BUDGIE : BUDGIE 1L/1L 1st PRESS 1971 MCA RED/PINK LABEL *SUPERB* AUDIO NM/MINT-
£
259
$
343
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Description
Budgie : Budgie 1L / 1L 1st Press Pink / Red MCA Label
This rare and very collectable first press on the pink / red 'dog bone' MCA label plays to an unbelievable standard with only one light click on S1, it is easily missed! The clarity and definition of the audio is so impressive and you don't need me to tell you how rare it is to find this album playing with such stunning quality! Every track plays with sublime precision and it is clear this record has hardly been on a turntable judging by the audio and by just how clean it is.
The classics 'The Author', 'Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman' and 'Homicidal Suicidal' all play to a wonderful standard and I can confidently say I have never heard sonic quality like it!
This is also one of the earliest first pressings as denoted by the single stampers on each side. This is a genuine classic heavy rock debut this would impress any collector. I do not want to over-enthuse too much but it is an audiophile's dream this one and easily qualifies as FINAL UPGRADE album i.e. no need to purchase another as you could not improve upon the audio on offer here!
The cover in in excellent shape with only a little wear on the front cover and the original inner is in superb condition.
Shipping costs to the US have increased recently so please wait for the invoice. As an example I recently sent 3 LPs via tracked shipping and this cost just over £34.00 - packaging costs not included!
MKPS 2018 // 7 - LNMG - 240 - 1L / 7 - LNMG - 241 - 1L // H 1 / G 1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T3 Near Mint but Mint- for the vast majority!)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The cover is Ex-
The original inner is Near Mint-
The S1 label is Near Mint and S2 is Ex+
Visual grading
The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a very strong healthy glossy sheen. There are no marks or scratches and these first pressings are rarely seen as good as this which is reflected in the quality of the audio. There are some faint hairlines on each side but they have no affect on the stunning audio as described below. The run out grooves are very clean with only faint marking and the matrix info can still clearly be read.
Play grading
The intro on 'Guts' has no 'background' at all and as Shelley's vocal begins there is no decrease in quality. This is as good a start that you could wish for! This album has such depth and power and on a well preserved vinyl that is very obvious indeed. This is of course helped considerably by the strong bass levels and the warmth and depth thus far is stunning! From start to finish this is Mint with not even a single dust tick, the clarity is outstanding.
'Everything In My Heart' plays beautifully for an acoustic track and with no interference. Very quiet (in Budgie terms!) this is a fabulous version with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks. Mint is again deserved.
Now onto a total classic! The quiet two minute plus intro on 'The Author' is nigh on perfect with only a couple of light ticks that are totally non-intrusive, they are not clicks! This album is almost 50 years old and the clarity on this opening section is so impressive. As the classic riff comes in the playback is stunning - you can turn it up to max without fear of distortion and the power and depth of the audio floods the room! There is one click in the mid section but it is not loud and is largely lost in the music. Aside from that this is a fantastic version - it has lost none of its original sonic quality and I cannot emphasise enough how fantastic the playback is! A true rock classic that demands a Near Mint grade and is only stopped from being Mint due to that one minor click.
The intro on 'Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman' is again superb with only one minor tick at the start and has no underlying static at all. What a start! I love this intro - you can just picture Philips constructing the percussive notes (knocks!) here! It was of course recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios which incidentally is near to where I live and it's about time I visited! The opening heavy section is 'as new' with incredible depth and once the volume increases with yet another classic riff the audio is again STUNNING! This power and clarity is maintained the more you get into the track and the long instrumental just cannot be faulted in any way. There is no static, no distortion...no interference. Once the tempo increases with what has to be one of the finest riffs in rock (A great phrase there!) the audio is quite simply OUT OF THIS WORLD! I have never heard better and 'as new' goes some way to describing the audio experience. The solos are so powerful and the heavy bass just adds so much to the overall 'sound'. It continues to play with such dynamic quality and there are just no negatives - this is precisely why we listen to vinyl! This power, warmth and depth cannot be replicated by any other medium...but if you're reading this you know that! The audio definition is just so impressive and the final verse also plays with great precision - perhaps a couple of very minor static ticks but honestly they are barely audible. I will grade this as Mint- but I would not be surprised if the winning bidder thinks the minus is surplus to requirements!
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'Rape Of The Locks' has only one light static tick on the intro and a couple of barely audible dust ticks and provides a superb start to S2. As the percussion comes in soon followed by the vocal the audio is perfect and plays with the same deep, rich quality that was prevalent on S1. There are no clicks or pops, no crackle and no annoying underlying static either, just pure 'clean' audio. Bourge's long solo section is a case in point and has no 'background' of any kind. Shelley's next vocal is 'as new' and to the end it plays with sublime precision and is definitely a Mint- start to the side.
