ROLLING STONES 12 X 5 INSANELY RARE U.K. EXPORT PRESS ALTERNATIVE COVER ART 12x5

$

400

The Rolling Stones – “12x5"

INSANELY RARE 1964 U.K. EXPORT PRESS

ALTERNATIVE COVER PHOTO AND LAYOUT!

We all know that "12x5" is the American equivalent of the Stones' sophomore release, "Rolling Stones No. 2". We also know that the earliest pressings of "12x5" actually featured discs pressed in the UK on the London FFRR label by Decca, but with jackets pressed in the US by London (which featured the same cover design as all subsequent US pressings with US-made discs). HOWEVER, what we have here is neither an aforementioned 1st US pressings nor a release intended for the UK market. Rather, we have a wholly unique release, which features a UK-made, thin cardboard, "flipback" style jacket, and, more importantly, a completely different layout! In place of the photo which normally adorns the jacket of "12x5" (and for that matter "Rolling Stones No. 2"), we have the same photo which appears on the front of the Stones' self-titled debut (and its US counterpart), only reduced in size and with a large white border added. Interestingly, the back remains mostly the same, except with the song "Congratulations" misspelled as "Congradulations"!

So how did this obscure variation of an ordinarily common release come to be, you ask? No one seems to know for sure. Some say it was created for export from the UK to Scandinavian countries (a contention we find strange considering all print on the jacket and the labels is in English). Others claim that this sleeve was intended to be issued in the US (i.e. paired with those 1st US pressings of 12x5 with their UK-made discs but US-made jackets), only to be withdrawn due to the fact that it was too similar to that of the Stones' previous album (being that the two share the same front cover photo). One thing we know for certain is that this is one of only a handful of copies to have survived these past 50 years, and possibly the only copy you will ever see!

CATALOG NUMBER: LL.3402

LONDON FFRR LABEL

CONDITION OF THE ALBUM:

We grade the disc as Good Plus (G+).

HOLD ON, LET US EXPLAIN!

There are quite a few light scratches on either side. A few are slightly feelable, but probably 85% are light hairlines. No deep, hideous gashes whatsoever.

The best way to sum up the condition of this disc is that it is in "typical 60s teen album" condition, and, although it is no longer a "showpiece", it will still play fine, with some crackle but no skips or hangs. Considering its great rarity, it is in more than acceptable condition!

As you can see in our photos, the labels are actually VERY clean!

We grade the jacket as Good (G).

We have noted the following imperfections:

*Yellow tape residue forms a border on both front and back. Given the finish of the jacket (somewhat glossy as opposed to matte), we speculate that the residue could be diminished (or possibly removed) with the right choice of solvent and technique. However, we are not chemists, and can make no guarantee of this.

*A 3.5" split is centered on the top seam.

*A 3" split is centered on the spine. The spine does however remain mostly legible (and actually looks better in person than in our admittedly poorly-focused photo).

*A 1" horizontal tear appears on the front (at the disc slot).

*Some creasing (such is almost guaranteed for these thin cardboard UK jackets).

We encourage you to study all of our photos thoroughly for the best idea of the jacket's condition.

The jacket will be placed in a new plastic outer sleeve (as you can see in our second-to-last picture). 

. . .

This item will be insured/declared at full value.

For international buyers, the fixed $13 handling cost for albums worth $100 or more is a charge for "Registered Mail", as we refuse to put your valuable purchase at risk of damage or loss in the course of global transit. Please note that this charge is non-negotiable!

Our grading system pretty much follows the Goldmine Magazine format, and is as follows:

Mint (M), Near Mint (NM), Excellent (EX), Very Good Plus (VG+), Very Good (VG), Good (G+), Good (G), Fair (F), and Poor (P).

Although thorough grade explanations are best left for specific item descriptions, we will endeavor to say that: M is pretty much left for the discs of sealed records (and SOMETIMES the jackets of sealed records); NM and EX are in the “Wow, what a beauty!/archive piece” range; VG+ and VG are in the “That’s pretty nice” range; G+ and G are in the “eh, it’s okay” range, and F and P are in the “trashed” range.

All records are shipped in genuine cardboard record mailers. The disc will be placed in a new liner and packaged outside the jacket (but within the plastic outer sleeve) so as to prevent splits. Original liners (if included) will be kept inside the jackets, as will any inserts. The album will be surrounded by three sheets of 12” by 12” bubble wrap (two sheets over the disc). Shipping info is always typed up and printed out – we don’t take chances with shoddy, hand-written addresses! The box will be sealed with and the address sheet will be affixed by lots of Scotch Heavy Duty Shipping Tape.

All payments must be made by PayPal. You may pay by debit, credit, or e-check, but must use the PayPal website to do so.

Payment must be made within 48 hours of purchase/auction’s end.

Our shipping schedule is as follows:

• Orders made on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and/or Friday will be shipped on Saturday.
• Orders made on Saturday and/or Sunday will be shipped on Monday.

We will occasionally make Friday shipments. However, this is the exception, not the norm.

Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up. Do not confuse them for additional shipping charges.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!