The Who TOMMY UK 1ST LAMINATED W/PROTOTYPE BOOK MINT-

	£		197
	$		261

THE WHO - TOMMY

THIS COPY HAS TO BE THE RAREST ON THE PLANET

UNHEARD OF PROTOTYPE LYRIC BOOKLET

UNHEARD OF SPINELESS LAMINATED SLEEVE

all IN mint minus condition!!!!!!

• CATALOGUE:TRACK 613013/4
• MATRIX: 613013 A//1  /  B//1   613014 A//1   /  B//1
• NO SET NUMBER ON THE LABEL

I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START WITH THIS INCREDIBLE LP SET. SO LET MAKE THIS STATEMENT

'THIS SET HAS WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A PROTOTYPE LYRIC BOOKLET INCLUDED'

THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS SET WHO PURCHASED IT ON THE DAY OF RELEASE TOLD ME THAT UNLIKE HIS FRIENDS COPY (ALSO PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME) THIS SET HAD TWO DIFFERENT FEATURES. THE SPINE ON THIS SET IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO ALL OTHER COPIES, AND INSIDE THE SLEEVE WAS HOUSED A UNIQUE AND TOTALLY DIFFERENT LYRIC BOOK THAN EVERY OTHER COPY ISSUED.

SO STARTING WITH THE BOOKLET. THIS WAS AS I MENTIONED HOUSED INSIDE THIS SLEEVE WHEN THE ORIGINAL OWNER PURCHASED IT BACK IN 1969. THERE WAS NO LIMITED NUMBERED BOOK LIKE THE ONE HIS FRIEND HAD WITH HIS COPY, JUST THIS SMALLER BLUE COVERED BOOKLET WHICH HAS EXCERPTS FROM TOMMY A ROCK OPERA BY THE WHO' INSIDE A SHIELD DESIGN ON THE FRONT AND UNDERNEATH 'LYRIC BOOK' COPYRIGHT C 1969 BY TRACK MUSIC INC

THE BOOKLET ALSO HAS AN IMAGE OF PETE TOWNSEND ON THE REAR COVER

I HAVE ADDED A LIMITED EDITION NUMBERED BOOKLET TO THIS ONE WHICH CAME FROM ANOTHER ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS, SO THAT THE NEW OWNER HAS BOTH THE COMMON BOOKLET, AND THE AMAZING POSSIBLY ONE OFF PROTOTYPE BOOKLET.

LOOKING CAREFULLY AT THE ACTUAL LYRICS AND TYPEFACE IS IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT THE TYPEFACE IS 100% IDENTICAL IN THIS SMALL BOOKLET TO THE ONE USED ON THE NUMBERED LIMITED EDITION. BUT HERE IS WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE PROOF THAT THIS SMALLER BOOKLET WAS THE ORIGINALLY INTENDED INSERT FOR THIS ALBUM.

PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE WORDS 'AMAZING JOURNEY' ON BOTH THE NUMBERED AND THE PROTOTYPE BOOKLET. YOU WILL SEE THAT IN BRACKETS ARE THE WORDS (SEE COVER). THIS HAS NEVER MADE ANY SENSE TO ME PREVIOUSLY AS THE NUMBERED BOOKLET DOESN'T HAVE A COVER . IN FACT AMAZING JOURNEY IS ON THE TOP PAGE AND THE ALBUM COVER ITSELF HAS NOTHING ABOUT AMAZING JOURNEY ON IT APART FROM THE TITLE IN THE TRACKLIST ON THE REAR SURFACE.

THE SMALL BOOKLET HOWEVER DOES HAVE THE MISSING DETAIL. ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT COVER THERE ARE THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE TOMMY STORY LISTED AS HEADINGS WITH DETAIL OF THE STORY LINE UNDERNEATH EACH TITLE. ONE OF THESE HEADINGS IS 'AMAZING JOURNEY'

SO WHEN THE LYRIC SECTION ON THE NEXT PAGE SAYS (SEE COVER) THE READER IS DIRECTED BACK TO THE INNER COVER TO LEARN ABOUT THE PART OF THE STORY THE LYRICS REFER TO

I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD OF AND MAYBE EVEN UNSEEN ORIGINAL PROTOTYPE OF WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE INSERTED INTO THE FIRST PRESSES OF TOMMY, BEFORE SOMEONE GOT THE IDEA OF NUMBERING THE BOOKLETS, AND REDESIGNING THEM WITH COLOUR PICTURES AND MAKING THE WHOLE THING LARGER. IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES LOGICAL SENSE.

SECONDLY THIS LAMINATED SLEEVE ALWAYS COMES WITH A SQUARE FLAT SPINE, BUT THIS COPY DOESN'T. IT HAS A VERY THIN GROOVED SPINE WITH WHAT LOOK LIKE BELLOW DESIGN TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS, THAT FLEX OPEN TO GIVE THE SPINE MORE SUPPORT AND 'GIVE' WHEN PLACED UNDER PRESSURE.

IT IS ALWAYS THE WORST PART OF ANY TOMMY LAMINATED SLEEVE AS THE ORIGINAL FLAT SPINES ARE 99% OF THE TIME TORN AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, AND THE LAMINATE HAS FLAKED AWAY FROM THE HIGH EDGES. THIS IS ALL DOWN TO THE WAY THE LP'S ARE HOUSED INSIDE THE SLEEVE FROM THE INSIDE SPINE EDGE. AND SLID INTO A POCKET.IF THE VINYLS WERE NOT FULLY HOUSED INSIDE THE POCKET, ANY PROTRUDING VINYL WOULD OVER TIME ACT LIKE A BLUNT KNIFE ON THE SPINE AND THIS IS WHY SO MANY OF THE ORIGINAL LAMINATED FIRST PRESSES ARE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AROUND THE SPINE AREA.

SO COULD THIS HAVE BEEN A DESIGN MADE TO COUNTERACT THIS PROBLEM. WAS IT MADE PRIOR TO THE FLAT SPINES (AS THE RARE BOOKLET WOULD SUGGEST) BUT FOUND TO BE EITHER TOO UNECONOMICAL OR TIME CONSUMING TO MAKE. EITHER WAY THIS IS A SPINE THAT I HAVE NEVER EVER COME ACROSS BEFORE IN ALL MY YEARS OF COLLECTING AND HANDLING COPIES OF THIS ALBUM (SEE PICTURES) AS I HAVE INCLUDED ONE IMAGE OF BOTH TYPES NEXT TO EACH OTHER

SO FINALLY WHAT THEN MAKE A FIRST PRESS TOMMY

• THE SLEEVE MUST BE FULLY LAMINATED ON THE THREE FOLD OUT SECTIONS
• THE SLEEVE MUST BE MADE BY E.J.DAY
• THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST BE A1/B1/C1/D1
• THE LABELS MUST BE MATT BLACK NOT SHINY
• THE LABELS MUST HAVE NO CERATED RIDGE RUNNING ROUND THE RIM
• THE LABELS MUST 'NOT' HAVE THE CATALOGUE NUMBER UNDER 'ST33' ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL (LATER PRESSES HAVE THIS NUMBER UNDERNEATH)

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE JET BLACK BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND EVERY LETTER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE TRACK LOGO WHICH CAN RUB AND WEAR BADLY IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION ON ALL 4 SIDES. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS 2-3 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE BY INDICATING THE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PLAY THAT THIS 1969 SET HAS RECEIVED. SIDE 2 HAS 4-5 SPIDER LINES INDICATING SIDE 3 WAS PLAYED SLIGHTLY MORE, AND AS SIDE 3 CONTAINS THE HIT 'PINBALL WIZARD' THIS I BELIEVE IS THE REASON WHY

A WORD ABOUT THE DISCS. ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE LABELS CAN EASILY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF EACH LABEL THE CATALOGUE NUMBER HAS 'DOUBLE ALBUM' UNDERNEATH IT AND IN BRACKETS (RECORD 2) ETC., AND NOTHING UNDERNEATH THE ST 33 MARKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL.

 WHEREAS LATER PRESSES HAD  IN  BRACKETS (SET NUMBER 2657-002) ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE UNDER ST 33

ALSO ORIGINAL TRACK PRESSINGS OF THIS ERA WERE PRESSED WITH SIDES 1 & 4 ON DISC ONE, AND 2 & 3 ON DISC TWO. THIS IS SOLELY BECAUSE RECORD PLAYERS OF THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES HAD THE DREADED AUTOCHANGER, AND IN ORDER TO GET THE SOUNDTRACK IN THE RIGHT ORDER,THE OWNER COULD STACK THE LP'S ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER SO SIDE ONE WOULD DROP AND PLAY THEN WHEN FINISHED DISC TWO WOULD DROP AND PLAY SIDE 2. WHEN THIS HAD ENDED THE TWO VINYLS COULD BE TURNED OVER WHERE SIDES 3 AND 4 WOULD PLAY IN ORDER

THE VINYL

SUPERB ORIGINAL HEAVY DISCS. BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE . THEY LOOK ALMOST AS GOOD TODAY AS THEY DID BACK IN 1969. THEY HAVE BEEN SITTING INSIDE THE SLEEVE UNPLAYED FOR SO LONG THAT SIDE ONE HAS DEVELOPED A VERY LIGHT BAG RASH EFFECT, WHICH WHILST SHOWING A LOVELY WAVY PATTERN WHEN ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT , HAPPILY DOESN'T AFFECT THE PLAYTHROUGH AT ALL.OTHER THAN THIS IN DAYLIGHT THE DISCS LOOK FLAWLESS, AND ONLY WHEN OFFERED UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE THERE A FEW SUPERFICIAL HANDLING LINES AND SOME VERY WISPY HAIRLINES. AGAIN NONE OF THESE CAUSE ANY ISSUES AT ALL WITH THE PLAY

OTHER THAN THISPLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE LP SET FROM START TO FINISH AS I DO NOW WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID.

THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM THIS FIRST PRESS SET IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR STEREO REPRODUCTION THAT IS BOTH CRISP AND CLEAN SOUNDING. THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, OR CRACKLING GOING ON BEHIND THE MUSIC, AND NOTHING OTHER THAN SILENCE IN THE LINKING GROOVES. A BARELY PLAYED 1969 SET AT MOST THATS ONE -TWO PLAYS EVERY 21 YEARS!!!

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER MEANING THAT THE FEW TIMES THE VINYL HAS BEEN PLAYED WERE COMPLETED ON AA SYSTEM WITH A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THERE AREN'T EVEN MORE THAN A COUPLE OF DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE 4 SIDES,AND THE VERY VERY ODD SPLIT SECOND OF STATIC IN A FEW RANDOM SPOTS, AND I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS VINYL MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

WELL WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLEEVE? THIS ONE HAS SAT INSIDE A PLASTIC COVER FROM NEW!!!

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MOST COPIES FOR SALE, YOU WILL NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SLEEVE LETS THE RECORDS DOWN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VINYL IS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, SO LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT THE SLEEVE IS FULLY LAMINATED AND AS IT IS A TRI GATEFOLD IT MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SURFACE AREAS ARE VERY THIN AND FLIMSY WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN SERIOUS CREASES, FOLDS AND BENDS TO THE LAMINATE, BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THIS SLEEVE HISTORICALLY IS THE SPINE AND THE AREA WHERE THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE COVER. SO STARTING WITH THAT, WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON MOST EXAMPLES IS A TORN OPENING EDGE, AND THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT BOTH ALBUMS SIT INSIDE THE SAME POCKET WHICH HAS THE OPENING EDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE GATEFOLD BY THE SPINE, MEANING THAT THE LP'S HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY SLID INTO THE POCKET VIA THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT THE OUTSIDE, THE SLIGHTEST WRONG BIT OF PRESSURE TRYING TO GET THEN IN OR OUT ALWAYS RESULTED IN A TORN OPENING EDGE.

THE MOST VISIBLE DAMAGE ON MOST COPIES THOUGH IS THE ACTUAL SPINE, WHICH IS OFTEN FOUND BADLY TORN. THIS IS COMPLETELY DUE TO HOW THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE POCKET, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE POCKET ( I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO) THEN THE VINYLS STICKOUT A LITTLE NEAR THE SPINE AND WHEN THE SLEEVE IS CLOSED THE VINYL ACTS LIKE A DULL BLADE AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WEARS THROUGH THE SPINE.

NOW HERE IS THE INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE ON THIS GENUINE 1ST ISSUE E.J.DAY UK SLEEVE.

'IT HAS NO LARGE FLAT SPINE'

EVERY COPY OF THIS I HAVE EVER HANDLED HAS HAD A FLAT SQUARE SPINE WHICH YOU WILL SEE IN THE PICTURES, BECAUSE I HAVE SHOWN THIS AMAZING 'ONE OFF?' NEXT TO THE STANDARD ISSUE.

