JIMI HENDRIX "ELECTRIC LADYLAND" UK 1st BLUE TEXT. RARE

	£		377
	$		500

           THIS COULD WELL BE THE ONE YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING TO FIND!!
FOR SALE HERE IS THE VERY FIRST UK PRESSING OF THE ICONIC CLASSIC FROM THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE ENTITLED "ELECTRIC LADYLAND". THE THIRD AND FINAL RELEASE FROM THEM AS A 3-PIECE BAND. PROBABLY THEIR BEST KNOWN WORK, AND WITHOUT DOUBT THEIR MOST DESIRABLE TOO.
THIS IS THE VERY FIRST UK PRESSING WITH THE HAND ALTERED MATRIX NUMBERS TO ALL SIDES. THIS HAS THE BLUE TEXT INSIDE THE GATE-FOLD COVER WITH THE LARGER PICTURES OF NOEL AND MITCH. LATER COPIES HAD SMALLER PICTURES AND THE TEXT IS IN WHITE PRINT. THE MATRIX NUMBER IS SHOWN TWICE ON ALL THE LABELS, BOTH NORMALLY, AND INVERTED ABOVE THE FIRST. ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE ONLY ON THE VERY FIRST PRESSINGS, AND QUITE OBVIOUSLY, THE MATRIX NUMBERS END WITH  A1,  B1,  A1,  B1 (OR THEY SHOULD!, SEE DETAILS BELOW). THE FULL STAMPED AND HAND ETCHED NUMBERS ARE LISTED BELOW.
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO HESITATION IN CALLING THIS THE NICEST COPY I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE TO LIST. THE COVER IS IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CARED FOR CONDITION. IT IS VIRTUALLY UNDAMAGED, WITH ONLY VERY MINOR CREASES AND WEAR. ALL THE VINYL IS ALSO IN STUNNING ORDER. FROM THE NUMBER OF SPINDLE MARKS SHOWING, I WOULD SAY THIS HAS HAD NO MORE THAN 6 PLAYS IN ITS 42 YEAR LIFE. THE VINYLS ARE ALMOST FREE OF ANY HAIRLINE MARKS, AND HAVE A GLORIOUS JUST PRESSED LOOK TO THEM. BOTH ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVES ARE PRESENT AND DAMAGE FREE, BUT HAVE SOME LIGHT AGE DISCOLOURATION. THIS IS A REMARKABLE FIRST UK PRESSING WITH THE BLUE TEXT, PROVING IT TO BE THE VERY EARLIEST FIRST PRESSING. AN OUTSTANDING ALBUM, AND IN OUTSTANDING CONDITION.
THE COVER: EXHIBITS ONLY VERY MINOR CREASING. NONE OF THE CREASES SHOW THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE, THEY ARE THAT LIGHT. FULLY LAMINATED WITH A VERY HIGH GLOSS.. THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE FRONT COVER HAS A 25mm LIGHT RUB AREA. THE TOP EDGE OF THE BACK COVER ALSO HAS A 25mm LIGHT RUB AREA. THE INNER GATE-FOLD IS SUPERB, AGAIN WITH JUST A COUPLE OF CREASES. THERE IS A HINT OF DISC IMPRESSION, BUT THIS IS NOT RING-WEAR AS SUCH. THE SPINE IS NEAR PERFECT, AND CREAKS REASSURINGLY ON OPENING. THIS IS THE NICEST OF THESE COVERS I HAVE EVER COME ACROSS, AND I STRICTLY GRADE IT AS EXCELLENT.
THE INNER SLEEVES: ORIGINAL. BOTH HAVE NO SLITS TO ANY EDGES. POLY-LINING IS FULLY INTACT. BOTH HAVE THE "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" TEXT, AND THEY BOTH HAVE THE PATENT NUMBERS AND MADE IN ENGLAND TEXT TOO. SOME AGE DISCOLOURATION IS PRESENT, ALSO SOME LIGHT CREASING AT THE CORNERS WHICH IS CLEARLY VISIBLE IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS. I WOULD STILL GRADE THESE AT EXCELLENT MINUS THOUGH. THESE WILL TRAVEL IN NEW POLY-LINED SLEEVES
LABELS AND VINYL VISUALLY: ALL LABELS SHOW MINIMUM EVIDENCE OF PLAY. AT WORST I CAN SEE 6 SPINDLE MARKS TO ONE, AND AT BEST JUST 3 TO ANOTHER. SO I WOULD HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THESE HAVE HAD BETWEEN 3 AND 6 PLAYS ONLY. NOT BAD IN 42 YEARS! THE VINYL IS HEAVYWEIGHT 60's. BEAUTIFUL AND THICK WITH DEEP CUT GROOVES. THESE FIRST PRESS VINYLS WERE BUILT TO LAST, AND WITHSTOOD DAMAGE WELL. IN STRONG ANGLED LIGHT, A FEW LIGHT HAIRLINES CAN BE SEEN. THERE ARE NO MARKS OF ANY CONCERN AT ALL. THESE ALMOST LOOK FRESHLY PRESSED WITH A DEEP GLOSSY SHEEN. VISUALLY I WOULD GRADE LABELS AND VINYL AS EXCELLENT PLUS.

THE STAMPS IN THE DEAD-WAX ARE A MINEFIELD IN THEMSELVES. THERE ARE SEVERAL STAMPED AND HAND ETCHED AMENDMENTS. THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT SIDE D IS ON THE REVERSE OF SIDE A, AND SIDES B AND C ARE ON THE SAME DISC. THIS WAS TO ALLOW "STACKING" (WOULD YOU EVER!!?)) OF THE DISCS SO THAT THEY PLAYED THROUGH IN THE CORRECT RUNNING ORDER. AS THE VINYL WAS ORIGINALLY STAMPED FOR THE REGULAR A-B-C-D CONFIGURATION, (WITH A AND B ON ONE DISC, AND C AND D ON THE OTHER), THESE HAD TO BE AMENDED AFTER THEY DID NOT TIE-IN WITH WHAT WAS ACTUALLY PRESSED ON EACH SIDE. THIS IS WHAT I SEE TO EACH:-
MATRIX NUMBERS TO EACH VINYL:                                                                              SIDE A.      A1    1 2                                                                                       SIDE B.      A1    1                                                                                        SIDE C.      A1    1 2                                                                                     SIDE D.      B1    1 1                                                                                       THIS IS NOT A PRINTING ERROR, 3 SIDES ARE MARKED AS A1??  AND JUST ONE SIDE MARKED B1.
PLAY-GRADING OF VINYLS:                                                SIDE A.    EXCELLENT PLUS.                                                           SIDE B.    EXCELLENT PLUS.                                                           SIDE C.    EXCELLENT PLUS.                                                           SIDE D.    EXCELLENT PLUS.                                                          
SO THIS IS A REMARKABLY EARLY COPY. ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PRESSES, BACKED UP BY THE BLUE TEXT AND LOW MATRICES. THE VINYL IS VISUALLY STUNNING. THE COVER IS PROBABLY AS GOOD AS YOU WILL EVER FIND. A COPY OF THIS ALBUM IN THIS CONDITION HARDLY EVER SURFACES IN THE MARKET PLACE. THIS WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE PRIDE OF PLACE IN MOST COLLECTIONS! DO NOT MISS THIS VERY RARE CHANCE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON A TRACK, PLEASE JUST ASK. ALSO IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, PLEASE JUST ASK.
I AM HAPPY TO POST WORLD-WIDE. ANY POSTAGE OVERCHARGED WILL BE REFUNDED IN FULL AS SOON AS I KNOW THE CORRECT PRICE (UK POSTAGE VARIES BY COUNTRY BEING POSTED TO, SO A BLANKET PRICE TO ALL OVERSEAS BUYERS DOES NOT WORK). ALL POSTAGE WILL BE "SIGNED FOR" TO PROTECT US BOTH. PACKING WILL BE VERY SECURE. IN OVER 300 POSTINGS I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY REPORT OF DAMAGE.
IF YOU ARE BIDDING ON THIS VERY RARE GEM, I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK. THERE IS A LOW STARTING PRICE AND NO RESERVE HAS BEEN SET. LET THE MARKET PLACE DECIDE ITS VALUE. I DO ASK THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE FEEDBACK, PLEASE DO NOT DO AS SOME BUYERS HAVE DONE, AND MARK ME DOWN FOR POSTAGE COST. I CHARGE EXACTLY WHAT IT COSTS TO SEND. I DO NOT CHARGE FOR MY TIME OR PACKING MATERIALS. HOW CAN I BE MARKED DOWN FOR THAT??