Traffic JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE UK 1ST Pink i NMINT-

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TRAFFIC - JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE

IN MAGNIFICENT NEAR MINT MINUS CONDITION

ROUGH TEXTURED PINK ISLAND LABEL

• CATALOGUE:ILPS 9116
• MATRIX: ILPS9116 A/2  /  B/2  (BOTH OF THESE ARE ETCHED NOT STAMPED)
• 2ND MATRIX: UAS 5504 A / B (AGAIN ETCHED)
• ETCHED DATE: 6.3.70
• 'STERLING' STAMPED INTO RUN OF DEAD WAX
• CONTRACT PRESS????
• E.J DAY SLEEVE
• PLAYED 2-3 TIMES

A VERY PECULIAR SET OF MATRIX NUMBERS ON THIS VINYL. ALL OF THE OTHER COPIES I HAVE SEEN HAVE THE ILPS 9016 STAMPED INTO THE DEAD WAX. THIS ONE HAS THE MATRIX ETCHED AND IN ADDITION A UAS NUMBER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS ALBUM WAS CONTRACTED OUT TO UNITED ARTISTS TO PRESS, ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE DESIGN OF THE VINYL UNDER THE LABEL LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE ISLAND PRESS

I BELIEVE THESE TO INDICATE THE EARLIEST UK PRESSING AVAILABLE

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

PINK ISLAND LABELS IN  NEAR PRISTINE CONDITION. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS APART FROM ONE CIRCULAR REMOVAL RESIDUE ON SIDE ONE. THE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND THE LABEL HAS A HEAVY TEXTURED FEEL TO IS, AS FIRST PRESSES SHOULD.

THE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS TOTALLY UNWORN AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND THE WHITE i IS PURE WHITE

THERE ARE NO MORE THAN TWO REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING ROUGHLY HOW MANY PLAYS THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED. IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PLAYED WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT IT IS 41 YEARS OLD

THE VINYL

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 ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I DO NOW WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, BECAUSE I FIRMLY 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

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO COLLECT THE ISLAND RECORD LABEL YOU WILL APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE ALBUMS WERE PRODUCED USING POOR QUALITY VINYL, AND AS A RESULT A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM COME WITH INHERENT VINYL NOISE. NOT CRACKLING OR ANYTHING JUST A LOUDER THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT NOISE GENERATED BY THE VINYL ITSELF. THIS ONE I AM DELIGHTED TO STATE IS FREE FROM JUST ABOUT EVERY USUAL BIT OF THAT NOISE.

THE LP PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT. LOUD AND CLEAR THE AUDIO REPRODUCTION IS SUBLIME

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR LOUD CLICKS, JUST THE LITTLE BIT OF OCCASIONAL STATIC AND SOME RANDOM LITTLE POPS AND TICS HERE AND THERE

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS PLAYTHROUGH  NEAR MINT MINUS

BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

A VERY HARD SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. THE REASON FOR THIS IS NOT ONLY IS THE SLEEVE UNLAMINATED, BUT IT IS DEEPLY TEXTURED,AND HAS THE APPEARANCE OF A PLAIN CARDBOARD GATEFOLD. THIS SLEEVE IS VERY VERY EASY TO MARK, AND I HAVE SEEN MANY COPIES THAT LOOK TERRIBLE DUE TO STAINING, AND GRUBBINESS.

THIS COPY HAS REMAINED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE AND IS IN SUPERB CONDITION

I WOULDN'T THINK THERE ARE MANY BETTER EXAMPLES OUT THERE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY FLAT AND CLEAN. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THERE ARE NO CREASES, CREASE LINES OR BENDS, AND THERE ARE NO SMALL LINES EITHER ANYWHERE NEAR THE PERIMETER EDGES OR MORE IMPORTANTLY THE SPINE.

THE BLACK COLOUR IS IN  PERFECT STATE.  FREE OF ANY RUBBING AND WEAR. AGAIN THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE PROTECTION I HAVE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED

THERE IS THE BAREST SHADOW OF LIGHT AGEING TO THE SPINAL EDGE, AND AN EVEN TINIER SHADE ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR, ALTHOUGH THERE IS ONE MINUSCULE SCUFF ON THE BOTTOM EDGE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST ONE TINY THUMB NAIL NICK WHERE THE LP HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE

THE SPINE IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION USUALLY FOUND BADLY WORN, THIS ONE IS PERFECT. TOTALLY FLAT, AND UNSQUASHED, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS LEGIBLE. JUST THAT VERY LIGHT AGEING TO THE COLOUR OF THE CARD

THE REAR SURFACE IS PRISTINE WITH NO LOSS OF COLOUR AT ALL, AND NO MARKS, STAINS, BENDS OR CREASES.JUST AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE FRONT

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES. PERFECT ON THIS FIRST PRESS E.J.COVER

THE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO IN NICE CONDITION, NO SEAM SPLITS AND HARDLY A CREASE LINE TO BE SEEN. ONE TINY NICK TO ONE SIDE OF THE DIE CUT HOLE, AND SOME AGEING TO THE PERIMETER EDGES

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

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

GARRY