PINK FLOYD Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1/1 Stereo Blue COLUMBIA Incredible AUDIO
£
1,190
$
1,577
£ 1190
Sold For
Jan 26, 2025
Sold Date
Jan 16, 2025
Start Date
28
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.
Pink Floyd : The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1/1 2nd Stereo Press Blue Columbia Label
This very collectable blue Columbia pressing plays with incredible audio on both sides with no actual interference. Ok there is one very light tick on the 'Flaming' intro but it is so quiet and does not classify as intrusion! The clarity, depth, power and resonance of the audio is stunning and definitely qualifies as a FINAL UPGRADE archive pressing. There are no clicks or pops and no static either, I repeat the clarity of sound is stunning! This is an album that was purchased back in '67 by a genuine collector and not meant to be played that much. This is borne out by the superb visual quality of the vinyl and it has only minimal spindle wear. I sold another one of these back in November (stampers P1 / O1) and this is certainly on the same level as that one. A stunning 'package'!
The laminated E.J. Day cover has to be the finest example I have seen in many a year. As per the vinyl is has been so well preserved and it has retained its original shape and structure perfectly with no bending or creasing. The back cover is so clean and rarely found in this condition and if I'm honest the photos make it look worse than it is! The flipbacks are for once so clean. The original EMI inner sleeve is also in fantastic condition with hardly any wear.
This is known as a second pressing as it has 'File Under Popular : Pop Groups' on the top right flipback. It was still only issued a few months after the first pressing. As you can see this is one of the earliest with R/A stampers - fourth on the pinkfloydarchives site.
SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // R 1 / A 1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 intro Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The cover is Ex+
The labels are Near Mint
The original EMI inner sleeve is Ex+
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has a stunning glossy with no scratches. Under a bright light I can only see a small number of ultra faint hairlines and one small faint blemish on 'Flaming' on S1 that covers less than half the track. It is very minor and has no affect on the audio. You can only really see it when you hold the vinyl at a certain angle and it might even be a manufacturing mark. There is no surface or groove wear on the record surface and it really does gleam beautifully! The run out grooves are super clean also. The iconic blue Columbia labels are practically 'as new' with only very minimal spindle wear. The KT tax stamp can clearly be seen on the S1 label.
Play grading
The run in on S1 is so clean so you are already expecting good things from the vinyl! The intro on 'Astronomy Domine' does indeed play with amazing clarity - I've just played it again and seriously the sonic quality is incredible! The 'sonar' sound comes through with such clarity and Barrett's opening vocal section is just as impressive. The next instrumental passage is equal to that and the first quiet 'section' has no intrusion either, not even a dust tick. The mid instrumental again plays with a clarity and definition that is comparable to a 'new' record, I cannot overstate just how clean and precise the audio is. The final vocal section provides more evidence of a beautifully preserved vinyl and I am 100% confident in grading this classic as Mint there is no need for a minus!
With complete silence in the dead wax the intro on 'Lucifer Sam' plays perfectly and the first vocal is just as strong. A hint of vocal distortion maybe? More to do with how it was recorded / produced in my opinion. It continues to play to such a high end standard - the vocals are 'clean' and the instrumental sections play with outstanding depth and warmth. There is no 'muddiness' to the sound and this is easily a Mint- version at the very least.
'Matilda Mother' has no static on the intro and the opening vocal section is just as clean. Once again I cannot stress enough how pristine the audio is - there is literally nothing getting in the way of the audio. This side is 'busy' and there is no 'fighting to be heard' here - the clarity of sound is sensational with not one minor tick even and certainly no clicks or pops. There is none of the static distortion that you sometimes find proving it has not been played very much and the perfect fade out pays testament to that. Mint
The 'industrial' intro on 'Flaming' has just one minor tick and Barrett's opening vocal has no background at all. The vocal on this track has a very distinct sound and it has lost none of its original quality. The instrumental section plays perfectly and the final vocal / end section has no interference either. If the intro is Near Mint then the rest is Mint for sure.
