BEATLES RUBBER SOUL 1965 UK orgnl early yellow/black pressing, MONO PMC 1267 VG+

	£		45
	$		60

THE BEATLES - RUBBER SOUL

An increasingly rare and sought after copy of this 1965 UK MONO very early pressing on the UK PARLOPHONE label, MONO PMC 1267

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XEX 579 - 4  with stampers "1T" and "GHT" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Side 2  XEX 580 - 4 with stampers "G" and "GTH" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

The appearance of this heavy vinyl is EXCELLENT. The vinyl is flat and each side has retained most of it's original beautiful glossy sheen. In normal daylight each side of the vinyl comes across as near perfect and it's only under a bright light that a few superficial, very faint paper scuff marks come into evidence but all of these are virtually negligible and have no negative impact upon audio quality. The exceptions to this are three very small scuffs on side 2 - two on track 3 and one on track 4 - which ARE visible (though not particularly intrusive) in normal daylight (see photo). These slightly more visible scuffs are small, non feelable, and do not appear to be below the surface or negatively impact upon the impressive audio quality apart from two very light smudgy clicks which occur at the very beginning of track 4 ("In My Life"). I have no hesitation in grading the overall condition of this record as a solid very good plus with the jet black lacquer still fully intact - remarkable, and rare, for a 53 year old classic such as this.

The labels are excellent. There are a number of faint spindle trail traces on each side adjacent to the centre hole but apart from that no other blemishes whatsoever, with all writing perfectly legible and lettering beautifully defined, and the yellow "PARLOPHONE" text and logo each retaining their rich colour vibrancy. Note the presence of "THE GRAMOPHONE CO. LTD...." text on the perimeter of the label and the "SOLD IN THE U.K. SUBJECT TO..." text across each label, and the rare "K" and "T" tax codes on the side 2 label all of which confirm this to be a very early pressing.

The iconic front laminated Garrod & Lofthouse outer sleeve is in EXCELLENT- condition.  All edges remain firm with no scuffing including the rigid spine where all writing remains perfectly legible. Each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with none of the usual rubbing. There is a single 1.5cm surface laminate crease adjacent and perpendicular to the spine but this is barely noticeable. The reverse side flip backs are pristine and remain fully functional with no tears or scuffs. There are no nasty marks, no age discolouration, no writing or doodles. All the colouring remains rich and vibrant and the photos remain crystal clear; the front side has retained it's shine and coloration and is especially impressive. The only blemish of note (and even this is minor) is some very mild creasing located at the bottom left corner, constituting a 2.5 cm laminate and cardboard crease and some very light laminate creasing including two further 1cm laminate surface creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine; there is some very minor reciprocal creasing on the reverse side to this same corner. Note the "12 LL" text on the bottom flip back which is indicative of a very early pressing. In summary, not quite a perfect outer sleeve but certainly a solid "excellent minus" which is remarkable considering it's 53 year old antiquity.

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent (at least). Hard to fault in fact, with superb MONO tone and clarity, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips, no clicks (apart from the aforementioned two light clicks at the beginning of track 4, side 1), no pops, and just the merest hint of a little background crackle/static which is just (and only just) detectable during the odd quiet moment/interlude...this is really insignificant. This LP is timeless and each track on this classic LP makes for a great listen - brilliant!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. DRIVE MY CAR

2. NORWEGIAN WOOD

3. YOU WON'T SEE ME

4. NOWHERE MAN

5. THINK FOR YOURSELF

6. THE WORD

7. MICHELLE

Side 2 :

1. WHAT GOES ON

2. GIRL

3. I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU

4. IN MY LIFE

5. WAIT

6. IF I NEEDED SOMEONE

7. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

Comes complete with original die-cut "USE EMITEX" tracing paper lined inner with just some minor creasing towards the corners and a couple of small areas of slight age discolouration, but no tears or splits and remains fully functional and in overall excellent condition.  Note that I always post the record(s) in a new plain white inner sleeve(s) in order to protect the original(s).

In summary an overall EXCELLENT copy of this increasingly rare 1965 UK very early MONO pressing Beatles classic with truly impressive audio throughout and a lovely condition, original flip back outer sleeve - a worthy addition to any serious Beatles vinyl collection and continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class : UK £3.00; 

and Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for continental Europe £9, and Rest of the World £13. 

PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE PAYING!!

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler