The Beatles : The Beatles (White Album) 1/1/1/1 1st Mono Press No 0042905 No EMI inc Lyric Poster & Photos

This is one of the finest original first mono pressings that I have ever played and it is contained inside a STUNNING cover with a low number of 0042905.  It has been very carefully looked after down the years and not often played in my opinion.  I base this on the superb audio, the stunning visual quality of both vinyls and that there is only a little spindle wear on the labels.  The sonic quality is stunning across all four sides and there is only a little interference on a couple of tracks.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is exceptional.  A full grading is given below and as per usual I have listened to every track in full.

So yes the visual 'look' of the records is very impressive with very little marking and the iconic cover is a piece of art!  Rarely is it seen as 'clean' and as strong as this, it really is in fantastic condition!  It may actually be the best I have ever seen and to think the number is as low as 0042905!  The original black inners sleeves are also in great shape with no side splits can you believe.  It comes complete with the lyric poster which has only minor wear and the original four photos/portraits are 'as new'.

As this is a genuine first pressing it does not have 'An E.M.I. Recording' on the labels.  The 'Sold In. U.K. Subject...' info is at the top of each label and the publishing year has a small P copyright symbol.  The matrix is of course 1/1/1/1.

PMC 7067/8 // XEX 709-1 / XEX 710-1 / XEX 711-1 / XEX 712-1 // GRR 4 / TR 7 / PP 3 / PA 4

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 intro Ex / T3 Ex+ / T6 Ex)

The audio on S3 is Mint(-) (T7 Ex)

The audio on S4 is Mint(-) (T2 Near Mint / T5 intro VG for 4 seconds / T6 VG+)

The gatefold is Ex+

The labels are Near Mint

The original black inner sleeves are Ex+

The lyric poster is Ex+

The four photos are Mint

The vinyls are in lovely condition and both retain their original glossy sheen.  S1 is superb with only one hairline that is a little obvious and S2 is almost as good with just two small faint marks which have no affect on the audio and one tiny 3mm scratch that results in 3/4 light clicks as described below.  S3 and S4 are in fantastic condition with only a small number of insignificant sleeve removal hairlines.  The run out grooves are also very clean and the Apple labels have no writing or marking and only minimal spindle wear.  It is not often you find this classic album as visually impressive as this and the previous owner was obviously a collector who preserved his LPs so well.

Play grading  

'Back In The U.S.S.R.' plays with stunning clarity and power from start to finish with no interference.  There is only a minimal amount of barely audible static during the first minute but this could hardly be a better start to this classic album.  It plays loud and true with no distortion and Near Mint is easily deserved.

The intro on 'Dear Prudence' plays so clearly with barely any static and it continues to play with sublime quality for the remainder.  No ticks, clicks or pops this is another Near Mint track although the vast majority is even better than that.

The only thing that stops 'Glass Onion' from being 'as new' are a handful of light static ticks on the strings section right at the end.  Apart from that the playback is perfect.  Near Mint

'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Di' does go one better with no intrusion of any kind.  The clarity and depth of the audio is superb and Mint is fair, no need for a minus here!

'Wild Honey Pie' is of the same standard with no interference whatsoever.  Mint

The acoustic intro on 'The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill' is flawless and it then extremely well with only the odd very light static sound on the vocal here and there.  This is common I find when playing this track through a stereo deck.  It is so minimal and totally non-intrusive.  Near Mint

The classic 'When My Guitar Gently Weeps' plays with STUNNING quality from the piano intro and through every vocal and guitar solo courtesy of Eric Clapton of course.  There is barely any distortion and the clarity from start to finish is superb.  An example of this in on the long fade out which has no 'background'.  A stunning Mint- version.

'Happiness Is A Warm Gun' ends the side with great quality and for a final track the clarity is very impressive.  There is barely any inner groove distortion and just one light tick right at the end.  Near Mint

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The piano intro on 'Martha My Dear' has only a little static and the first verse then plays with great clarity.  From then on the audio is close to perfect with only a handful of mega light light background ticks.  The intro is easily Ex and is then Mint- for the remainder.

'I'm So Tired' is stunning from the get go and it continues to play with sensational clarity.  There is a static tick and a lighter tick in the 'silent' section after the first chorus but aside from that it plays with incredible precision.  I still think this deserves a Mint- such is the quality.

'Blackbird' has no background static but the odd word does end with a distorted type sound.  Not many times and perhaps this could be improved when this mono record is played through a mono set up.  Like I say the actual clarity cannot be faulted but I will grade as Ex+ just to be on the safe side.

The quirky 'Piggies' plays with fantastic quality from the first note to the last with no interference.  Mint

'Rocky Raccoon' plays with sublime precision with just one tick literally at the end.  A stunning Mint- version.

The intro on 'Don't Pass Me By' has 3/4 light clicks and then the first vocal is very clean with only a handful of barely audible ticks.  From then on it is nigh on perfect with no other intrusion.  Ex

The percussive intro on 'Why Don't We Do It In The Road' is 'as new' and it continues to play with a power and depth you rarely find today.  I often find this track has a 'muddy' type sound but it is very clear here.  Mint-

'I Will' plays beautifully with no interference which is quite impressive for a relatively quiet track that is now 53 years old!  this has to grade as Mint it is SUPERB!

The even quieter 'Julia' ends the side with amazing clarity I am pleased to say.  Each note can be heard so succinctly and it is so rare for this track to have no interference, it truly defies the age of the album!  I detected only 3/4 barely audible ticks that scarcely deserve a mention.  A hugely impressive Mint- version.

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The intro on 'Birthday' is spectacular!  It is so powerful and plays like it has never been played before!  The bass is so strong and deep here and adds so much to the track and it continues in the same precise way with a clarity and power that is just phenomenal.  This may well be the finest version I have ever heard and to think it is on such an early first mono pressing.  It is Mint from start to finish.  Wow!

'Yer Blues' is of the same standard and again plays with great power and definition.  There is perhaps the odd mega light static 'moment' but honestly you can barely hear them and with just one light tick on the fade out this has to grade as Mint-

The quiet intro on 'Mother Nature's Son' plays so well with only a couple of minor ticks and thereafter plays with superb clarity...and no interference.  Another Mint- track

'Everybody's Got Something To Hide...' is just mind-blowing!  The sonic quality could not be any better and this is just MINT is every sense of the word.  It is so loud and yet plays with incredible power and definition.  What a version!

'Sexy Sadie' then plays with great precision and again there is no interference.  There are just a small number of mega quiet dust ticks.  Mint-

'Helter Skelter' plays with extreme power and depth from the intro and then right through every section.  Again the bass is just so deep and the sonic quality is just breathtaking.  For the 'heavier' tracks to play with such precision on a record of this age is a genuine rarity and remarkably there is no distortion.  And remember this is a mono record being played through a stereo set up!  This is a super powerhouse Mint- version!  Even the fade out has no 'background'.

The acoustic intro on 'Long, Long, Long' plays perfectly and the first verse is not far behind with only a couple of dust ticks.  Soon after there are three static ticks but they are not exactly intrusive.  From then onwards it plays very clearly with only a small number of very light ticks and just a minor hint of distortion on the top end, this is the final track after all.  There is one click near the end so overall I think an Ex grade is about right.  Still very impressive!

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From the very first groove 'Revolution 1' plays so well with just one minor static tick on the first verse.  The further you get into the track the more you are impressed by the quality of the audio and it provides more evidence of a vinyl that has only been lightly played, the clarity is rather good!  There is no interference from start to finish and Mint- is deserved.

The quiet intro on 'Honey Pie' is faultless and that pretty much applies to the rest of the track.  There is perhaps just a modicum of very light static here and there but it is so quiet you could easily miss it.  There are obviously no clicks or pops and Near Mint is a honest assessment of the audio.

'Savoy Truffle' plays with wonderful depth and clarity with not so much as a dust tick.  This is a STUNNING version and no minus is required here, it is Mint every day of the week!

It's proving difficult to describe each track in an individual way now but needless to say 'Cry Baby Cry' plays with stunning quality from the first groove to the last.  I cannot emphasise enough how well this plays.  There are just a couple of minor static ticks so will grade as Mint-

'Revolution 9' has four static clicks right at the start and then 'plays' with great clarity and precision.  Not one you want to play too often (!) it nevertheless plays with very strong audio and no other interference.  So the intro is VG for four seconds but the remainder is Mint for sure.  No distortion either.

As many audiophiles will know 'Good Night' so often plays with some inner groove distortion on these first pressings.  There are no clicks or pops but there is some definite static distortion but again maybe it will play better when played as a mono record.  The quieter moments certainly play better so will grade as VG+

In summary this first mono pressing plays to a superb standard with only very minimal interference.  I would honestly say the vast majority is Mint with a clarity, depth and warmth that you only get from mono recordings.  When you consider the stunning visual look of the cover combined with the very clean records you are expecting them to play well and they do not disappoint!  As stated there is not very much spindle wear and this is easily one of the finest White albums I have sold in a long time.  Anything in the 40,000s is of course a very low number and I am sure any collector would be extremely impressed with the stunning sonic quality on offer here.

The Gatefold & Original Black Inner Sleeves

The laminated G & L cover is in superb condition with only very minimal shelf wear.  You won't find many better and of course it has a very low number of 0042905!  It has retained its original shape and strength so well which can only mean it hasn't been handled very much.  The edges are super clean with no rubbing/wear - so often the top loading edges are frayed/worn due to handling wear but that is not the case here.  The spine is the only area that has any wear but even then it is minor and the band name and catalogue numbers are still 100% legible.  The laminate has just split down the centre which is a common feature caused by opening the gatefold but it really is not that obvious.  However, it has no marks or 'dings' which is rare and it remains very strong.  The corners of the spine and all the right hand corners are in fantastic condition with no obvious wear and and as stated the two top edges are in superb shape without any handling wear.  The front cover is beautiful with no marking (aside from minor ringwear near the top) and has lost none of the its original white/cream colour.  If there is any yellowing/fading it is so minimal and totally insignificant and there is no laminate damage either.  The embossed 'The Beatles' and the 'No 0042905' can clearly be seen.  The back cover is also in superb condition with only a little ringwear near the top again.  The inside of the gatefold is stunning and again the original colour is still there.  There is no marking or creasing, no damage to the inner spine, and the side flipbacks are so clean and remain firmly attached to the cover.  I am confident the photos will show just how impressive this 'early' cover is and it is without doubt one of the most STUNNING examples I have ever seen.  I truly believe Ex+ is more than deserved even with the minor wear on the spine.  There surely cannot be many around as good as this!

The original black inners (with the die-cut circular 'windows') have to among the best I have ever seen and have no side splits can you believe.  Only one of them has a small tear on the top edge and they have no marking and only minimal creasing.

The Lyric Poster & Photos

The large lyric poster is in excellent condition with no marking or writing and only a little creasing.  One of the folds has a small 3cm split along the edge and another couple of 1cm each and that is all.  The four John Kelly colour portraits/photos are in superb shape with no marking or creasing.  'As new' is a correct description.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

The records have been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

PMC 7067/8 // XEX 709-1 / XEX 710-1 / XEX 711-1 / XEX 712-1 // GRR 4 / TR 7 / PP 3 / PA 4

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.

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I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 10% OF THE SHIPPING FEE ALSO!!

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