The Beatles : Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1/1

This first mono pressing is in great condition and includes the highly collectable and rare 'Fourth Proof' cover.  It is purportedly the earliest pressing of the of the 'Sgt Pepper' cover and is the final version of the prototypes that were designed.  Only a limited run were issued and there are certainly not many on the market today.  You can see the inverted 'Fourth Proof' text in the top right corner and 'AR D1321' on the opposite side which is presumably a reference number.  It also has the rare 'Patents Pending' on the back cover confirming it as an early prototype. 

I am pleased to say that this very rare cover remains in superb condition with only very minor wear.  It also includes a perfect cut out card and one of the cleanest red inner sleeves I have ever seen i.e. no splits!  As can be seen both stampers begin with a 'G' providing evidence that this is indeed one of the earliest first pressings.

First Mono 1/1 pressing on Yellow/Black label.  'The Gramophone Co. Ltd' etc printed around the perimeter edge and 'Sold in U.K. subject to resale price conditions' also on labels.

Sgt. Pepper's cut out card and red 'fool' inner sleeve included.  KT tax code stamp on S1 label.

PMC 7027 // XEX 637 - 1 / XEX 638 - 1 // GP 1 / GO 1

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (track 6 is Ex) 

The audio on S2 is Ex+ (Near Mint in many sections)

The gatefold is Ex+ (the spine is Ex-)

The red inner sleeve is Near Mint

The Cut Out card is Mint

The labels are Mint-

 Visual grading

  For such an early pressing (G stamper on each side) the vinyl is still in excellent shape.  There are no scratches and S1 in particular is very clean with only 3/4 obvious hairlines.  S2 does have one thicker scuff mark on the first track but this does not affect the quality of the audio in any way.  There are a couple of other hairline marks but overall both sides still retain a healthy glossy sheen.  This is visually still a lot better than many you will see!  There is also not very much spindle wear so it has certainly not been over-played.

Play grading

'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' has no interference on the 'audience' intro and then plays very powerfully.  There are no clicks or pops and no crackle either.  There is just a minimal amount of static distortion on the top end but it is minor in my opinion and non-intrusive.  And of course it may only be due to a mono record being played through a stereo system.  It is still a superb version!  'A Little Help From My Friends' is stunning from start to finish.  It plays with exceptional clarity and there is no obvious 'background' at all.  With only a hint of barely audible static this is a wonderful version of this classic.  The intro on 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' has a little distortion on the top end again but there is no other interference.  It then plays with superb depth and clarity and again there are no clicks, pops or crackle.  For such an early mono pressing to play as clearly as this is a rarity and let's not forget it's over 50 years old now!  'Getting Better' plays very clearly but again there is a little static distortion in the background here and there.  It may not even be necessary to mention this due to the reason already stated but I prefer to be comprehensive in my gradings!  The music and vocals are still very much in the forefront and there is no muddiness to the sound.  The fade out is nigh on perfect.  'Fixing A Hole' plays with stunning clarity on the intro and this fantastic quality does not diminish in any way.  This is a sublime version and aside from a couple of very gentle 'ticks' on the fade out it plays with perfect precision.  The clarity and separation is stunning.  Now as any collector knows 'She's Leaving Home' always plays with some 'background' on the first mono pressings.  The intro here is 'as new' but yes there is some static distortion on the top end.  I do sit very close to the speakers so I can hear it but from the middle of the room it is definitely less obvious.  I don't think this should detract any bidder because, as I say, this is always prevalent on this track.  It isn't major here and you can still hear the music very clearly.  'Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite' ends the side with impressive audio and with certainly less distortion.  The Wurlitzer organ sections play superbly well!  Once again there are no clicks or pops and that applies to the entire side.  How rare is that?!

'Within You Without You' on S2 plays with superb definition from the word go.  In essence the first minute or so plays 'as new' and thereafter the sound is nigh on perfect with only a minimal touch of very light static.  It is barely noticeable and this really is a superb rendition of this track.  It plays with wonderful depth and the strong bass really stands out.  This is easily Near Mint and the vast majority is better than that!  'When I'm Sixty-Four' plays with great clarity throughout and with only a hint of light static every now and then.  However, it is important to note that there are no clicks or pops again.  You expect some 'background' and this can be the case on new vinyl let alone one that is half a century old!  It is perfectly acceptable when the 'background' is minimal and that is exactly what we have here, minimal static to say the least.  It remains a fantastic listen!  What follows is a very impressive version of 'Lovely Rita' and grades as Near Mint in my opinion.  This track often has some distortion but there is hardly any interference here.  'Good Morning, Good Morning' plays with stunning depth and power and with barely any 'background' apart from some static distortion on the 'cock a doodle do' at the start - I can't believe I just wrote that!  Even the animals at the end 'play' superbly well!!  It is another track that displays just how well this vinyl has been preserved down the years.  The 'Sgt. Pepper's' reprise is absolutely superb!  The power and range is so impressive and there is no distortion whatsoever.  The bass on the opening few bars is just so strong and high in the mix and I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint- the quality is so 'high end'.  The classic 'A Day In The Life' begins with great sound and barely any 'background'.  As it progresses the clarity remains impressive but there is just a hint of light distortion on the vocal here and there.  It isn't intrusive and again I may be doing myself a disservice by even mentioning it!  The first crescendo section is superb, it builds so powerfully although there is one click right at the end.  The first click on the album!  Thereafter it plays extremely well and with very little 'background'.  It's very rare that this final section plays with perfect audio on any mono record but it's rather good here!  There is a little more distortion on the top end as you progress but it certainly isn't major and the second crescendo sections is 'huge' and sounds fantastic.  Just some static on the final note of it.  This of course is a very long fade out but it plays very cleanly on the whole with very little static.

In summary this super rare pressing with the 'fourth proof' gatefold plays with highly impressive audio for the majority.  There is a little static distortion here and there but for an album of this age to have only one click is a rarity.  It is also relatively rare to find a 'fourth proof' sleeve that is this clean.  With only a little wear on the spine you won't find many cleaner plus the cut out is Mint and the red 'fool' inner sleeve is not far from grading - it has no splits!  Now that is rare!!  This would add to any Beatles collection and as I say it's not often you find a 'fourth proof' sleeve as good as this!

The Gatefold

This is without doubt the most impressive 'Fourth Proof' G & L laminated cover that I have ever seen.  I have seen 4 or 5 in my time and this is definitely the cleanest.  The edges are in superb condition and are 'as new', a real rarity, and even there is hardly any corner wear also.  In fact it is only the spine that has a little wear and even then not much!  It remains legible although the letters 'o' and 'e' are missing from 'Lonely'.  There are also a few small 'spot' type marks and a little laminate splitting but it is certainly not badly worn like so many you see.  The opening edges have hardly any handling wear.  The laminate throughout is in superb fantastic condition with only a couple of small creases on the front and back covers.  There is no splitting or lifting anywhere.  The colours are still very vivid and have lost none of their strength.  The inside of the gatefold is in superlative condition and looks 'as new' and 'Fourth Proof' and 'AR D1321' are 100% legible.  The flipbacks are in stunning condition.  The gatefold has that familiar crunch of one that has only been opened a few times.  So overall this is a great example of this iconic 'Fourth Proof' gatefold and it would be very difficult to find a better one.

Red inner sleeve & Cut Out card

The red 'fool' inner sleeve is the cleanest I have seen in a long time.  Remarkably it has no splits and the edges are beautifully clean.  There are only a small number of very faint age related 'spots' but no creasing!  A near perfect example and so rare to find in this condition.

The Cut Out card is in perfect condition with no sign of wear at all.

The Labels

The yellow/black Parlophone labels are in near perfect condition with only a small amount of spindle wear and they have no marks or writing.  The KT tax code is on the S1 label.

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 SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SHIPPING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM "TRACKED/SIGNED FOR" AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00. PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE. WHEN ITEMS EXCEED A SALE PRICE OF £50.00 AND ARE TO BE SENT INTERNATIONALLY TRACKED SHIPPING IS AGAIN NECESSARY PLUS INSURANCE AND THIS COSTS AN EXTRA £7.50 IN TOTAL.  PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE, MANY THANKS.

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