BEATLES UK - Sgt Pepper ‘Fourth Proof’ sleeve, original UK mono LP.

	£		46
	$		61

PMC 7027 – original black and yellow Parlophone labels.

A UK album in original condition, featuring:

1. this unique variant of this album features what was a pre production sleeve. The first three ‘Proof’ sleeves never saw the light of day, but these ‘Fourth Proof’ sleeves were passed around at EMI for final agreement. Never meant to be released, but a small number of these sleeves did find their way into the shops. As these were ‘Proof’ sleeves they should NEVER have left the printers.

There are a number of unique features to these ‘Proof’ sleeves when compared to the final sleeves that went onto official production:

a. the printed text of, ‘Fourth Proof’, and ‘A R D 13217’ printed upside down, found on the top right flipback on the inner gatefold of the sleeve. The story about this is that the old style of ‘visual’ flipbacks were on the way out and the sleeve for the latest Beatles LP, ‘Sgt Pepper’ was to feature the new ‘hidden inner’ flipback design, (but this never happened) it was therefore thought that the above text would NOT be seen. Apparently the ‘A R’ stands for the designers initials and the ‘D 13217’ is the internal catalogue number for the printers of the sleeve, ‘Garrod and Lofthouse’,

b. the rear of the sleeve features the text ‘Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd Patents Pending’, it is only the ‘Fourth Proof’ sleeves and a very small number of very early Pepper mono flipback sleeves that have the text, ‘Patents Pending’. Regular mono flipback sleeves normally just state: ‘Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd’ (G&L). By the time of the official UK launch of Sgt Pepper in June 1967, G&L had got their ‘Patents’ confirmed and the text ‘Patents Pending’ was removed from the rear of the sleeve,

c. the colour of Georges jacket appears to be more of a pink colour, instead of red, as on the standard sleeves,

d. the colour of Johns jacket appears to be more of a yellow colour, instead of green, as on the standard sleeves.

CONDITION:

THE MAIN SLEEVE: is in good condition, the sleeve is fully laminated. The spine is in ‘poor’ condition, as it is worn and split for most of its length, so none of the text on the spine is readable. When the gatefold sleeve is opened the original exposed top two flipbacks can be seen. There are NO stains, pen writing, stickers or sticker residue on the sleeve. There is some edge rubbing wear to the two bottom edges in the middle. There is a 10mm tear, to the front middle opening edge, and a 5mm tear/’nick’ to the back of the front side opening edge and a 5mm tear/’nick’ to the middle, back two opening edges.

THE CARD INSERT: is NOT present.

THE INNER SLEEVE: is in ‘fair’ condition and is the original wavy pattern, red and white sleeve. Theres NO pen writing, stickers or sticker residue on the inner sleeve. On one side, at the top edge, there is a piece of the sleeves paper missing, see photo. The two side edges have a sellotape repair and the bottom edge is split with some old sellotape residue.

THE RECORD: is in good++ condition, it is made from the period 1960s ‘thick’, heavy vinyl. It has remained dark and glossy.

The matrix are: XEX 637 - 1 and XEX 638 - 1,

The mother / stampers are: ‘ 1 R R D ’ and ‘ 4 G H T ’,

THE AUDIO: is near excellent, it plays with relatively quiet grooves, it plays with some light ‘ticks’ to be heard here and there. The long fade out to the track ‘A day in the life’ plays with relatively quiet grooves. The record plays with a loud, full period mono sound. The record lays flat on the turntable.

THE LABELS: side one is in very good++ condition, side two is in very good condition. The letters ‘KT’ are embossed around the spindle hole on side two. The labels are free from any pen writing, stickers or sticker residue.

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE BEFORE YOU SEND PAYMENT.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE.

ALL PHOTOS AND RECORD DESCRIPTIONS ARE MY OWN AND ARE ALWAYS OF THE ACTUAL RECORD FOR SALE.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL ITEMS ARE PAID FOR BY AT LEAST ONE WEEK FROM THE END OF THE AUCTION. I RESERVE THE RIGHT THAT IF PAYMENT IS NOT RECEIVED AFTER ONE WEEK OF THE END OF AN AUCTION THE ITEM WILL BE OFFERED TO THE NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER, OR THE ITEM WILL BE RE LISTED.

‘PICK UP’ OF ITEMS CAN BE ARRANGED BUT THE BUYER MUST PAY CASH ON COLLECTION.

POSTAGE AND PACKING.

ALL RECORDS POSTED TO A UK ADDRESS WILL BE SENT 1ST CLASS POST.

PACKING - ALL RECORDS ARE POSTED WITH MULTI LAYERED CARD STIFFENERS FOR PROTECTION. BEFORE POSTING, THE RECORD IS REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS ORIGINAL INNER AND OUTER SLEEVES, THE RECORD IS THEN PUT INTO A SECOND PAPER INNER SLEEVE TO MINIMISE ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY OCCUR WHILE IN TRANSIT. THE RECORD / SLEEVES ARE THEN PUT INTO A NEW PLASTIC SLEEVE FOR FURTHER PROTECTION.

DISCOUNT WILL BE GIVEN ON POSTAGE FOR MULTIPLE PURCHASES.

IN THE UK – RECORDS THAT SELL FOR OVER THE VALUE OF £45 WILL BE SENT ‘RECORDED DELIVERY’ AND THERE MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR INSURANCE AS THE SELLER HAS NO PROTECTION IF THE ITEM GOES MISSING IN THE POST, THEREFORE POST AND PACKING CHARGES MAY VARY.

I WILL SEND RECORDS ANYWHERE OVERSEAS.

ALL RECORDS THAT ARE POSTED OVERSEAS WILL BE SENT ‘RECORDED DELIVERY’ AND THERE MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR INSURANCE AS THE SELLER HAS NO PROTECTION IF THE ITEM GOES MISSING IN THE POST, THEREFORE POST AND PACKING CHARGES MAY VARY.

IN NON EU COUNTRY’S AN ‘IMPORT TAX’ AND A COURIERS ‘CLEARANCE FEE’ MAY NEED TO BE PAID, THIS IS DOWN TO THE BUYER TO PAY THESE FEES.

THE POSTAGE COST MAY VARY SO PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE BEFORE YOU SEND PAYMENT.

SEE MY OTHER ITEMS FOR SALE.