The Who Live At Leeds 1970 First Press A1/B1 Black Stamp with vinyl inserts

	£		150
	$		199

As I continue to sell some of my precious early release and first pressings of classic albums from the 60s, 70s and 80s, there are occasions when the debate about authenticity about first pressings or early release albums sometimes raise discussions about genuine details. As always I endeavour to provide an honest assessment about the origin and quality of the vinyl and cover. In this case, having done my detailed homework I can provide exact details about possibly one of the best live albums ever recorded.

The Who Live at Leeds. A superb example of a rare, sought after first edition LP with A1/B1 matrices, recorded live at Leeds University on 14 February, 1970, housed in the original gatefold ‘bootleg’ style , stapled pocket textured brown card sleeve with rarer Black Text on the front which is still bold and vivid. The album includes all twelve original inserts. An extremely rare, genuine first UK press vinyl LP on Track/Polydor records.

This is the first UK pressing (300 copies made according to available sources) with the Black Stamp on the front. It contains eleven inserts plus poster. The set was originally stored in a grease proof bag, sadly discarded 54 years ago. The set is composed as follows:

1/ Large MARQUEE poster (LIVE AT LEEDS one came later)

2/ Kings Agency insert, hole punched to the left.

3/ Small DELIVERY NOTE on thin paper.

4/ My Generation lyrics typed insert (handwritten with three *s, 2 on the left, 1 on the right. Later ones only have 2 *s.

5/ Small NOTICE insert (hole punched to the left). Later ones are not.

6/ NEW ACTION LTD insert (folded along centre lines. Later ones are not.

7/ The HIGH NUMBERS typed payment insert (folded along centre line). Later ones aren’t.

8/ The Premier Talents Associates contract insert, made in correct YELLOW. Later ones aren’t.

9/ The EMI RECORDS insert made on correct thinner paper. Later ones are thicker.

10/ The MARQUEE CLUB payments insert, hole punched to the left. Later ones aren’t.

11/ Small picture of The WHO photograph insert. Every face and eyes of every member are fully visible and 100% clear.

12/ The GUITAR OVERHEAD insert with handwritten text on the reverse. The writing is perfect in colour and detail. Most importantly in BLUE BIRO and looks absolutely exact. Later ones are badly printed in black.

Having play graded the album, bearing in mind the ‘CRACKLING NOISES O.K. DO NOT CORRECT’ on the labels, I grade Side A as EX and Side B as VG+ to EX as there are some minor surface noises on the quieter passages. However, this does not detract from the power and superb musicianship of the band, especially the Ox’s great bass playing throughout. The original cover is EX and the 12 inserts are at least EX+. Having replaced the original sleeve for a modern protective sleeve, along with a few hundred others, I cannot guarantee the inner I am including is the one I bought with the album. You will notice my name on the rear of the cover that I added when I bought the album during the Dymo Label craze. I see this as proof of provenance and I have sold previous albums with the same label attached.

Matrix/Runout (Variant 1, Side A runout stamped) 2406 001 A//1 1 1

Matrix/Runout (variant 1, Side B runout stamped) 2406 002 B//1 1 1

Overall, this is an extremely rare copy of a great album and an opportunity for a collector to own a piece of great musical history.

Thank you for looking.

All my albums are packaged securely to ensure no damage in transit. If you are purchasing outside the UK please note the buyer is responsible for any import duties etc.