John Mayall W/ Eric Clapton UK LP 1ST MONO BEANO NM-

	£		78
	$		103

JOHN MAYALL WITH ERIC CLAPTON

• CAT:LK4804
• MATRIX: ARL7297 1-A / ARL 7298 1-A
• 1A IS THE FIRST PRESS INDICATORS FOR THIS DECCA LABEL

THE UNTIMATE JOHN MAYALL ALBUM, FEATURING THE VERY YOUNG ERIC CLAPTON. THIS IS THE FIRST ALBUM THAT ERIC CLAPTON EVER APPEARED ON. IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF HIS RAW TALENT AND A MUST FOR ANY CLAPTON OR MAYALL FAN

THE ORIGINAL 1966 PRESSING WAS ONLY ISSUED IN MONO. IT WASN'T UNTIL 3 YEARS LATER THAT THE STEREO PRESS WAS ISSUED MAKING THIS THE GENUINE FIRST PRESS ITEM. ALSO WITH THE RARE 1A MATRIX ENDINGS ENSURING ITS VALIDITY AS A FIRST ISSUE

THE RECORD LABELS

THE UNBOXED RED DECCA LOGO LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE RED COLOUR HAS REMAINED FULLY VIBRANT AND VERY CLEAN AND MARK FREE, AND FULLY EXTENDS INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER LOGO AND TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY FORMED AND THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF FADING OR RUBBING, ENSURING EVERY LETTER CAN BE READ CLEARLY.

THERE ARE ABOUT 8-9 VERY LIGHT AND SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS ALBUIM HAS BEEN PLAYED.

THE VINYL

THE VINYL HAS STOOD THE TEST OF THE 42 YEARS EXTREMLY WELL. IT HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND LOOKS SUPERB. VIRTUALLY SPOT FREE IT IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. IN NORMAL LIGHT THERE IS NOT A MARK ON IT, AND ONLY WHEN OFFERED UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE THERE A FEW LIGHT WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN IN A FEW PLACES. CLEARLY THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN HANDLED AND PLAYED WITH EXTREME CARE

PLAYING THE RECORD

I HAVE INCLUDED A SHORT EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW GREAT THIS RECORD SOUNDS. PLEASE CLICK ON THE MEDIA PLAYER BELOW TO HEAR IT. I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE INTRODUCTION (RUN IN GROOVE) IS A REALLY GOOD REFLECTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE DISC. SO I HAVE STARTED THE RECORDING FROM THE RUN IN GROOVE, HENCE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE MUSIC STARTS. HOWEVER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY HEAR WHAT THAT RUN IN SOUNDS LIKE, WHETHER IT HAS ANY NOISE ETC.

THE RUN IN IS SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "ALL YOUR LOVE" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING SPECIAL. THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE, AND EACH LINKING GROOVE IS AS SILENT AS THE RUN IN THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD BY NOW. EVEN THE RUN OUT WHICH HISTORICALLY HAS NOISE ON MOST ALBUMS IS AS CLEAR AS A BELL. IF THERE IS ANYTHING AT ALL THEN THERE IS JUST THE VERY ODD LIGHT POP IN ONE OR TWO ODD PLACES AND A LITTLE STATIC EVERY NOW AND AGAIN

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC NEAR MINT

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS NEAR MINT

IT IS VERY RARE TO FIND THIS SLEEVE IS AS FINE A CONDITION THAT THIS ONE IS IN. USUALLY EVEN IF THE FRONT IS IN GOOD SHAPE THE REAR SURFACE HAS BROWNED AND AGED, AND LOOKS WELL WORN. THIS SLEEVE IS I BELIEVE AS GOOD AS YOU WILL FIND. NOT MINT BUT NOT FAR SHORT IN MY OPINION.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. LAMINATED AND AMAZINGLY NO CREASES OR CREASE LINES AT ALL, EVEN THE ONES THAT GATHER NEAR THE SPINE ARE LIMITED TO JUST ONE REALLY TINY ONE. THE LAMINATE GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND HAS A GREAT MIRROR FINISH. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE TOTALLY UNWORN AND THE SPINE IS FLAT AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE WITH THE TWO ENDS PROPERLY TAPERED. THE OPENING EDGE IS 100% PRISTINE AND RAZOR SHARP AND SHOWS EXACTLY HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE. IF I WANTED TO BE A BIT PICKY THEN THERE IS A TINY TOUCH OF FADING TO THREE OF THE FOUR CORNERS, BUT THIS IS REALLY BEING PICKY.

THE ALL IMPORTANT REAR SURFACE IS JUST INCREDIBLE. PURE WHITE , AND APRT FROMA TRACE OF AGEING ALONG THE TOP EDGE AND A SPOT OF BROWN STAIN IN THE  BOTTOM LEFT AND RIGHT CORNER , THE SLEEVE IS BETTER THAN MOST OTHER COPIES YOU WILL EVER SEE NOW. I AM AMAZED AT THE CLEANLINESS OF THIS DELICATE SLEEVE

THE ORIGINAL AND I DO MEAN ORIGINAL DECCA FFSS POLY LINED  INNER SLEEVE IS PRESENT , UNSPLIT AND IN UNCREASED MINT CONDITION AND PLACED CAREFULLY INSIDE THE SLEEVE

THE RECORD HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY