Pink Floyd DARK SIDE OF THE MOON 1st SOLID BLUE NMINT-

	£		983
	$		1,302

PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

1ST PRESS SOLID BLUE TRIANGLE

WITH AN OUTSTANDING SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:HARVEST SHVL 815
• MATRIX: SHVL815 A-2U / B-2 
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:2 LA / 1 LD
• VERY EARLY FIRST PRESS ONLY A2/B2 INDICATES THIS AS THERE WERE NO RELEASED -1 COPIES

INCREDIBLE FIND THIS ONE

AS I AM SURE YOU ARE ALL AWARE THE VERY VERY FIRST PRESS OF THIS ALBUM HAD THE SOLID BLUE TRIANGLE IN THE CENTRE OF THE LABEL, WHICH WAS VERY QUICKLY WITHDRAWN DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SILVER TYPEFACE COULD NOT BE READ.

IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE OUTLINE LABEL, BUT OF COURSE THIS WAS ONE ONE THE BEST SELLING ALBUMS OF ALL TIME AND WAS MASS PRODUCED. MATRIX NUMBERS RUN UP TO -15 FOR REALLY LATE REISUUES

WHAT YOU DO HAVE HERE IS A STUNNING NEAR MINT MINUS COPY OF A VARY RARE ALBUM INDEED. PLAYED NO MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF TIMES SINCE 1973

SO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A FIRST ISSUE VINYL IS WITHOUT QUESTION. WHAT BIDDERS NEED TO BE SLIGHTLY MORE CAREFUL ABOUT IS THE SLEEVE THAT GOES WITH IT. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THE FIRST ISSUE SLEEVES WERE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOUR TO THE MORE COMMON REISSUES. THE SURFACE WAS A DELICATE POWDERY MATT BLUE BLACK FINISH AS OPPOSED TO THE SHINY JET BLACK FINISH OF THE REISSUES. AS A RESULT THE FIRST ISSUE SLEEVES WERE VERY EASY TO DAMAGE AND MANY COPIES WILL BE FOUND VERY SHELF WORN. IN PARTICLULAR WHERE THE USUAL LINES APPEAR NEAR THE SPINE, THESE WILL HAVE MOSTLY BE SEEN AS WHITE LINES ON THE SURFACE WHERE THE COLOUR HAS COME ODD. ALSO RING WEAR BLIGHTS THIS SLEEVE USUALLY. SO IT HAS BEEN KNOWN THAT SOME HAVE SWAPPED POOR 1ST ISSUE SLEEVES FOR BETTER REISSUES. THIS ONE HOWEVER IS A GENUINE FIRST ISSUE ON ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT CONDITION.

ONE FURTHER EXAMPLE OF A FIRST ISSUE IS TO LOOK AT THE OPENING EDGE ON THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE GATEFOLD. A TRUE FIRST ISSUE WILL HAVE BEEN SEALED WITH THE RESIDUAL FLIPBACK TUCKED INSIDE THE OPENING AND THEN SEALED DWON GIVING THE OPENING EDGE A 'SPINE' AND NOT JUST TWO BITS OF CARD STUCK TOGETHER. THIS ONE HAS THE FIRST ISSUE FLIPBACK SEALED INSIDE THE GATEFOLD

FINALLY THE POSTERS AND STICKERS. THE POSTERS MUST HAVE A MATT SURFACE TO THE PAPER. LATER ISSUES WERE GLOSSY AND AGAIN ONLY A TRUE FIRST ISSUE WILL HAVE THE MATT ONES. THE STICKERS MUST BE STAMPED ON THE BACK WITH THE WORDS 'CRACK BACK' AND THE BROWN LINES MUST RUN DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE PAPER. AGAIN HERE YOU HAVE TWO GENUINE ORIGINALS

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

BOTH LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE BLUE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND IS UNMARKED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS AS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE AS IT SHOULD BE ALLOWING FOR THE FACT THAT THIS IS WHY THE FIRST PRESS WAS REPLACED, AND A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST 10 OR SO REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES, SHOWING THAT THIS LP HAS HAD LIMITED PLAY IN THE 38 YEARS IT HAS BEEN AROUND

THE VINYL

THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW, AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF NON SOUNDING TINY SCUFFS AND A SMALL HANDLING LINE VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, AND SOME WISPY HAIRLINES WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION

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 DRECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I AM CONVINCED 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 BE ABLE 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.THE CLARITY OF THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS PURE FIRST PRESS, AND EVERY NOTE CAN BE HEARD CRISPLY AND CLEANLY. THERE IS NO DISTORTION ANYWHERE AND NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE.

THERE IS THE ODD LITTLE BIT OF VINYL NOISE, RIGHT AT THE START OF SIDE ONE AND IN THE QUITETEST SPOTS AND THIS CAN ONLY BE HEARD WHEN YOU SIT 12 INCHES FROM YOUR SPEAKERS AS I DO WHEN TYPING THIS OUT. WHEN YOU MOVE TO NORMAL LSITENING RANGE OF A FEW FEET THEN IT CANNOT BE HEARD.

I CAN'T SAY THAT I EVEN HEARD ANY LITTLE DUST POPS

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT MINUS

I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THIS INCREDIBLE ALBUM BEFORE YOU BID, AND THEN YOU CAN JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINTED GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE GATEFOLD SLEEVE

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE TO FIND IN ANYTHING LIKE A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. USUALLY THE COLOURS ARE BADLY RUBBED AND THE CREASE LINES AROUND THE SPINE AND PERIMETER EDGES MAKE THE WHOLE THING LOOK SHABBY

THIS SLEEVE HAS IN THE MAIN BEEN HOUSED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE AND HAS THUS BEEN KEPT IN A VERY COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE , THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THE COLOURS HAVE ALL BEEN PERFECTLY RETAINED. THERE IS NO RUBBING OR LOSS OF COLOUR ANYWHERE. THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES, AND NOR ARE THERE ANY BENDS OR FOLDS. AND THERE IS NOT ONE LINE ANYWHERE NEAR THE SPINE, AND THIS IS JUST INCREDIBLE.

BEING ULTRA PICKY THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TINY FLECKS OF WHITE SHOWING THROUGH IN A FEW RANDOM SPOTS, BUT THIS IS REALLY TRYING TO FIND FAULT

THE SLEEVE IS THE CORRECT BLUE/BLACK ORIGINAL 1ST ISSUE WITH THE SEALED FRONT EDGE. SEALED BY THE FLIPBACK BEING PLACED INSIDE THE OPENING EDGE THEN SELAED ON TOP, NOT JUST THE TWO EDGES GLUED TOGETHER

THE ORIGINAL DARK SIDE OF THE MOON STICKER WAS REMOVED FROM THE SHRINK WRAP BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND CAREFULLY PLACED IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER

THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH WOULD USUALLY BE FOUND BADLY RUBBED, HAS VITUALLY NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER, WHICH BACKS UP THE FACT THAT THE SLEEVE HAS BEEN PROPERLY PROTECTED IN AN OUTER COVER . THERE ARE FOUR SMALL WHAT IS CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS MINSICULE DENTS ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE BOTTOM WHERE RUNNING MY FINGER ALONG IT I CAN FEEL IT SLIGHTLY RAISED.  THE TOP EDGE HAS A COUPLE OF TINY WHITE CHIPS, WHICH I SUSPECT IS AN ERRANT FINGER NAIL RATHER THAN GENERAL WEAR

THE SPINE IS REALLY THE BEST I HAVE SEEN. AGAIN THIS WOULD USUALLY BE FOUND IN AN AWFUL WORN STATE BUT HERE ON THIS COPY IT IS NEAR MINT. COLOURS UNRUBBED AND A TOTALLY FLAT SURFACE WITH BIT OF THE DELICATE COLOUR PRESERVED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VERY BOTTOM TIP WHICH HAS A TINY BIT OF RUBBING

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND IT IS OBVIOUS BY LOOKING AT THIS THAT THE LP HAS BARELY BEEN OUT OF THE COVER

THE REAR SURFACE OF THIS GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE SLEEVE IS IN THE SAME SUPERB CONDITION AS THE FRONT, WITH JUST THE BAREST SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE NEAR THE TOP

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PAIR OF  PRISTINE BLACK EDGES PANELS.

THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION THE INNER HAS A HISTORY OF SEVERE SEAM SPLITTING. THERE ARE NO SEAM SPLITS BUT THE SLEEVE DOES HAVE SOME CREASE LINES WHERE IT HAS SAT INSIDE THE OUTER SLEEVE IN A SLIGHTLY CREASED STATE FOR MANY YEARS.. IT IS THE CORRECT INNER FOR THIS SET WITH THE PATENT NUMBERS IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORENR, AND 'MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN' ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE

THE POSTERS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION AND ARE THE ORIGINAL MATT SURFACE ORIGINALS NOT LIKE THE LATER SHINY ONES.

THE STICKERS ARE THE CORRECT CRACK BACK ISSUE WITH THE DIAGONAL LINES RUNNING AROSS THE BACK

A SIMPLY SUPERB ORIGINAL SET

HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT

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

GARRY