WHAT THIS COPY HAS IS A THIN GROOVED SPINE WITH FLANGES TOP AND BOTTOM THAT PROTECT THE SPINE FROM SPLITTING.

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE DESIGN AND FAR SUPERIOR TO THE STANDARD EASILY DAMAGED FLAT ONE. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A PROTOTYPE DESIGN THAT WAS TOO TIME CONSUMING OR COSTLY TO PRODUCE, AND WAS CHANGED TO THE MORE COMMON STYLE. I CANNOT HONESTLY SAY FOR SURE, BUT WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT THIS SLEEVE IS VERY VERY RARE AND AS I SAY I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE BEFORE TODAY, AND I HAVE SEEN MANY MANY COPIES

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR.THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, FOLDS OR BENDS ANYWHERE, AND EVEN THE SMALL LAMINATE LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE ARE LIMITED TO JUST THREE MINUSCULE AND BARELY VISIBLE ONES. THERE ARE ALSO TWO MORE ON THE RIGHT HAD EDGE, AGAIN VERY SMALL

THE  SPINE IS JUST UNTORN. UNWORN, JUST MAGNIFICENT, NO LAMINATE LOSS, FLAKE, PEEL, LIFT OR ANYTHING, AND IT IS STILL HIGHLY POLISHED.THERE IS JUST THE LIGHTEST ROUGHNESS TO THE LAMINATE AT THE FLANGED ENDS, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY NOT FLAKING OR PEELING.THE PICTURES ARE TAKEN ON MACRO SO ARE FAR MORE CRITICAL THAT THE HUMAN EYE CAN SEE. DON'T BE FOOLED INTO THINKING THE ENDS ARE SPLIT. IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED THIS WAY TO ALLOW FOR FLEX. THE BIT THAT LOOKS SPLIT IS IN FACT SHAPED LIKE BELLOWS WITH ANOTHER PIECE IF THE SPINE INSIDE THE FOLD

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE FRONT.AGAIN JUST A FEW TINY TINY LAMINATE LINES (BARELY VISIBLE) ON THE EDGES.

ALSO WORTH A MENTION IS THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE EXPOSED EDGES AS WELL AS THE SPINE ARE IN MINT CONDITION, NO CRACKS TO THE LAMINATE AT ALL AND EVERY UNLAMINATED EDGE IS UNRUBBED AND UNFEATHERED.

THE ORIGINAL SET NUMBER STICKER IS CORRECTLY PLACED JUST BELOW THE CATALOGUE NUMBER IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER

THE THIRD LAMINATED SURFACE IS ONCE AGAIN GLEAMING AND FREE FROM ANY  LINES  I HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE OF ALL THREE LAMINATED SURFACES AND I AM HAPPY TO SEND ANY MORE IMAGES OF THIS AMAZING SLEEVE IF NEEDED. ITS JUST THAT 12 PICTURES THAT EBAY ALLOW IN THIS CASE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH.

THE TRIFOLD INNER SURFACES AND ONCE AGAIN THEY ARE IN SUPERB UNMARKED CONDITION. THE FAR RIGHT SECTION IS THE POCKET THAT HOUSES THE VINYL, AND THERE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF REALLY FINE THUMB LINES CLOSE TO THE OPENING EDGE

THE NUMBERED BOOKLET THAT I HAVE PLACED INSIDE THE COVER IS A PARTICULARLY LOW NUMBER 21880, AND APART FROM A COUPLE OF TINY SMALL BROWN AGEING SPOTS IS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION

THE ORIGINAL LYRIC BOOKLET THAT WAS HOUSED WITH THIS SET IS IN MINT MINUS CONDITION. TOTALLY UNCREASED AND UNWORN. I HAVE DETAILED THIS INCREDIBLE RARITY AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LISTING

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED , AND UNSPLIT.WITH JUST SOME VERY LIGHT AGEING TO THE EDGES

ANYWAY WHO EVER WINS THIS LP WILL I AM CERTAIN BE JUST AS AMAZED AS I AM RIGHT NOW.

 HOLDING WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A MASTERCOPY OF THIS ICONIC WHO ALBUM

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE MINT MINUS  IT IS JUST THAT BRILLIANT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY