MILES DAVIS "KIND OF BLUE" first press 6-eye mono Columbia CL 1355 stamper 1B 1C
$
249
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Description
Miles Davis Kind of Blue, 6-eye mono, Columbia CL 1355, stampers 1B (side 1) and 1C (side 2).
A first pressing in beautiful listening condition. The very first thing I did was to clean it on the VPI vacuum machine, once with L’art du son fluid, again with Premier spray, then again with L’art du son fluid. Played with a Clearaudio Goldfinger cartridge, the sound is stunning, with a sense of depth that is uncanny because it’s a mono recording. But only the mono version has that clarity in the piano, and a well-articulated bass line. I have played both sides through, and there are no scratches and very few, insignificant tics that become audible between the tracks. Based on sound quality, this could pass for a NM copy right off the stamper. However, let’s call the vinyl EX because there are light visible (but not audible) scuffs that cleaning does not remove, and it lacks the glossy shine of a new pressing. The cover is VG with widely scattered spots of wear, but no tears. The original paper inner liner is included, though I have stored the vinyl in a new clean liner.
Columbia used XSM, MAL, XLP, and consecutive numbers for each side, or PAL and PBL prefixes for sides 1 and 2 of their albums, followed by A and B suffixes for the Santa Maria, Ca. pressing plant, C and D for Terra Haute, In. and E and F for Pitman N.J. Six (or more) sets of lacquers were usually cut for any big-name artist, so the very first mastering would be 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F.
Further details of the recording session follow, with thanks to Nigel Harrison, a friend and authority on such matters.
There is no 'mono' or 'stereo' true first pressing as they both are - it was recorded live in the studio and 'mixed live' via mic positioning only which is why the saxophones change sides halfway through the album as when they came back the next day. Coltrane and Adderley stood on the opposite side of the day before ... it was recorded directly onto quarter inch tape machines, one mono and one stereo, each with a backup machine in case (which proved fortuitous). ONLY these first mono pressings are the true monos, because shortly after they were pressed in stereo only and since then both the mono master tapes have gone missing. Columbia only has the original stereo quarter inches in the vaults - the first stereo tapes ran a little too fast or something, so they were slightly out of pitch, and the back up stereo is what is used for all stereos and more recent CD masters since. There'll never be a mono remaster as there aren't any tapes.
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Returns are accepted within 14 days only if this has not been accurately described, and you are responsible for return shipping, and it must be received in exactly the same condition as sent.
This will be shipped in a proper LP cardboard mailer. Costs are as follows:
USA $4.00 for media mail, $8.00 for priority mail
Canada $8.00
All other international $15.00
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