THE ROLLING STONES Let It Bleed 1969 UK STEREO DECCA SKL 5025 SUPERB vinyl+audio

	£		91
	$		121

                    THE ROLLING STONES - LET IT BLEED                    

An increasingly rare (especially in condition as beautiful as this) and sought after copy of this 1969 UK 1st pressing rock classic on the DECCA label, STEREO SKL 5025

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XZAL - 9363.P - 3W with stampers "2 B" and "1 H" (little tricky to distinguish the "H") at 8.30 o'clock and 2 o'clock respectively

Side 2   XZAL - 9364 - P - 1W with stampers "1" and "C H" (little tricky to distinguish the "H") at  9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent+ (I daresay many would say "near mint"). This is heavy duty, completely flat vinyl and still retaining it's original beautiful glossy and jet black lacquered sheen. A true "gleamer". Under a bright light it's possible to pick out just a few very fine, small wispy hairlines and also some very, very light paper scuffs, but these are very few and far between, all strictly surface only and only just detectable under a bright light, and certainly do not detract from the wonderful audio quality. Outstanding, especially considering this record's 49 year antiquity. This record has obviously been played sparingly.

The labels are pristine. No blemishes with all of the iconic silver writing, "ffss" logo, and matt textured blue background all perfectly intact. I can just about detect a couple of very light spindle trails adjacent to the spindle hole on each side. Apart from that...perfect!

The front laminated, outer sleeve is excellent. All edges, including the spine, remain rigid and with no scuffing or rubbing at all - remarkable! And the same can be said for the corners, which remain perfectly defined right angles. And there's just something about "nipped" spines that reminds me so much of the 60's...well, these spines are well and truly nipped and they look great! There are just a few very minor blemishes on the front side : there is a small area of very light laminate creasing about a third of the way up adjacent to the front opening edge, there is the hint of a laminate crease along with a small area of laminate lifting towards the top of the front side coinciding with the word "STONES", and there are seven 0.5cm laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine. The photos/artwork and colouring remain as rich and vibrant as ever. And as for the reverse side..well, near perfect, with just a very small (insignificant, really) 1.5cm surface crease adjacent and perpendicular to the top of the bottom "nick". A solid excellent (at least).

The quality of the audio is excellent+ (at least!). There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips or clicks and no background crackle - stunning, with every track making for a great, great listen. Surely this is the best Stones album of all time. Put it on the turntable, turn up the volume, lock the door, lay down on the sofa, close your eyes, and be transported away to wherever you want to go!!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. GIMMIE SHELTER

2. LOVE IN VAIN

3. COUNTRY HONK

4. LIVE WITH ME

5. LET IT BLEED

Side 2 :

1. MIDNIGHT RAMBLER

2. YOU GOT THE SILVER

3. MONKEY MAN

4. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

The original, coveted Victor Kahn designed Rolling Stone poster is of course included and comes with perfect folds, no splits, no pin holes, no blue tac residue, and not even the usual specks of age discolouration. The only blemish (very minor but I have to point it out for completeness) is a light (but visible) diagonal fold in the bottom right quadrant with a 0.5cm horizontal tear at the top of the crease coinciding with the horizontal fold. I have tried to show this is one of my photos.

Comes with original iconic "HARD KNOX AND DURTY SOX" Decca poly lined inner sleeve, with song/instrument credits, with no splits, tears, fraying, or age discolouration and not even the usual corner creasing - perfect! Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an overall excellent+ copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1969 UK original STEREO pressing rock masterpiece - 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 48 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 buying 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 63 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 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, signed for  : £4.00, 

for continental Europe international tracked & signed for : £10.00

and for Rest of the World international tracked & signed for £15.00

 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