David Bowie 1972 Ziggy Stardust UK 1st Press Radio Promo LP 1E/2E

	£		101
	$		134

NO RESERVE AUCTION
This is a no-reserve 7 day auction for the now seldom seen UK first pressing of David Bowie's 1972 LP The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. This first UK first pressing produced by David Bowie and Ken Scott has factory stamped matrix numbers BGBS 0864 1E and BGBS 0865 2E (please see the large photographs provided).
This iteration of the LP is the ultra rare RCA radio promo copy with the Ziggy Stardust LP track list/running order and track timings actually visible to DJ's, published by RCA on the front cover on a large promotional sticker. 
As was frequently encountered at the time, this LP also has a drill hole. 
Drilling was done for many reasons by RCA, this is widely written about and discussed online, and most commonly a pile of LP's were stacked prior to drilling.  
What is far less common, and for reasons we will never know, this LP was not drilled right through, but touched on the Soul Love, side 1 track (see large photograph provided). The LP cover itself was not drilled and is in great shape. See grading condition notes later.
It would be extremely unusual for a serious collector to want to add this early unique promotional LP to their collection, only to play it. So the story of this extremely rare piece is only added to here by its life and legacy being unusual and well documented. This leaves the collector plenty of options to enjoy owning this seminal David Bowie first pressing, including framing for exhibition or private display.
TRACK LIST
Side 1: Five Years (4:42) Soul Love (3:34 Drilled) Moonage Daydream (4:40) Starman (4:10) It Ain’t Easy (2:58)
Side 2: Lady Stardust (3:18) Star (2:47) Hang on to Yourself (2:40) Ziggy Stardust (3:13) Suffragette City (3:25) Rock n Roll Suicide (2:58)
Label/Format: RCA Victor with genuine first gen glossy orange labels with ‘Titanic Music’ and "Chrysalis Ltd" credits, indicative of the 1972 first pressing. Pressed on real high quality vinyl, not Dynaflex!
LP COVER Printed in England by Robert Stace. Artwork by Terry Pastor of Main Artery. Photography by Brian Ward. This UK first issue Ziggy Stardust LP does not mention or credit Bowie's infamous management company Mainman. This omission is indicative of a UK first pressing. 
CATALOGUE NUMBER  BGBS 0864
MODE / SPEED Stereo / 33.3 rpm
VINYL WEIGHT Original 130 gram vinyl. Today, Audiophile reissues are sometimes pressed on 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of early vinyl was ever pressed to this specification. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and some records pressed around 1973 were very light due an oil crisis at the time. The LP has been stored in a Japanese anti-static sleeve (see photographs).
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE England. The earliest UK pressing from 1972 on RCA Victor with Titanic Music and Chrysalis credits are now seldom seen, make no mistake. This copy is pressed on real vinyl, not later Dynaflex. Seeing the original heavy UK pressing with 1E/2E matrixes in the radio promo format is an extremely rare encounter, let alone the opportunity of now adding it to your collection. The matrixes on this example are factory machine stamped, very clear in the original solid roman type. For those who bought this album when first released, most played them into submission and finding originals that play well is incredibly difficult. Often fans bought later copies as replacements for their originals. The more discerning collectors who do own the first pressings will rarely part with it, why would they? Not only that, the cover is a nightmare for rubbing and ring wear. Also, the very delicate lyric inner is near immaculate also and for a change, unsplit or torn. This record and the inner bag are now 53 years old! 
MATRIX NUMBERS BGBS 0864 1E and BGBS 0865 2E all deeply machine stamped at the factory in block characters.  These matix numbers are indicative of a UK first factory pressing in 1972. 
MUSICIANS David Bowie (vocals, guitar, saxophone) Mick Ronson (guitar, piano, vocals) Trevor Bolder (bass guitar) Mick Woodmansey (drums). Arrangement by David Bowie and Mick Ronson. 
GRADING & CONDITION The LP has a small No.3 DJ sticker on the top right (see photographs) but is all around an excellent+ sleeve with no separation, no graffiti nor handwriting. Original SF 8287 (LSP 4702) catalogue number and only the ‘GEM PRODUCTION’ text and logo on the reverse and no mention or credit to "Mainmain" are indicative of a UK first pressing. The inner picture bag is made of very thin paper and printed with lyrics and portraits of the band but has been stored separately in its own light plastic cover and so aside from one or two very minor spots of foxing is in excellent+ condition. Vinyl is very lustrous and glossy. Side 1 has one or two light surface marks indicative of having been played. As mentioned earlier Track 2 Soul Love has been drilled. I have never played the LP myself (ever) since acquiring it in 1980. Side 2 is in mint, un-played, condition. Both labels are mint- glossy, original and lustrous with no spindle marks. If you look closely with a camera lens, label 1 has a hairline about 1cm (barely visible to naked eye) which resembles a tiny blemish in the label itself during manufacture, not actually wear. The sleeve front has the early beginnings of ring wear, again, please look at the large photographs provided to confirm the exact condition. 
QUESTIONS Please ask any questions you might have before bidding/buying.
SHIPPING UK, Europe and international shipping accepted, with tracking, as advertised. LP shipped securely packaged in a reinforced cardboard LP mailer with vinyl and picture sleeve stored separately.