The Beatles WITH THE BEATLES UK LP 1ST STEREO NMINT

	£		139
	$		184

THE BEATLES - WITH THE BEATLES

• CATALOGUE: PCS 3045
• MATRIX NUMBERS YEX 110-2 / 111-2
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 3 GO / 1 A

THE RECORD

THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT FIRST PRESS, "STEREO" 1963 ORIGINAL BLACK AND YELLOW LABELLED "WITH THE BEATLES"

THE LABELS

YELLOW AND BLACK PARLOPHONE LABELS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION. THE MATT BLACK SURFACE IS RICH AND DEEP IN COLOUR AND UNMARKED, . THE COLOUR EXTENDS FULLY INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE YELLOW LOGO AND TYPEFACE IS CLEAN, AND UNFADED, WHILST THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS CLEAR, SHARP AND ALL PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. , CLEARLY THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN NOWHERE NEAR THE 60'S AUTOCHANGER AS THE SPINDLE HOLE IS IMMACULATE. THERE ARE 2-3 VERY LIGHT AND BARELY VISIBLE SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE TO INDICATE JUST HOW LITTLE THIS LP HAS BEEN PLAYED IN THE LAST 43 YEARS. I FIND IT QUITE AMAZING THAT ONE OF THE MOST POULAR LP'S ON THE PLANET HAS HAD SO FEW PLAYS, BUT THEN AGAIN WHAT AN ALBUM TO HAVE AVAILABLE IN THIS AMAZING CONDITION. IT IS ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THE LABELS DO NOT HAVE THE USUAL WHITE FLECKS ON THEM THAT YOU FIND ON SO MANY EARLY BEATLES LABELS. I WOULD HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THE LABELS MINT MINUS

SUPERB ULTRA GLOSSY SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DISC. THERE ARE NO SCRATCHES OR HANDLING MARKS TO BE SEEN ANYWHERE. EVEN WHEN OFFERED UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION, THERE ARE BARELY MORE THAN A COUPLE OF REALLY LIGHT AND WISPY HAIRLINES. THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT AN INCREDIBLE OFFERING IN VIRTUALLY "AS NEW" CONDITION. I DOUBT WHETHER THIS COULD BE BETTERED

PLAYING THE RECORD

I HAVE RECORDED 4 SEGMENTS FROM THIS ALBUM TO SHOW OF IT'S MAGNIFICENCE. I WOULD POINT OUT FROM THE OFF THAT MY USB TURNTABLE AND PC WHEN LINKED TOGETHER FOR SOME REASON WILL NOT FOR SOME REASON RECORD "TRUE STEREO" RECORDINGS SUCH AS THE EARLY BEATLES PROPERLY. WHAT YOU WILL HEAR WHEN YOU PRESS THE SAMPLE BUTTONS IS CRYSTAL CLEAR MUSIC WITH THE VOVALS SOUNDING LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN RECORDED FAR FAR AWAY. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT IN REALITY THIS IS NOT THE CASE, IT'S JUST MY SET UP CAN'T HANDLE THE PURE SPLIT STEREO SOUND. STILL YOU DO GET A BETTER IDEA OF THE CLARITY OF THE INSTRUMENTATION, AND I WOULD SAY A BETTER IDEA OF JUST HOW WELL THE ALBUM IS REPRODUCED, WITHOUT ANY BACKGROUND CRACKLING ETC. SO WHILST IT WILL SOUND A LITTLE STRANGE, HAVING PLAYED IT AS WELL ON MY BOSE HI-FI I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE VOCALS ARE PROPERLY IN THE MIX IN REALITY.

I HAVE RECORDED THE OPENING TRACK TO EACH SIDE, AND ONE FIRTHER TRACK FORM EACH SIDE. EACH EXAMPLE INCLUDES THE RUN IN GROOVE OR THE LINKING GROOVE PRECEEDING THE MUSIC. THIS WILL ALSO SHOW OF THE LACK OF BACKGROUND NOISE IN THE SILENT PASSAGES BETWEEN THE TRACKS

YOU WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHICH IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT THE LP HAS BEEN HANDLED WITH THE UTMOST CARE, IT HAS ALSO NOT BGEEN SUBJECTED TO A HEAVY OR WORN STYLUS, WHICH COULD HAVE DAMAGED THE GROOVE AND CAUSED THE AFORESAID DISTORTION.

THE LP, PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ALL THE WAY THOUGH WITH THE QUALITY YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A NEAR MINT EXAMPLE OF THIS SUPERB VINYL. THE ONLY UNWANTED DISTRACTIONS ARE A FEW VERY VERY LIGHT POPS IN A COUPLE OF RANDOM SPOTS AND ONE SMALL AND PRETTY INSIGNIFICANY TINY NOISE JUST BEFORE THE OPENING TRACK STARTS. THIS COULD EASILY BE SOME DUST AS I CANNOT SEE ANY SIGN OF ANY MARK

THE VINYL AND PRODUCTION EASILY GRADES NEAR MINT, AND IS GENUINE UPGRADE TO KEEP COPY

THE SLEEVE

THE 1ST ISSUE GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE (PATENTS PENDING) SLEEVE IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION  THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND VERY CLEAN. THIS SLEEVE IS MADE FROM VERY FLIMSY CARD UNLIKE THE BEATLES DEBUT ALBUM, AND MOST OF THESE THAT YOU WILL SEE WILL BE VERY RINGWORN, AND IN A LOT OF CASES TORN AND VERY VERY CREASED. ON THIS ONE THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR BENDS, JUST A FEW REALLY TINY LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE AND PERIMETER EDGES. THERE IS NO RING WEAR WHATSOEVER WHICH FOR ME MAKES A GREAT DIFFERENCE TO THE APPEARANCE OF THIS SUPERB SET. THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO CORNER CREASES, OR ANY HEAVY CREASE LINES ALO ONLY SERVES TO ENHANCE THIS BEAUTIFUL SLEEVE. THE WHITE BAND AT THE TOP OF THE COVER IS WHIET, UNLIKE A LOT OF SLEEVES WHICH SEVERELY YELLOW. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT THE FACT THAT THE LP AND COVER HAS BEEN KEPT IN PLASTIC HAS HAD THE RESULTANT EFFECT.

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE TOTALLY UNWORN, AND ALL OF THE LAMINATE IS STILL ON THESE VALNERBALE EDGES. THE SPINE IS ALSO FLAT AND CLEAN AND THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE OPENING EDGE IS THE ONLY PART OF THE SLEEVE THAT HAS A LITTLE WEAR TO IT. A SMALL NICK ON THE LEADING EDGE, BUT VERY VERY TINY, AND A LITTLE BIT OF "FLUFFING" TO THE EDGE, AND THE SAME WITH THE REAR EDGE, HOWEVER IN THE CONTEXT OF HOW SUPERB THIS SLEEVE IS, THIS IS QUITE MINOR IN MY OPINION.

THE REAR SURFACE IS UNUSUALLY VERY WHITE, AS THE VAST MAJOROTY OF THESE UNLAMINATED SECTIONS HAVE YELLOWED OR BROWNED WIOTH AGE AND A HELL OF A LOT HAVE WRITING OR OTHER MAN MADE MARKS ON THEM. THIS ONE IS QUITE MAGNIFICENT, AS I AM SURE YOU CAN MAKE OUT IN THE PICTURES. THE FLIPBACKS ARE PROPELY STUCK DOWN, AND UNDAMAGED.

THE ORIGINAL GREASEPROOF LINED EMI INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS SET AND AS SUCH MAKES THIS TOTALLY ORIGINAL IN EVERY WAY. THE INNER IS IN EXCELLENT AND UNSPLIT CONDITION. A COUPLE OF MINOR CREASES TO THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER, AND TWO SMALL NICKS TO THE CENTRE HOLE, BUT NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE THREE SEALED EDGES AND ANUNDAMAGED OPENING EDGE.

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE EXCELLENT PLUS

THE SET WILL COME TO YOU HOUSED IN A NEW PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE, AND THE VINYL IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER

SO HERE WE HAVE A SUPERB HIGH GRADE COELLECTIBLE COPY OF THIS GREAT ALBUM

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY