ROLLING STONES Beggars Banquet 1968 UK UNBOXED DECCA SKL 4955 SUPERB vinyl+audio

	£		101
	$		134

                   THE ROLLING STONES - BEGGARS BANQUET                    

An increasingly rare (especially in condition as beautiful as this) and sought after copy of this 1968 UK 1st pressing rock classic on the unboxed DECCA label, STEREO SKL 4955

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XZAL - 8476 - 2K with stampers "1" and "C G" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Side 2   XZAL - 8477 - 1K with stampers "1" and "U H" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Note that the "JT" tax code stamper is at 12 o'clock on each side of the dead wax areas

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent+ (I daresay many would say "near mint"). This is heavy duty, completely flat vinyl and still retaining it's original beautiful glossy and jet black lacquered sheen. A true "gleamer". Under a bright light it's possible to pick out just a few very fine, small wispy hairlines but even these are very few and far between, all strictly surface only and certainly nothing here to detract from the outstanding audio quality. Outstanding, especially considering this record's 51 year old age. This record has obviously been played sparingly.

The labels are pristine. No blemishes with all of the iconic silver writing, "ffss" logo, and matt textured blue background all perfectly intact. I can just about detect a couple of very light spindle trails adjacent to the spindle hole on each side. Apart from that...perfect!

The front and back laminated outer sleeve is excellent. All edges, including the spine, remain rigid and with no scuffing or rubbing at all - remarkable! And the same can be said for the corners, which remain perfectly defined right angles with no rubbing. There is just a small area of laminate lifting (about the area of a thumbnail) located at the bottom right corner of the front side, four small (1cm or less) very fine laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine, and when the gatefold is closed it does not quite overlap precisely with the top right corners being offset by 0.5cm - I am sure that this is a manufacturing quirk : each of these blemishes are very minor and do nothing to detract from the overall outstanding condition of this gatefold.  The photos/artwork and colouring remain as rich and vibrant as ever with the inside of the gatefold being in perfect condition. A solid excellent (at least).

The quality of the audio is excellent+...superb in fact. There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips or clicks and no background crackle - stunning, with brilliant STEREO reproduction throughout and every track making for a great, 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 original blue text Decca poly lined inner sleeve with no splits, tears, fraying, or age discolouration, just 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 1968 UK original STEREO pressing classic - 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, signed for  : £4.00, 

for continental Europe international tracked & signed for : £10.00

and for Rest of the World international tracked & signed for £15.00

 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