The Kinks FACE TO FACE UK "EXPORT" LP NSPL18149 NMINT

	£		108
	$		143

THE KINKS - FACE TO FACE

VERY VERY RARE EXPORT ISSUE UK LP IN STEREO

• CAT:N SPL 18149
• MATRIX: NSPL18149 A-1 /B-1
• THE GENUINE FIRST PRESS INDICATORS

 I HAVE RECENTLY AQUIRED A SELECTION OF RECORDS FROM A COLLECTION OWNED BY THE LATE KEVIN DUBROW WHO WAS THE LEAD SINGER WITH THE USA BAND QUIET RIOT. SADLY KEVIN DIED IN NOVEMBER 2007 AT HIS HOME IN LAS VEGAS AND I FOUND MYSELF IN VEAGS LAST WEEK, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE WHAT AMOUNTS TO A FABULOUS SELECTION OF UK ALBUMS THAT KEVIN OWNED. I GUESS I WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME WHEN THEY WERE BEING SOLD. I HAVE PURCHASED ONLY THOSE ALBUMS THAT WERE OF UK ORIGIN, AND MOST ARE IN AMAZING CONDITION AND RARE. IT HAS BEEN INTERESTING READING A LITTLE ABOUT KEVIN SINCE I RETURNED HOME AND I NOW HAVE A REASONABLE UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THESE WERE IN HIS COLLECTION AS HE LOVED THE BRITISH INVASION MUSIC OF THE 60'S. WILKPEDIA HAS A GREAT ARTICLE ON THE LIFE OF KEVIN DUBROW AND WOULD RECOMMEND A READ AS YOU MAY WELL BE THE NEW OWNER OF ONE OR MORE OF HIS SELECT COLLECTION AFTER THIS AUCTION CLOSES.

EACH OF THE INNER SLEEVES OF THIS COLLECTION IS STAMPED TWICE WITH A PERSONALISED PRINT OF KEVINS AUTOGRAPH, SOMETHING HE MUST HAVE DONE TO PERSONALISE EACH OF THE LP'S IN HIS COLLECTION.

AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS RARELY PRESENTS ITSELF, AND EACH OF THE LP'S HAVE BEEN METICULOUSLY PRESERVED AND WILL COME TO YOU IN THE SAME SUPERB CONDITION

I WILL BE LISTING A FEW RECORDS AT A TIME OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR SO FROM THIS SUPERB COLLECTION SO CHECK BACK DAILY

THE RARE EXPORT ISSUE WAS ONLY ISSUED IN STEREO IN THIS FORMAT .THE MONO ISSUE WAS THE STANDARD UK ISSUE , BUT THE ALBUM WAS PRESSED IN STEREO FOR THE EXPORT MARKET

THE RECORD LABELS

THE FIRST PRESS DEEP PINK ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND FREE FROM AND MARKS OR STAINS. THIS COLOUR FULLY EXTENDS INTO THE SPINDLE HOLE ON BOTH SIDES. THERE IS THE MINUITEST SLIVER OF LOSS OF COLOUR ON SIDE A LABEL AT THE POINT WHERE THE PINK ENTERS THE SPINDLE HOLE. THE ACTUAL SPINDLE HOLE IS TOTALLY UNWORN AND CLEARLY KEVIN WAS SOMEONE THAT HANDLED HIS ALBUMS WITH CARE AND ACCURACY AROUND THE SPINDLE BECAUSE I AM ONLY ABLE TO MAKE OUT ONE SPINDLE LINE ON SIDE TWO AND NONE ON SIDE ONE. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE LP WAS PLAYED ONCE AND RECORDED TO TAPE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS PRISTINE, CLEAR AND SHARP AND ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THE VINYL

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE CONDITION LP. YOU DO NOT FIND THEM LIKE THIS VERY OFTEN

ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE GLOSSY BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. REMOVING IT FROM THE SLEEVE AND GENTLY AND CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE DISC REVEALS A SPOTLESS SURFACE. THIS VINYL APPEARS EXACTLY HOW A NEW VINYL WOULD HAVE LOOKED BACK IN 1966 WHEN THIS DISC WAS ORIGINALLY PRESSED. ETCHED INTO THE RUN OFF WAX ARE THE DIGITS THAT IDENTIFY THIS ALBUM AS A FIRST  PRESS. NAMELY THE CATALOGUE NUMBER NSPL 18149 A-1 *1 / NSPL 18149 B-1 *1. THE HIGH GLOSS AND MARK FREE DISC IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE CLEANEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVEN WHEN OFFERED UP TO A SPOTLIGHT (WHICH ARGUABLY ISN'T REALLY A TRUE REFLECTION OF HOW GOOD A VINYL IS, AS THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMETHING TO SEE THIS WAY) THE VINYL DISPLAYS NO MORE THAN A FEW RIDICULOUSLY WISPY HAIRLINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I HAVE INCLUDED 4 SHORT EXAMPLES OF JUST HOW GREAT THIS RECORD SOUNDS. PLEASE CLICK ON THE MEDIA PLAYER BELOW TO HEAR IT. I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE INTRODUCTION (RUN IN GROOVE) IS A REALLY GOOD REFLECTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE DISC. SO I HAVE STARTED THE RECORDING FROM THE RUN IN GROOVE, HENCE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE MUSIC STARTS. HOWEVER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY HEAR WHAT THAT RUN IN SOUNDS LIKE, WHETHER IT HAS ANY NOISE ETC. IN ADDITION I HAVE RECORDED SIDE 2'S OPENING TRACK, AND ONE OTHER TRACK FROM EACH SIDE INCLUDING THE LINKING GROOVE

THE RUN IN IS SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "PARTY LINE" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING SPECIAL. THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE, AND EACH LINKING GROOVE IS AS SILENT AS THE RUN IN THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD BY NOW. EVEN THE RUN OUT WHICH HISTORICALLY HAS NOISE ON MOST ALBUMS IS AS CLEAR AS A BELL. THE ONLY TINY BLEMISH IS RIGHT AT THE END OF TRACK TWO WHERE THERE ARE TWO LIGHT CLICKS AS THE FINAL NOTE IS PLAYED.OTHER THAN THAT JUST THE VERY ODD LIGHT POP IN A COUPLE OF PLACES, BUT NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR HISS WHATSOEVER AT ANY POINT AND UNUSUALLY NO STATIC EITHER.

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC NEAR MINT

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS MINT MINUS. IT IS THAT GOOD!!!!

THIS LAMINATED FRONT SURFACE IS IN THE BEST CONDITION I HAVE EVER SEEN THIS ALBUM COVER IN. USUALLY CREASED BADLY THIS ONE HAS BEEN PRESERVED IMMACULATELY. IT IS PERFECTLY FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS A MIRROR LIKE GLOSSY SURFACE. THERE ARE NEITHER ANY HEAVY OR LIGHT CREASES AND REMARKABLY ONLY ONE TINY LINE NEAR THE SPINE. NO THUMB LINES EITHER TO SPOIL THE APPEARANCE OF THE LAMINATED SURFACE. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE TOTALLY UNWORN, AND THE SPINE IS 100% AS NEW FLAT CLEAN WIT THE PINCHED ENDS , PRISTINE LAMINATE AND PERFECT TYPEFACE. THE OPENING EDGE IS VERY VERY SHARP AND ACURATELY DEPICTS JUST HOW LITTLE THIS VINYL HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE.

THE REAR SURFACE IS THE NON LAMINATED FLIPBACK STYLE MADE BY GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE (PATENTS PENDING) THE FLIPBACKS ARE PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY ADHERED TO THE SURFACE. THE WHITE SURFACE IS PERFECTLY WHITE WITH JUST A TRACE OF BLACK SHADOW WHERE THE RECORD HAS SAT AGAINST THE SLEEVE FROM THE INSIDE.

THE EXPORT STEREO ISSUES USED THE STANDARD MONO SLEEVE AS A REPRINT FOR THE SMALL AMOUNT THAT WAS BEING EXPORTED DID NOT MERIT A REPRINT AND A STEREO STICKER WAS STUCK OVER THE NPL SECTION OF THE CATALOGUE NUMBER ON THE REAR SURFACE. THIS ONE DOES NOT HAVE THE STICKER BUT YOU ARE ABLE TO CLEARLY SEE WHERE I9T WAS STUCK AS IT HAS LEFT A RESIDUE WHEN IT WAS REMOVED OR FELL OFF

THE ORIGINAL GREASEPROOF INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED AND AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY BEARS THE STAMPER AUTOGRAPHS OF KEVIN DUBROW. THERE ARE NO SPLITS AND THE INNER IS PERFECTLY FLAT IF A LITTLE BROWN IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS THROUGH AGE

THE RECORD HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY