THE BEATLES Sgt Pepper NEAR ULTIMATE EARLIEST 1G/1R STAMPERS & WIDE-SPINE COVER.

	£		135
	$		179

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: THE BEATLES

Album Title: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Producer(s): George Martin

A Special Note About This Copy and It’s Rarity: As I always state, most Beatles standard issue albums are not rare, far from it, but there are some exceptions. All their albums sold in vast numbers, pressing factories could hardly keep up with demand. Finding clean, lightly played copies that still play well are a different matter. But what makes this copy special are the mother and stamper codes. With 1 G on side One and 1 A on side Two, this Pepper is one of the very first off the production line and most all have considerably higher, multi-digits and letters e.g. 3 M A H or 2 3 G H M or similar are more the normal. A ‘1 G’ copy would have been pressed withing the first 300 to 500, this was the normal run before letter changed then to ‘R’, then ‘A’ and so on. When considered, this stereo copy is almost like finding a ‘White Album’ with a three figure number of the front cover. Honestly, how often will a 1 G / 1 A ‘Pepper’ ever be seen or offered in stereo? The cover also includes the wide spine format, it being nearly double the width of the standard, more rounded one, these are more elusive and harder to find. The record appears very modestly played as well and offers mostly very clean sound with little unwanted. That is quite an achievement as well on the earliest pressings. So for collectors of arguably the world’s most famous album, who want the earliest copies available, look no further. With so many Peppers in circulation, finding a 1G mother and stamper is getting into winning lottery ticket territory when considering the odds. I have seen just one before, that back in 2010, and there is no faking these prized run-out area codes. Hopefully these details can be seen on my pictures, look again, because you may never seen them again in a hurry.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; With a Little Help From My Friends; Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds; Getting Better; Fixing a Hole; She’s Leaving Home; Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite.

Side 2: Within You Without You; When I’m Sixty-Four; Lovely Rita; Good Morning Good Morning; Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise); A Day in the Life.

Label/Format: Parlophone with matt surfaces that have a very gentle hint of texturing. All text detail as seen the pictures. Slightly less easy to see are the embossed ‘K T’ tax codes, both these fragile letters pristine.

Label Conditions: Two beautiful, clean and fresh Parlophone labels that have aged little. Perfect colour registration with the light to light+ spindle marks fine and faint, these seen under light. Not seen too many better examples than these on this most famous album.

Cat Number: PCS 7027

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 142 grams. A very good solid weight.

Country of Manufacture: England

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: YEX 637-1 / YEX 638-1

Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 A. It was to my total astonishment when I saw these, in record terms, almost like finding a needle in a haystack. (please see my close up picture of this side one ‘G’ stamper. Not easy to take but hopefully it can be clearly seen.)

Brief Artist & Album Info: Any music lover, collector and Beatles fan will know most all there is to know already and almost certainly will know more than me anyway regarding fine details. What I think is far more important is to make clear what is actually here on offer and the visual and playing conditions.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: it correctly has the PCS 7027 Stereo cover number and the more elusive wide spine design. A fully laminated gatefold format with two inside flipbacks. Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. Includes the graphic inner sleeve and picture insert.

Laminate – Front & Back: The cover provides a few gentle clues to age, but is still an impressive example of the scarcer wide spine version. The laminate retains fine shine, freshness and clarity with no peeling or lifting. Hardly any dulling on the front, even under light, only light dulling around the rim on the back. A little corner rubbing to some and there is some scattered creasing, mostly quite fine near the edges, more moderate near the front top right. There is a tiny nick on the back opening edge, look hard. Considering the popularity and the amount most got handled, this has survived well and still looks attractive. Not for purists who want perfection at any cost, but this just looks so right for its vintage and pristine wide spine examples do not show up often.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside gatefold is really lovely with little to fault. With such a wide spine, the hinge parts are very vulnerable to wear and damage, but not on this one. The hinge laminate is still solid and unpeeled and both flipbacks clean and undamaged. A tiny few minor edge blemishes being critical.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both pairs straight and smooth with no scuffs or chips, the very tips apart. These lie quite flat with barely any bowing and very close to parallel.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both edges are correctly open, the front especially is clean and sharp, the back, where most store the record has minor patchy thickening seen viewed end-on. A small nick on the back as mentioned. All are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Not offered a wide spine Pepper for some time, I see them sometimes, but most are flattened or crushed. This one remains neat and attractive overall. Solid, straight with minimal compression and still upright with robust hinge folds. A little creasing towards the top and the ends rubbed a little. But the surface is smooth and unscuffed, the folds the same, the inverted text is pristine as seen.

Corners: Light to moderate tip rubs or chips, fine to very fine shape retained with no knocks, any evidence of dinks very light.

Cover Summary: Just enough to remind of age and popularity, many collectors actually agree it adds to its appeal and true authenticity. Most of any blemishes light, but a few creases are visible up close. Still a nice wide spine example to please many collectors, but not the purists.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: or close to. A small tear to the top opening with a little creasing to this fragile ‘usage’ area. But still clean, fresh and attractive with far less creasing or crinkle that usually seen. This is probably the most fragile part of this albums packaging and always a challenge to find clean and intact. More often found in tatters with all side shredded – a couple of minor edge repairs were made by myself to stop the risk of widening in the future and hardly registering. This integral part of the album often missing altogether these days, and this a nice one overall as seen.

The Insert: EXCELLENT(++): clean, fresh and attractive with minimal creasing and no burring, all edges crisp and sharp. No writing front or back and scant evidence of handling – another nice piece.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Critically graded NEAR EXCELLENT: under bright angled light, fine surface marks are seen, mostly wispy and faint, hardly registering in normal room light. These appear from cloth ‘cleaning’ and totally harmless. That the recommended method of ‘cleaning’ the records back in the day – I use the term ‘cleaning’ loosely. All it really did was spread the surface debris around and into the grooves, also leaving super-fine surface blemishes, thus I would never use any cloth on record surfaces. All my records are quickly and very thoughly cleaned on a VPI professional machine removing all dust. Anyway, everyone has an opinion, that’s purely mine – there are no penetrating stylus scratches and the surfaces are clean and fresh looking with lovely shine. Sound quality is very impressive throughout with very little unwanted, that always the main factory, a copy many collectors will enjoy. And remember, few earlier pressings will ever be seen or offered.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This very early example plays even above it’s impressive visual grading with very little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, the odd trace on the incredibly difficult ‘She’s Leaving Home’, but this will so seldom play pristine. This almost as good as they get on a genuine 1967 early copy and this being played on very revealing equipment as listed further down. An exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Few copies will outperform this modestly played copy significantly I feel sure. We all know the state and perils these early albums faced, but this has avoided any mishaps or issues. The two channel imagery is magnificent of course, it can be argued this album introduced a whole new generation to stereo music. Its production, engineering and sound values are as legendary as the songs and band. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

End Piece: To sum up: ‘Sgt Pepper’ is not even remotely rare in mono or stereo, it sold millions and anyone who says otherwise is just being plain stupid. It’s the conditions that make the difference, and try to find a 1G / 1A – or lower – well you will never find a lower than ‘G’, it was the ultimate first in the sequence – stamper copy – now that IS rare. Many collectors crave the earliest possible copies, and this lays down the gauntlet and there can never any disputes over this. A very fine, but not pristine example, but with hugely impressive sound and fine good looks. One to please many fans and collectors, and even investers these days.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programs. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.