Pink Floyd A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS UK LP 1ST Stereo MINT

	£		366
	$		484

PINK FLOYD - A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

• CAT:SCX 6258
• MATRIX: YAX 3633-1 / 3634-1
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 GD / 1 O
• THIS INDICATES THAT THE LP WAS PRESSED FROM THE FIRST MOTHER

PINK FLOYD'S SECOND ALBUM, AND ONE THAT MARKED THE DEPARTURE OF SYD BARRETT. IT WAS DURING THE RECORDING OF THIS ALBUM THAT HIS DECLINING MENTAL STATE FINALLY LED TO DAVE GILMOUR BEING BROUGHT IN. THIS IS IN FACT THE ONLY PINK FLOYD ALBUM (NON COMPILATION) WHERE ALL FIVE MEMBERS APPEAR, IN FACT ON SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN, BOTH GILMOUR AND BARRETT APPEAR. THE RECORDING OF THIS ALBUM STARTED IN JANUARY 1968, BARRETT WAS REMOVED IN MARCH, AND THE ALBUM FINALLY HIT THE SHELVES IN THE UK ON JUNE 29TH 1968, WHERE IT MADE NUMBER 9 IN THE UK CHARTS, BUT ACTUALLY FAILED TO CHART IN THE USA. THIS IS THE RARE STEREO PRESSING ON THE ORIGINAL BLUE AND BLACK LABEL

THE RECORD LABELS

THE HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE BLUE AND BLACK COLUMBIA RECORD LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE DARK BLACK SURFACE IS VULNERABLE TO MARKS AND STAINS BUT HERE WE HAVE TWO PRISTINE CONDITION LABELS WITHOUT ANY BLEMISHES. THE COLOUR IS VIBRANT AND UNFADED AND CONTINUES ALL THE WAY INTO THE  UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS IN PERFECT CONDITION. CLEARLY FORMED LETTERS AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE BLUE COLUMBIA LOGO IS IN SUPERB UNMARKED STATE. THERE ARE TWO VERY SMALL AND LIGHT SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE WHICH CAN ONLY BE SEEN WHEN THE LP IS TILTED INTO THE LIGHT, AND THIS CLEARLY INDICATES THAT THE VINYL WAS NOT ONLY VERY CAREFULLY HANDLED, BUT THAT IT HAS HAD NO MORE THAN TWO PLAYS IN THE 40 YEARS THAT IT HAS BEEN AROUND, THREE NOW IF YOU INCLUDE MY TEST PLAY

THE VINYL

 PRISTINE GLOSSY BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. REMOVING IT FROM THE SLEEVE AND GENTLY AND CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE DISC REVEALS A SPOTLESS SURFACE. THIS VINYL APPEARS EXACTLY HOW A NEW VINYL WOULD HAVE LOOKED BACK IN 1968 WHEN THIS DISC WAS ORIGINALLY PRESSED. ETCHED INTO THE RUN OFF WAX ARE THE DIGITS THAT IDENTIFY THIS ALBUM AS A VERY FIRST PRESS. NAMELY THE MATRIX NUMBER YAX 3633 -1/3634-1 THE HIGH GLOSS AND MARK FREE DISC IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE CLEANEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVEN WHEN OFFERED UP TO A SPOTLIGHT (WHICH ARGUABLY ISN'T REALLY A TRUE REFLECTION OF HOW GOOD A VINYL IS, AS THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMETHING TO SEE THIS WAY) THE VINYL DISPLAYS JUST A FEW REALLY LIGHT WISPY HAIRLINES. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND THIS ALBUM IN SUCH FANTASTIC CONDITION, AND IT HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN STORED AWAY FOR YEARS. I CANNOT OVER EMPHASISE JUST HOW MAGNIFICENT THIS VINYL IS. YOU WILL NEVER FIND A COPY AS GOOD AS THIS IN MY OPINION

PLAYING THE RECORD

I HAVE INCLUDED  4SHORT EXAMPLES OF JUST HOW GREAT THIS RECORD SOUNDS. PLEASE CLICK ON THE MEDIA PLAYER ABOVE TO HEAR IT. I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE INTRODUCTION (RUN IN GROOVE) IS A REALLY GOOD REFLECTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE DISC. SO I HAVE STARTED THE RECORDING FROM THE RUN IN GROOVE, HENCE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE MUSIC STARTS. HOWEVER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY HEAR WHAT THAT RUN IN SOUNDS LIKE, WHETHER IT HAS ANY NOISE ETC. THE 4 SEGMENTS INCLDE THE OPENING TRACK TO EACH SIDE ALONG WITH SECONDS OF THE RUN IN, PLUS ONE FURTHER TRACK FROM EACH SIDE WHICH INCLUDED THE PRECEEDING LINKING GROOVE WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE SILENCE AND BACKGROUND FREE PERFORMANCE OF THE DISC.

THE RUN IN IS SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "LET THERE BE MORE LIGHT" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING SPECIAL. THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE, AND EACH LINKING GROOVE IS AS SILENT AS THE RUN IN THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD BY NOW. EVEN THE RUN OUT WHICH HISTORICALLY HAS NOISE ON MOST ALBUMS IS AS CLEAR AS A BELL. IT IS A REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE FROM A 40 YEAR OLD DISC, AND IT IS TRULY FANTASTIC THAT I AM ABLE TO OFFER UP A RARE ALBUM IN THIS INCREDIBLE CONDITION

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC MINT

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS NEAR MINT

THIS IS THE FIRST PRESS HIPIGNOSIS SLEEVE

THIN LAMINATED FRONT SURFACE WHICH IS USUALLY FOUND WITH SEVERE CREASES ALL OVER IT, BUT IN THIS CASE WE HAVE A FRONT SURFACE THAT IS NOT ONLY CLEAN, AND SHINY, BUT VIRTUALLY LAMINATE LINE FREE. IN FACT THE ONLY SMALL AREAS THAT ARE AFFECTED ID THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER WHERE THERE IS A LIGHT LAMINATE LINE RUNNING ACROSS IT, AND A COUPLE OF TINY LINES NEAR THE SPINE AND TOP EDGE. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES WHICH USUALLY WEAR ARE IN THIS CASE UNWORN AND THE SPINE IS ABSOLUTELY AS NEW.

THE OPENING EDGE TELLS ANOTHER STORY IN THAT IT IS RAZOR SHARP AND SHOWS THAT THE RECORD HAS NOT BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES AS THERE ARE NO NICKS TO THE EDGES

THE REAR SURFACE IS A NON LAMINATED FLIPBACK SLEEVE, AND ONCE AGAIN IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. NO LOSS TO THE BLACNESS WHICH USUALLY SHOWS UP THROUGH RUBBING AND SHELF WEAR, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE FLIPBACKS EITHER. THE SLEEVE HAS FILE UNDER POPULAR: POP GROUPS IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER WHICH ALL FIRST PRESSES SHOULD HAVE

THE INNER SLEEVE IS THE CORRECT EMI ADVERTISING SLEEVE AND IT IS IN NEAR MINT CONDITION. NO CREASES AND NO SPLITS

THE RECORD HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY