MADE IN JAPAN - 1ST GRAMOPHONE CO - 1U MATRIX. MINT COPY HOLY GRAIL

	£		40
	$		53

AN ORIGINAL DECCA PRESSING, THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE RARER DEEP PURPLE RECORDINGS. THE MAGNIFICENT 'MADE IN JAPAN. FIRST PRESS WITH ALL THE -1U MATRIX NUMBERS, BUT PRESSED BY DECCA INSTEAD OF EMI.

FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN THEIR PLANT AT HAYES WAS OVERLOADED EMI ASKED EITHER DECCA OR PYE TO PRESS ALBUMS FOR THEM. PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS EXAMPLES BEING THE BEATLES RECORDINGS

 THIS DECCA CONTRACT PRESS CAN BE TOLD IN A COUPLE OF WAYS

FIRSTLY THE INNER RIDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE LABEL IS TYPICAL OF ANY DECCA PRESSING.

SECONDLY THE MOTHERS AND STAMPERS ARE NOT PRESENT AS THEY WOULD BE WITH AN EMI PRESS

THIRDLY THE SMALLER CIRCLE AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE IS ALSO TYPICAL OF ANY DECCA PRESS

WHAT IS ALSO INTERESTING ABOUT THE DECCA LABELS FOR THIS ALBUM IS THAT IS DOESN'T HAVE 'MADE IN GT BRITAIN' AT THE FOOT OF THE LABEL, AND ON AN EMI FIRST PRESS THE TITLE ON THE LABEL READS:- DEEP PURPLE (MADE IN JAPAN), WHERAS ON THE DECCA CONTRACT PRESS IT READS ' DEEP PURPLE MADE IN JAPAN' NO BRACKETS SURROUNDING THE TITLE

WHAT IS DOES HAVE TO IDENTIFY IT AS A GENUINE 1972 FIRST PRESS IS THE....

'GRAMOPHONE CO' RIM WORDING AND THE FIRST PRESS MATRIX NUMBERS ALL ENDING IN -1U

THE RECORDS

ARE SPOTLESSLY CLEAN, I DONT THINK THIS HAS EVER BEEN PLAYED, SIDE 1 EVEN HAS RESIDUE VINYL SHARDS ATACHED TO THE SPINDLE HOLE ON THE LABEL SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS HAS BEEN PLAYED

THE LABELS

THE PURPLE AND WHITE LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION, RICH AND VIBRANT AND ARE UNBLEMISHED, AND THE TYPEFACE IS ALL UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. COMPLETELY SPOTLESS, AND SHARP IN COLOURS.

BEING A FIRST PRESS THE 'GRAMOPHONE CO LTD' IS WORDED AROUND THE RIM. LATER PRESSES HAD 'EMI RECORDS' IN ITS PLACE

THE VINYL

FANTASTIC GLOSSY AS NEW DISCS THAT HAVE RETAINED ALL THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND SHEEN. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE MARKS ON EITHER LP'S AND

HAVE BEEN INSPECTED UNDER BRIGHT LIGHT.ILLUMINATION, A FEW WIFFY HAIRLINES FROM RECORD STORAGE IN THE DUST COVER.

THE COVER

ASTONISHING CONDITION, STILL ULTRA SHARP AROUND THE EDGES. VERY, VERY MINOR STORAGE WEAR ON THE SPINE AND THIS IS BEING CRITICAL,

AS ITS ONLY BEEN SLIGHTLY CREASED FROM OPENING THE GATEFOLD, TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS.

PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS - 7 IN ALL, TO PROVIDE YOU WITH POINT OF VIEW ON HOW PERFECT A COPY THIS IS!

IF THE WINNING BIDDER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS ITEM, THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW (WITHIN 7 DAYS) AS I WILL REFUND THE COMPLETE AMOUNT IN FULL. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT WILL HAPPEN THOUGH.

Record will be sent in a cardboard record mailer with additional cardboard stiffeners for extra protection.

 All items graded conservatively according to Record Collectors Grading System Record Collectors Grading system

Mint (M) The record 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 condiition. Records marked as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent (EX) 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 (VG) The record has obviously been played many times, but displayes 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 moajor defects is acceptable

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

Fair (F) 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 will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor (P) The record will not play properly due to scratched, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing Bad (B) The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler

CD's and CASSETTES As a general rule CD's and Cassettes either play perfectly - inwhich case they are in Mint condition - or they don't, in which case their value is minimal. Cassette tape is liable to deteriorate with age, even if it remains unplayed, so care should be taken when buying old tapes. CD's are difficult to grade visually; they can look perfect but actually be faulty, while in other cases they may appear damaged but still play perfectly. Cassette and CD inlays and booklets should be graded in the same way as record covers and sleeves. In general, the plastic containers for cassettes and CDs can easily be replaces if they are broken or scratched, but card covers and digipaks are subject to the same wear as record sleeves.