PINK FLOYD Dark Side Of The Moon A3//B3 LOVELY COPY

	£		70
	$		93

A BREAKDOWN OF THE ARTIST/S :-

One of the most predominant and celebrated rock bands of all time, the origins of Pink Floyd can be traced to Cambridge High School in England. Syd Barrett (Born Roger Keith Barrett, 6 January 1946, Cambridge, England; guitar/vocals), Roger Waters (Born George Roger Waters, 9 September 1943, Great Bookham, Cambridge, England; bass/vocals) and David Gilmour (Born 6 March 1946, Cambridge, England; guitar/vocals) were pupils and friends there. Mutually drawn to music, Barrett and Gilmour undertook a busking tour of Europe prior to the former's enrolment at the Camberwell School Of Art in London. Waters was meanwhile studying architecture at the city's Regent Street Polytechnic. He formed an R&B-based band, Sigma 6, with fellow students Nick Mason (Born Nicholas Berkeley Mason, 27 January 1944, Downshire Hill, Birmingham, England; drums) and Rick Wright (Born Richard William Wright, 28 July 1945, London, England; keyboards). The early line-up included bass player Clive Metcalfe - Waters favoured guitar at this point - and (briefly) Juliette Gale (who later married Wright) but underwent the first crucial change when Brian Close (lead guitar) replaced Metcalfe. With Waters now on bass, the band took a variety of names, including the T-Set and the (Screaming) Abdabs. Sensing a malaise, Waters invited Barrett to join but the latter's blend of blues, pop and mysticism was at odds with Close's traditional outlook and the Abdabs fell apart at the end of 1965.

Almost immediately Barrett, Waters, Mason and Wright reconvened as the Pink Floyd Sound, a name Barrett had suggested, inspired by an album by Georgia blues' musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Within weeks the quartet had repaired to the Thompson Private Recording Company, sited in the basement of a house. Here they recorded two songs, "Lucy Leave", a Barrett original playfully blending pop and R&B, and a cover version of Slim Harpo's "I'm A King Bee". Although rudimentary, both tracks indicate a defined sense of purpose. Ditching the now-superfluous "Sound" suffix, the Pink Floyd attracted notoriety as part of the nascent counter-culture milieu centred on the London Free School. A focus for the emergent underground, this self-help organisation co-founded by John "Hoppy" Hopkins, Pete Jenner, Andrew King and Joe Boyd, inspired the founding of Britain's first alternative publication, International Times. The paper was launched at the Roundhouse in London on 15 October 1966; it was here Pink Floyd made its major debut. By December the band was appearing regularly at the newly founded UFO Club on Tottenham Court Road, spearheading Britain's psychedelic movement with extended, improvised sets and a highly-visual lightshow. Further demos ensued, produced by UFO-co-founder Boyd, which in turn engendered a recording deal with EMI Records. Surprisingly, the band's hit singles were different to their live sound, featuring Barrett's quirky melodies and lyrics. "Arnold Layne', a tale of a transvestite who steals ladies" clothes from washing lines, escaped a BBC ban to rise into the UK Top 20. "See Emily Play", originally entitled "Games For May" in honour of an event the band hosted at Queen Elizabeth Hall, reached number 6 in June 1967. It was succeeded by The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn which encapsulated Britain's "Summer of Love". Largely Barrett-penned, the set deftly combined childlike fantasy with experimentation, where whimsical pop songs nestled beside riff-laden sorties, notably the powerful "Interstellar Overdrive".

Chart success begat package tours - including a memorable bill alongside the Jimi Hendrix Experience - which, when combined with a disastrous US tour, wrought unbearable pressure on Barrett's fragile psyche. His indulgence in hallucinogenic drugs exacerbated such problems and he often proved near-comatose on-stage and incoherent with interviewers. A third single, "Apples And Oranges", enthralled but jarred in equal measures, while further recordings, "Vegetable Man" and "Scream Thy Last Scream", were deemed unsuitable for release. His colleagues, fearful for their friend and sensing a possible end to the band, brought Dave Gilmour into the line-up in February 1968. Plans for Barrett to maintain a backroom role, writing for the band but not touring, came to naught and his departure was announced the following April. He subsequently followed a captivating, but short-lived, solo career.

Although bereft of their principle songwriter, the realigned Pink Floyd completed Saucerful Of Secrets. It featured one Barrett original, the harrowing "Jugband Blues", as well as two songs destined to become an integral part of their live concerts, the title track itself and "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun". Excellent, but flop singles, "It Would Be So Nice" (a rare Wright original) and "Point Me At The Sky" were also issued; their failure prompted the band to disavow the format for 11 years. A film soundtrack, More, allowed Waters to flex compositional muscles, while the part-live, part-studio Ummagumma, although dated and self-indulgent by today's standards, was at the vanguard of progressive space-rock in 1969. By this point Pink Floyd were a major attraction, drawing 100,000 to their free concert in London the following year. Another pivotal live appearance, in the volcanic crater in Pompeii, became the subject of a much-loved, late-night film.

Pink Floyd's first album of the 70s, the UK chart-topper Atom Heart Mother, was a brave, if flawed, experiment, partially written with avant garde composer, Ron Geesin. It featured the first in a series of impressive album covers, designed by the Hipgnosis studio, none of which featured photographs of the band. The seemingly abstract image of Meddle, is in fact a macro lens shot of an ear. The music within contained some classic pieces, notably "One Of These Days" and the epic "Echoes", but was again marred by inconsistency. Pink Floyd's festering talent finally exploded in 1973 with Dark Side Of The Moon. It marked the arrival of Waters as an important lyricist and Gilmour as a guitar hero. Brilliantly produced - with a sharp awareness of stereo effects - the album became one of the biggest selling records of all time, currently in excess of 30 million copies. Its astonishing run on the Billboard chart spanned well over a decade (it was the first of the band's American chart-toppers) and at last Pink Floyd had rid itself of the spectre of the Barrett era. Perhaps with this in mind, a moving eulogy to their former member, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", was one of the high points of the follow-up Wish You Were Here. Barrett apparently showed at Abbey Road studio during the sessions, prepared to contribute but incapable of doing so. "Have A Cigar", however, did feature a cameo appearance by Roy Harper. Although dwarfed in sales terms by its predecessor, this 1975 transatlantic number 1 album is now regarded by some aficionados as the band's artistic zenith.

Pink Floyd's next album, Animals, featured a scathing attack on the "clean-up television" campaigner, Mary Whitehouse, while the cover photograph, an inflatable pig soaring over Battersea power station, has since passed into Pink Floyd folklore. However it was with this album that tension within the band leaked into the public arena. Two of its tracks, "Sheep" and "Dogs', were reworkings of older material and, as one of the world's most successful bands, Pink Floyd was criticised as an anathema to 1977"s punk movement. At the end of the year, almost as a backlash, Nick Mason produced the Damned's Music For Pleasure. Wright and Gilmour both released solo albums in 1978 as rumours of a break-up abounded. In 1979, however, the band unleashed The Wall, a Waters-dominated epic which has now become second only to Dark Side Of The Moon in terms of sales. A subtly-screened autobiographical journey, The Wall allowed the bass player to vent his spleen, pouring anger and scorn on a succession of establishment talismen. It contained the anti-educational system diatribe, "Another Brick In The Wall Part II', which not only restored the band to the British and American singles" charts, but provided them with their sole number 1 hit when it topped the UK list. The album topped the US charts for an impressive 15 weeks. The Wall was also the subject of an imaginative stage show, during which the band was bricked up behind a titular edifice. A film followed in 1982, starring Bob Geldof and featuring ground-breaking animation by Gerald Scarfe, who designed the album jacket.

Such success did nothing to ease Pink Floyd's internal hostility. Long-standing enmity between Waters and Wright - the latter almost left the band with Barrett - resulted in the bass player demanding Wright's departure. He left in 1980. By the early 80s relations within the band had not improved. Friction over financial matters and composing credits - Gilmour argued his contributions to The Wall had not been acknowledged - tore at the heart of the band. "Because we haven't finished with each other yet," was Mason's caustic reply to a question as to why Pink Floyd were still together and, to the surprise of many, another album did appear in 1983. The Final Cut was a stark, humourless set which Waters totally dominated. It comprised songs written for The Wall, but rejected by the band. Mason's contributions were negligible, Gilmour showed little interest - eventually asking that his production credit be removed - and Pink Floyd's fragmentation was evident to all. One single, "Not Now, John", did reach the UK Top 30, but by the end of the year knives were drawn and an acrimonious parting ensued. The following year Waters began a high-profile solo career. Mason and Gilmour also issued solo albums, but none of these releases came close to the success of their former band. The guitarist retained a higher profile as a session musician, and appeared with ex-Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry at the Live Aid concert in 1985.

In 1987, Mason and Gilmour decided to resume work together under the Pink Floyd banner; Rick Wright also returned, albeit as a salaried member. Waters instigated an injunction, which was over-ruled, allowing temporary use of the name. The cryptically titled A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, although tentative in places, sounded more like a Pink Floyd album than its sombre "predecessor", despite the muted input of Wright and Mason. Instead Gilmour relied on session musicians, including Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music. A massive world tour began in September that year, culminating 12 months and 200 concerts later. A live set, Delicate Sound Of Thunder, followed in its wake but, more importantly, the rigours of touring rekindled Wright and Mason's confidence. Galvanised, Waters led an all-star cast for an extravagant adaptation of The Wall, performed live on the remains of the Berlin Wall in 1990. Despite international television coverage, the show failed to reignite his fortunes.

