The Rolling Stones : Beggars Banquet 4A/2A 1st Press Mono unboxed red Decca label

This very early mono pressing on the unboxed red Decca label plays with superb audio overall with only minimal interference as detailed below.  The clarity and power of the audio is very impressive and it is also visually stunning with only one tiny scratch on S2.

The famous cover is in excellent condition and is without doubt one of the best examples you will find.  It has only very minimal wear and you can tell it has always been handled very carefully and for once the spine remains intact!  The original inner is also in excellent shape.

This early mono pressing is known has the fifth known label variation.  Times New Roman font, JT Tax Code at the bottom of the label and BIEM / NCB on the left side with Mirage Music above it and S1/2 also on the left side.

With international shipping (including Europe) I will declare a lower amount so as to decrease/avoid any Customs' fees.

LK 4955 // XARL-8476-4A / XARL-8477-2A // K 1 / K 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 Near Mint / T5 Ex+) 

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / T2 VG- for 6/7 seconds / T3 NM- / T5 Ex+)  

The gatefold is a very strong Ex very close to Ex+

The labels are Ex+

The original inner sleeve is Ex-

Visual grading

The vinyl is in great condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen.  There are no marks and only a very small number of very faint hairlines on each side that are not easy to find!  S2 does have one tiny 4mm scratch on track three but that is only imperfection on the record.  The runout grooves are very clean and you can easily read the matrix info and JT tax code on each.  The labels have no marking or writing and whilst there is some spindle wear there is certainly not an excessive amount.  They have retained their deep red colour extremely well.

Play grading

The percussive intro on the classic 'Sympathy For The Devil' has no interference at all and Jagger's first vocal is equally as good.  It continues to play with stunning clarity and power and with that unmistakable raw Stones sound.  This is of course a genuine first mono pressing being played on a stereo set up and yet it has lost none of the original sonic quality.  The playback is unbelievable!  Every vocal and instrumental section is so 'clean' and precise with no ticks, clicks or pops and even the long fade plays to perfection with not even a single dust tick!  This is audio of the highest order and sounds as good as it did when first purchased back in late '68, if not better now we have better equipment!  No need for a minus here this is Mint in every sense of the word!

With complete silence in the dead wax the acoustic intro on 'No Expectations' then plays beautifully with no intrusion.  From that point on it plays as well as the previous track with a clarity that is second to none, another sign that this vinyl has been so well preserved over the last 52+ years.  Another Mint track.  As my regulars know I don't 'over-sell' my vinyl, there would be no sense in doing that.  I just listen to every second so as to provide a 'complete' and honest grading.

'Dear Doctor' is of the same 'high end' standard with no sign of any interference.  There is perhaps just a hint of distortion on the vocal but it is so so minor and barely worth a mention.  You can't downgrade it as such as this is purely down to mixing/production techniques at the time but I will say Mint- just to be a little cautious.

'Parachute Woman' plays in a very similar way with just a little more inner groove distortion.  As any audiophiles will know this is common with the mono recording and it still plays exceptionally well with no ticks, clicks, pops or static.  You can still play it loud without having to turn it down immediately, the distortion is minimal.  The fade out again plays faultlessly giving another example of the sublime clarity on offer here.  Let's say Near Mint

The intro on the classic 'Jig-Saw Puzzle' is nigh on perfect and that applies to the first vocal also.  It continues to play extremely well but as is always the case there is more of that 'tinny' distortion sound here.  Again there is no escaping it as this is just how the record was 'made'.  Don't get me wrong it is not overly intrusive and still gives a fascinating insight into the Stones' mono sound.  In fact the more I listen to it the more I am impressed by it and the vocals in particular are very strong and unaffected.  Otherwise there is no interference and the long fade out ends the side with stunning precision.  Maybe I shouldn't downgrade it due to the aforementioned reasons but Ex+ is certainly an honest appraisal of the audio.

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From the very first note the classic 'Street Fighting Man' plays with great clarity and power and it is only at the half way point that there are 6/7 light clicks caused by the very small scratch as described above.  They are not that intrusive really as they are not that loud and the music still plays very clearly.  In true Stones style the remainder plays with that superb raw power and with no other interference.  The majority is Mint- but is VG- during that one brief section.  It is worth pointing out that the long fade out again plays with perfect precision.

The acoustic intro on 'Prodigal Son' is 'as new' and it continues to play so clearly with no intrusion.  There is the odd note with a barely audible touch of static distortion but as always how many sellers would mention this?  There is no other 'background' and this very much deserves a Near Mint grade.

The intro on 'Stray Cat Blues' again plays perfectly and the first vocal is very impressive also.  There are a couple of light clicks about two minutes in but you might not notice them due to the power of the music!  It continues to play with tremendous power and...no interference.  Yes that familiar 'tinny' type sound you only find with this LP but it is a very strong version regardless.  The end instrumental in particular is stunning!  I think Near Mint- is fair.

'Factory Girl' plays with genuine precision from the outset and if anything this track has a greater clarity of sound than the previous tracks.  No ticks, clicks, pops and no underlying static - each note is so 'clean' and Mint- is deserved.  Just one click in the dead wax immediately after the music.

The acoustic intro on 'Salt Of The Earth' is flawless and thereafter plays with very strong audio and no actual interference.  It just has that usual almost distorted like quality that, I repeat, you always find on this album.  There is more 'distortion' on the final section but is still a great listen, you just have to accept this type of sonic quality in my opinion.  There are no ticks, clicks etc and Ex+ is about right.

In summary this vinyl plays to a very high standard with only minimal interference as described above.  The clarity and power on offer here is so impressive and whilst it does have that distorted 'tinny' sound here and there that is of course to be expected.  This is certainly one of the cleanest looking mono versions I have seen and that is reflected in the quality of the audio.  You don't need me to tell you how collectable this album is!

The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve

This G & L laminated 'mono' cover is so often found in poor condition but fortunately this is not one of them!  It has been very well preserved and has only minimal shelf wear.  The edges have hardly any 'rubbing' and there is only a little wear on the corners.  For once the spine very clean and it remains 100% legible with only a couple of minor marks and some compression as is common.  The opening edge is in lovely condition with barely any handling wear.  The front cover is super clean with no laminate damage, no obvious marking and just one small crease top right.  The back cover is just as good with only minor creasing in the bottom left corner.  What is impressive is that this cover has none of the fading/yellowing around the edges that you so often see.  The inside of the gatefold is immaculate and overall this is a fine example of this iconic cover.  It isn't one of the very first 'mono' covers as it does not have the Patents Pending print on the back.  Instead it has Sleeve printed by Garrod and Lofthouse International Limited.

The original poly-lined inner is in excellent condition with no side splits or tears just some creasing.  It has hardly any age related fading either and just one small 'spot'.  It has R.S. 5-69 printed on one side which dates it quite well!

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

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

LK 4955 // XARL-8476-4A / XARL-8477-2A // K 1 / K 1

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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