Pink Floyd DARK SIDE OF THE MOON RARE A3/B3 GRAM CO LABEL 2-3 PLAYS NEAR MINT

	£		155
	$		205

PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED NEAR MINT CONDITION

THE VERY RARE A3/B3 1ST (SECOND) PRESS

NEAR MINT SLEEVE

COMPLETE WITH ORIGINAL POSTERS AND STICKERS

• CATALOGUE:HARVEST SHVL 815
• MATRIX: SHVL815 A-3U / B-3U 
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:5 GOT / 1 GO
• VERY EARLY FIRST PRESS ONLY A2/B2 INDICATES THIS AS THERE WERE NO RELEASED -1 COPIES

INCREDIBLE FIND THIS ONE

AS I AM SURE YOU ARE ALL AWARE THE VERY VERY FIRST PRESS OF THIS ALBUM HAD THE SOLID BLUE TRIANGLE IN THE CENTRE OF THE LABEL, WHICH WAS VERY QUICKLY WITHDRAWN DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SILVER TYPEFACE COULD NOT BE READ.

IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE OUTLINE LABEL, BUT OF COURSE THIS WAS ONE ONE THE BEST SELLING ALBUMS OF ALL TIME AND WAS MASS PRODUCED. MATRIX NUMBERS RUN UP TO -15 FOR REALLY LATE REISSUES

THERE WAS NO -1 MATRIX NUMBER UNLESS IT WAS ON A TEST PRESS, AND THEREFORE ALL OF THE SOLID BLUE TRIANGLES CAME WITH THE -2 MATRIX NUMBER. IT THEREFORE FOLLOWS THAT THE VERY FIRST BATCH OFF THE PRESS WITH THE NOW CORRECTED LABEL WOULD HAVE -3 MATRIX NUMBERS, AND ON THIS PARTICULAR COPY IT HAS -3 MATRICES ON BOTH SIDES, MAKING THIS WITHOUT A DOUBT A FIRST PRESS FROM THE SECOND AND CORRECTED BATCH OF DARK SIDE OF THE MOON ALBUMS.

THIS I BELIEVE IS AS SCARCE A RECORD TO COLLECT AS IS THE -2 LIGHT BLUE PRESS

BEING SO CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL 1ST PRESS IT HAS ALL THE HALLMARKS OF A FIRST ISSUE, NAMELY THE BLUE BLACK SLEEVE, SEALED AT THE LEFT EDGE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IT HAS THE 'GRAMOPHONE CO' RIM WORDING. MOST COPIES OTHER THAN THE SOLID BLUE 1ST PRESS HAVE THE EMI RIM WORDING, MAKING THIS A GENUINE 1973 2ND PRESS AND VERY CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL SOLID BLUE PRESS

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

BOTH LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE BLUE BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND IS UNMARKED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST 2-3 REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES, SHOWING THAT THIS LP HAS JUST NOT BEEN PLAYED MORE THAN A FEW TIMES

THE VINYL

THIS VINYL GLEAMS LIKE NEW, AND HAS LOST NONE OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE HANDLING MARKS OR LINES, AND ONLY WHEN OFFERED UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION AM I ABLE TO MAKE OUT A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES THAT ARE OTHERWISE INVISIBLE

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

THOSE OF YOU THAT BUY FROM ME OFTEN WILL APPRECIATE THAT I RECORD THE THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH.

IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT BUYING FROM EBAY IS A RISK DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF SELLERS WHO MISDESCRIBE RECORD CONDITION. A VERY VALID POINT AS WELL. BUT HERE YOU ARE ABLE TO NOT ONLY READ ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE LP'S THAT I OFFER FOR SALE, BUT TO ACTUALLY HERE THE COMPLETE DISC IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME. THE EXTRA TIME THIS TAKES ME TO COMPLETE THIS WILL I HOPE ENABLE POTENTIAL BIDDERS TO WANT TO COME BACK TO LISTEN TO MORE OF MY ALBUMS UP FOR AUCTION

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS LP SOUNDS.

