John Lennon : Imagine 1U / 1U 1st Press

This first pressing is from a collection I purchased recently and every record has been so incredibly well preserved.  In the vast majority of cases the previous owner only played them once or twice in order to transfer them to tape and this is another pristine example from that collection.

The audio across both sides is just mind-blowing!  I have played every track in full and I have never heard this first pressing play with such clarity and depth.  There is no interference - no clicks or pops and no underlying static either.

The vinyl is visually in fantastic condition and the cover is also exceptionally clean and strong.  The lyric inner has only minimal creasing.  The original large poster and postcard are also included and both remain in superb condition.

Shipping costs to the US have increased recently so please wait for the invoice.  I will only send items to Italy, Russia/Eastern block & South America via tracked shipping and this will generally costs £5.00 extra.  All shipping costs are shown below.

PAS 10004 // YEX 865 - 1U / YEX 866 - 1U // AD 2 / AL 3 // PORKY & PECKO etched

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The cover is Ex+

The poster is Near Mint- and the postcard is Mint

The lyric inner is Ex+

The labels are Mint-

Play grading

From the opening note the classic 'Imagine' plays with a genuine clarity and warmth that is second to none.  This truly is an exceptional version and there is no intrusion on the audio at all.  A handful of dust ticks at most that are barely audible but this is practically 'as new' it is that good.  Mint- in my opinion.

'Crippled Inside' is equally as good if not better!  Not one dust tick just pure perfect audio from start to finish.  Mint

'Jealous Guy' belies its age and plays with wonderful clarity again.  No clicks or pops, no static or crackle just one mega light tick.  I can't overstate just how well this plays.  Mint-

Both 'It's So Hard' and 'I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier...' play with stunning precision and it's the clarity and depth of the audio that really stand out here.  There is no interference - they could not play any better, no exaggeration.

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'Gimme Some Truth' on S2 is of the same 'high end' standard with literally no interference of any kind.  This is quite obviously a record that has hardly been played.  Mint

The quiet intro on 'Oh My Love' has no 'background' and it continues to play with breathtaking clarity.  This is a beautiful rendition and again I can hardly believe the sonic quality on offer here!  Each note is so clean and there is no underlying static - rather impressive for such a gentle track - without doubt the finest version I have ever heard.  This is Mint I have no hesitation in saying.

'How Do You Sleep?' needs no lengthy description.  The clarity and definition of the audio is flawless and Mint is again richly deserved.

'How?' has also left me shaking my head!  Honestly the clarity is just out of this world!  Has this ever been played?!  l do not mean to get so enthusiastic but I am also a fan not just a 'seller' and when you hear audio as 'clean' and precise as this I can be forgiven.  From the first note to the last this is perfect in every way.  Even the fade out has no 'background'.  Mint

'Oh Yoko!' ends this STUNNING album with imperious quality and...no interference.  Incredible depth and warmth here and Mint is again a fair assessment of the high quality audio.

This first pressing is another that has been so carefully looked after down the decades.  This is easily the most impressive version I have ever had the pleasure in listening to - to think I had almost forgotten how good this album is!  There is quite simply no interference on either side and the clarity, depth and warmth that we have here is only ever found on vinyl.  Audiophiles will know exactly what I mean.

Visual grading

The vinyl is a work of art!  It has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen with no marks or scratches and only 3/4 very faint hairlines that are difficult to spot!  There is one tiny heat bump pressing fault on S2 but it has no affect on the superb audio quality.  I have never seen a cleaner first pressing!  The run out grooves and labels are also supremely clean and there is very little spindle wear.

The Cover, Lyric Inner + Poster & Postcard

The laminated cover is in excellent condition with very little wear.  The front is slightly out of alignment with the back - I guess they were a little clumsy in the factory!  The top edge has only a couple of minor rubs and the bottom edge and thin pinched spine are in perfect condition.  Hardly any corner wear either.  The opening edge is also close to perfect with only a couple of tiny 'crimps'.  The front cover is super clean with no marking and the top only has a minor 'curve' due to the misalignment.  The back cover is in great condition with just a hint of ringwear and a couple of minor scratch lines that you can only see at a certain angle.  A fine example overall.

The lyric inner is in great condition with no side splits, tears or marking and only very minimal creasing near the top edge.  The original 6-panel poster has been very well preserved with no rips or tears.  There is just a very minimal amount of faint age related fading on a couple of edges.  The original postcard remains in perfect condition. 

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

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Postage & Packaging

I SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SENDING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA/UKRAINE AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM VIA TRACKED SHIPPING AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00.

WHEN ITEMS SELL BETWEEN £50.00 AND £250.00 AND ARE TO BE SENT TO ANY INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION TRACKED SHIPPING IS AGAIN NECESSARY AND COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £7.50 AS EXTRA INSURANCE IS REQUIRED.

FOR ITEMS OVER £250.00 PLEASE CONTACT ME AS THERE WILL BE A HIGHER INSURANCE PREMIUM AND WILL HAVE TO BE SENT VIA A COURIER SERVICE AND THE COSTS CAN VARY.  THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE UP TO £250.00 HENCE THE NEED FOR ANOTHER SERVICE.  PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR THE EXACT AMOUNT AND THEN WAIT FOR THE INVOICE.  PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, MANY THANKS.

COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED WHEN MORE THAN ONE ITEM IS WON.

ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PLACED IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE THE COVER IN ORDER TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS IN THE POST. EVERYTHING IS THEN PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.

UK Postage Rates (First Class)

LPs/12" singles : £5.75 (recorded) up to 1kg then £0.95 per extra item 

7" singles / CDs : £1.95 then £0.35 per extra

EUROPE (Standard)

LPs/12" singles : £10.95 then £1.75 per extra 

7" singles / CDs : £6.45 then £0.95 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Standard)  

LPs/12" singles : £18.95 then £1.95 per extra

7" singles / CDs : £7.95 then £1.45 per extra

I WILL LEAVE FEEDBACK ONCE I HAVE RECEIVED IT.  THIS IS SO I KNOW THE ITEM HAS BEEN RECEIVED SAFELY AND THAT YOU ARE HAPPY WITH IT. IF YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK AND I WILL ALWAYS RESOLVE ANY PROBLEM, 100% GUARANTEED.  I WILL ALSO PAY THE RETURN POSTAGE COST IF I AM AT FAULT - yes this can happen as I am only human!!