THE WHO: Live at Leeds, earliest BLACK STAMP All inserts inc MARQUEE POSTER
£
108
$
143
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Description
Here is a rare find - a totally original and fully complete copy of The Who's 'Live At Leeds' on UK Track vinyl, boasting the rarely seen first press black stamp and all 12 first batch inserts including the coveted withdrawn 'Marquee' poster. You might think this is an easy album to find but tracking down a complete true first press set is a tough task indeed, with many of the original Marquee posters having long disappeared. This first black stamp pressing is the earliest and rarest set you can find of this album, with only a few hundred copies released - all subsequent pressings, the ones you are most likely to encounter, feature red- or blue-stamped covers and noticeably different inserts. In fact all 12 of these first batch inserts have a very different look and feel to those of later pressings. For a start there is no mistaking the primary insert - the 'Tuesdays at the Marquee' poster. These Marquee posters were swiftly withdrawn, with subsequent pressings containing the 'Live at Leeds' poster instead. Here, for once, is a pristine example of that original Marquee poster. Most of these posters will have been displayed at some time or other, and so even if they are found today they are likely to suffer from pin holes, tape or adhesive residue, or even have chunks missing. But this Marquee poster is practically perfect (I have included a photo of the blank white rear of the poster to show you it has never even seen a wall). The remaining 11 inserts are also unique to this first pressing, and in general are on thinner paper, and the text is sharper than that of subsequent pressings; they seem to have an authenticity in both appearance and texture, so that the type looks like typewriter type, and the paper feels like paper which might actually have been run through a typewriter. In addition three of these original inserts - the County Courts notice, the Marquee Club invoice and the King's Agency cancellation - feature punched holes which you won't find on later copies. Just as a keen ear will detect a deterioration in the quality of sound from later pressings, the alert observer will note a gradual decline in the sharpness of the printing and in the quality of the paper as these inserts were reproduced down the years in subsequent repressings. Live at Leeds is one of the greatest live rock performances ever commited to vinyl, and though we are warned here that 'crackling noises are correct' you are still assured of a magnificent listen. This thick slab of flat-edged first press vinyl is the very earliest pressing you could find, with unbelievable A//1 11 and B//1 11 matrices, clearly from the very first batch! The vinyl is in strong VG condition with just a very few light marks to be seen when examined under strong halogen lighting. The labels are also impressive, with no writing or sticker tears but just some light mottling to be seen when angled under a strong light. The flimsy gatefold cover with its inner pouch and black stamp and black inner sleeve text is VG- with a little age-related wear, a little sticker tear and some general staining. So in all a much rarer package than many collectors might think. Good luck if you are bidding and please check out my other items.
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