Nazareth HAIR OF THE DOG UK LP MOUNTAIN / RCA PRESSING NEAR MINT

	£		69
	$		91

NAZARETH - HAIR OF THE DOG

THE ULTRA RARE RCA/MOUNTAIN PRESS

PLAYS TO A NEAR MINT / NEAR MINT MINUS GRADE!!!

• CATALOGUE:MOUNTAIN TOPS 107
• MATRIX: TOPS 107 A 1E / B 1E

THIS IS THE FIRST COPY OF THIS RARE PRESSING THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. A REALLY INCREDIBLE FIND AND IN SUCH MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

HAIR OF THE DOG WAS ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON THE MOONCREST LABEL IN 1975, AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS SWITCHED TO THE MOUNTAIN LABEL. BOTH OF THESE PRESSINGS HAD THE MATRIX NUMBERS ENDING A-1U / B-1U

HERE IS A COPY ON THE MOUNTAIN LABEL BUT WITH ALL OF THE HALL MARKS OF THE RCA PRESSING

THE MOST COMPELLING EVIDENCE IS THE MATRIX NUMBER WHICH ENDS 1E WHICH IS AN RCA IDENTIFIER

THE SLEEVE HAS THE FACTUAL EVIDENCE ON THE REAR SURFACE THERE IS A STICKER IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER WHICH STATES 'MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED BY RCA LTD'

TAKE A LOOK ALSO AT THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE SLEEVE WHERE YOU ILL SEE THE SPINE WORDING SITTING JUST UNDER THE TOP EDGE. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE TO THIS RCA PRESSING. THE MOUNTAIN ORIGINAL PRESS HAD THIS INFORMATION ACTUALLY ON THE TOP EDGE AS WELL AS THE SPINE, BUT ON THE RCA ISSUE IT SITS ON THE FRONT SURFACE WHILST THE TOP EDGE UNLIKE THE BOTTOM EDGE IS JUST PLAIN WHITE.

THE MOONCREST ALBUMS WERE PRINTED BY JAMES UPTON, WHILST THE ORIGINAL MOUNTAIN ORIGINALS WERE PRINTED BY GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE. THIS RCA PRESS WAS ISSUED BY CLOUT AND BAKER

IF YOU COLLECT NAZARETH, YOUR COLLECTION IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT THIS MAGNIFICENT RARITY

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE PASTEL GREEN AND BLUE MOUNTAIN LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE RICH AND VIBRANT BASE COLOURS FULLY STRETCH INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE,AND ALL OF THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS BOTH UNRUBBED AND CLEAR AND LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE JUST TWO  MINUSCULE SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS 1975 1ST PRESS HAS BEEN NEAR A TURNTABLE

THE VINYL

THIS  VINYL GLEAMS LIKE A NEW DISC, AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF THE ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS, AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE APART FROM A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH, AS I DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID

THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

 THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS LP SOUNDS.

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER,SHOWING THAT THE FEW PLAYS THAT THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED HAS BEEN COMPLETED WITH A STYLUS THAT WAS BOTH UNWORN, AND TRACKING AT THE CORRECT WEIGHT.

THE VERY QUIET ' GUILTY ' ON SIDE ONE ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAVE LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND RUNNING THROUGH THE FIRST FEW ROTATIONS. EVERY COPY I HAVE EVER HAD DISPLAYS THE SAME LIGHT STUFF

THE TRACK GUILTY AND THE FINAL TRACK ' PLEASE DON'T JUDAS ME' BOTH HAVE A LITTLE OF THIS LIGHT BACKGROUND, PLUS JUDAS ALSO HAS SOME LIGHT ROTATIONAL  AUDIBLE TICS FOR A FEW SECONDS

OTHER THAN THIS THE VINYL PLAYS SUPERBLY. NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO LOUD CLICKS AND CERTAINLY NO IRRITATING VINYL NOISE

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT

BUT PLEASE TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOUR SELF

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED CLOUT AND BAKER SINGLE SLEEVE IN SUPERB CONDITION.

THE FRONT SURFACE WHICH OFTEN HAS SERIOUS COLOUR LOSS, IS  RICH AND VIBRANT AND HAS NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER.

THERE ARE JUST TWO REALLY TINY LITTLE LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE WAFER THIN SPINE, ANDNONE ALONG THE TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES. NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE EITHER.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO RINGWEAR TO THE COVER, AND INCREDIBLY NO RECORD SHAPE EITHER, EVEN WHEN THE SLEEVE IS ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT.

AS MENTIONED ABOVE. THE SPINE WORDING ACTUALLY SITS JUST BELOW THE TOP EDGE OF THE SLEEVE AS WELL AS ON THE SPINE. CLEARLY AN ERROR AS THIS INFORMATION ON THE UPTON AND GARROD SLEEVES WAS ACTUALLY ON THE TOP EDGE

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE STILL IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE TOP EDGE IS PLAIN WHITE TO MAKE UP FOR THE FACT THAT THE SPINE WORDING WAS INCORRECTLY LOWERED. IT IS UNRUBBED, AS IS THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH DOES DISPLAY THE GRAPHICS FROM THE PICTURE

THE SPINE IS VERY VERY THIN BUT SURPRISINGLY TOTALLY FLAT,WITH JUST A COUPLE OF DIMPLES TOWARD'S THE TOP EDGE. UNRUBBED AND WITH PERFECT TYPEFACE. EVEN THE TIP ENDS ARE IMMACULATE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS

THE REAR SURFACE, HAS ONLY THREE MINUSCULE LINES NEXT TO THE SPINE, AND THAT'S ALL. NO OTHER BLEMISHES, AND THAT ALL IMPORTANT RCA STICKER SITS FIRMLY IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER

THE INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO THE MOONCREST AND MOUNTAIN ORIGINALS. HERE IT IS MADE OF VERY STRONG PAPER NOT CARD LIKE THE OTHERS. THERE IS NO THUMB NOTCH AND THE CORNERS ARE SQUARE UNLIKE THE CARD INNERS WHICH WERE ANGLED

IT IS UNSPLIT AND UNCREASED, AND NO MARKS OR STAINS ON THE SURFACE EITHER

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY