ROLLING STONES Aftermath UK DECCA orgnl 1966 press LK 4786 IMPRESSIVE MONO AUDIO

	£		40
	$		52

                   THE ROLLING STONES - AFTERMATH                    

An increasingly rare and sought after copy of this 1966 UK original pressing rock classic on the unboxed and deep groove DECCA label, MONO LK 4786

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XARL - 7209 - 1B with stampers "2 B" and "H K"(difficult to distinguish) at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock respectively

Side 2   XARL - 7210 - 4A with stampers "1" and "H C" at 8.30 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

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

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent. This is heavy duty, completely flat vinyl and still retaining it's original beautiful glossy and jet black lacquered sheen. In normal daylight, and when tilted at the right angle, it is just possible to detect a few very light wispy hairlines and under a bright light it is possible to pick out a few more along with a couple of light scuffs, but all are strictly surface only and certainly there is nothing here that is either "feelable" or intrudes upon the wonderful audio quality. In fact, on side 2 there is a single pencil thin surface scuff that traverses most of the first three tracks but the wonderful audio quality, with no clicking at all, confirms these to be surface only (and that's how they look). Impressive, especially considering this record's 53 year vintage, but because there are some wispy hairlines and very light scuffs on each side of the vinyl I grade the overall condition of the vinyl as excellent minus (EX-), although the grading of the audio quality is definitely excellent.  

The labels are excellent. No blemishes, and 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 very good plus (VG+). All edges, including the spine, remain rigid and with no scuffing at all - remarkable! And the same can be said for the corners, which remain perfectly defined right angles with barely any scuffing/rubbing at all. There is some laminate creasing on the front side, slightly more pronounced in the top left corner (see photo), and a number of very light 1cm laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the bottom edge. There is also some laminate lifting on the front side adjacent to the spine with a more noticeable area of lifting just left of of Keith Richards. Some very light ring wear is also in evidence on the front side but only really detectable when the cover is held at the right angle and in the right light. The spine is in excellent condition, with no scuffing or creasing and all text perfectly intact. The reverse side is excellent with just the hint of a little age discolouration towards the spine, and there is no unwanted writing or doodles.The photos/artwork and colouring remain rich and vibrant. Overall a very solid very good.

The quality of the audio is excellent. There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips, no "pops", no loud clicks, and just the merest hint of some very mild background crackle at the beginning of side 2 and during a couple of the interludes on side 2 - negligible. You may notice the very occasional nano second of static but this is negligible and does not impinge upon the overall truly excellent audio quality. Indeed, every track makes 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 "USE EMITEX" tracing paper lined inner sleeve with no splits or tears and despite noticeable creasing remains 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 VG+ copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1966 UK original MONO pressing classic, with the truly impressive and high quality MONO audio  being the highlight - 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 50 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 acquiring 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 64 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 crucifix style 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