JOHN MAYALL Bluesbreakers Clapton original UK mono

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Welcome! Here is a first UK press of John Mayall Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (Decca LK 4804). This is the original mono press issued in 1966, with Mayall and Clapton joined by John McVie and Hughie Flint. This album has a laminated flipback sleeve, the original Decca inner sleeve, the unboxed red Decca mono label, and plays beautifully!

Matrix numbers and mother/stamper codes are:

Side 1: ARL-7297-1A; the mother/stamper is 1 GC. There are other numbers as well: a random 2 is there; the code SM A is there, and the UK tax code KT appears in the runoff grooves as well.

Side 2: ARL-7298-1A; the mother/stamper is 1 GB. There is no 2 or SM A on the Side 2 runoff, but the KT tax code appears again.

Using the Record Collector grading system, what do we have here?

Sleeve: The laminated flipback sleeve grades Very Good +. The sleeve is signed “Printed in England by MacNeill Press, London, S.E. 1.” The laminated front is strong, with only scattered laminate wrinkles and minor age toning to the white areas. The unlaminated white back is somewhat soiled, hardly new-looking but not too bad for an album that is 45 years old. The flipbacks are solid, with typical dark toning along their edges and minor age spots. The laminated spine reveals “pinched” ends, correct for a sleeve of this vintage, and is fine except for minor age spots. Corner wear is minor. The edge where the record is inserted shows minor wear, certainly not razor-sharp but still quite good.

Vinyl: The nice, heavy Decca vinyl grades Excellent. There are numerous surface marks, but they do not impact the sound – a testament to the intrinsic quality of those fine old Decca records. This is only the occasional low-level crackle, really quite good for a disc of this vintage. And, wow, this music sounds raw and powerful in its original mono!

Labels: Both unboxed Decca mono labels are strong, save for average spindle tracking on both labels. These labels have the ring pressed into the vinyl underneath the label, making them Decca “grooved” labels.

Inner Sleeve: This album has its original plastic-lined Decca inner sleeve! This style of inner was not used after 1965, so this one is early indeed. There is a significant split along one edge; beyond that, there is only minor age discoloration and crinkling.

And, in the end: Except for the soiling on the white sleeve reverse side, this is an excellent example of an early unboxed UK Decca press of this British blues classic. It is rare to find this album with its original inner sleeve! Please e-mail me with any questions.

Returns: Full return privileges (less shipping and listing fee) if dissatisfied, but I bet you won’t be! Please pay by PayPal. Thanks and good luck!

Shipping: I will ship to ANY country on Earth! Pursuant to my statement above that I am not a dealer, I do NOT gouge anyone on shipping costs. If you are in the USA, figure on $4.00 for good ‘ol Media Mail; of course, you can do Priority, Overnight, you name it. In those situation, as well as if you live outside of the USA, I will take your item(s), with the packaging, to the post office and I will obtain multiple shipping quotes for you (fast, slow, whatever).

Insurance: I will also get an insurance quote for you. I pack things very well, but if you choose to not buy insurance, I will not be responsible if something nasty happens.

Namaste, everyone!