THE CLARITY OF THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS PURE FIRST PRESS, AND EVERY NOTE CAN BE HEARD CRISPLY AND CLEANLY. THERE IS NO DISTORTION ANYWHERE AND NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE.

THERE IS THE ODD LITTLE BIT OF VINYL NOISE, IN THE QUIETEST SPOTS AND THIS CAN ONLY BE HEARD WHEN YOU SIT 12 INCHES FROM YOUR SPEAKERS AS I DO WHEN TYPING THIS OUT. WHEN YOU MOVE TO NORMAL LISTENING RANGE OF A FEW FEET THEN IT CANNOT BE HEARD.

NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO LOUD CLICKS OR POPS

I HEARD JUST A FEW TINY STATIC TICS THROUGH THE WHOLE PLAYTHROUGH

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE GATEFOLD SLEEVE

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE TO FIND IN ANYTHING LIKE A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. USUALLY THE COLOURS ARE BADLY RUBBED AND THE CREASE LINES AROUND THE SPINE AND PERIMETER EDGES MAKE THE WHOLE THING LOOK SHABBY

THIS SLEEVE HAS IN THE MAIN BEEN HOUSED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE AND HAS THUS BEEN KEPT IN A VERY COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE , THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THE COLOURS HAVE ALL BEEN ALMOST PERFECTLY RETAINED. THERE IS NO RUBBING OR LOSS OF COLOUR ANYWHERE, APART FROM A LIGHT SHADOW OF VERY MILD GREYING ON THE BOTTOM EDGE.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES, AND NOR ARE THERE ANY BENDS OR FOLDS.

THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY ZERO LINES ANYWHERE NEAR THE SPINE, AND THIS IS JUST INCREDIBLE, NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, AND NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.  I GUARANTEE THIS IS VIRTUALLY UNHEARD OF, AND MOST SLEEVES WILL NOT BE FOUND IN THIS GREAT STATE.

THE STICKER IS FIRMLY ADHERED TO THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. THE TWO BOTTOM CORNER TIPS HAVE A TINY SPECK OF RUBBING

THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH WOULD USUALLY BE FOUND BADLY RUBBED, HAS NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER, APART FROM A TINY SPECK ON THE RIGHT CORNER TIP END ONLY. THE TOP EDGE IS IDENTICAL WITH ANOTHER SPECK ON THE FRONT CORNER TIP END ONLY.

THE SPINE HAS A TOTALLY FLAT SURFACE . A SPECK OF RUB TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS AND A TINY NEAR INVISIBLE SCUFF ON THE TOP LEADING EDGE

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND IT IS OBVIOUS BY LOOKING AT THIS THAT THE LP HAS BARELY BEEN OUT OF THE COVER

THE REAR SURFACE OF THIS GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE SLEEVE IS ALMOST  IN THE SAME SUPERB CONDITION AS THE FRONT . A LIGHT SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE AND A LINE IN THE TOP EDGE, PLUS TWO AGAINST THE SPINE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PAIR OF  PRISTINE BLACK EDGED PANELS.

THE POSTER AND STICKERS

I WANTED TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF THIS BECAUSE IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT YOU COME ACROSS THIS ALBUM WITH ALL OF THE ORIGINAL CONTENT. WITH THIS SET YOU GET THE TWO ORIGINAL POSTERS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN OPENED AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY RAZOR SHARP EDGES AND WILL NOT LIE FLAT WHICH DEMONSTRATES EXACTLY WHY THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN USED. THEY ARE ON THE CORRECT HEAVY MATT PAPER, AND NOT THE GLOSSY SURFACE OF THE LATER ISSUES. I HAVE LEFT THEM FOLDED EXACTLY AS THEY WERE.

THE STICKERS ARE ALSO UNBLEMISHED AND LIKE THE POSTERS ARE THE ORIGINAL INCLUSIONS. MATT SURFACE, WITH THE CORRECT CRACK BACK RED TYPEFACE WORD 'PERMANENT' ON THE REAR SURFACE

HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY