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Black Sabbath : Black Sabbath 1Y1 / 2Y1 3rd Press Large Vertigo 1970

This very early early third Vertigo pressing plays with stunning quality and there are no clicks or pops on either side.  There is hardly any background - just two super quiet ticks on S1 and a few seconds of barely audible static!  The clarity, depth and power of the audio is astonishing really and it could hardly play any better.  You might expect some inner groove distortion but there is none and the often problematic thunderstorm intro on 'Black Sabbath' plays perfectly.  There are so many highlights but the it has to be said the epic 'Warning' is a real stand-out.  It plays with impeccable quality and as always I played every second of every track, never a chore!  The vinyl itself is in superb condition with no marks or scratches.

The iconic Keef cover has been so well preserved and has retained its original shape and structure perfectly, just look at the spine!  It has very little wear and the original Vertigo inner (dated 0970) is in excellent condition also.

This edition still has the first press matrix and the large Vertigo logo above the spindle hole.  Inside the gatefold the credits are in lower case and the composition and publishing credits have been added to this version.  Ozzie Osborne is still spelt incorrectly and of course it has 'Copyright subsists in all Vertigo recordings'.

VO 6  1Y*1  420  1 2 2 0

VO 6  2Y*1  420  1 2 1 7

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 ranges between Near Mint & Mint-)

The audio S2 is Mint(-)

The gatefold is Ex+

The Vertigo inner sleeve is Ex

The Vertigo labels are Near Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in great condition and still has a strong glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  In 'normal' light it looks pristine and only when you look under a bright light can you see some faint hairlines but they are purely superficial of course.  There is no groove or surface wear, no 'bag-rash', and the Vertigo labels have no marking / writing.  There is just some spindle wear centred around the spindle hole but not an excessive amount.

Play grading

The tolling bell / thunderstorm intro on 'Black Sabbath' plays with stunning clarity from the very first 'note'.  This entire sequence plays perfectly and as Iommi comes in the audio is deep and strong with no background.  The following quieter section is flawless - superb work from Ward by the way - and Ozzy's opening vocal section again plays with great clarity and definition, I only picked up one minor static towards the end.  The powerful instrumental bridge has a couple of quiet ticks that you hardly notice as they are so so quiet and the next quiet passage is plays with sublime clarity - no interference and only a couple of mega quiet statics.  As the volume increases the audio is perfect and the classic end section then plays with a sonic quality that cannot be faulted.  The clarity, depth, power and resonance of the audio is up there with the very best and the brief pause at the end is totally silent.  Ranging between Near Mint and Mint is a fair assessment but clearly a lot more of the latter!

The harmonica intro on 'The Wizard' has no intrusion and the following instrumental is just as strong and clear.  Ward and Butler showing how vital they were to the Sabbath sound.  The opening vocal section is of the same standard and it continues to play with that familiar deep, rich tone.  There is no 'muddiness' to the sound, no distortion and the mid instrumental is 'as new' for sure, like the entire basically!  The final vocal / instrumental is faultless and from start to finish there is not so much as a dust tick and Mint is 100% deserved.  Even the 'echo' fade out has no background.

The entire intro on 'Behind The Wall Of Sleep' is so strong and deep and (of course) there is no interference.  The opening two verses are on the same level and the instrumental bridge has no background.  The Turns your body to a corpse vocal section is perfect and the next instrumental / vocal section again defies the age of the album with impeccable clarity and definition.  Ward's closing percussive section has not even a single dust tick let alone anything more.  This is without doubt another Mint track.

The bass intro from Butler on 'N.I.B.' has barely any static and as it descends into near silence the clarity is stunning.  Iommi's first section is faultless and Ozzy's opening vocal is equally as good.  The instrumental bridge has no background and the slower and quieter third verse has zero background and it continues in exactly the same way.  Iommi's mid solo section for example plays with a clarity and power that is so impressive for a final track i.e. there is no distortion.  The end vocal section / closing instrumental more than keep up the standard - the end solo in particular is phenomenal!  Kind of a love song until you hear Lucifer mentioned a couple of times!  This has to grade as Mint- at the very least, a STUNNING version.

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The intro on 'Evil Woman...' has no background and the first verse and chorus then play with imperious quality.  Butler's bass sound could not be any deeper!  Again showing that the original sonic quality is still very much in evidence.  From then on it plays so clearly and with such strong definition - there is no intrusion at all.  Every note so clean and succinct and Mint is again fair.

The low key intro on 'Sleeping Village' plays with sensational clarity as does Ozzy's opening vocal section.  There is just one very light static tick right after and then as the volume increases the playback is immense!  This classic instrumental section with Iommi leading the way could not play any better, the depth and power mesmerising!  There is just a hint of very light static on that long final Iommi note but it is so minimal.  I've played it 3/4 times and it has definitely decreased!  Mint-

The heavy bass intro on 'Warning' is superb and the first verse and chorus section is as clean as they day when first pressed.  The brief instrumental bridge is perfect and the second verse / chorus keeps up the quality.  The following instrumental is deep and resonant with zero intrusion and next vocal again plays with real quality.  Onto the instrumental with Ward leading it from the start and this section is outstanding.  As it ends the near silent passage is so clean - this is incredible clarity for a vinyl of this age.  As the pace picks up the sonic 'landscape' is as strong as ever and Iommi's 'sound' plays with exceptional clarity and power.  Ward and Butler sprinkling their usual magic.  The stand alone section from Iommi has literally no background and the next pause has only a couple of barely audible statics, near silence in other words.  This classic continues to play with sublime quality and it is no exaggeration to say this is one of the finest versions I have ever heard.  The long meandering note from Iommi is so close to perfect and the next high octane section and final vocal cannot be faulted.  The brief end instrumental has no intrusion not even the fade out and I do believe Mint- is again deserved here.  This certainly is one stunning album!

The Gatefold & Vertigo Inner Sleeve

The matt textured cover is in superb condition with very little wear.  The edges are near perfect with just one tiny rub on the bottom edge of the back cover and the spine is still strong and wide with no marking and minimal wear on the corners.  The right hand corners have only very light rubbing and the opening edge has only the bare minimum of handling wear.  The front cover is near perfect with just one very small 'white' mark next to the right edge and a faint 'line' above it.  There is also a minor corner crease bottom right.  The back cover is stunning!  A faint corner crease bottom left but hardly noticeable and the inside of the gatefold is soooo clean!  It is so often riddled with surface rub / fading but here we have only a small number of white 'specks' mainly near the bottom edges.  A stunning example of this iconic cover.

The original poly-lined Vertigo inner sleeve is very clean indeed with minimal marking, no side splits and only a little creasing.  It just has one small tear on the central aperture.

VO 6  1Y*1  420  1 2 2 0

VO 6  2Y*1  420  1 2 1 7

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

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Beautiful record as described, fast safe delivery, top seller. Cheers Steve.

Another fantastic LP from this seller - condition exactly as shown and the audio as described! Fast delivery, vinyl properly and carefully packed. Very highly recommended A++++

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Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £20.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!