear and no feathering. As stated, a small ‘graze’ near the top corner. Record entered on right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight, minimal compression. Quite square, both right faces meeting up near perfectly with little wear. Slight surface roughening where the cover has been opened, most will have traces of this at the very best, many see the laminate badly cracked and actually stripped off. All text is perfect and unworn within the confines of a fine central crease where the fold lies. A slight ruffled surface appearance which is all very normal for this spine, the laminate remains very solid.

Corners: Any ‘real’ cornerwear is minimal indeed, just a small tip white on the bottom right front corner, little else at all really. All retain high quality shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this classic 1967 cover, one that could prove quite difficult to find much better as a stereo version – there are definitely more mono versions around (many hardly worth looking at twice). This critically reviewed sleeve should please many collectors.

The Inner: EX+, a very strong one indeed. Made with very thin and unforgiving paper, most of these are split on all seam edges, badly creased, torn, rubbed or missing altogether. This is a lovely example that remains virtually unsplit – I say virtually, as the bottom centre is just showing faint daylight through when held open to light. Few of these will be found with more secure edges unless the record has been kept out of it for most of its existence (like the mono version inner I sold recently). Even the delicate cut and shaped entry edge is still very fine and shows little handling or blemishes, how many will still exist quite like this? This has the ‘Made in Great Britain’ and ‘Patents Applied For’ text and is in itself a classy inner. The famous psych design never looked much better than this and even the flipback type seams are rock solid and unlifted. A little mild edge creasing and a record impression mark. The bottom area of each side shows a very mild rub trace. No age gum toning with both surfaces clean and fresh, this is a ‘Pepper’ inner to be proud of.

The Insert: EX++: clean, uncreased (bar one corner tip) or torn. Any rub traces are simply that, traces, hardly anything at all. Faint left edge rubs if being ultra critical but most all are sharp and unfrayed or feathered. This is the original insert, not a substituted later version. It was printed in England as it states.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-)/EX+ Unbanded version. A superb visual copy. Ultra clean, shiny, jet black and very heavily pressed on very thick vinyl, a real task for my Rega to get up to speed. Barely a mark to be seen other than the small mark on ‘64’ which I have mentioned several times already. Even with this small blemish this looks really amazing by anyone’s standards. When I saw this very fine mark I thought the odds were against it sounding, it cannot be felt and with such a massive thick, deep grooved record I thought it would be superficial. Well it does sound, only briefly at the start of the song, the clicks are very mild and not really that intrusive, some are lost in the loud mix. Any that made it through are low level and faint, they caused me little concern and as the rest of the record plays near flawlessly I could live with this blemish. It proves no mark can be taken for granted without checking with a play-grade, it still amazes me Ebayers will buy records that have not been fully sound checked by the seller. Any first press ‘Pepper’ looking like this is one to cherish also. Most will know what most copies of this will look like, the early copies especially are rarely ever seen anything like this clean and almost mark-free. One slip or jolt from an unforgiving Dansette arm could have put a furrow through this record, one dropped needle – a crater – we have all seen them at sometime. I would think this copy has been played no more than two or three times, reiterated by the owner who bought the mono version at the same time and played that more (it was the one I sold recently on Ebay). A very slight shame on one of its very few trips to the deck the one tiny blemish was incurred but DONT let a small mark like this put you off a stunning first pressed copy. You could search for years to find a better all round record. ONE mark – most have MANY and this has no groove-wear or distortion. Visually an outstanding Pepper, a record that should please most collectors, if ONE minor mark cannot be tolerated – Dont Bid.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quite stunning record plays up to its high visual grading and yes, even beyond with practically nothing to fault bar what’s already been mention about four times. Strong, UNDISTORTED sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a massive dynamic range and very detailed sound, another George Martin masterpiece of sound. Any surface sounds are near zero and I am one who thinks vinyl can rarely ever play dead silent in its entirety, but this gives my opinion a thorough test, few copies will match let alone play better than this. I noted no pops and the clicks on ‘64’ are only brief and low-level – only the hypersensitive most critical listener will be worried about them. Both channels are clean and sharp and as close to noise-free as possible. An early pressed stereo copy of this album is a national treasure, when found sounding (and looking) like this they take the breath away. The detail and sounds locked into these vintage, virtually wear-free grooves is astonishing. Both the ‘difficult’ songs play superbly, I really dont think I detected any stresses to those critical high frequencies at all and the stereo mix is truly awesome. Believe me, I have heard ‘She’s Leaving Home’ that will make most listeners cringe, echo, noise and break up on the vocals is just so common. I will rarely touch any Beatles album that I cannot hear before I buy to offer, especially in mono, its just too risky. Faint surface sounds or click blemishes I can accept from albums of this great age and popularity, but some copies I simply refuse to offer if they dont please me. This truly is an exceptional copy that can be played with high confidence, its clearly been generally well stored and caringly looked after (anyone can have a small slip up), almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little, even the obvious, spoilt my true pleasure when play-grading this monumental stereo version classic. This copy will still prove very difficult to find significantly better – it will take a copy that plays like this minus the brief ‘64’ sounds to better it, and there wont be too many available around these days.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: A copy that needs to be seen to be fully appreciated, first pressed stereo Peppers simply dont get seen like this too often, this record looks stunning, copies this clean rarely get to record fayres these days and most are barely even worth looking at. Blemishes yes, but little more, this does full justice to the album’s importance and sheer brilliance. I personally never thought Parlophone albums took the heavy plays as well as say Decca albums, and sound deteriorated far quicker on Beatles albums compared to vintage Stones records but this copy has hardly been played. I feel this record will please even audiophile collectors (who can tolerate a few light clicks), the two inserts and the cover will only be a whisker short for the connoisseur collector also. Next time you visit a record fayre, thumb through The Beatles section and try to find a copy like this, better still try to hear a copy. I am confident it will take some time before a copy that even approaches the quality of this one will ever be found these days. This is (even with the small mark) in investment type condition and will prove better than cash in the bank with specialist Beatles dealer prices rising faster than UK petrol. If for some reason your collection is missing the stereo ‘first pressing’ pressing of this giant album, this really could be the copy you have been waiting for. I feel certain (without checking) there will be other Peppers on offer on the Net, but how confident will you feel about risking one?, will they really be play-graded from beginning to end?, will they be listened to at all? This one has and I hide nothing, like my deck that reveals most all – good and bad – I strongly recommend this beautiful copy but I will NOT refund on the small mark and the resulting few clicks that can just be heard – I have mentioned it several times and no one has any excuse for not reading it. – good luck again – Mike.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

I decided to add this text to help new collectors and younger people just starting their vinyl collections (I hope it will even be of interest to all vinyl lovers too). This helps me save time by not repeating these comments in my actual advert areas which is all very time-consuming.

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive.

Spindle Marks on Labels – the importance of: Spindle marks generally are only a loose guide to number of actual plays. As I have said before, some owners used the label area as a guide to find the spindle on vintage decks. Example: 60s/70s radiogram furniture players often had pull down fronts that meant locating the spindle was always more challenging – a fact – my parents had one. Also decks from way back had steel spindles that left their mark far more readily – later turntables often had far more sympathetic materials used that left little or no marks. Careful owners, myself very much included, could play a record 20 times with near zero spindle traces left on the labels because of the ultra careful placement on a turntable to avoid cosmetic blemishes. That said, lighter always has to be better because even if the record has been played more than it looks it was probably owned by a more discerning and careful collector. Any record with a mass of spindle marks or actual wear or even erosion around the hole area is almost certainly a heavier played copy and most are best avoided (unless they still play reasonably well or sufficiently rare). Any record that can still be found that has any small ‘residue’ still attached to the centre hole is often a rare guide for light use too, especially older records. This thin, fragile ‘flash’ vinyl residue usually snaps off quickly and only rarely does it remain intact for long. Summary A record with one spindle mark does not (necessarily) mean, played once. A record with 10 clearly defined spindle marks does not (necessarily) mean a record played ten times. Labels and marks is very much subjective and can only be used as a ‘guide’ the actual playing quality is more important.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Doors, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in marks and scratches, many severe and labels that were looking a real mess. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–66; Around 67–68 the balance was roughly equal, then from late 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

My Terms For Bidding

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3.00; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £5.50 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). Mailing Details: Please note I do NOT profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more and I often actually lose money on this part of service - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be worthwhile.

I no longer accept cash for payments for non-UK winning bidders – its too risky. UK buyers CAN send cash if they wish via Special Delivery. Paypal payment only in UK Sterling please.

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.