David Bowie THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST UK LP 1st -1E/-2E SUPERB LISTEN

	£		89
	$		117

FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED PRIOR TO LISTING SO YOU CAN HEAR IT BEFORE BIDDING

DAVID BOWIE - ZIGGY STARDUST

PLAYS TO A MINT MINUS!!!!!! GRADE

A GENUINE EARLY FIRST PRESS FROM 1972

FIRST ISSUE MINT !!! SLEEVE

CATALOGUE:RCA SF 8287

MATRIX: BGBS0864-1E / BGBS0865-2E (ONLY 1E/1E IS LOWER)

TITANIC CREDITS ON THE LABEL

ZIGGY STARDUST WAS RELEASED ON JUNE 6TH 1972 AND REACHED ONLY NUMBER 5 IN THE UK CHARTS. IT HAS SINCE GONE ON TO ACHIEVE LEGENDARY STATUS, AND HAS BEEN REISSUED MANY TIMES. THERE IS OF COURSE ONLY ONE GENUINE FIRST PRESS

SO HOW TO TELL A FIRST PRESS?

THE SLEEVE MUST HAVE 'VICTOR' UNDER THE RCA LOGO TOP RIGHT CORNER NOT 'INTERNATIONAL'

THE SLEEVE MUST ALSO HAVE  BLURRY IMAGES AND TEXT , IN PARTICULAR THE TOP RIGHT CORNER

THE REAR MUST HAVE NO MENTION OF 'MAINMAN' ACCREDITATION

IT MUST BE A ROBERT STACE SLEEVE

THE LABELS MUST BE GLOSSY AND NOT MATT

THE VINYL MUST BE HEAVY AND NOT FLIMSY

THE LABEL MUST HAVE 'TITANIC' CREDITS not mainman

THE MATRIX MUST BE STAMPED AND NOT ETCHED

THE MATRIX NUMBER MUST BE BGBS 0864 1E / 0865 1E OR 2E

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE GLOSSY ORANGE LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE GLOSSY LABELS ARE EVIDENCE OF A FIRST PRESS, AS LATER PRESSES WERE RELEASED ON LIGHTER VINYL WITH MATT LABELS

THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE. THE BASE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE JET BLACK TYPEFACE IS CLEAR AND UNRUBBED AND THEREFORE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. 

THERE ARE NO SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

THE RECORD GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND COULDN'T LOOK ANY BETTER. ALL OF THE ORIGINAL LUSTRE HAS BEEN RETAINED. 

THERE ARE NO VISIBLE MARKS OR ANY SIGNS OF HANDLING ON THE DISCS IN DAYLIGHT, AND IT LOOKS FLAWLESS, 

AND EVEN UNDER SPOTLIGHTS THERE ARE ONLY SOME VERY FINE WISPY HAIRLINES

THE TEST PLAY

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES

THE SLEEVE ADVISES TO PLAY THIS LOUDLY, AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE STEREO MIX IS SIMPLY MAGNIFICENT. CLEAR AS A BELL AND CUT VERY LOUD INDEED

THERE ARE NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES AND NO LOUD CLICKS AT ANY POINT

THERE IS NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE WHATSOEVER, AND ONLY A FEW RANDOM SECONDS OF VERY LIGHT BACKGROUND HEARD  IN A COUPLE OF THE LINKING GROOVES / SILENT PASSAGES

THE LP PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DUST POPS

A REAL PLEASURE TO HEAR THIS ALBUM AS IT WAS INTENDED TO BE HEARD 51 YEARS ON

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SUPERB DISC EX+

THE SLEEVE

UNLAMINATED ROBERT STACE SINGLE SLEEVE - 1ST PRESS NO MAINMAIN CREDITS

THE FRONT SURFACE IS IMMACULATE AND IMPORTANTLY NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES, AND ALL OF THE DELICATE COLOURS HAVE BEEN RETAINED WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR THIS OFTEN ABUSED COVER.

THERE IS A VERY LIGHT CREASE LINE OVER THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER

THERE IS NO RING WEAR WHICH IS AGAIN A RARITY, AND NO RECORD SHAPE EITHER

THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP AND SQUARE WITH A DOT OF RUB ON THE BOTTOM ONES

INCREDIBLY THERE IS JUST ONE TINY PRESSURE LINES BY THE  SPINE. NONE ON THE TOP EDGE, NONE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE 

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE SUPERB. ALL OF THE COLOURS HAVE BEEN RETAINED AND FULLY RUN FROM CORNER TIP TO CORNER TIP. THE BOTTOM CORNER TIPS HAVE A PIN PRICK OF RUB

THE SPINE IS FLAT AND HAS NO SQUASHING, ALL OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECT AND FULLY LEGIBLE, AND THERE IS NO WEAR TOP THE SURFACE AND THIS INCLUDES THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL VERY SHARP, AND DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THOSE TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS EITHER

THE REAR SURFACE IS JUST AS CLEAN AND MARK FREE AS THE FRONT.THERE IS REFERENCE TO 'A GEM PRODUCTION' BUT NOTHING ELSE.AGAIN THE COLOURS ARE ALL THERE, AND THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES

THE LYRIC INNER SLEEVE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. AMAZINGLY NO SEAM SPLITS WHICH IS RARE. NO CREASES EITHER

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS  SLEEVE NEAR MINT