ROLLING STONES Beggars Banquet 1968 UK 1st Press Unboxed Decca GLEAMING VINYL

	£		102
	$		135

THE ROLLING STONES - BEGGAR'S BANQUET

A truly excellent condition copy of this increasingly rare and highly sought after 1968 UK Rolling Stones 1st press classic, STEREO, SKL 4955

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   XZAL-8476-2K with stampers "1" and "M M" (difficult to make out) at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively, with the "J T" tax code at 12 o'clock

Side 2   XZAL-8477-1K with stampers "1" and "U 1" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively, with the "J T" tax code at 12 o'clock

Note the "1" mother stampers, making this a very early copy from the very first production run!

The appearance and overall condition of the flat, weighty vinyl is excellent plus (EX+). Each side gleams, with a gorgeous jet black sheen and in normal daylight comes across as completely unmarked. With close scrutiny under a very bright light it is just possible to detect a couple of the wispiest of wispy purely superficial hairlines on each side of the vinyl - certainly nothing here to impinge upon the truly brilliant sound quality at all. Clearly this LP record has been very sparingly played and it is hard to believe that this classic rock vinyl is now 52 years of age!

The labels are excellent (EX). Lovely condition labels with silver text upon the dark blue matt background and, of course, the iconic silver/dark 1st press UNBOXED blue Decca logo, all in tip-top condition. I cannot even make out any of the usual faint spindle trails! There are just two blemishes, both on the side 2 label : a very faint hand written name on the silver band between the words "FULL" and "STEREOPHONIC", and a small area of slight discolouration immediately next to the centre hole.

The condition of the outside laminated outer gatefold sleeve is excellent (EX). Each edge, including the spine, remains firm with no scuffing at all (amazing!); similarly for the corners with each remaining a near perfectly defined right angle virtually no rubbing/scuffing at all, and the firm opening edges with no fraying or feathering. There are x9 very light surface creases perpendicular and adjacent to the spine on (x5 on the front side, x4 4 on the reverse side...you have to tilt the sleeve to the right angle in a good light to see them), x5 further very, very light 2-3cm surface laminate creases (x3 on the front side, x2 on the reverse side - again, you have to tilt the sleeve to the correct angle and in a good light ion order to spot them), and a non-obvious hand written name located in the top left corner of the inside of the gatefold (see photo) - these glitches are minor and the overall appearance and presentation of the gatefold remains very impressive. There is NO edge scuffing, NO cardboard creasing, NO age discolouration, and NO opening edge fraying, and there is NO unwanted writing or doodles -excellent! All colours, art work, and text remain in rich, vibrant condition with great clarity and definition. Impressive!

The quality of the audio is excellent plus (EX+). Wonderful tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No repeats, sticks, skips clicks or background crackle/interference. Every track on this brilliant LP remains a great listen. 

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

2. NO EXPECTATIONS

3. DEAR DOCTOR

4. PARACHUTE WOMAN

5. JIG-SAW PUZZLE

Side 2 :

1. STREET FIGHTING MAN

2. PRODIGAL SON

3. STRAY CAT BLUES

4. FACTORY GIRL

5. SALT OF THE EARTH

Comes with excellent plus condition original DECCA blue & white poly-lined STEREO inner sleeve with no rips, tears, seam splits or creasing, and of course remaining fully functional. Note that I always use a new, plain white replacement inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly excellent (if not better) condition and highly presentable copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1968 UK 1st press press Rolling Stones rock classic, with gleaming and sparingly played vinyl - the whole LP remains a great listen. A "must" for any serious rock vinyl collection and will only continue 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 50 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 65 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 thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick 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. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; 

Continental Europe £11, and Rest of the World £15 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

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

Good luck with your bidding!

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