The intro on 'All Night Petrol' has no 'background' and the same applies to the first vocal. It progresses in the same way with wonderful clarity and no interference of any kind. It may not be one of the true classics of the album but it nonetheless plays to the highest standard possible, a couple of dust ticks if I had to mention anything! But in essence this is Mint audio from the first note to the last.
The acoustic 'You And I' plays with a clarity that you so rarely find on these first pressings and leaves me shaking my head in disbelief at the sheer quality of the audio! A beautiful Mint version.
Now there's no denying 'Homicidal Suicidal' is an absolute classic and I am pleased to say it does not disappoint. The intro has only a couple of mega quiet ticks and the first vocal is as good as it was when first released back in '71. There are no clicks or pops and the more you get into the track the more you are impressed by it. This is such a 'clean' version and this track in particular has that familiar strong deep bass sound which you especially notice during the 'quieter' bass section near the end. The depth and power here is breathtaking and once again has no 'background' getting in the way of the STUNNING audio. This is such a powerful version and I cannot overstate how well it plays during every section regardless how loud or how quiet. The only 'negative' if you can call it that is a little crackle at the end of the final note but hey it's practically finished by then! This is still infinitely worthy of a Mint- grade and brings this superb album to a satisfying close.
In summary this rare and very collectable first pressing is of a standard that you rarely find today. Budgie were not in the same ballpark as Black Sabbath for example and therefore their albums were not pressed in the same numbers and especially this one one being their debut. However, it commanded an almost cult following and because of that these first pressings were generally very heavily played but this is one that escaped! It can correctly be called a FINAL UPGRADE album as the sonic quality on both sides is unlike anything I have ever found before. I have sold maybe ten of these in the last 6/7 years but not one as impressive as this. It has been so well preserved and clearly has not been overplayed. It is worth repeating that there is only minor click on S1 and none on S2, how rare is that?! Another thing that is very obvious is the complete lack of distortion which is another indicator of a rarely played vinyl. A stunning LP for sure that will no doubt command a lot of interest.
The Cover
The laminated Robert Stace cover is in excellent condition with only a little shelf wear. The top edge has no rubbing at all and the bottom edge has only a small amount with a small section in the middle a little more obvious but has not resulted in a split. The spine is in lovely condition with only a couple of crease lines and is still 100% legible. All four corners are in great shape with very little rubbing wear and the opening edge is near perfect with barely any handling wear. The laminated front cover is very clean with no marking but it does have an obvious crease lower right and a smaller one near the top next to the E. The back cover is in superb order with only minor ringwear as is common. So yes a little wear but overall in pretty good shape for nearly 50 years of age.
The Inner Sleeve
The original poly-lined 'Stereo' inner sleeve is in fantastic condition and has no side splits, tears or marking and only minimal creasing.
The Labels
The pink/red 'dog bone' labels are very clean with hardly any spindle wear. I was about to say 'no marking' but I have noticed a small name written at the top of the S2 label, it is very small indeed! Apart from that they are near perfect and have retained their original colour extremely well.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
MKPS 2018 // 7 - LNMG - 240 - 1L / 7 - LNMG - 241 - 1L // H 1 / G 1
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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Postage & Packaging
I SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00. THIS IS OFTEN 'BUILT' INTO THE SHIPPING CHARGE ALREADY.
WHEN ITEMS SELL BETWEEN £50.00 AND £250.00 AND ARE TO BE SENT TO ANY INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION TRACKED SHIPPING IS AGAIN NECESSARY AND COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £7.50 AS EXTRA INSURANCE IS REQUIRED.
FOR ITEMS OVER £250.00 PLEASE CONTACT ME AS THERE WILL BE A HIGHER INSURANCE PREMIUM AND WILL HAVE TO BE SENT VIA A COURIER SERVICE AND THE COSTS CAN VARY. THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE UP TO £250.00 HENCE THE NEED FOR ANOTHER SERVICE. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR THE EXACT AMOUNT AND THEN WAIT FOR THE INVOICE. PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, MANY THANKS.
COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED WHEN MORE THAN ONE ITEM IS WON.
ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PLACED IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE THE COVER IN ORDER TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS IN THE POST. EVERYTHING IS THEN PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.
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LPs/12" singles : £5.75 (recorded) up to 1kg then £0.95 per extra item
7" singles / CDs : £1.95 then £0.35 per extra
EUROPE (Standard)
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REST OF WORLD (Standard)
LPs/12" singles : £18.95 then £1.95 per extra
7" singles / CDs : £7.95 then £1.45 per extra
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