SYD BARRETT The Madcap Laughs A2G/B2G 1st Press RARE G1 Stampers No EMI LOGO
£
111
$
147
£ 111
Sold For
Jul 20, 2025
Sold Date
Jul 10, 2025
Start Date
16
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
4I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently. Syd Barrett : The Madcap Laughs A-2G / B-2G 1st Press G1 Stampers / No EMI Logo 1970
This very collectable genuine first press plays with stunning quality for 98/99% of the album with just a little interference on S2 which is brief. S1 is incredible as you can see from my grading below! The clarity and depth of the audio is sensational - near perfect in fact with only a handful of super quiet statics. S2 does have two tiny scratches which results in one brief skip and a small number of clicks but this is the only intrusion across the entire side. It is unfortunate but like I say the rest of the album plays with sublime quality and of course it has the holy grail of stampers - G 1 on both sides - which obviously means it was one of the first of the 'printing press'.
The cover is in excellent condition with not very much shelf wear and the original inner sleeve is VG+ I would say but has no side splits etc.
The very first press has no EMI logo on the labels and the S2 label has Barrett except + Joyce on it. All others have Barrett + Joyce. There are a few other label distinctions which can be found on Discogs. SHVL 795 A-2G G 1 // SHVL 795 B-2G G 1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 & T3 G for 3/4 seconds / T2 intro Near Mint)
The gatefold is Ex-
The inner sleeve is VG+
The labels are Near Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in very good to excellent condition and overall is very clean. Under a bright light you cannot see many hairlines but there are a couple on S1 which are a little more obvious. An anomaly you could say because it is this side which plays with stunning precision from start to finish. S2 has a couple of tiny scratches as stated but you only know they are there once you play the vinyl, they are very difficult to find! A small section of 'fading' and one radial type line on 'Octopus' but this has no affect on the audio. The run out grooves are very clean and you can easily read the G 1 mother / stampers. The Harvest labels are unmarked but do have some spindle wear but not too much.
Play Grading
The acoustic 'Terrapin' plays with phenomenal clarity and I do mean phenomenal! From the intro and then through every vocal and instrumental section the clarity and warmth of the audio is second to none. The only background is a couple of barely audible statics during the instrumental towards the end but honestly so so quiet and scarcely worth a mention. This is Mint- at the very least and including that minus could be considered a little harsh.
The opening vocal on 'No Good Trying' plays perfectly with no intrusion and the first instrumental is of the same high end standard. The next vocal section is just as strong and clear and it continues to play with stunning precision - one of the more powerful tracks on this classic album it plays with no distortion and the power and depth of the audio cannot be underestimated. From start to finish it cannot be faulted and that includes the fade out. Mint
The intro on 'Love You' is near perfect with just one very quiet static tick and Syd's opening vocal has no background at all. The following instrumental is just as clean and the next vocal - faultless. The remainder is equal to that and the only 'intrusion' is one minor tick at the end of the fade out. Mint-
'No Man's Land' plays with great depth and resonance throughout and for a 'busy' track the clarity of sound is stunning. From start to finish there is no interference, no distortion and Mint is 100% deserved.
'Dark Globe' again plays with exceptional clarity and depth with no intrusion. The first track on the album produced by Gilmour and Waters it does kind of have a different 'feel' to it. Crystal clear audio throughout and another Mint track.
The intro on 'Here I Go' plays very clearly with only 3/4 super quiet statics and as the pace picks up the sound quality is very impressive for a final track. There are no ticks, clicks or pops and there is no obvious inner groove distortion. None at all I am sure many would say. Another track produced by Malcolm Jones and you really cannot fault the clarity and depth of the audio. Even that final guitar flourish plays perfectly. Let's say Mint-
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The acoustic intro on 'Octopus' plays with superb definition and if whoever wins this play it loud, you will know exactly what I mean! Barrett's opening vocal is flawless but unfortunately on the second chorus around the one minute mark there is a brief skip followed by three ticks caused by that very small scratch. It's a shame because the rest of this classic track plays with stunning quality and no other background, the clarity is as per S1. So the majority is Mint but for 3/4 seconds I can only grade the audio as G
'Golden Hair' has only 2/3 very quiet statics on the intro and the opening vocal is perfect. A quiet track of course and from then on it plays with sublime clarity and warmth and... no interference. The sonic quality is breathtaking - that vocal effect on Syd's voice is stunning and if the intro is Near Mint then the rest is Mint for sure.
'Long Gone' plays with great quality for the majority but again there is a tiny scratch just after the mid instrumental and into the final vocal section. It results in five clicks but the remainder plays without fault. So again this Mint but with another brief G section. What can you do!
Normal service is resumed on 'She Took A Long Cold Look' which plays with impeccable clarity from start to finish. There is no intrusion not even during the brief stop! The first of the trio of songs it is Mint from start to finish. The segue into 'Feel' and the page turn / silent pause 'plays' with stunning clarity and it continues in the same precise way without any background. Another Mint track. The spoken intro / aborted attempt into 'If It's In You' again plays so clearly with no intrusion - just one mega quiet static. Once it does begin the playback is superb but of course it does very much have a demo feel to it - nothing wrong with that though! Syd at his eccentric best you could say! And it grades as Mint-
'Late Night' ends this classic album with superlative audio once more. The intro is perfect and the opening vocal is just as strong. From then on it plays with outstanding clarity for a final track and there is no distortion. No ticks or clicks etc every section is so clean and precise and Mint- is richly deserved.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The laminated E.J. Day cover is in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear and there is nothing that stands out. The edges have hardly any rubbing and the corners have only a little wear. You can still 'read' the spine but it is somewhat compressed and the opening edge has some handling wear but not an excessive amount. The front cover is very clean with only a small number of the usual laminate creases next to the spine and the back cover is very similar with just one more small laminate crease near the left edge. The inside of the gatefold is in great condition with only a couple of faint spots on each side. A fine example of this iconic cover overall.
The paper inner sleeve has no side splits or tears but does have some light marking and creasing here and there.
SHVL 795 A-2G G 1 // SHVL 795 B-2G G 1
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable with Rega Carbon Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
Recent Feedback
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Postage & Packaging
I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping. This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage. The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered. Any over-payment will always be refunded.
The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD). An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known. Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing. Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Many thanks.
All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection. They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection. I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.
The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each. There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up! Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!
UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £22.95 then £2.50 per extra
REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra
If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed. If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!
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