In 1994, Pink Floyd reconvened again to release The Division Bell, an accomplished and highly successful set (it was the year's bestselling UK album release and restored the band to the top of the UK and US charts) which may yet enter the Pink Floyd lexicon as one of their finest achievements. "It sounds more like a genuine Pink Floyd album than anything since Wish You Were Here", Gilmour later stated, much to the relief of fans, critics and the band themselves. With Wright a full-time member again and Mason on sparkling form, the band embarked on another lengthy tour, judiciously balancing old and new material. They also showcased their most spectacular lightshow to date during these performances. Critical praise was effusive, confirming the band had survived the loss of yet another nominally "crucial" member. Pulse cashed in on the success of the tours and was a perfectly recorded live album. The packaging featured a flashing LED, which was supposed to last (in flashing mode) for six months.

Following this burst of activity in the mid-90s, Gilmour, Wright and Mason put Pink Floyd on hold once again. A series of reissues kept the band in the public eye, however, most notably the 2003 Hybrid SACD release of Dark Side Of The Moon which allowed listeners the chance to hear the album in 5.1 Surround Sound. The legacy of those "faceless" record sleeves is irrefutable; Pink Floyd's music is somehow greater than the individuals creating it.

Discography:
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (EMI Columbia 1967)****, Pink Floyd US only (Tower 1967)***, Saucerful Of Secrets (EMI Columbia 1968)***, More film soundtrack (EMI Columbia 1969)**, Ummagumma (Harvest 1969)***, Atom Heart Mother (Harvest 1970)***, Meddle (Harvest 1971)****, Obscured By Clouds film soundtrack (Harvest 1972)**, Dark Side Of The Moon (Harvest 1973)*****, Wish You Were Here (Harvest/Columbia 1975)****, Animals (Harvest/Columbia 1977)****, The Wall (Harvest/Columbia 1979)***, The Final Cut (Harvest/Columbia 1983)**, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (EMI/Columbia 1987)***, Delicate Sound Of Thunder (EMI/Columbia 1988)***, In London 1966-1967 (See For Miles 1990)***, The Division Bell (EMI/Columbia 1994)****, Pulse (EMI/Columbia 1995)**, Is Anybody Out There? The Wall Live (EMI 2000)***, Dark Side Of The Moon SACD edition (EMI 2003)*****.

Compilations:
Relics (Harvest 1971)****, A Nice Pair (Harvest 1973)****, First Eleven 11-LP box set (EMI 1977)***, A Collection Of Great Dance Songs (Harvest/Columbia 1981)**, Works (Capitol 1983)***, Shine On 8-CD box set (EMI 1992)***, Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd (EMI 2001)****.

THE COVER :- Textured gatefold sleeve

THE LABEL :- Harvest labels

THE VINYL VISUALLY :- On initial inspection of this piece of vinyl I cannot see any areas of immediate concern. The vinyl sits perfectly flat on the turntable so there are no nasty warps to worry about. The vinyl still retains its just pressed quality, full of deep shine and lustre. It has beautifuly clean surfaces with no scratches or marks that I can see. Near Mint condition visualy.

THE VINYL PLAY GRADED :- The playgrading of the vinyl reveals no lessening in the sound quality. It lives up to its visual grading. There is very minimal surface noise. What there is can be only heard on the run in and run out of tracks and extra quiet areas of the album and barely any in those areas to be honest. The sound quality is high with a full dynamic range and very detailed sound. I feel certain this album has been played carefully and stored well over the years. I would grade the audio playback as Excellent Plus to Near Mint condition.

THE SLEEVE FRONT CONDITION :- This is an early pressing Garrod & Lofthouse silk textured sleeve. The front of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. The sleeve reveals only a small amount of light ringwear and just one very small crease in the bottom right corner. It has a tiny amount of wear on the opening edge and one or two light handling marks. The colours are bright and crisp. I would grade the front of the cover as a strong Excellent condition.

THE SLEEVE REAR CONDITION :- The rear of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. There are no creases on the rear of the sleeve and just some very light ringwear. There is a small amount of spidering around the seams. Again the rear still retains its original crisp colours. I would grade the rear as Excellent condition.

THE INNER GATEFOLD CONDITION :- The inner of the gatefold is again in fine shape with just a little ringwear but nothing in the way of creases. The colours are bright and crisp. Graded as Excellent condition.

THE TOP & BOTTOM SEAM CONDITIONS :- The top and bottom seams are in nice shape, showing just minimal shelfwear. The bottom seams show more wear than the top. There are no areas of damage or splitting of any sort. Graded as Excellent condition.

THE LABEL SIDE ONE CONDITION :- Original Harvest label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, light signs of play around the spindle hole. Excellent condition.

THE LABEL SIDE TWO CONDITION :- Original Harvest label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, light signs of play around the spindle hole. Excellent condition.

THE SPINE CONDITION :- No spine splits at all just very light signs of shelfwear in the two corners and along the length. Slightly kinked over one side if picky. Excellent condition

THE INNER SLEEVE CONDITION :- Generic white inner in Excellent condition

THE EXTRAS :- No poster or stickers but these can be gotten quite easily. 

THE CATALOGUE NUMBER :- SHVL 804

THE YEAR OF RELEASE :-  1973

THE LABEL :- HARVEST

THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN :-  UK

PLAYING FORMAT :- STEREO

THE MATRIX NUMBERS :-  SHV 804 A3  &  SHV 804 B3

TRACK LISTING :-

SIDE ONE :-

1. SPEAK TO ME
2. BREATHE IN THE AIR
3. ON THE RUN
4. TIME
5. THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY

SIDE TWO :-

1. MONEY
2. US AND THEM
3. ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE
4. BRAIN DAMAGE
5. ECLIPSE

WHAT WE PLAY THE RECORD ON :- 

We use a Project 6 Perspex Turntable to play grade our records which delivers a rich authoritative sound and achieves a rich and weighty vibrancy unrivalled by the majority of decks within its price range

HOW WE CLEAN YOUR RECORD :- 

We use a V.P.I. HW-16.5 record cleaning machine to clean your vinyl. "A highly recommended machine" as quoted by Stereophile magazine. This removes any excess dirt before playing

HOW WE PACKAGE YOUR RECORD :- 

Your record will be package very securely to minimise any risk of damage during transit. We remove the record from the outer sleeve unless asked not to do so. This helps to minimise the risk of seam spliting. We use a high quality record mailer which is designed to give superior protection for your vinyl record. We place stiffeners either side of the record for added protection. The album will also be placed in a 450 gram Poly outer sleeve for even extra added protection

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING CHARGES FOR UK CUSTOMERS :-

We advise that items reaching over £50 in price to be insured and sent by Special Delivery. This protects both of us and ensures better handling of the parcel during transit.We are in no way out to make money from postage. The postage price includes the record mailer, stiffeners and plastic sleeve. We just want your item to reach you in the best possible condition. A breakdown of insured postal services are listed below. Please choose to use the relevant postal service for your own protection as once these rare records are lost they can quite often seldom be replaced

SECOND CLASS RECORDED (INSURED UP TO £50) :- FREE

FIRST CLASS RECORDED (INSURED UP TO £50) :- £0.45

SPECIAL DELIVERY NEXT DAY UPTO 500g :- £3.80

SPECIAL DELIVERY NEXT DAY FROM 500g - 1000g :- £5.00

(SPECIAL DELIVERY INSURES YOUR ITEM UPTO £500)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION :-    

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the European Union by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS  :-  £6.22 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :-  £11.37 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :-  £13.97 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE USA AND CANADA :- 

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the USA & Canada by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS  :-  £8.78 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £13.93 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £16.53 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN AND ROW :- 

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the Australia & Japan by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS :- £9.06 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £14.21 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £16.81 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT PROFIT FROM POSTAGE, THE PRICES WE QUOTE ARE QUITE ACCURATE AND INCLUDE THE PACKAGING MATERIALS AT COST PRICE

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS:

PLEASE AWAIT AN INVOICE BEFORE PAYING SO WE CAN WORK OUT THE CORRECT POSTAGE/SHIPPING CHARGES

BUYERS OF MULTIPLE ITEMS :- 

Postage prices and courier methods for multiple purchases will be calculated after the auction end. It is impossible for us at the pre auction stage to determine these prices as the final weight is unknown.If you are the winner of multiple items the please await contact from us or alternately contact us yourself for a breakdown of the shipping costs.You will only pay the stamp price + relevant packaging charges so there are big savings to be made with multiple purchases

HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR RECORD :-

We can accept the following payment methods

UK BUYERS :- 

• PayPal
• Personal cheque (Please allow to clear)
• Bankers Draft
• Postal Order

OVERSEAS BUYERS :-

• Paypal only

TERMS AND CONDITIONS :-

We always try to appraise the record for sale as openly and honestly as possible and provide plenty of pictures for you to look at but please be aware that errors however rare do occur and not everyone has the same audio  equipment. There is no problem that cannot be worked out in a civilised manner. We urge you to contact us so that we can discuss any small problems that may occur. We offer a refund of the purchase price for returned items within 7 days of purchase and are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have during the auction

SAVE US TO YOUR FAVOURITES LIST AS WE INTEND TO LIST MANY MORE RARE VINYL TREATS OVER THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS