The BEATLES Sgt Pepper UK LP 1st MONO YB PMC7027 NMINT-

	£		93
	$		123

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

THE ORIGINAL 1ST PRESS IN MONO

• PARLOPHONE RECORDS
• YELLOW AND BLACK LABELS
• PMC 7027
• MATRIX NUMBERS:XEX 637-1 / XEX 638-1
• STAMPERS: 5 TP / 6 GOD

THE STUNNING SGT PEEPRS LP FROM 1967. MANY AVAILABLE BUT HARD TO COLLECT IN THIS SORT OF CONDITION. BOTH THE MONO AND STEREO COPIES HAVE THEIR OWN MERITS. PERSONALLY I PREFER THE STEREO RECORDING, BUT THE MONO SOLD IN FEWER QUANTITY AS MOST CONSMERS WERE BUYING STSRO RECORD PLAYERS AND WANTED STEREO RECORDINGS. ONLY THE OLD DIE HARDS KEPT THIER MONO SYSTEMS AND CONTINUED TO BUY THE MONO PRESSINGS. THEREFORE A MONO VERSION OF MOST 1967/68/69 LP 'S WILL FETCH CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN THEIR STEREO COUNTERPARTS.

SO HERE WE HAVE A GENUINE ORIGINAL PRESS MONO LP.

STARTING WITH THE SLEEVE, AS YOU WILL KNOW IT IS A FULLY LAMINATED GATEFOLD MANUFACTURED BY GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE, AND IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS ALBUM SLEEVE ON THE PLANET, AS THIS WAS THE BEATLES EXCURSION INTO PYSCH.

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE I CAN STATE RIGHT AWAY THAT THI IS ONE OF THE CLEANEST ORIGINAL SLEEVES I HAVE SEEN. THE LAMINATE IS IN PERFECT CONDITION. NO CREASES OR BENDS AT ALL TO SPOIL THE SURFACE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TINY LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE WHICH YOU WILL FIND ON 99% OF ANY LP, AND A COUPLE MORE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE. THESE YOU HAVE TO TURN THE SLEEVE AT A CERTAIN AGLE TO SEE THEM SO THIS SHOULD GIVE AN IDEA OF HOW SMALL THEY ARE.THE BOTTOM AND TOP EDGES ARE UNWORN, AND ONLY THE VERY TIP OF THE CORNERS SHOW ANY SHELF WEAR.

THE OPENING EDGE IS UNFEATHERED AND ONLY A FEW LIGHT FINGERNAIL MARKS SHOW THE OPENING TO HAVE ANY WEAR AT ALL. VERY NICE TO SEE A COVER IN THIS FINE CONDITION.

THE REAR SURFACE IS JUST AS NICE AS THE FRONT, THE SPINE IS LEGIBLE, HOWEVER A LITTLE OF THE LAMINATE HAS WORN OFF.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD THE FAMILIAR CREAKING SOUND IS HEARD. REALLY STRANGE HOW EVERY COPY OF THIS LP DOES THIS, BUT IT IS COMFORTING TO HEAR, AS A VERY WORN SLEEVE WOULDNT DO THIS.

INSIDE THE FRONT HALF OF THE GATEFOLD THE CUT OUT SHEET IS INSERTED. THIS SHEET IS UNCUT AND IN FINE CONDITION.

THE ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE RED AND WHITE INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED. IT IS THE FIRST PRESS "PATENTS APPLIED FOR SLEEVE"

I HAVE CAREFULLY EXAMINED THE SLEEVE FOR TEARS ETC AND CAN ONLY REPORT A FEW LITTLE NICKS IN THE VERY TOP OF THE OPENING. I HAVE REMOVED THE LP FROM THE SLEEVE AND PLACED IT INTO A POLY LINED INNER SLEEV TO ENSURE THE RED AND WHITE INNER REMAINS AS GOOD FOREVER.

THE LABELS ARE AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THE ORIGINAL BLACK AND YELLOW PARLOPHONE ISSUE, AND HAVE THE "SOLD IN THE UK" STATEMENT, AND THE GRAMOPHONE CO RIM WORDING.

THE LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION, AND DISPLY NO SPINDLE HOLE WEAR WHATSOEVER. CLEARLY THIS LP HAS BEEN NOWHERE NEAR AN AUTOCHANGER. IN FCAT CAREFUL EXAMINATION DOES REVELA A FEW LIGHT SPIDER LINES, BUT NOTHING HEAVY, AND MY ESTIMATE IS THAT THE RECORD CAN HAVE HAD NO MORE THAN 15 PLAYS LIFETIME.      

NO GREASY MARKS OR ANY OHER IRRITATIONS ON THE LABELS. THEY LOOK SUPERB.

NEXT THE VINYL, WHICH GLEAMS LIKE A NEW RECORD SHOULD. IT IS IMPORTANT PARTICULARLY WITH THIS LP THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO SURFACE MARKS, AS THE PERFORMANCE IS MORE EASILY DAMAGED ON PEPPER THAN ANY OTHER BEATLES LP I HAVE COME ACROSS. IT IS A STRANGE VINYL AS WELL IN THAT THERE ARE NO OBVIOUS LINKING GROOVES, AND ALL THE TRACKS APPEAR TO RUN INTO EACH OTHER, AND THIS VINYL HISTORICLY SHOWS UP MARKS CLEARER THAN NY OTHER I CAN THINK OF. ANYWAY AS I SAY THERE ARE NO SCARTCHES, FINGERMARKS OR STAINS ON THE VINYL ANYWHERE.

I HAVE ALSO EXAMINED IT CLOSELY UNDER ILLUMINATION AND ONLY HERE AT CERTAIN ANGLES CAN I MAKE OUT A FEW VERY FAINT HAIRLINE WHISPS. I AM SURE THIS WILL NOT AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE HOWEVER.

SO FINALLY ONTO THE PLAY TEST. GENTLY LOWERING THE STYLUS ONTO THE LP I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THERE IS A NEAR SILENT RUN IN TO THE OPENING TRACK. NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES OR HISSES AT ALL. THE RECORD OPENS WITH THE BRILLIANT SGT PEPPER, AND AS THE TRACK CLOSES ONCE AGAIN THERE ARE SECONDS OF SILENCE AS THE TRACK SWITHCHES INTO WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS. THIS SUPERB STANDARD IS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT BOTH SIDE SOF THE ALBUM, AND THE ONLY DETREMENTAL SOUNDS I HEARD WERE A FEW LIGHT POPS ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, AND THE VERY VERY FAINTEST OF STATIC IN THE ODD SPOT. THE QUALITY OF THE RECORDING IS SECOND TO NOE, AND IT WAS A REAL PLEASURE TO LISTEN TO THIS GREAT LP. WITHOUTTHE LITTLE POPS I WOULD BE GRADING THE LP NEAR MINT FOR SURE, BUT BECAUSE OF THESE FEW LIGHT NOISES. I WILL GRADE IT NEAR MINT MINUS. HOWEVER THIS IS A VERY VERY FINE AND HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE LP SET, AND ONLY A MINT OFFERING WOULD BE WORTH UPGRADING TO. IT WOULD WITHOUT QUESTION GRACE ANY COLLECTION

MANY MANY COPIES OF THIS ALBUM FOR SALE, JUST TYPE IN SGT PEPPER INTO THE SEARCH ENGINE TO SEE WHAT I MEAN. HOWEVER IN MOST CASES THE RECORDS ARE JUST THE USUAL OLD FODDER. SO MANY BEATLES LISTINGS FROM ANYONE WHO OWNS AN OLD BEATLES ALBUM AND SEES THE SORTS OF FIGURES SOME OF THEM COMMAND, AND LISTS THEIR OWN BATTERED COPY EXPECTING IT TO GET THE SAME HIGH FIGURES. WORSE STILL PEOPLE DEFINE THE CONDITION OF THEIR LP'S AS MINT WHEN IN FACT VG WOULD BE A GRADE TOO HIGH IN A LOT OF CASES.

THEREFORE IT IS A MINEFIELD WHEN LOOKING TO OBTAIN A GREAT COPY. I WOULD ALWAYS SUGGEST BUYING FROM A RESPECTED SELLER, WHO HAS A GOOD FEEDBACK, AND A REFUND POLICY.

MINE IS SIMPLE. IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE, PLEASE RETURN IT IN THE SAME CONDITION RECEIVED FOR A FULL REFUND LESS POSTAGE