The Beatles : Yellow Submarine 1/1 1st Stereo Press 1969 (Red lines cover)

This very first stereo pressing plays to a superb standard with hardly any interference.  There are just two consecutive clicks on S2 caused by a tiny speck but aside from that this 'orchestral' side plays with stunning clarity and depth and is without question one of the best I have ever heard.  S1 is also very impressive when you consider the sound issues it is often found with.  There is only minimal distortion on a couple of tracks and there are no ticks, clicks, pops or static.

The cover is in excellent condition with only a little shelf wear and the inner sleeve remains in great shape

As this is a genuine first press the cover has the 'red lines' on the back and there is no information on the flipbacks. The labels also have the 'Sold in U.K. subject...' info on them.  The matrix is 1/1 and as can be seen the mothers / stampers are very low here.  GO on S1 and a single L on S2.

PCS 7070 // YEX 715-1 / YEX 716-1 // GO 1 / L 1

The audio on S1 ranges between Mint(-) (T2 & T5 Near Mint / T6 Ex+) 

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T2 Ex- / T4 Near Mint+) 

The cover is Ex-

The inner sleeve is Ex+

The labels are Near Mint

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen and no scratches.  Looking under a bright light I can only see a small number of faint hairlines and some very minor 'mottling' but it is very faint I hasten to add.  There is also one tiny speck on S1.  There is no groove wear and the Apple labels are super clean with only minimal spindle wear.

Play grading  

The first verse on 'Yellow Submarine' has no background and the following chorus is just as clean with not even a single dust tick.  You can hear all the 'background' perfectly - the waves, the audience - the clarity is stunning and continues like this to the very end including the fade out.  A superb Mint start to the album.

The intro on 'Only A Northern Soul' has only a couple of barely audible dust ticks and Harrison's opening vocal is very clear with no intrusion.  With so many other instruments 'added' to this track I don't think the sonic quality here is of the highest calibre probably due to it being a rushed recording.  However, there are no ticks, clicks, pops or static from start to finish so in a way I shouldn't downgrade but I will say Near Mint I think that is fair.

The acoustic intro on 'All Together Now' is perfect and McCartney's opening vocal is just as good.  From then on it plays with great clarity and with zero interference.  This is easily a Mint- track.

'Hey Bulldog' plays with genuine clarity and power from the get go.  Every vocal and instrumental section play with such strong audio and there is barely any of the inner groove distortion that you so often associate with this track.  Mint-

Harrison's feedback intro on 'It's All Too Much' plays to perfection and from then on it plays in a similar way to the second track.  it does 'suffer' a little with a lack of clarity you could say and I have read the recording sessions were rather chaotic so maybe that explains it!  In saying that there are no ticks, clicks etc so again a Near Mint grade is fair.  The long fade out has no background which does show how 'clean' the record is.

The classic 'All You Need Is Love' ends the side with an impressive clarity of sound.  Yes there is some inner groove distortion (there always is) but it is much 'cleaner' than many other versions I have heard on a first pressing.  Aside from that there is no other intrusion here apart from one very light tick on the fade out.  Again I am probably shooting myself in the foot by grading it as Ex+ but as my regulars know I am nothing if not honest!

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Beatles connoisseurs know to expect an 'improved' sonic quality with S2 and it does not disappoint!  Starting with 'Pepperland' it plays beautifully with a clarity of sound that could not be enhanced in any way.  A handful of mega quiet dust ticks and a couple of minor statics near the end this has to grade as Mint- the playback is stunning.

The intro on 'Sea Of Time' is again so clean and it continues in the same way until just after one minute where there are two clicks caused by a tiny speck that just refuses to move!  A shame because aside from that it plays with wonderful clarity and no other interference, just a couple of minor statics.  I still think Ex- is deserved.  'Sea Of Holes' plays with stunning clarity throughout and grades as Mint- at the very least.  'Sea Of Monsters' ends this trio with incredible audio once more with only the bare minimum of light static for a couple of seconds and one minor tick right at the end.  Let's say Near Mint+

'March Of The Meanies' plays with wonderful precision and with no interference.  No need for a minus here as the clarity could not be any more impressive.  Mint

'Pepperland Laid Waste' plays to the same high end standard with no background of any kind.  Again there are so many quiet passages and yet the clarity on this 54 year old first pressing is astonishing!  Mint

The 'percussive' build up intro on 'Yellow Submarine In Pepperland' is flawless and it continues in exactly the same way.  It plays beautifully for a final track I cannot fault it in any way.  Mint in every way!

In summary this first pressing plays to with superb audio with very little interference.  S1 is one of the most impressive I have heard in a long time and S2 is so close to perfect.  I often find S2 plays with a quite a lot of background but the clarity of sound here is STUNNING!  And if it wasn't for that darn 'speck' on 'Sea Of Time' it would be even more impressive!  Together with a very clean 'red lines' cover I am sure the winning bidder will not be disappointed.  As always I have graded it to the best of my ability :-)

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The original laminated cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear.  The edges have only one tiny mark each (hardly visible!) and the thin pinched spine is also so close to perfect with only a couple of tiny faint blemishes.  All corners are very clean with very minimal wear and the opening edge has only a little handling wear.  The front cover is in great shape with no laminate damage and only very faint marking in one small area near the bottom edge.  Some minor staining running down the right edge as is common because the laminate is never on that particular section.  The back cover with the red lines has only minimal marking and there is nothing that stands out as such.  The flipbacks are still 100% attached and just have a little marking / staining around the edges.  A fine example overall and one of the cleanest I have seen in quite a long time.

The original die-cut black inner is in excellent condition with no side splits or marking and only minimal creasing.  It looks like a new(ish) poly-lined inner has been placed inside.

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

PCS 7070 // YEX 715-1 / YEX 716-1 // GO 1 / L 1

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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Postage & Packaging

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