PINK FLOYD THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN 2/1 1st MONO PRESS Blue COLUMBIA WOW
£
987
$
1,308
£ 987
Sold For
Jun 25, 2023
Sold Date
Jun 15, 2023
Start Date
40
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 2/1 1st Mono Press Blue Columbia Label
This genuine first pressing is without doubt one of the finest examples I have ever listened to and also has one of then most stunning covers you will ever see! There are no clicks or pops on any of the tracks and there is hardly any static either. There is a little static distortion on 'Interstellar Overdrive' but even then it is not really that intrusive. This is the only track that grades as Ex+ as all the others grade as Near Mint or Mint! The overall clarity is stunning and the power and depth of the audio is so impressive also.
The vinyl has been so well cared for over the last 55 years and has certainly not been overplayed judging by the audio, how clean the vinyl the is and the minimal spindle wear. There are some hairlines as you would expect but there are no scratches hence no clicks etc.
The cover is visually stunning to say the least and is not far off a Near Mint- grade if I'm honest. It is so clean and just look at the unlaminated back cover! It really has been preserved so well. I am grading it as Ex++ it truly is a time warp archive classic. The original EMI inner is also in superb condition with barely any wear.
A 'true' first mono press is contained within a cover with no 'File Under Popular : Pop Groups' in the top right flipback on the back cover. As you can see from the photos it is blank. It also a 2/1 matrix and of course the famous blue Columbia and Trademark on the labels. This particular one only has a single stamper on each side which means it is one of the earlier first pressings. A STUNNING example!
SX 6157 // XAX 3419 - 2 / XAX 3420 - 1 // H 1 / L 1
The audio on S1 is Mint- (T1 & T3 Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint (T1 Ex+ / T2 & T4 Mint-)
The cover is Ex++
The labels are Near Mint
The inner sleeve is Ex++
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition and has a very strong glossy sheen with no scratches. Under a bright light you can see some hairlines plus a couple that are a little more obvious but they are superficial as they have no impact on the audio. Under a more forgiving light it is visually stunning and there is no surface wear or groove wear to be seen. The run out grooves are super clean and the blue Columbia labels are unmarked and retain their original colour. S1 has hardly any spindle wear and there is not too much on S2. The KT tax stamp can clearly visible on the S2 label and The Pink Floyd can be seen at the foot of each label also.
Play grading
The first thing you notice is just how 'clean' the run in on S1 is. There is no background and then the intro on 'Astronomy Domine' plays with stunning clarity also. Perhaps a hint of barely audible static just before Barrett's vocal comes in but obviously not intrusive. The opening vocal is then so clean and 'fresh' and there is nothing that detracts from the audio. During the instrumental section that follows I picked up only 3/4 minor static ticks at the start and it continues to play with exceptional clarity, depth and power. The sonic quality here is superb - there is no static or distortion and the final vocal is of the same high end standard. Right to the very end it plays so well and there is no background on the fade out! I will grade as Near Mint but it has to be said the vast majority is even better than that! A phenomenal start to this seminal album.
With complete silence in the dead wax the intro on 'Lucifer Sam' plays perfectly. The opening vocal is just as strong and from then on the playback is just STUNNING! There is no 'muddiness' to the sound, no distortion and each note is so sharp and precise, especially during the instrumental sections. There is real depth and warmth to the music and the clarity cannot be faulted either. No ticks, clicks, pops or static and Mint- is very much deserved.
'Matilda Mother' has only a couple of mega light static ticks on the intro and the first vocal is nigh on perfect. Again you immediately notice just how clean the overall playback is. The vocals are crystal clear and the mid instrumental is equally as good. Is there a touch of distortion on the final vocal? To be honest I'm not sure, it may just be the 'recording' and it so minimal anyway. It is also worth noting this mono record is being played on a stereo set up. It still plays incredibly well and the remainder has no intrusion either - another sublime fade out also with not even a dust tick. I will say Near Mint just to be on the safe side :-)
The intro on 'Flaming' is 'as new' there is no other way to describe it and the opening vocal is just as impressive. It continues to play with such clean audio and with a sonic quality that is second to none. From start to finish there is not one single negative so I have to grade as Mint- what a version!
The 'vocal' intro on 'Pow R. Toc H.' is just incredible! So often it plays with some static distortion but here the playback is as 'clean' as it would have been when first pressed. The piano section that follows is just as strong - you just would not believe the clarity of sound here! As it builds the quality does not diminish in any way. There is a lot 'going on' here musically and yet the clarity is stunning and there is no distortion on the top end. The quieter end section plays beautifully and the 'busy' finale has no interference either. I cannot praise this version highly enough and I am confident in calling it Mint- such is the quality.
The percussive intro on 'Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk' just has one barely audible tick and the opening vocal is perfect. From then on the playback is STUNNING! This final track regularly suffers from inner groove distortion but this track alone shows you just how infrequently this vinyl has been played. The instrumental section is so powerful and there is just no static distortion whatsoever. I honestly do not think I have ever heard a version as clean as this and I was 'hearing' things I have never noticed before - the most obvious is just how strong and deep Waters' bass is here but really the entire track plays with phenomenal quality all the way through. The high octane sections are so strong and the depth and resonance of the audio is fantastic! The end vocal is of the same standard and I am going to have to grade as Mint- once again - it has to be the most 'complete' version I have ever heard. Wow!
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Just minimal static on the run in this time and the intro on 'Interstellar Overdrive' has just very minimal static also but still plays loud and clear. Very little static basically and you can't really fault the audio. Once Mason comes in and the volume ramps up the playback is superb and the first real 'quiet' section has no background at all. It continues in much the same way although there is just a little static distortion during the next passage, not really intrusive though. Maybe that's how the mono version always plays anyway! As it builds out of this section the audio is very strong and again because it is a clean record Waters' bass is very much in the foreground. The next quieter section plays very clearly with barely any background and the remainder is very impressive. There is only minimal distortion and the classic closing section could hardly play any better. The power and depth of the music here is stunning. Overall I think Ex+ is a fair assessment of the audio although the percussive end section does indeed play to perfection.
'The Gnome' plays with imperious quality from start to finish with no interference. The clarity here is superb! There is not one tick let alone anything more. As this is largely an acoustic track it is relatively quiet and yet the playback is unbelievably clean. It doesn't get much better than this! I'll say Mint- although I'm not sure the minus is required!
The opening vocal section on 'Chapter 24' plays with wonderful clarity and this standard is maintained throughout. There are no clicks or pops and only a minimal amount of very light static for a couple of brief moments. Near Mint
The percussive intro on 'The Scarecrow' is 'as new' and Barrett's first vocal is just as impressive. It continues in the same precise way and as the bass / acoustic guitar end section comes in the audio is flawless. From the first note to the last there is no background and Mint- is again deserved in my opinion.
The classic 'Bike' ends the album with stunning quality. There is very little of the inner groove distortion that you so often find and is easily one of the cleanest versions I have heard. This is true even on the more powerful vocal passage just before the brief 'silent' section. The 'percussive' section then plays with genuine quality and with a clarity that is equal to that of a vinyl pressed only yesterday! Wow! Even the 'ducks' have no background! A superb Near Mint version to end this classic psychedelic album.
In summary this genuine first pressing could hardly play any better. There are no clicks or pops, barely any static and only minimal static distortion on a couple of tracks. The clarity and power of the audio is superb and the depth also is hugely impressive - the actual clarity of sound is very much in evidence not only on every track but also in the dead wax between tracks and all bar one are silent can you believe. This is unequivocally one of the finest versions of this classic album that I have ever encountered and in conjunction with its visual quality and stunning cover it will add to any high end collection.
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
This iconic E.J. Day cover has been so well preserved and has clearly not been handled very much. It has retained its original shape and structure perfectly with no bending etc and hopefully the photos do it justice! The top edge is pristine and the bottom edge just has one very small 'rub'. The thin pinched spine is as close to perfect as you will find with barely any wear on the corners and the other corners are also very clean. Only the one bottom right has a minimal amount of wear i.e. very minimal! The opening edge has only light handling wear and the laminated front cover is in lovely condition with only 3/4 faint laminate creases near the right edge. There is no marking, no laminate damage or lifting / bubbling and there is barely any creasing around the edges which is very rare. The back cover in a way is the star of the show. It is of course so often found marked / stained due to it not being laminated and yet this first press one with NO 'File under Popular...' top right is one of the most visually stunning examples I have ever seen! The grey background is incredibly clean and the area next to the opening edge is also in great condition. The flipbacks remain perfectly attached to the cover and have barely any of the marking / staining on the edges that you find on so many. No marking or writing anywhere! There cannot be many first press covers around today as impressive as this one and has to grade as Ex++ at the very least, it definitely has the wow factor!
The original EMI inner, advertising 16 LPs on each side including 'Piper...' and 'Sgt. Peppers' amongst others, is in superb condition with no side splits or tears, barely any marking and only minimal creasing and ringwear.
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
SX 6157 // XAX 3419 - 2 / XAX 3420 - 1 // H 1 / L 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 NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.
THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE MAY BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD). AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING. PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH. MANY THANKS.
ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO 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.
I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 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
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