The 'vocal' intro on 'Pow R. Toc H.' has no background and the relatively quiet piano section plays with stunning clarity also. This album just keeps on giving! As the volume increases the audio is so strong and dynamic and has no distortion on the top end. As this section progresses it's 'busy' track and yet the clarity does not falter. The quieter section then plays beautifully and the 'louder' finale could not play any better. A Mint- version.
The percussive intro on 'Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk' is faultless and opening vocal has no interference. The long instrumental is of course very 'busy' and loud (!) and it plays with real quality. It so often plays with a fair amount of inner groove distortion but Wright's work in conjunction with Mason and Waters does not suffer in the slightest. The audio is so impressive and the high octane end section plays with great power and depth as does the final vocal. A stunning rendition and Mint- is richly deserved.
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The intro on 'Interstellar Overdrive' has no background as such, just a couple of very quiet statics, and as Mason comes in the audio is on the same level. Waters' bass playing a integral part here and it still sounds so strong and deep. The first 'quiet' section is superb! There is not one dust tick and the clarity is 'high end'. This entire section plays with exceptional quality and again you can so easily hear every note, the playback is so clean and precise. There is no loss in sonic quality as it builds and as the volume decreases the audio does not! The next quiet passage is crystal clear with zero intrusion and as it builds again the playback is incredible! As it reaches a crescendo there is no distortion and the classic end section and outro plays with impeccable audio. Powerful, rich, deep audio with no interference. This truly is a stunning version and Mint- is again an honest appraisal of the audio. Wow!
'The Gnome' follows a similar path and plays with exceptional clarity, depth and warmth through every section. In essence it could not play with any greater precision - Barrett's vocal sounds like it was recorded yesterday and the music is faultless. A relatively quiet track and it grades as Mint
'Chapter 24' is of the same standard with tremendous clarity and definition from start to finish. As usual I have played every second and there is nothing to report - no ticks, clicks etc. Perhaps just a minor touch of distortion on the final vocal but nothing to worry about. The long fade out is as clean as it would have been back in '67. Mint-
The percussive intro on 'The Scarecrow' is 100% perfect and Barrett's first vocal has no background either. It continues in the same way and as the bass / acoustic guitar section comes in the audio is so strong and deep. The sonic quality here is superb and the fade out has no intrusion. Mint
The opening vocal on 'Bike' plays very clearly with no obvious inner groove distortion, just that usual 'unique' recorded sound again. From then on it plays so clearly for a final track and there is no static, no interference basically. If there is any distortion it is kept to an absolute minimum and even then 'distortion' is not really the right word. The quiet section has no background and then the 'percussive' section is phenomenal, 'as new' you could say. The 'duck' finale ends this stunning album with... stunning quality and that includes the fade out. I think Mint- is a fair assessment of the audio - this truly is a remarkable album on so many levels.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The laminated E.J. Day cover is in superb condition and has clearly been so well looked after over the last 57 years. The edges are perfect and the spine has no wear either - The Pink Floyd is of course 100% legible. All corners are so clean with no noticeable wear and the opening edge is as close to 'new' as is possible, it has no obvious handling wear. The front cover is stunning and has just one small laminate crease, I didn't see it immediately! The right hand edge isn't laminated of course, it was manufactured that way, and yet it has none of the marking / staining that you so often see. Another indication that is has always been stored / handled very carefully. The back cover is just as impressive and this again is a rarity because it isn't laminated. The grey background is so clean - the only issue (if it is an issue!) is that it looks slightly darker in one section near the bottom edge but I'm sure this is a printing / production issue rather than anything nefarious. The actual text is not smudged at all and reads perfectly. The flipbacks are in great condition and are still firmly attached to the cover. They are so clean and have only very minor marking on the edges. This is a stunning example of this iconic cover and I honestly think it deserves a Ex+ grading.
The original EMI inner is in superb order also with no side splits or tears, barely any marking and only minimal creasing. It has not seen the light of day that often in my opinion!
Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // R 1 / A 1
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 topsGREAT 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 : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £12.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £22.95 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!!
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