Black Sabbath : Black Sabbath (Vertigo Swirl 1st Press 1Y1 / 2Y1 with Philips credit)

This first pressing plays to a superb standard with barely any interference, just two light clicks on Side B.  The clarity and sonic quality on offer here is the finest I have ever heard on a first pressing.  So much of this classic album plays with Near Mint / Mint- quality it is stunning!

As it is a genuine first press it has the large swirl above the spindle hole and 'A PHILIPS RECORD PRODUCT' printed below VERTIGO on the Side B label.

The gatefold is in excellent condition with only a little wear and this is detailed below.  It has 'Ozzy' incorrectly spelt as 'Ossie' and the production info and band names are printed in capital letters.

The original swirl inner is in superb order with no real wear.

Shipping costs have massively increased recently and this item will have to be sent with extra insurance so as to correctly cover the sale price.  However, I will be subsidising this by a certain amount and has been priced accordingly.

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The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / Track 4 intro Ex+)

The audio on S2 is Mint- (T1 Ex+ / T2 intro Near Mint-)

The gatefold is a very strong Ex

The labels are Near Mint-

The original swirl inner is Near Mint-

Play grading  

The 'thunder / bell toll' intro on 'Black Sabbath' plays superbly with barely any intrusion - just a couple of very quiet and momentary 'swish' sounds and one very light tick and once Iommi comes in the audio cannot be faulted.  This classic then plays with wonderful power and depth and even the quieter sections play with a clarity that is so rare to find on these genuine first pressings.  There are no clicks or pops and the end section is absolutely stunning!  There is such definition to the sound i.e. every note can be heard with perfect precision and there is no distortion either.  I am confident in grading this opening track as Near Mint the playback is so impressive.

'The Wizard' has only a couple of light ticks during the harmonica intro and the remainder of this instrumental opening is 'as new' with no 'background' of any kind.  It continues to play in the same precise way with no interference and plays with incredible definition and power.  This is Near Mint although the vast majority is better than that!

With complete silence in the dead wax the intro on 'Behind The Wall Of Sleep' is faultless and the same can be said for the first vocal section.  From then on the audio is so strong and it is patently obvious this record has not been overplayed.  There is no groove wear or scratching and therefore no audio deterioration.  This is a stunning version and the percussion finale and fade out have no 'background' in keeping with the rest of the track.  Mint- is more than deserved.  Wow!

The bass intro on 'N.I.B.' is very clean with only a very minimal amount of light static which is not intrusive.  No clicks or pops just 2/3 light ticks.  As you get 'into' the track the playback is superb and again there is no interference.  What really stands out is the lack of inner groove distortion.  So often this track will play with distortion but there is barely any here, just a minimal amount which is scarcely worth a mention really as it is totally non-intrusive.  It is so minor you may not even notice it!  The remainder plays with remarkable depth and power and Near Mint is a fair assessment of the audio here.

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The intro on 'Evil Woman...' plays with stunning precision and there is just one click as the vocal begins, the first on the album!  From then on the audio plays with real definition and only one other light click.  The second half is nigh on perfect.  The majority of this track does plays with great clarity but will grade as Ex+ in this instance.

With the first pressings the quiet intro on 'Sleeping Village' is often beset with problems but this one has only minimal light static which is not intrusive in any way.  As Iommi comes in the playback is absolutely fantastic!  The clarity and power is exceptional, 'as new' in fact and I have never heard better!  I am pleased to say this mesmeric quality continues and did I turn it up to loud or what!  There is no distortion and the playback is quite simply Mint in every way!  That is no exaggeration just an educated appraisal of the audio facts!  There is barely any static on Iommi's long final note so I would grade this as Mint- with a Near Mint- intro.

The heavy bass/guitar intro on 'Warning' has such depth and again there is no interference.  It continues to play with a clarity and precision that is second to none.  This 10 minute plus classic impresses on every level.  One, there is no obvious interference and two, the clarity and power from start to finish is spectacular!  Even the 'percussive' mid section has no 'background' and the super quiet section that follows is so 'clean' with only a couple of light ticks.  There is no 'let up' in quality - this entire section is STUNNING in every way and I just cannot believe this audio definition is on Philips first pressing!  The stand alone Iommi solo is incredible and the two brief 'silent' sections that follow are exactly that - silent.  To the end it plays with wonderful precision and I must reiterate there is no intrusion on the audio at all.  The final vocal is faultless and this ranks as one of the finest versions of this classic that I have ever heard.  With no obvious underlying static the clarity is sensational and there are certainly no ticks, clicks or pops.  This is infinitely worthy of a Mint- grade and wow what a stunning way to end this classic album!

Visual grading

As any collector knows it is so difficult to find a Philips first pressing that doesn't have a lot of marking and scratching.  This is most probably the 'cleanest' version I have seen.  There are some light hairlines on both sides but I would say most of them are sleeve removal hairlines and they have no affect on the superb audio.  None of the hairlines stand out as such - there are no obvious long hairlines at all.  The vinyl still has an impressive glossy sheen and needless to say there are no marks or scratches.  The run out grooves are also extremely clean.  The vinyl does have a very gentle 'tilt' when played but is only very minor and is not a warp in my opinion.  A fine example for sure.

The Gatefold

The matt textured cover does has withstood the passage of time very well and has only minimal shelf wear.  The only real negative is that the front cover is a little out of alignment with the back cover although there is no obvious reason why this has occurred, the spine has certainly not been affected in any way.  I suspect it was caused during the 'packaging' of it in the factory i.e. not folded correctly!  VERTIGO and BLACK SABBATH printed towards the top are very close to the edge of the back cover, in fact some of the VERTIGO letters are very slightly on the back cover!  Despite all that this is one of the 'cleanest' spines I have seen and is definitely the best I have seen on a Philips first pressing.  It of course remains 100% legible and has no marking of any kind.  Three of the edges have no wear and only the bottom edge of the back cover has some rubbing.  The corners are also in excellent order with only minimal wear, just a little more on the bottom ones.  The front cover is in beautiful condition with no marking and only a couple of very faint scratch lines that I only noticed when held at a certain angle.  The back cover is equally as good and neither side has any of the foxing that you so often see on unlaminated covers.  The inside of the gatefold is also in superb order with barely any marking, there are just a couple of very faint marks bottom right.  It has only minimal fading/white spotting around the edges and the inner spine has no wear at all.  It has to be noted that this is one of the 'cleanest' interiors I have seen in a long time!  Overall this is a very strong example of this iconic cover and is a very strong Ex although I am sure many would argue it deserves a higher grading!

The 'Swirl' Inner Sleeve

The original poly-lined 'swirl' inner dated 0470 is in fantastic condition and has no side splits or age related fading/marking.  This is another indication that it has been stored safely inside the cover in a 'clean' environment for a long time and not often removed.  There is barely any creasing and only one tiny 'nick' on the central 'window'.

The Labels

The Vertigo labels are in great condition with no marking or writing.  They have no 'spotting' which is a rarity!  Side A has only minimal spindle wear and there is just a little more on Side B.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

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I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

I SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00.

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