JOHN LENNON Imagine 1971 UK Apple PAS 10004 1st press LP Complete Beatles EX+

	£		49
	$		65

JOHN LENNON - IMAGINE

A truly excellent condition copy (the sparingly played vinyl is bordering on "near mint") of this increasingly hard to find and sought after 1971 UK very 1st press John Lennon classic, on the APPLE record label, STEREO, PAS 10004 (YEX 865)

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1    YEX 865 - 1U  with stampers "3" and "11P" at 11 and 6 o'clock respectively and hand etched "PORKY"

Side 2    YEX 866 - 1U  with stampers "3" and "TL" at 11 and 4 o'clock respectively and hand etched "PECKO"

In normal daylight the appearance of the vinyl is excellent plus (EX+). Glossy, completely flat and nicely heavy vinyl with jet black lacquering and a beautiful sheen. Upon close inspection under a bright halogen light just a few wispy hairlines come into view but these are surface only and strictly superficial only. The appearance and actual condition of the vinyl suggests that it has been sparingly played and the brilliant STEREO audio reproduction supports this view. The overall appearance and condition of the vinyl is certainly a solid excellent plus (I'm sure some would grade as "near mint").

The labels are again excellent plus (EX+). Wonderfully impressive labels with all text, all colouring, and the iconic APPLE logo with black writing upon the smooth textured white background all remaining in superb "as new" condition with just a couple of extremely faint (only identifiable under a bright light and when tilted at the right angle) spindle trails on each label. Note the "Flux Fiddlers" credit text which identifies this as a first UK pressing (along with the "1U" matrix numbering).

The condition of the laminated outer sleeve is excellent (EX). All edges remain firm with no scuffing at all, each corner remains a near perfectly defined right angle with barely any rubbing at all, and the spine also remains firm with all text nicely intact. All colouring, art work, and photos remain in great shape with gorgeous colour vibrancy and clear definition, and there is no unwanted writing or doodles anywhere, and no cardboard creasing either. The opening edges are firm with no fraying at all. The only blemishes, which are each very minor, are a few small, very light laminate creases mostly adjacent and perpendicular to the edges though there is just a little surface only laminate creasing on the front side in the bottom right quadrant - you will need to tilt the sleeve at the right angle and in a good light to identify them...very trivial. There are three light laminate 1-2 horizontal laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine on the front side which do slightly impinge upon the spine (one of which touches the spine between the "a" and "g" in "imagine" - trivial but just noticeable in the right light. Excellent!

Finally, the quality of the audio is again excellent plus (EX+). There is great tone and clarity throughout even at higher volume and frequencies. There are no skips, jumps, repeats or clicking, and just a little very mild background crackle right at the beginning and very end of each side and during a couple of the quieter moments/interludes...I stress that this is non-intrusive and so trivial (and occasional) that the overall superb stereo audio quality is not diminished in any way, with every track making for a great listen. In fact, it is clear that this vinyl has been only sparingly played and any background noise (albeit very trivial) can only be down to a few dust particles caught in the grooves through decades of storage, and I am sure that a proper clean would fully remedy anyway. 

The tracks are :

Side A :

1. IMAGINE

2. CRIPPLED INSIDE

3. JEALOUS GUY

4. IT's SO HARD

5. I DON'T WANT TO BE A SOLDIER

Side B :

1. GIVE ME SOME TRUTH

2. OH MY LOVE

3. HOW DO YOU SLEEP?

4. HOW?

5. OH YOKO!

Comes with original poster and "piggy" postcard, both of which are in excellent plus and virtually unused condition (there is just a 5mm split at the top of one of the poster folds, otherwise near perfect with no creasing, staining, doodles or unwanted writing, pin holes, or blue tac residue...just great condition!

Comes with original lyric inner sleeve with no tears or splits, no fraying and no unwanted writing - just a little very mild surface creasing and in overall great condition and remaining fully functional. Note that I always post the vinyl in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly excellent plus condition and highly presentable copy of this increasingly hard to find 1971 very first UK press John Lennon classic - a worthy addition to any serious vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 49 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 64 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £4 signed for, Royal Mail 1st class; continental Europe £10 and Rest of the World £14, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail, tracked and signed for.

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler