ROLLING STONES Aftermath UK DECCA orgnl 1966 press LK 4786 BRILLIANT MONO AUDIO

	£		78
	$		103

                   THE ROLLING STONES - AFTERMATH                    

An increasingly rare (especially in condition as impressive as this) and sought after copy of this 1966 UK original pressing rock classic on the unboxed and deep groove DECCA label, MONO LK 4786

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XARL - 7209 - 4B with stampers "1" and "B" (all inverted) at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock respectively

Side 2   XARL - 7210 - 3A with stampers "1" and "B" at 9.30 o'clock and 3.30 o'clock respectively

Note that the "KT" tax code stamper is at 6 o'clock and 1 o'clock on sides 1 and 2 respectively (indicative of earlier pressings)

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent. This is heavy duty, completely flat vinyl and still retaining it's original beautiful glossy and jet black lacquered sheen. In normal daylight, and when tilted at the right angle, it is just possible to detect a few very light wispy hairlines and under a bright light it is possible to pick out a few more, but all are strictly surface only and certainly there is nothing here that is either "feelable" or intrudes upon the wonderful audio quality. In fact, on side 1 there is a single wispy hairline and a single pencil thin scuff that each traverse almost the entire radius of the vinyl, but the wonderful audio quality with no clicking at all on side 1 confirms these to be surface only (and that's how they look). Impressive, especially considering this record's 52 year vintage, but because there are some wispy hairlines and very light scuffs on each side of the vinyl I grade the overall condition of the vinyl as excellent minus (EX-), although the grading of the audio quality is definitely excellent.  

The labels are excellent. No blemishes, and with all of the iconic silver writing, "ffss" logo, and matt textured deep red background all perfectly intact. Note the deep circular groove on each of the labels and the "K/T" tax code above the matrix number on each label - more indicators of a very early pressing. There are a few very light spindle trails on each of the labels but apart from that...perfect!

The front side laminated Robert Stace outer sleeve is excellent minus (EX-), though I am sure that many would grade as excellent. All edges, including the spine, remain rigid and with no scuffing at all - remarkable! And the same can be said for the corners, which remain perfectly defined right angles with just some minimal, light rubbing on the opening edge top and bottom corners. There is no laminate lifting and there is no fraying on either of the opening edges. There are just a few very minor blemishes on the front side : a number of small (1cm or less) very fine laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the bottom and top edges and spine, a small area (half the area of my thumb nail) of sticker residue located towards the front side top right corner, just the merest hint (only visible in the right light and at the right angle) of a 6cm diagonal crease located on the front side bottom right corner - I stress that each of these blemishes is minor. The photos/artwork and colouring remain as rich and vibrant as ever with the reverse side being in truly excellent condition (no unwanted writing of doodles either!). 

The quality of the audio is excellent. There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips, no "pops", no loud clicks, and just the merest hint of some very mild background crackle at the beginning and end of side 2 and during a couple of the interludes on side 2 - negligible. On side 2 I noticed   a mild click at the very beginning of side 2 preceded by a split second "fuzz" sound whilst the stylus is still in the dead wax area, and the very occasional nano second of static further into side 2...these blemishes are very minor and do not impinge upon the overall truly excellent audio quality. Indeed, every track makes for a great listen.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. MOTHERS LITTLE HELPER

2. STUPID GIRL

3. LADY JANE

4. UNDER MY THUMB

5. DONCHA BOTHER ME

6. GOIN' HOME

Side 2 :

1. FLIGHT 505

2. HIGH AND DRY

3. OUT OF TIME

4. IT'S NOT EASY

5. I AM WAITING

6. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

7. THINK

8. WHAT TO DO

Comes with original blue text Decca poly lined inner sleeve with no splits, tears or fraying - just some minor age discolouration and a little creasing, and still fully functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an overall excellent copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1966 UK original MONO pressing classic, with the truly excellent MONO audio quality being the highlight - a worthy addition to any vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

** I DO POST WORLDWIDE!! **

For this item postage & packaging will be :

for the UK, Royal Mail 1st class  : £3.00, 

for continental Europe international 1st class/Airmail : £7.00

and for Rest of the World international 1st class/Airmail : £10.00

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler