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David Bowie : Hunky Dory 1st Press UK 1971 with Laminated Cover

This very collectable album with the front laminated cover plays with stunning quality and no interference.  The only background are a small number of very minor ticks at the beginning of 'Quicksand' but this hardly qualifies as interference as they are very quiet!  The rest of this classic album is exceptional and 'as new' sounding is no exaggeration!  For a first press vinyl to play with such clarity, depth and warmth is a genuine rarity and I cannot praise the audio highly enough.  The record does have some faint hairlines but they have no affect on the incredible audio and this is without doubt the finest example of this classic album that I have ever listened to.

The laminated cover is also in fantastic condition with only very minimal wear and there is nothing that stands out.  This is the 'second press' cover with the Gem logo on the back and it has been so well preserved over the last 52+ years.  It is certainly the best I have ever seen.  The lyric sheet is in superb condition with only one minor corner crease and the inner sleeve (not sure if original) is in great shape also.

The vinyl has all the hallmarks of a first pressing - the 3T/3T matrix with Bobil and Rasputin etched on the run offs.  The RCA Victor labels have that shiny orange look and there is no Mainman info on the labels either.

SF 8244 (LSP 4623) // APRS 5917 3T  AID  Bobil / APRS 5918 3T  AIO  Rasputin

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T6 intro and 'second' verse Ex+)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T5 opening section Near Mint)

The laminated cover is a very strong Ex

The lyric sheet is Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Near Mint-

The labels are Near Mint

Visual description

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen with no scratches.  There are some faint hairlines on both sides but these are only 'obvious' when you look at the vinyl under as bright light.  Under a more forgiving light it still looks extremely clean.  The shiny orange RCA Victor labels are in superb shape with no marking and hardly any spindle wear.

Play grading

The intro on 'Changes' is so close to perfect with only a touch of barely audible static at the start.  In fact I am sure many systems would not even pick it up it is so quiet.  Bowie's opening vocal is 'as new' and the first chorus is equal to that.  It continues in the same way and I only noticed a couple of mega quiet dust ticks.  The clarity of sound is stunning and there is no underlying static to be heard and obviously no ticks, clicks or pops.  This is a Mint- start to this classic album and I'm not even sure the minus is required really!

'Oh! You Pretty Things' plays with stunning precision with no sign of any interference.  Every verse and chorus play beautifully with not even a dust tick and Mint is 100% deserved.

The quiet intro on 'Eight Line' is very quiet!  In other words it has no background and the vocal again shows just how carefully this vinyl has been looked after.  With only a handful of barely audible statics the clarity is sensational and I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint also.

The classic 'Life On Mars' plays with genuine precision from the get go.  You can hear each note so clearly and every vocal section has such a clean, fresh sound.  I cannot rate this version more highly and the more I listen to it the more I am impressed.  Put simply there is no interference and the 'orchestral' ending is a case in point - superb audio with no intrusion not even during the final piano section.  A Mint version in every way. 

'Kooks' plays with a clarity and warmth that is straight from the 'as new' handbook!  A great little melodic track with only a couple of minor ticks right at the end of the fade out so I will grade as Mint- accordingly.

The quiet intro on 'Quicksand' has only three light statics and the opening vocal then plays perfectly.  It's only during the next 'verse' that you can hear a handful of light ticks that really are not that intrusive anyway.  Backed by only an acoustic guitar during this section the clarity is actually very impressive.  From then on it plays with stunning audio and... no interference.  Every vocal and instrumental section plays with sublime quality and the fade out could not play with any greater precision.  I will grade the intro and second verse as Ex+ but the rest is Mint without question.

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The intro on 'Fill Your Heart' has no background and Bowie's first vocal is just as clean.  The instrumental bridge plays perfectly and the next vocal plays so clearly with only a couple of mega light ticks towards the end.  This is another track that plays with incredible clarity and Mint- is deserved at the very least.

The 'spoken' intro on 'Andy Warhol' has not even a single dust tick and the acoustic section then plays perfectly.  The opening vocal is 'as new' and this standard is kept up as it progresses.  Once again I cannot believe what I am listening to and this is Mint from start to finish.

The intro on 'Song For Bob Dylan' is flawless as is the first vocal section.  It continues to play with a clarity equal to that of a vinyl pressed yesterday not one from 1971!  There is zero background here and I cannot grade it anything other than Mint it is a STUNNING version in every sense.

'Queen Bitch' plays with sublime clarity and depth through every vocal and instrumental section.  It is now getting difficult to describe each track in an individual way!  The power of the audio is undiminished with no distortion on the top end and this is unequivocally another Mint track.

The very quiet intro on 'The Bewlay Brothers' has only the bare minimum of very light static but it is so so quiet.  The opening vocal has a handful of barely audible statics but these hardly deserve a mention because again they are so quiet.  As the volume picks up the audio is perfect and the next low key section plays beautifully without any background.  The clarity is just incredible!  From the on it plays to the same high end standard and once again you just have to sit back and admire the clarity of sound here.  There is nothing to detract from the audio which is remarkable really when you consider the age of the album and how quietly it plays through various sections.  The final vocal and fade out are 'as new' - the opening section is Near Mint and the rest has to grade as Mint it is that good.

In summary this very collectable first pressing plays to an unbelievable standard with no real interference.  I know I have graded that section on S1 as Ex+ but it is quiet and as stated hardly intrusive.  The clarity, depth and warmth on both sides is incredible and it would be difficult to find a cleaner version in my opinion.  Yes there are some light hairlines on the record but they are purely superficial as they have no impact on the stunning sound quality.  The all important laminated cover just happens to be in superb condition also!

The Laminated Cover, Lyric Sheet & Inner Sleeve

The laminated cover is in lovely condition and is easily the best I have seen with only minimal wear.  The edges have no rubbing and the spine is also near perfect with only three faint horizontal crease lines.  The edges and spine are of course laminated also.  The corners are very clean with very little wear and the opening edge has no handling wear, just very minor crimping at the top and bottom but that is being super critical!  The front cover is extremely clean with only a handful of small creases next to the spine which is common, a minimal amount of laminate 'lift' in the lower corner and minor creasing in the top two corners.  The unlaminated back cover (with the gem logo) is superb with just one very small faint blemish.  As you can see this is a stunning example of this highly collectable cover.

The lyric sheet is so clean and is totally unmarked.  It is so close to perfect with just one crease in the top left corner.  I'm not sure if the plain white inner sleeve is original but it is nonetheless in great condition with no side splits or marking and barely any creasing.  It has Patent Nos 1,125,555  321 and 1085 and Made In Great Britain G.H. printed on one side.

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

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

SF 8244 (LSP 4623) // APRS 5917 3T  AID  Bobil / APRS 5918 3T  AIO  Rasputin

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

THIS IS WHAT A SELLER SHOULD BE LIKE ON HIGH END VINYL! Exactly as described if not better ! I could not be a happier customer .. well packed for international flight .. and shipped and received very fast .. No worries here this guy is the tops

GREAT AS DESCRIBED BEST SELLR OF ALL THE UK PEOPLE AND I HAVE BOUGHT FROM ALL OF THEM

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++++

Another stunning LP from this very reliable and helpful seller.

Very quick delivery. Album exactly as described. Excellent packaging. Once again all perfect. Thanks!!!

Great item and seller (no.1), many thanks from ITALY !!!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic! Record as Described! Excellent Packaging and Fast Overseas Shipping!

One of the best on Ebay!

Another amazing record from this exceptional seller. Absolutely delighted!

Great seller and great vinyl record, professionally packaged. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and will certainly buy again!

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 : £5.95 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 : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 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!!