The Rolling Stones : Sticky Fingers A3/B3 1st Press with Insert & fully working zip

This first pressing plays to a very high standard with only minimal interference which is limited really to just one track for a few seconds.  The vast majority plays with great clarity and depth.

The cover is also in great condition and better than so many you see today.  It has a fully working zip and includes the original insert.

As this is a first press it has no 'Promotone' info on the labels and the A3/B3 matrix is the first known matrix for this album.  The insert says 'Printed in England by Richard Davis Ltd'

COC 59100 // A3 / B3

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / T3 ranges between VG+ and Ex+)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / T2 Ex+ / T3 intro Ex) 

The cover is a very strong Ex

The insert is Ex+

The labels are Ex+

The inner sleeve is Near Mint

Visual grading

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen.  S1 is in lovely condition with only a couple of small scratchy type lines on track 3 which have only minimal affect on the audio.  Apart from that this side is stunning and there are no obvious hairlines to be seen.  S2 just has one small obvious hairline and a few faint 'mottle' marks on track 4 but they have no affect on the audio at all.  So a couple of imperfections but this is still a very impressive looking vinyl for 50 years of age.  The run out grooves are super clean and the labels have no marking apart from some spindle wear.

Play grading

The classic 'Brown Sugar' plays superbly from the get go with only a couple of light ticks on the intro.  It plays with great power and depth throughout and no interference.  There is also no distortion and with only one tick on the fade out this is a stunning Mint- start to the album.

'Sway' plays with very strong audio from start to finish and again there are no clicks or pops.  I often find this track has a 'muddy' quality to the sound on the first/early pressings but the clarity here is very impressive.  There are only a small number of barely audible dust ticks and the closing solo is stunning to say the least.  This is Near Mint overall.

The acoustic intro on 'Wild Horses' plays very clearly with only minimal light static and the first verse just has a little more.  The second verse has five light consecutive clicks but they are not that intrusive.  From that point on this classic plays so well with only a small number of light background ticks and indeed the vast majority plays with stunning quality.  The music plays so clearly with hardly any intrusion.  I would say the opening third on this track is VG+ but the remainder is easily Ex+ in my opinion with much of it playing better than that.

'Can't You Hear Me Knocking' is so strong from the very first groove and the entire 7+ minutes plays with incredible clarity, depth and power.  The opening vocal sections are nigh on perfect (just one mega light tick) and if I've ever heard the long instrumental section play any better I cannot remember when that was!  There are only a couple of very minor ticks (not clicks!) and the clarity and warmth of the music is outstanding!  To the end it plays with great precision and even an overall grading of Near Mint may be a little mean!

The acoustic intro on 'You Gotta Move' has barely any static and the rest of the track then plays with real precision and again Near Mint is deserved.

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'Bitch' on S2 has only a couple of light ticks on the intro and then plays with a power and clarity that you rarely find on the first pressings.  Again the audio has such depth to it and there is literally no interference to be heard.  A stunning Mint- version for sure with a 'high octane' end section that knocks the socks off the more recent reissues!

The quiet intro on 'I Got The Blues' has only a little static and the first verse then plays with sublime clarity.  It continues to play with great quality and there are no clicks or pops.  This record has just turned 50 and for a relatively quiet track to play this well is a rarity.  There are only a small number of non-intrusive ticks and Ex+ is a conservative grading.

The acoustic intro and first verse on 'Sister Morphine' has only very minimal light static and from then on plays with fantastic clarity and definition.  I cannot emphasise enough just how good this is!  This genuine classic has a sonic quality that is second to none and each note is so sharp and precise.  Let's say Ex for the intro but the remainder can easily be graded as Near Mint - the quiet sections play so clearly and the more up-tempo sections are 'as new' I am confident in saying.

'Dead Flowers' is superb from the opening groove and the quality does not let up the more you progress.  This is Mint- as there is no intrusion on the audio whatsoever.  Stunning!

'Moonlight Mile' begins with a near perfect acoustic intro, just a couple of light ticks, and the first vocal has no interference either.  It continues to play to a 'high end' standard with only very minimal inner groove distortion on the louder section near the end.  The quiet end section itself is very 'clean' with only a little static distortion for 3/4 seconds and it closes the album with very strong Near Mint audio overall.

In summary this album plays to a very high standard with only very minimal interference.  It's only 'Wild Horses' that has what you would deem obvious interference but even then it does not last long.  In the main the LP plays with great clarity and warmth and there cannot be many A3/B3 first pressings that play as well as this.

The Cover, Insert & Inner Sleeve

The famous cover is excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear and is certainly one of the best first press ones I have seen in a long time.  It is open at both the top and bottom and the edges are very clean with very little rubbing.  The spine is in great shape with only minimal rubbing at the top and bottom.  The band name and title are 100% legible although the catalogue number is slightly obscured.  The two right corners have very little wear.  The front cover is in superb shape and has only a couple of very small faint marks and the small flap above the belt has only a little creasing.  Good to see it there as it is so often missing!  The small zipper 'works' perfectly and is blank with just two indented parallel lines.  There are a few faint indent marks on the cover next to it.  The back cover is in great condition also with some minor indent marks and a few faint scratch lines.  Overall this is a fine example of this iconic cover.

The two-sided insert is in excellent condition with no tears and no obvious creasing.  It just has a small number of light spots on one side.  The plain white die-cut inner has no side splits or tears and no marking either.  I'm not sure if it is the original one but it is nonetheless in excellent condition.

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

COC 59100 // A3 / B3

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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