PINK FLOYD DARK SIDE OF THE MOON 1st press '73 Solid Blue Triangle SHVL 804 EX+

	£		329
	$		436

PINK FLOYD original UK 1973 12" LP 1st pressing The Dark Side Of The Moon

Rarest "Solid Blue Triangle" 1st press with all components and in truly EXCELLENT condition throughout

UK 1967 Harvest SHVL 804

Matrix Numbers : Side 1  SHVL 804 A - 2 Stampers "G" or "C" or "5" (impossible to make out!) at 12o'clock and "GG0" at 6o'clock;  Side 2  SHVL 804 B - 2 Stampers "4" and  "GGT" both inverted at 3o'clock and 9o'clock respectively

This is probably my most valuable/sought after offering on ebay to date, and I can even remember the day I bought this classic album...I was 18 at the time and progressive rock was in full swing. I'd saved the mighty sum of 32 shillings and six pence and popped into my local record store after school in eager anticipation of this already much heralded gem (every week seemed to witness the release of yet another rock classic - incredible times) only to be told by the man behind the counter that the shop had "sold out". "I'll just check in the back" he said, and came out with this copy - "this is definitely the last one", he snarled. I went home and locked myself in my bedroom, played it loud twice, and was in rock heaven for weeks!!! Somehow I still managed to get good A-level results that year! Anyhow...

This really is the hugely rare and sought after original STEREO 1st pressing with all components in truly excellent order : the gatefold sleeve, the two posters (beautiful), the two stickers (as new), the black poly-lined inner sleeve, even the original round sticker at the top right hand on the front of the sleeve, gleaming vinyl, and of course the infamous solid blue triangle!

The Garrod & Lofthouse gatefold outer sleeve is in excellent condition, with vibrant colouring, crisp, stiff cardboard, solid sides with virtually no scuffing, and the 1st pressing blue hue towards the edges of the front side triangle with blue EMI/Harvest logo/writing located at the bottom left hand corner on the inside. There is a small 2cm nick at the top right hand corner of the front sleeve (see photo), and two 2cm faint, surface only horizontal crease marks adjacent to the spine also on the front sleeve. Each corner is very, very mildly scuffed and there is the odd "nick" along each edge but nothing to detract from the overall truly excellent condition of this iconic sleeve. Open up the gatefold and you'll find yourself looking at something special - I suspect that there are few better examples of the inside of the gatefold : obviously no unwanted writing, tears, rips,,,actually I'm sitting here reading the lyrics to "Brain Damage" as I type, and as I scan the whole two sides of the inner I can definitively state that the condition of each is brilliant!

Both sides of the vinyl gleam! The lacquered sheen is fully in evidence and a joy to behold and the overall appearance of both sides of the vinyl is, again, excellent. Not perfect or mint, however - the odd, wispy, strictly surface only, and only really visible under a bright light, hairline does exist. The exception is a small blemish/predominantly surface scratch towards the inner edge of the vinyl on "The Great Gig In The Sky" which does result in 8 mild clicks about half way through this track. It's not a mark which is immediately obvious but upon closer inspection it is clearly visible (less than 1cm) and does result in the forementioned track interference...irritating but not sufficient to downgrade the overall condition of the vinyl and quality of the audio as each excellent.

 The overall quality of the audio is truly excellent. Again, not perfect, however...each side starts off with some light background crackle which soon fades into insignificance and the music in all it's glory takes over. There is the odd, very occasional very light piece of crackle resurgence along with a few background, just discernible, "pops" but these are all stricly background and I suspect are caused by static. Just about every new piece of vinyl that I've ever bought (including this one) has characterised itself with the odd "pop" or split second "crackle", even on first play. That's the nature of vinyl; but the beauty of vinyl is the audio reproduction which beats the CD/digital format every time, and for the vast majority of this album the quality of the audio is breathtakingly beautiful. 

 Each label is excellent. There are a number of light, surface only spindle marks around the centre holes (only really visible when held up to a bright light) but no unwanted writing or other blemishes. That solid blue triangle is in perfect, unblemished definition. Iconic!

There is not too much to say about the posters and stickers other than that they are each in virtually "as new" condition, with the only poster creases being the fold creases. The black, poly-lined, inner sleeve is similarly excellent; it does suffer from some mild creasing but is fully functional and the original PATENT numbers located at the bottom left hand corner are clearly legible.

The track listing is :

Side 1:

(a) (i) Speak To Me

(a) (ii) Breathe In The Air

(b) On The Run

(c) Time

(d) The Great Gig In The Sky

Side 2 :

(e) Money

(f) Us And Them

(g) Any Colour You Like

(h) Brain Damage

(i) Eclipse

The original inner sleeve is fully functional with no tears, or creasing of any significance.

I have no hesitation whatsoever in grading the overall condition of this offering as Excellent, if not Excellent+. It's not "Mint" or "Near Mint" but I know that you would have to have search long and hard to find a better copy (if such a mint copy exists at all). Play it loud and enjoy it or, better still, frame it and impress your friends and watch the value of this ground breaking progressive rock gem rocket!

A bit about myself : I have been collecting UK vinyl for over 40 years and have a huge collection. A combination of space requirements and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell some of my much loved gems. 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 questions asked" refund policy. If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. There is NO RESERVE on this item, by the way. Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint

Description: 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 condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

Description: 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

Description: 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

Description: 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, discoloration, etc.

Fair 

Description: 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

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

Bad

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