The Beatles White Album, MONO low number 0124476 top-opening VG+/EX-

	£		52
	$		68

The Beatles White Album

Mono very early pressing, low number top-opening  0124476

Matrix / Mother / Stamper

XEX 709-1 / 6 /  AM

XEX 710-1 / 4 /  AA

XEX 711-1 / 1 / GP

XEX 712-1 / 1 / GM

Both LPs are clean and shiny with crisp clean labels, unmarked, well centred and flat on heavy 145gm vinyl.  They are the original dark green colour.  

All sides have Sold in the U.K. subject to resale price conditions, see price lists

Sides 1 and 2 have An E.M.I. recording (not in inverted commas) 33 1/3 and mfd in U.K.

Sides 3 and 4 do not have An E.M.I recording... but otherwise as sides 1/2

In general there is some background noise typical of mono records played on modern hi-tech stereo decks which were barely conceived of back in the day!  There are visible marks on sides 1 and 3 which do sound ('Back in the USSR' appears to have had a major accident with a Dansette however it plays through the track with some skips and a shortish distorted passage but without sticking!).  The strong, rich mono sound shines through thoughout.  The rest of sides 1/2 are excellent and easily meet VG+ or even EX- the lovely 'I Will' at the end of side 2 sounds beautiful.  There is some light surface noise between tracks but it doesn't much intrude on the music. 

There are some visible scratches on side 3 but they don't really intrude too much except in "Mother Natures Son" where this is a tick which lasts for about 20 seconds or so.  Apart from this once again I'd rate both sides VG+ Bear in mind this record is 43 years old and although it has almost certainly seen service on a Dansette auto player (shudder) it's in pretty decent shape - obviously this is subjective but in my opinion it holds up well on my Project RPM5 and Ortofon 2M blue cartridge for which it was never envisaged that it would be played on!

The cover is very clean and uniform white inside and out; unusually there is no yellowing from 1960's cigs even on the spine!  The inside of the card (where the records go) is pale grey.  There are some slight creases on the stem side (see photo) but generally it's very crisp, the corners are hardly damaged at all and the laminate is intact apart from a few tiny spots.  There are a few indentations and marks but they don't show much unless you look closely under a bright light.  "The BEATLES" is nicely embossed almost horizontally at 4 O'clock with the number 0124476 clearly printed with a bit of the 6 missing and (unusually) almost horizontally below.   There is very little ring wear. 

The stem is clean with some cracking of the laminate down the centre but the lettering is clearly visible top and bottom.  The back has no lettering whatever.  There is a light crease in the bottom LH corner and very little corner damage. The top opening is mostly sharp with some minor laminate loss on the top RH edge. The inside is sharp and white.

I grade the sleeve as VG+ bordering on EX, not bad for a 43 year old cover most of which were used and abused back in the day!  

There is a colour poster printed by garrod and lofthouse with the original 'kiss' decal and the lyrics on the rear.  It is flat and square, no evidence of being pinned up and the seams are crisp with only one very small tear on a seam of about 1" on the top middle RHS.  Even not allowing for its age I'd grade this as EX and I believe it to be original with the record.

There are three of the original photos (Paul is missing) on thick paper in VG+ to EX condition; like the poster I believe them to be original to the record.  

The black sugar-paper inner sleeves are original and apart from small tears in the die-cut centre they are in super condition which I rate EX- (for the tears).  I have included anti-static poly liners from when the records were last cleaned on a professional Moth machine.  This is a really clean, nice example of this iconic LP with a low-numbered top-opening sleeve in very good to excellent condition.   It will be packed in a professional, stiffened mailer (either new or recycled) and sent recorded delivery.

If you've never listened to this album in mono it's a real treat; the mix is so much richer and in a few places completely different to the stereo pressing.  It also has all the authentic and original sleeve, inners, 3 photos and poster/lyric sheet all in decent condition.

Gradings are from Record Collector magazine guidelines. I try to be conservative and list all the flaws I find.

Postage and packing is at cost, local pick-up from Milton Keynes is welcome.

International prices on request, I regret that I may have to decline to send to certain countries but I have sold to the EU and Ireland, USA and Canada and Japan in the past.

Any questions please ask.

Happy bidding on this very nice, rare first pressing of a classic LP.

Low start and fair reserve!

Good luck!