The Who TOMMY UK LP 1ST PRESS ALL//1 MATRIX LAMINATED SLEEVE 2-4 PLAYS NEAR MINT

	£		311
	$		412

THE WHO - TOMMY

IN SUPERB NEAR MINT OVERALL PLAYTHROUGH CONDITION

FIRST UK PRESS WITH INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT!!! LAMINATED SLEEVE AND  LOW NUMBERED BOOKLET

• CATALOGUE:TRACK 613013/4
• MATRIX: 613013 A//1  /  B//1   613014 A//1   /  B//1
• THE MARKINGS OF A TRUE FIRST PRESS SET
• UNIQUE NUMBER = 19258

A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS SOUGHT AFTER FIRST PRESS. ONLY THE VERY FIRST ISSUES OF THIS DOUBLE ALBUM CAME WITH A FULLY LAMINATED TRI GATEFOLD SLEEVE. MOST YOU WILL SEE HAVE THE MATT FINISH SLEEVE.

ADDED TO THIS THE FIRST ISSUES HAVE A NUMBER IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE BOOKLET THAT COMES WITH THE PACKAGE

THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT PRESSES HAVE THE BOOK THAT STATES LIMITED EDITION NUMBER, BUT ON THESE COPIES THERE IS NO ACTUAL NUMBER

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN SUPERB 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 THAT SOME SIDES HAVE HAD FEWER PLAYS THAN OTHERS. THE WAY THESE LP'S WERE SET OUT WAS INTENDED FOR THE DREADED AUTOCHANGER RECORD PLAYERS OF THE 60'S AND 70'S WITH SIDES ONE AND FOUR ON THE SAME DISC. SIDES 2 AND THREE ON THE OTHER. THIS ALLOWED THE FOUR SIDES TO BE PLAYED IN ORDER ON THE RECORD PLAYER. ON THIS SET THERE ARE BETWEEN 2-4 SMALL SPIDER LINES AROUND THE HOLES

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

THE VINYL

BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE . IN DAYLIGHT THE VINYL LOOKS PRISTINE,AND FLAWLESS. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES, A COUPLE OF VERY FINE HANDLING LINES AND THAT'S ALL. A SUPERB SET OF ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS VINYLS

PLAYING 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 WHOLE DOUBLE ALBUM SET FROM START TO FINISH, AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME 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. THE CLARITY OF THE ORIGINAL PRESS IS THERE FOR ALL TO HEAR. THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO ANY PART OF THE SOUNDTRACK WHATSOEVER THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, OR HEAVY CRACKLING GOING ON BEHIND THE MUSIC EITHER.NO LOUD CLICKS ANYWHERE

SIDE ONE PLAYS TO A MINT MINUS GRADE WITH STUNNING AUDIO AND JUST THE ODD TINY SPECK OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN A COUPLE OF THE LINKING GROOVES. NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF THE TINIEST DUST POPS THROUGH THE SIDE

SIDE TWO PLAYS TO AN EXCELLENT PLUS GRADE. THERE IS A LITTLE LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND HEARD BEHIND THE MUSIC IN THE MOST SILENT PASSAGES ONLY PLUS A COUPLE OF TINY DUST POPS

SIDE THREE PLAYS TO A NEAR MINT GRADE. JUST THE ODD SPECK OF STATIC IN SOME OF THE MOST SILENT PASSAGES AND A COUPLE OF DUST POPS

SIDE FOUR PLAYS TO A NEAR MINT MINUS GRADE AGAIN JUST A THE VERY ODD SPECK OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC. THERE IS TWO SMALL TICS IN THE FINAL TRACK, AND A COUPLE OF TINY DUST POPS ELSEWHERE

ANYWAY DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, YOU CAN SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE RECORDING. SO YOU CAN BE THE JUDGE AGAINST YOUR OWN STANDARDS

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS PLAYTHROUGH OVER ALL AS NEAR MINT!!!

THE SLEEVE

WELL WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLEEVE?

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.THIS ALSO ENSURES THAT THE THIN LAMINATE COATING OVER THE SPINE WILL AT FIRST CRACK, AND THEN START TO FLAKE AWAY

THIS AMAZING COPY HOWEVER IS VIRTUALLY PERFECT IN THAT AREA, AND HAS CLEARLY BEEN CARED FOR PROPERLY FROM NEW. MY BELIEF IS THAT THE LP'S WERE HOUSED SEPARATELY FROM THE SLEEVE. IT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN HOUSED INSIDE A PLASTIC COVER FOR MOST OF IT'S LIFE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR.THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, FOLDS OR BENDS ANYWHERE, JUST FIVE SMALL AND BARELY VISIBLE TINY LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE, MOST OF WHICH ARE RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM. ONE ON THE TOP EDGE WHICH CROSSES THE RIGHT CORNER TIP, ONE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND SEVEN TINY ONES ON THE RIGHT EDGE. THERE IS ALSO ONE MINUSCULE SCUFF MARK RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SURFACE

 THE  SPINE IS JUST INCREDIBLE. TOTALLY FLAT AND HAS COMPLETELY REMAINED FULLY LAMINATED. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS WHICH ARE THE ONLY AREAS TO SHOW A LITTLE RUBBING.

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS POLISHED AS THE FRONT, AND AGAIN NO HEAVY LINES OR CREASING, JUST A COUPLE OF SMALL LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE AND ONE THUMB LINE NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.

THE THIRD LAMINATED SURFACE IS ONCE AGAIN GLEAMING AND ONLY HAS ONE SMALL LINE ACROSS THE TOP RIGHT CORNER TIP.

I HAVE ALSO TAKEN A PICTURE OF 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 AS I HOPE YOU CAN SEE IT HAS REMAINED UNTORN IN THE MIDDLE WHICH IS WHERE IT OFTEN GOES WITH THE PRESSURE OF AN ERRANT THUMB. THERE IS ONE TINY NICK TO THE VERY BOTTOM EDGE

THE NUMBERED BOOKLET THAT COMES INSIDE THE SLEEVE IS IN MINT FLAT CONDITION AND CONTAINS THE UNIQUE LOW NUMBER '19258'

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVES ARE IN UNDAMAGED CONDITION.  WITH JUST SOME LIGHT AGEING TO THE GLUE WHICH SHOWS THROUGH THE PAPER. , BUT NO SEAM SPLITS ETC.

YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO A LONG WAY TO FIND A SLEEVE AS SPECIAL AS THIS ONE, AND IT WILL GRACE ANY COLLECTION

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT!!!!

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

GARRY