PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
1ST PRESS SOLID BLUE TRIANGLE
WITH A NICE SLEEVE AND THE ORIGINAL HYPE STICKER STILL ATTACHED
FULLY COMPLETE WITH ORIGINAL STICKERS AND POSTER AND BLACK INNER SLEEVE
FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED SO YOU CAN HEAR IT PRIOR TO BIDDING
AS I AM SURE YOU ARE AWARE THE VERY FIRST PRESS OF THIS ALBUM HAD THE SOLID BLUE TRIANGLE IN THE CENTRE OF THE LABEL, WHICH WAS VERY QUICKLY WITHDRAWN DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SILVER TYPEFACE COULD NOT BE READ.
IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE OUTLINE LABEL, BUT OF COURSE THIS WAS ONE ONE THE BEST SELLING ALBUMS OF ALL TIME AND WAS MASS PRODUCED. MATRIX NUMBERS RUN UP TO -15 FOR REALLY LATE REISUUES
WHAT YOU DO HAVE HERE IS A STUNNING COPY OF A VARY RARE ALBUM INDEED. PLAYED NO MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF TIMES SINCE 1973
SO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A FIRST ISSUE VINYL IS WITHOUT QUESTION. WHAT BIDDERS NEED TO BE SLIGHTLY MORE CAREFUL ABOUT IS THE SLEEVE THAT GOES WITH IT. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THE FIRST ISSUE SLEEVES WERE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOUR TO THE MORE COMMON REISSUES.
THE SURFACE WAS A DELICATE POWDERY MATT BLUE BLACK FINISH AS OPPOSED TO THE SHINY JET BLACK FINISH OF THE REISSUES. AS A RESULT THE FIRST ISSUE SLEEVES WERE VERY EASY TO DAMAGE AND MANY COPIES WILL BE FOUND VERY SHELF WORN.
ALSO THE FRONT EDGE ON THE ORIGINALS WERE SEALED, EITHER BY GLUE OR A TABBED FLIPBACK. BOTH ARE ORIGINALS. THE MAIN THING IS THE COLOUR HOWEVER
IN PARTICLULAR WHERE THE USUAL LINES APPEAR NEAR THE SPINE, THESE WILL HAVE MOSTLY BE SEEN AS WHITE LINES ON THE SURFACE WHERE THE COLOUR HAS COME OFF. ALSO RING WEAR BLIGHTS THIS SLEEVE USUALLY. SO IT HAS BEEN KNOWN THAT SOME HAVE SWAPPED POOR 1ST ISSUE SLEEVES FOR BETTER REISSUES. THIS ONE HOWEVER IS A GENUINE FIRST ISSUE
FINALLY THE POSTERS AND STICKERS. THE POSTERS MUST HAVE A MATT SURFACE TO THE PAPER. LATER ISSUES WERE GLOSSY AND AGAIN ONLY A TRUE FIRST ISSUE WILL HAVE THE MATT ONES. THE STICKERS MUST BE STAMPED ON THE BACK WITH THE WORDS CRACK BACK AND THE BROWN LINES MUST RUN DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE PAPER. AGAIN HERE YOU HAVE TWO GENUINE ORIGINALS
THE RECORDS
THE LABELS
BOTH LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE BLUE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND IS UNMARKED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS AS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE AS IT SHOULD BE ALLOWING FOR THE FACT THAT THIS IS WHY THE FIRST PRESS WAS REPLACED, AND A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST 6-7 OR SO REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES, SHOWING THAT THIS LP HAS HAD LIMITED PLAY IN THE 47 YEARS IT HAS BEEN AROUND
SIDE ONE ALSO DISPLAYS A FACTORY SAMPLE LABEL
THE VINYL
THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW, AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION ONLY HAS A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES VISIBLE IT S A VERY IMPRESSIVE AND BEAUTIFULLY CLEAN ALBUM/ NO SCUFFS OR HANDLING MARKS. NO SKATE LINES AND NO DULLING ANYHWRE
PLAYING THE RECORD
THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS LP SOUNDS.THE CLARITY OF THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS PURE FIRST PRESS, AND EVERY NOTE CAN BE HEARD CRISPLY AND CLEANLY. THERE IS NO DISTORTION ANYWHERE AND NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE.
THERE IS THE ODD LITTLE BIT OF VINYL NOISE, RIGHT AT THE START OF SIDE ONE, WHICH IS VERY USUAL ON THIS PRESSING . A FEW MORE TINY SPECKS OF VERY LOW LEVEL STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND, PLUS A COUPLE OF TINY LITTLE TICS
SIDE TWO PLAYS TO NEAR PERFECTION
WE WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THIS INCREDIBLE ALBUM BEFORE YOU BID, AND THEN YOU CAN JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF
THE SLEEVE
NON LAMINTED GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE GATEFOLD SLEEVE
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE TO FIND IN ANYTHING LIKE A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. USUALLY THE COLOURS ARE BADLY RUBBED AND THE CREASE LINES AROUND THE SPINE AND PERIMETER EDGES MAKE THE WHOLE THING LOOK SHABBY
STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE , THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THE COLOURS HAVE ALL BEEN VERY WELL RETAINED.
THERE IS NO RUBBING OR LOSS OF COLOUR ANYWHERE. THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES, AND NOR ARE THERE ANY BENDS OR FOLDS.
JUST A LIGHT DUSTING OF GREYING WHEN ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT, BUT THIS IS VERY MINOR
NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE AND THE FOUR CORNERS ARE STILL VERY SQUARE WITH JUST A TINY SPECK OF RUB TO THE TIP ENDS
THERE ARE JUST TWO TINY PRESSURE LINES BY THE SPINE.
NONE ON THE TOP EDGE, NONE ON THE BOTTOM AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.
THE SLEEVE IS THE CORRECT BLUE/BLACK ORIGINAL 1ST ISSUE WITH THE SEALED FRONT EDGE.
THE TOP EDGES ARE STILL DEEPLY COLOURED WITH A SPECK OF RUB TO THE TIP ENDS AND A COUPLE OF WHITE FLECKS ELSEWHERE
THE BOTTOM EDGES ARE IDENTICAL WITH JUST A SMALL BIT MORE RUB TO THE RIGHT CORNER TIPS
THE SPINE IS REALLY CLEAN. AGAIN THIS WOULD USUALLY BE FOUND IN AN AWFUL WORN STATE BUT HERE ON THIS COPY IT IS NEAR MINT. COLOURS UNRUBBED AND A TOTALLY FLAT SURFACE WITH ALL OF THE DELICATE COLOUR PRESERVED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VERY TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS WHICH HAS A TINY BIT OF RUBBING, PLUS TWO WHITE LINES OVER THE SURFACE
THE OPENING EDGE IS VERY SHARP AND IT IS OBVIOUS BY LOOKING AT THIS THAT THE LP HAS BARELY BEEN OUT OF THE COVER. JUST A TINY BIT OF FEATHERING
THE REAR SURFACE OF THIS GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE SLEEVE IS ALMOST IN THE SAME SUPERB CONDITION AS THE FRONT, NO PRESSURE LINES ON ANY OF THE EDGES. JUST A LIGHT SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE
OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PAIR OF NEAR PRISTINE BLACK EDGED PANELS.
THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED AND IS IN SUPERB CONDITION THE INNER HAS A HISTORY OF SEVERE SEAM SPLITTING. THERE ARE NO SEAM SPLITS AND AMAZINGLY NO CREASES OR RIPS TO THE DIE CUT HOLE . IT IS THE CORRECT INNER FOR THIS SET WITH THE PATENT NUMBERS IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORENR, AND MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE
THE POSTERS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION AND ARE THE ORIGINAL MATT SURFACE ORIGINALS NOT LIKE THE LATER SHINY ONES. THE PINK POSTER HAS SOME FOXING TO THE REAR
THE STICKERS ARE THE CORRECT CRACK BACK ISSUE WITH THE DIAGONAL LINES RUNNING AROSS THE BACK
A SIMPLY SUPERB ORIGINAL SET
HAPPY TO GRADE IT EX
