The Rolling Stones : No. 2 1A/1B 1st Mono Press w/ Blind Man Cover

This first pressing on the unboxed grooved red Decca label plays to an excellent standard with very little intrusion.  There is a little static distortion on S1 but it is by no means loud and really is not that intrusive.  It still plays very well indeed and S2 is even better!  What is impressive is that there are no ticks, clicks or pops and barely any static.  You can tell the vinyl has been played a number of times as there is some spindle wear but it is very obvious that it was owned by a genuine collector who really looked after his records as it still has a stunning visual look with no marks or scratches.  It's not often you find a 1A/1B first pressing also, relatively rare in my opinion.

The cover as you can see has also been very well preserved with only minimal wear and has the 'Blind Man' text on the back.  The inner sleeve just has some creasing.

As this is a genuine first press it has the first known unboxed grooved label type.  It has the short Made In England text at the top and there is no production and recording info.  The Rolling Stones is at the foot of each label.

LK 4661 // XARL-6619-1A / XARL-6620-1B // CA 1 / BI 2B

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (T1 Ex / T3 & T6 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (T4 & T6 Ex+)

The cover is a very strong Ex

The inner sleeve is Ex-

The labels are Near Mint-

Visual description

The vinyl is in lovely condition and has clearly been very carefully handled over the last 58 years.  It still has a very impressive glossy sheen and has no marks or scratches.  Under a strong light there are only a few faint hairlines and there is no dulling to the surface and no groove wear either.  The run out grooves are very clean and you can easily see the KT tax stamp on each side.  The unboxed grooved red Decca labels have no marking or writing just some spindle wear.

Play grading

The intro on 'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love' has no background and from then on plays with no ticks, clicks or pops and with only a little static distortion on the vocal here and there.  It really isn't intrusive and still plays with great clarity and with that typical raw Stones sound.  I'm sure the sonic quality would be enhanced when played as a mono record rather than through my stereo system.  I think Ex is a fair assessment of the audio but many sections do play better than that.

'Down Home Girl' has a little static on the intro and then Jagger's first vocal is very clean with only the bare minimum of static distortion i.e. hardly any!  It continues in much the same way and you can hear each note very clearly.  Again there are no ticks or clicks etc and the overall 'sound' is very impressive.  Ex+

You can tell this album was recorded in different studios as 'You Can't Catch Me' plays with a different sonic sound entirely.  The audio is deeper you could say and from start to finish the playback is stunning.  There is no interference and Jagger's vocal has only the bare minimum of distortion which is not intrusive in any way.  The fade out has no background which gives you a good idea of the clarity on offer here.  Near Mint

The intro on 'Time Is On My Side' plays so clearly with only a handful of barely audible dust ticks and the opening vocal is just as strong.  This classic proceeds in much the same way with no ticks, clicks or pops and and barely any static.  There is no distortion and I will grade as Ex+ even if that is a little harsh.

'What A Shame' plays very clearly with hardly any static and any you do 'pick up' is so quiet and does not get in the way of the overall 'listen'.  The vocals are very clean and the long instrumental has only very minor distortion towards the end of the track.  Ex+ again.

'Grown Up Wrong' plays with stunning clarity for a final track and I can't find fault if I'm honest.  There is no distortion and Near Mint is well deserved.

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The intro on 'Down The Road Apiece' has only a couple of dust ticks and it then plays with great power and depth from then on.  No issues here the playback is superb.  The vocals are crystal clear and and the long instrumental plays with impeccable quality, the depth of the audio here is stunning.  I will grade as Near Mint although arguably it deserves higher.

The intro on the classic 'Under The Boardwalk' has barely any static and thereafter plays with great precision and that depth of sound is very much in evidence again.  From start to finish there is no interference and Near Mint is fair.

'I Can't Be Satisfied' plays with exceptional quality throughout with...no interference.  The sonic quality is so impressive and the playback really cannot be faulted.  A Near Mint version.

'Pain In My Heart' does have a little background static here and there but again it is quiet and non-intrusive.  It still plays very clearly but not quite on the same level as the previous tracks on this side.  Ex+

'Off The Hook' plays tremendous power and depth and no interference.  If there is any distortion on the vocal it is so minor and is probably more due to how it was recorded than anything else.  Every vocal and instrumental section plays very clearly.  Near Mint

For a final track 'Suzie-Q' plays with very strong audio and there is barely any distortion.  As per the rest of the album there are no ticks, clicks or pops and has to grade as Ex+ in my opinion.

In summary this very collectable first pressing plays extremely well and as you can see there are no ticks, clicks or pops getting in the way of the audio.  There is a little static distortion on S1 here and there but it certainly does not impact very much on the overall listening 'experience'.  As I often say I am sure the audio could be enhanced when played as an actual mono record.  S1 plays very well and S2 is even better!  If you want this album to play cleanly with no clicks or pops then this is definitely the one to own!

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The James Upton cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear.  The edges and thin pinched spine are unmarked and the corners are incredibly clean with barely any wear.  The opening edge has only the bare minimum of handling wear also.  The 'laminated' front cover is in great shape with only one laminate crease top left, a couple of tiny 'bubbles' next to the spine and one other small crease just above the Decca logo.  The unlaminated back cover is in lovely condition with only minimal age related fading around the edges and just one very small faint mark next to the opening edge, it is very rarely seen as clean as this!  This is the non-flipback version and as can be seen it has the controversial 'Blind man' writing top right.  A fine example overall.

The original Foreign patents pending inner sleeve has no side splits or tears and hardly any age related fading around the edges.  It just has some creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

LK 4661 // XARL-6619-1A / XARL-6620-1B // CA 1 / BI 2B

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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