ROLLING STONES Aftermath UK DECCA orgnl 1966 press LK 4786 EXCELLENT vinyl+audio

	£		55
	$		72

                   THE ROLLING STONES - AFTERMATH                    

An increasingly rare (especially in condition as impressive as this) and sought after copy of this 1966 UK 1st pressing rock classic on the unboxed DECCA label, MONO LK 4786

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XARL - 7209 - 5B with stampers "1" and "H H" (difficult to read - the 1st "H" could be a "K") at 9.30 o'clock and 3.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2   XARL - 7210 - 5A with stampers "1" and "K K" at 8.30 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Note that the "KT" tax code stamper is at 12.30 o'clock and 12 o'clock on sides 1 and 2 respectively (indicative of earlier pressings)

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent+ (I daresay many would say "near mint"). This is heavy duty, completely flat vinyl and still retaining it's original beautiful glossy and jet black lacquered sheen. A true "gleamer". Under a bright light it's possible to pick out just a few very fine, small wispy hairlines and small, very light paper scuffs but even these are very few and far between, all strictly surface only and certainly nothing here to intrude upon the wonderful audio quality. Outstanding, especially considering this record's 52 year vintage. This record has obviously had far less than it's fair share of plays!

The labels are excellent. No blemishes with all of the iconic silver writing, "ffss" logo, and matt textured deep red background all perfectly intact. Note the deep circular groove on each of the labels and the "K/T" tax code above the matrix number on each label - more indicators of a very early pressing. There are a few very light spindle trails on each of the labels but apart from that...perfect!

The front side laminated Robert Stace outer sleeve is excellent. All edges, including the spine, remain rigid and with no scuffing or rubbing at all - remarkable! And the same can be said for the corners, which remain perfectly defined right angles with no rubbing. There is no laminate lifting and there is no fraying on either of the opening edges. There are just a few very minor blemishes on the front side : x11 small (1cm or less) very fine laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the bottom edge and spine,a 6cm diagaonal surface crease in the top left quadrant emanating from the spine, and below it a 5cm horizontal raised crease, which I have tried to show in my front cover photo, and x3 small (2cm or less) laminate creases towards the opening edge. I stress that each of these blemishes is minor. The photos/artwork and colouring remain as rich and vibrant as ever with the reverse side being in near perfect condition and very difficult to fault in anyway. A solid excellent.

The quality of the audio is excellent...actually on side 1 it is excellent plus, and on side 2 it is excellent due to just the hint of some very low key, background and occasional static/crackle - only noticeable during the interludes/quieter moments and just slightly more noticeable on the first half of side 2 - the wonderful condition of the vinyl makes me think that this light, occasional crackle is down to years and years of storage resulting in dust in the grooves, and that a professional clean would cure. There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips or clicks and no background crackle on side 1 and just some light, occasional static/crackle (as already mentioned) on side 2, with every track making for a great listen. 

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. MOTHERS LITTLE HELPER

2. STUPID GIRL

3. LADY JANE

4. UNDER MY THUMB

5. DONCHA BOTHER ME

6. GOIN' HOME

Side 2 :

1. FLIGHT 505

2. HIGH AND DRY

3. OUT OF TIME

4. IT'S NOT EASY

5. I AM WAITING

6. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

7. THINK

8. WHAT TO DO

Comes with original blue text Decca poly lined inner sleeve with no splits, tears or fraying - just some minor age discolouration and a little creasing, and still fully functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an overall excellent copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1966 UK original MONO pressing classic - a worthy addition to any vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

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 quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

** I DO POST WORLDWIDE!! **

For this item postage & packaging will be :

for the UK, Royal Mail 1st class  : £3.00, 

for continental Europe international 1st class/Airmail : £7.00

and for Rest of the World international 1st class/Airmail : £10.00

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records 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

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

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

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, discolouration, etc.

Fair

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 are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

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

Bad

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