The Beatles : Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1/1 First Pressing

This first mono pressing plays with great quality overall and very little interference.  The vinyl is visually in excellent order and has not been overplayed as there is not that much spindle wear.  The gatefold is in superb condition and has none of the wear on the spine that you so often see.

The cut out card is Mint and the red inner 'fool' sleeve is has only one very small split on the bottom edge, one of the cleanest I have seen.

First Mono 1/1 pressing on Yellow/Black label.  'The Gramophone Co. Ltd' etc printed around the perimeter edge and 'Sold in U.K. subject to resale price conditions' also on labels.  KT tax code stamp on the S1 label.

PMC 7027 // XEX 637 - 1 / XEX 638 - 1 // AMM 6 / AGL 4

The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in some sections / track 1 intro VG for two seconds / track 6 Ex) 

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority / track 6 Ex+)

The gatefold is Near Mint-

The red 'fool' inner sleeve is Ex

The Cut Out card is Mint

The labels are Near Mint

 Visual grading

  This is visually so impressive and has obviously been very carefully looked after down the decades.  I can only detect a small number of faint hairlines of which only a couple are a little more obvious.  There is also a little 'mottling' but this has no affect on the audio and there are no scratches or marks.  It is a lovely example for a first pressing. There is very little spindle wear on S1 and only a little more on S2 and this is definitely a vinyl that has not been played too much.  The labels and run out grooves are in superb shape and the matrix numbers stand proud.

Play grading

'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' has very little static on the 'audience' intro but there are a couple of light clicks as the music starts.  As the vocal begins the playback is very impressive and the remainder of this iconic number is nigh on perfect with no other intrusion.  Apart from 2/3 seconds on the intro this is a superb version.

The segue into 'With A Little Help From My Friends' plays with stunning clarity and that applies to the rest of the track also.  I heard a couple of dust ticks only and the clarity could hardly be any better.  The is a mega 'clean' rendition with only a little static on the final note.  A Near Mint version in my opinion.

'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' has no distortion on the intro and this is a rarity!  From then it plays with wonderful depth and no 'background' - no clicks, pops, static or crackle.  This is 'high end' audio that defies it 52 years of age.  The long fade out also plays with perfect precision.  A stunning Mint- version without doubt.

There is only very minor static distortion on the 'Getting Better' guitar intro - this is often found on the mono pressings.  Thereafter it plays to an excellent standard but with a minor (very minor!) amount of light background static every now and then.  It's only there if you listen out for it and it is totally non-intrusive.  Perhaps not even worth mentioning!  The fade out plays to near perfection with no obvious 'background'.

'Fixing A Hole' impresses with stunning quality from the very first note.  The definition of the audio is so strong and there is no interference of any kind.  With so much 'sound' on mono pressings every note here plays so succinctly.  This is Near Mint and there is very little static on the fade out.

'She's Leaving Home' is the one track that is so often affected by static/distortion and whilst there is some here it is not over-powering and still plays clearly.  It is worth saying there are no clicks or pops but yes that static sound is there.  I believe an Ex grading is fair here.

'Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite' plays with great clarity and no clicks or pops.  There is a little static on the vocal here and there but it is minor.  You expect it on any final track and especially on a mono record being played through a stereo set up.  The Wurlitzer sections play incredibly well and overall this is an impressive way to end the side.

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'Within You Without You' plays with stunning clarity from start to finish.  On a well preserved vinyl such as this it is the definition of the audio that really stands out on this track.  The sound is so deep and rich and no quality has been lost over the intervening years.  This is a fantastic Mint- version the likes of which is rarely heard on a first mono pressing.

'When I'm Sixty-Four' also plays with great quality with only minimal static here and there.  There are no clicks or pops and I would grade this as Ex+ just to err on the side of caution.  Don't get me wrong it is very impressive but not quite perfect.  Yes the static is only minor but it's there and this is an honest grading.

Now 'Lovely Rita' is a different proposition, it is stunning!  From the very first groove the sonic quality is 'high end' and from beginning to end it plays as well as it did back in '67, exceptional!  It often has some distortion but that is certainly not the case here and grades as Mint- without doubt.

The 'farmyard' intro on 'Good Morning, Good Morning' has a little static distortion (doesn't it always?!) and then plays with great depth and such a strong deep bass sound.  There is a light click one minute in but that is the only obvious 'background'.  Overall the playback is superb and there is hardly any static and the brief guitar solo plays with stunning power and no distortion.  The remainder is faultless and plays with wonderful clarity...and a perfect 'farmyard' ending!

If you want a Mint 'Sgt. Pepper's...' reprise then this is the one to listen to!  It is quite simply sensational!  From the 1,2,3,4 countdown to the very end this plays with sublime clarity and power.  That strong bass intro is unbelievable!  The vocals and music are of a standard that you don't often hear on this 'high octane' track.  Wow this is Mint- all the way!

The segue into 'A Day In The Life' is nigh on perfect and the first vocal has only the bare minimum of static and a small number of barely audible gentle ticks.  As it progresses the playback is very impressive and there is hardly any background static and there are no clicks or pops.  The first crescendo section is so powerful with no obvious distortion at all.  The following vocal is so 'clean' the clarity is superb.  The orchestral section does not disappoint and the final vocal just has a hint of static in the background.  The final crescendo is stunning and again no distortion.  There is some static/light crackle on the final 'long' piano note but when isn't there!  As the needle 'runs off' the 'nonsense' song plays with perfect clarity.  I wonder how many have heard this?!

In summary this genuine first pressing plays with very impressive clarity on both sides and apart from a couple of clicks, that aren't even loud, there is very little interference.  I am sure when played as a mono record the playback could be further enhanced.  The vinyl is certainly one of the cleanest I have seen in a long time and the famous cover is also in lovely condition as the inserts.

The Gatefold

This G&L 'mono' gatefold is in superb condition with hardly any shelf wear.  It is so clean and has been preserved incredibly well and does not even fully open.  The edges are 'as new' with no rubbing and the spine has only one very small scuff and some of the usual creasing running down the centre.  However, the title can still clearly be read and remains 100% legible.  All four corners are in wonderful shape with barely any wear and the opening edges are in perfect condition with no handling wear at all.  The front cover is so clean with no marking or laminate wear and has retained its original colour so well.  The back cover is equally as clean although I have just noticed the original owners name printed top centre!  The inside of this stunning gatefold is immaculate and the flipbacks have no staining of any kind.  The colours throughout are as strong and vivid as when first released back in '67.  This is gatefold that has been so carefully handled over the last 52 years and is a fantastic example of its kind.

Red Inner 'Foil' Sleeve & Cut Out card

The red inner is one of the best you will find today and has just one small 6cm split on the bottom edge and a couple of very faint marks only.

The Cut Out card is in perfect Mint condition with no sign of any wear.

The Labels

The yellow/black Parlophone labels are in fantastic condition with very little spindle wear and no marks or writing.  The KT tax code is on the S1 label.

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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