Beatles LP White Album Extremely HTF Mfd. Side 2 1970 Decca Pressing EX COMPLETE

$

89

(Note:  If you win multiple items in a week’s listings, please wait for the end of all of the auctions for me to invoice you, so that you can take advantage of my combined shipping offer.  Thanks!)

READ THIS! These records are NOT sold for perfect sound quality. They’re sold for their scarcity and VISUAL grading. They’ve been in storage for a decade, and they WILL play with surface noise that can be addressed with D4 or a VPI cleaning.  I can’t test-play at the minute. Please don’t bid if this is a problem for you.

So with that said…

Beatles LP White Album Extremely HTF 1970 Decca Pressing EX COMPLETE!

“Mfd. By Apple Records, Inc.” on the Side 2 labels, making this the rare 1970 pressing.

A division in the camps exists, regarding the origins of this copy.  There are those who say that this copy was pressed by MCA.  In a sense, that’s true.  MCA did press copies of the White Album in 1969 and 1970, however, MCA’s parent company is no other than…Decca.  At that time, Decca/MCA also had a subsidiary label, which was the UNI label.  Looking at the labels from all three of those companies, they all have this level of gloss, they all have the concentric ring closer to the playhole, and they all have their labels flat against the vinyl.  This copy meets all those criteria.

Still others say that this is a Canadian copy.  There may be some confusion stemming from the following facts:

1.  There are Canadian copies which use this label variation, although most Canadian copies used their own typesetting.

2. The Canadian copies have concentric rings more consistent with Canadian lathes, meaning that their concentric rings are closer to the out edge of the labels.  They look very similar to Columbia or RCA pressings.  See the second Side 1 label photo, which is the Canadian pressing as a basis for comparison.  (That one is not for sale in this auction.)

3. The confusion may stem from the fact that the track, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” is center-justified on the Decca labels, as well as the Canadian copies.

Therefore, the question remains as to whether this copy is Canadian or Decca.  My best guess has always been that this is a Decca pressing, since there has been strong evidence that MCA lathes were involved in these pressings.

I always hear information from both sides of the aisle whenever I bring up this pressing, so feel free to bring it on.

Vinyl--- VG+/EX, EX/Very strong VG.

Side 1 looks Excellent, with the exception of one visible scuff across the first track.  Completely non-feelable with the fingertip, just a little unsightly.

Side 2 looks Excellent, barely played.

Side 3 looks Excellent, barely played also.

Side 4 has some long, light scuffs that are not feelable with the fingertip.  Otherwise, the rest of the vinyl looks as great as the other three sides.

Plates--- J52/ J51, J54/ J51.  No Capitol or other markings in the dead wax, except for the hand-etched catalogue numbers appropriate to each side.

NOTE:  Comparing the known Canadian dead wax with this copy’s, there are no plate designations after the catalogue numbers, and the hand-etching are in a completely different hand.  Plate designations are hand-etched entirely on the other side of the labels.  See photos.

Cover--- VG+.  Very nice!  No serial number.  “The Beatles” is embossed.  All seams are structurally very solid.  NO SPLITS.  Relatively clean and white, as compared to most White Album covers.  Has light dirtwear and slight dulling.  Beautiful.

Gatefold--- Same as outer sleeve.  Light foxing to the top of the gatefold.  Center seam muscular-strong, NO SPLITS. 

Poster--- EX.  Apart from some extremely light dulling from the 50 years, this poster is gorgeous.  Very few finger divots, hardly any dirtwear and absolutely NO SPLITS.  Fantastic.

Photos--- EX.  All four photos are razor-sharp, full gloss.  I was very tempted to grade them NM, because they really look unused.  The only flaw is that they have slightly yellowed, but only around the white borders and on the backs.  “Printed in U.S.A.”  circles are present at the bottom left corners, but the “Apple Records, Inc.” disclaimer has been removed, making these 1969 printings.

Labels--- NM, all four labels.  Full gloss, NO SPINDLE MARKS.

Capitol Inner Sleeves--- Plain, white inner sleeves with no die-cut hole for the labels to show are present.  One sleeve has a 4” bottom center seam split.

Generic inner sleeves will be provided, so as not to damage your original Capitol inner sleeve en route.

This is an incredible copy, and likely the best you’ll ever find. 

For those interested, this copy is the one pictured in my upcoming two-volume set of American Beatles labels.

As these records have been in storage for many years, they will play back with crackling and tics, however; a good moisturizing and cleaning with either D4 Discwasher or a VPI machine always clears them up.  Thanks!)

Note:  All LP’s ship outside of their album covers in order not to damage the covers during shipment.

CAUTION!  There has been a startling increase in bidders canceling their bids.  A word to the wise, I have started blocking any and all bidders who retract their bids regardless of the reason.

Please don’t bid unless you’re willing to honor your amount, okay? Thanks!

(Please note:  Regarding play-testing, my Technics turntable has somehow seized.  The tone arm is stuck in the up position, and I can’t get it to fully return to its cradle.  Is there anyone out there, who can tell me if this is an easy fix?  Thanks!) 

Check out my other auctions for more hard-to-find vinyl!

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