The Who LIVE AT LEEDS UK LP 1ST PRESS BLACK TEXT NMINT

	£		205
	$		272

THE WHO  - LIVE AT LEEDS

• CATALOGUE:2406 001
• MATRIX: 246001 A-1 / B-1
• HAS THE FULL SET OF FIRST ISSUE INSERTS
• HAS THE BLACK FIRST ISSUE TYPEFACE STAMP ON THE SLEEVE

WHEN THIS ALBUM WAS FIRST RELEASED, THE FIRST BATCH OF LPS WERE ISSUED WITH A SLEEVE THAT HAD A BLACK TEXT STAMP. THESE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN THESE DAYS, AND THE SECOND AND THIRD RELEASES ARE MUCH MORE PROMINENT. THE MOST COMMON ONE IS IN RED, AND THE OTHER WAS FOUND IN BLUE. A BLACK SLEEVE IS VERY SOUGHT AFTER AMONGST COLLECTORS WHO WANT THE VERY FIRST EXAMPLES AVAILABLE

THE LP IS IN A HIGH MINT MINUS COLLECTIBLE CONDITION AND WOULD GRACE ANY COLLECTION

THE LABELS

THE LABELS ON THIS ALBUM, LIKE THE REST OF THE SET WAS MADE TO LOOK LIKE A BOOTLEG, SO INSTEAD OF THE USUAL BLACK TRACK LABELS, THESE WERE ISSUED ON A WHITE LABEL WITH BLUE TYPEFACE. THE WHITE SURFACE IS STILL A BRILLIANT WHITE AND HAS NO STAINING OR HANDLING MARKS AT ALL. THE WHITENESS EXTENDS ALL THE WAY INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THERE ARE 4-5 VERY LIGHT SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE INDICATING THE LP HAS HAD ONLY A FEW VERY CAREFUL PLAYS SINCE 1970.

THE LABEL ALSO STATES "CRACKLING NOISES OK. DO NOT CORRECT" THIS IS BECAUSE THERE WAS A MIKE CABLE LOOSE DURING THE RECORDING AND THIS CAUSED SOME CLICKS THROUGHOUT THE RECORDING. IT WAS DECIDED TO LEAVE THEM IN FOR AUTHENTICITY.

THE VINYL

VERY GLOSSY AND NEAR PRISTINE EXAMPLE OF THIS ALBUM. THE LP HAS CLEARLY BEEN HANDLED CORRECTLY AS THERE ARE NO MARKS OR SCRATCHES ON THE SURFACE OF EITHER SIDE. ONLY WHEN OFFERED UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION CAN I MAKE OUT A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES. THESE CERTAINLY DO NOT SOUND OUT IN MY TEST PLAY

PLAYING THE RECORD

THE LP STARTS WITH A SILENT RUN IN TO TRACK ONE " YOUNG MAN". LIVE AT LEEDS SET THE STANDARD FOR LIVE ALBUM IN THAT THE PRODUCTION WAS ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING. THE RECORDING IS VERY LOUD AND THE STERE PRODUCTION IS SECOND TO NONE. IT IS CLEAR FROM THE OFF THAT THERE IS NO WEAR TO THE GROOVES AS THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO BE HEARD ANYWHERE. EACH TRACK PLAYS TO ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. CRYSTAL CLEAR AND FREE FROM AND UNWANTED NOISES. JUST THE ODD CRACKLE THAT IS MENTIONED ON THE RECORD LABEL

BOTH SIDES PLAY SUPERBLY AND I HAVE RECORDED 4 SECTIONS SO THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT I AM ALUDING TO. I HAVE RECORDED THE INTRO TO EACH SIDE WHICH INCLUDES THE RUN IN GROOVE, AND IN ADDITION ONE FIRTHER TRACK WHICH WHERE POSSIBLE INCLUDES THE LINKING GROOVE ALTHOUGH ON A LIVE RECORDINGTHAT IS HARD, SO THE QUIETEST PASSAGE BETWEEN THE SONGS HAS BEEN RECORDED

I HAVE NO HESITATION IS GRADING THIS SUPERB FIRST PRESS AS NEAR MINT IN PERFORMANCE

IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO UPGRADE FROM THIS

THE SLEEVE

THE RARE HEADHUNTERS POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION. ABSOLUTELY NO SPLITS WHAT SO EVER. AND THE SURFACE IS CREASE FREE. I HAVEN'T SEEN MANY OF THESE EVER, BUT THIS ONE IS BY FAR IN THE BEST CONDITION OF ALL OF THOSE THAT I HAVE COME ACCROSS. I WOULD SAY NEAR MINT IN FACT.

THE SLEEVE

AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THE RUNNING ORDER FOR THESE SLEEVE MAKE A BLACK STAMPED COVER THE FIRST ISSUE AND HARDEST TO FIND. MOST YOU WILL SEE ON EBAY AND AT RECORD FAIRS ARE RED OR BLUE. HERE THEN IS THE GENUINE ARTICLE.

DESIGNED TO LOOK LIKE A BOOTLEG IT IS NO MORE THAN A BROWN SLEEVE HELD BY TWO STAPLES TO SECURE THE INNER POUCHES THAT CONTAIN 12 INSERTS, AND THE LP. THESE STAPLES WERE FAR TOO WEAK TO HOLD THIS LOT AND MOST COPIES YOU WILL FIND WILL BE SPLIT AND IN VERY SHABBY CONDITION DUE TO THE POUROUS NATURE OF THE SLEEVE.

HERE THEN IS A VERY VERY ACCEPTABLE FIRST PRESS BLACK TEXT SLEEVE

FIRSTLY THE TWO ORIGINAL STAPLES ARE BOTH FIRMLY IN PLACE AND NEITHER OF THE INNER POCKETS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED OR SPLIT. THE SURFACE IS ALSO FREE FROM HANDLING MARKS, WATER STAINS AND THE LIKE. IN FACT THE ONLY MARK IS FROM SOME SELLOTAPE THAT WAS PLACED ON THE TOP SPINE EDGE AND LATER REMOVED LEAVING A SMALL RESIDUAL MARK. THE SPINE IS IN UNSPLIT CONDITION, WHICH IS AGAIN VERY UNUSUAL, JUST ONE MINUTE NICK TO THE VERY VERY TOP. THE BLACK STAMP IS ALSO VERY CLEAR AND RICH, AGAIN ALOT YOU WILL SEE HAVE FADED BADLY AND THE COLOUR VIRTUALLY GONE. THE REAR OF THE SLEEVE HAS A FEW LIGHT BITS OF MOTTLING DOWN THE SPINE AND A SMALL WHITE STICKER ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER

OVERALL I WOULD GRADE THIS SLEEVE AS EXCELLENT PLUS WHEN COMPARED TO MOST YOU WILL SEE

THE INSERTS

THERE ARE AND ALWAYS HAD BEEN 12 INSERTS THAT MAKE UP THIS SET, A LOT OF SELLERS WILL LIST ANYTHING FROM NONE TO 10, BUT IT IS A FULL SET OF TWLVE THAT YOU NHEED.

THEN AGAIN THERE ARE FIRST ISSUE INSERTS AND THEN THERE ARE THE REST. IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE TROUBLE OF SEEKING OUT A FIRST PRESS SLEEVE AND VINYL I AM CERTAIN YOU WOULD WANT THE FIRST ISSUE INSERTS.

THE ORIGINALS WERE ALL MADE ON THICK PAPER OR CARD, AND AS THE LP DEMANDED MORE PRESSINGS SO THE INSERTS BECAME THINNER AND THINNER UNTIL IN SOME CASES WERE OF THE SAME CONSISTANCY AS TISSUE PAPER.

ALSO ANOTHER TELLTALE IS THE LARGE POSTER. THE FIRST ISSUES HAVE 90 WARDOUR STREET ON THEM, WHEREAS THE LATER ONES HAVE THE TRACK PRESSING CATALOGUE NUMBER

I GUARANTEE THAT HERE YOU WILL HAVE FULL SET OF THICK CARDED AND THICK PAPER INSERTS, AND ALL OF THEM ARE IN MINT CONDITION. IN FACT THE ORIGINAL OWNER REMOVED THEM FROM THE SLEEVE AND PLACED THEM INTO A SEPERATE PLASTIC HOLDER. THIS IS WHAT PROTECTED THE SLEEVE FROM ANY WEIGHT DAMAGE

THIS SUPERB SET IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION AND WOULD GRACE ANY COLLECTION

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

GARRY