The Who TOMMY UK LP 1ST TRACK LAMINATED No 7540 NMINT-

	£		99
	$		131

THE WHO - TOMMY

IN SUPERB CONDITION

FIRST UK PRESS WITH INCREDIBLE LAMINATED SLEEVE AND  LOW NUMBERED BOOKLET

• CATALOGUE:TRACK 613013/4
• MATRIX: 613013 A//1  /  B//1   613014 A//1   /  B//1
• THE MARKINGS OF A TRUE FIRST PRESS SET
• UNIQUE NUMBER = 7540

A SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS SOUGHT AFTER FIRST PRESS. ONLY THE VERY FIRST ISSUES OF THIS DOUBLE ALBUM CAME WITH A FULLY LAMINATED TRI GATEFOLD SLEEVE. MOST YOU WILL SEE HAVE THE MATT FINISH SLEEVE.

ADDED TO THIS THE FIRST ISSUES HAVE A NUMBER IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE BOOKLET THAT COMES WITH THE PACKAGE

THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT PRESSES HAVE THE BOOK THAT STATES LIMITED EDITION NUMBER, BUT ON THESE COPIES THERE IS NO ACTUAL NUMBER

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE JET BLACK BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND EVERY LETTER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE TRACK LOGO WHICH CAN RUB AND WEAR BADLY IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION ON ALL 4 SIDES. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS THAT SOME SIDES HAVE HAD FEWER PLAYS THAN OTHERS. THE WAY THESE LP'S WERE SET OUT WAS INTENSDED FOR THE DREADED AUTOCHANGER RECORD PLAYERS OF THE 60'S AND 70'S WITH ISDES ONE AND FOUR ON THE SAME DISC. SIDES 2 AND THREE ON THE OTHER. THIS ALLOWED THE FOUR SIDES TO BE PLAYED IN ORDER ON THE RECORD PLAYER. ON THIS SET SIDE 4'S LABEL HAS A ROUND 10 SMALL SPIDER LINES MEANING THAT SIDE ONE WAS PLAYED ABOUT THAT MANY TIMES, WHERASE SIDE ONE'S LABEL HAS JUST 3-4 SMALL SPIDER LINES, THUS SIDE 4 RECEIVED FAR FEWER PLAYS. ON THE SECOND DISC SIDE 2 LABEL HAS AGAIN 3-4 SPIDER LINES, WHILST SIDE THREE HAS JUST 2 LINES. CLARLY THE ORIGINAL OWNER PREFERED CERATIN SIDES TO OTHERS 

A WORD ABOUT THE DISCS. ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE LABELS CAN EASILY BE INDENTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF EACH LABEL THE CATALOGUE NUMBER HAS 'DOUBLE ALBUM' UNDERNEATH IT AND IN BRACKETS (RECORD 2) ETC., AND NOTHING UNDERNEATH THE ST 33 MARKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL.

 WHEREAS LATER PRESSES HAD  IN  BRACKETS (SET NUMBER 2657-002) ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE UNDER ST 33

THE VINYL

BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE . IN DAYLIGHT THE VINYL LOOKS PRISTINE,AND ALL I CAN SEE ARE A COUPLE OF TINY HANDLING LINES. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION HOWEVER THE VINYLS APPEAR TO HAVE MANY WISPY HAIRLINES THAT FORM A SWIRLING PATTERN AROUND THE DISC. THIS IS CAUSED ENTIRELY BY THE ORIGINAL OWNERS VIGOROUS CLEANING METHOD, AND WHILST IT LOOKS A LITTLE TROUBLESOME, REMEMBER ITS ONLY VISIBLE UNDER A SPOTLIGHT AND IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T IMPACT ON THE SOUND AS YOU WILL HEAR WHEN YOU TAKE A LISTEN HOPEFULLY

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE WHOLE DOUBLE ALBUM SET FROM START TO FINISH, AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM THIS FIRST PRESS SET IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR STEREO REPRODUCTION THAT IS BOTH CRISP AND CLEAN SOUNDING. THE CLARITY OF THE ORIGINAL PRESS IS THERE FOR ALL TO HEAR. THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO ANY PART OF THE SOUNDTRACK WHATSOEVER THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, OR CRACKLING GOING ON BEHIND THE MUSIC EITHER.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR APART FROM THE OUTSTANDING REPRODUCTION IS THE OCCASIONAL BIT OF LIGHT BACKGROUND LIKE STATIC OR VINYL NOISE. THIS IS MANILY FOR THE FIRST FEW SECONDS DURING THE RUN IN, AND THEREAFTER ONLY HEARD IN A FEW OF THE QUIETEST MOMENTS LIKE THE LINKING GROOVES. THERE ARE ALSO A FEW RANDOM LITTLE AND BARELY AUDIBLE POPS HERE AND THERE, BUT AGAIN NOTHING THAT IS GOING TO MAR THE OVERALL AND OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF THIS FIRST ISSUE SET

ANYWAY DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, YOU CAN SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO THE ENTRIE RECORDING. SO YOU CAN BE THE JUDGE

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS PLAYTHROUGH NEAR MINT / NEAR MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

WELL WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLEEVE?

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MOST COPIES FOR SALE, YOU WILL NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SLEEVE LETS THE RECORDS DOWN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VINYL IS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, SO LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT THE SLEEVE IS FULLY LAMINATED AND AS IT IS A TRI GATEFOLD IT MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SURFACE AREAS ARE VERY THIN AND FLIMSY WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN SERIOUS CREASES, FOLDS AND BENDS TO THE LAMINTE, BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THIS SLEEVE HISTORICALLY IS THE SPINE AND THE AREA WHERE THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE COVER. SO STARTING WITH THAT, WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON MOST EXAMPLES IS A TORN OPENING EDGE, AND THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT BOTH ALBUMS SIT INSIDE THE SAME POCKET WHICH HAS THE OPENING EDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE GATEFOLD BY THE SPINE, MEANING THAT THE LP'S HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY SLID INTO THE POCKET VIA THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT THE OUTSIDE, THE SLIGHTEST WRONG BIT OF PRESSURE TRYING TO GET THEN IN OR OUT ALWAYS RESULTED IN A TORN OPENING EDGE.

THE MOST VISIBLE DAMAGE ON MOST COPIES THOUGH IS THE ACTUAL SPINE, WHICH IS OFTEN FOUND BADLY TORN. THIS IS COMPLETELY DUE TO HOW THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE POCKET, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE POCKET ( I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO) THEN THE VINYLS STICKOUT A LITTLE NEAR THE SPINE AND WHEN THE SLEEVE IS CLOSED THE VINYL ACTS LIKE A DULL BLADE AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WEARS THROUGH THE SPINE.THIS ALSO ENSURES THAT THE THIN LAMINATE COATING OVER THE SPINE WILL AT FIRST CRACK, AND THEN START TO FLAKE AWAY

THIS AMAZING COPY HOWEVER IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT IN THAT AREA, AND HAS CLEARLY BEEN CARED FOR PROPERLY FROM NEW. MY BELIEF IS THAT THE LP'S WERE HOUSED SEPERATELY FROM THE SLEEVE. IT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN HOUSED INSIDE A PLASTIC COVER FROM NEW

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR.THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, FOLDS OR BENDS ANYWHERE, JUST A FEW SMALL AND TO BE FRANK, BARELY VISIBLE TINY LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE. THERE IS NOT ONE LAMINATE LINE ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE FRONT SURFACE, ANFD NO THUMB LINES, NO CHIPS TO THE CORNERS, IN FACT THE FOUR CORNERS ARE JUST IMMACULATE AND SQUARE

 THE  SPINE IS JUST INCREDIBLE. TOTALLY FLAT AND HAS COMPLETELY REMAINED FULLY LAMINATED. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY WEAR OR DAMAGE TO THE DELICATE SURFACE WHATSOEVER. AND EVEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS ARE AMAZINGLY UNWORN

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS POLISHED AS THE FRONT, AND AGAIN NO HEAVY LINES OR CREASING, JUST A PRISTINE UNMARKED UNCREASED SURFACE

THE ONLY AREA THAT HAS LIGHT WEAR IS THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH HAS VERY LIGHT RUBBING TO THE BLACK SURFACE

THE THIRD LAMINATED SURFACE IS ONCE AGAIN GLEAMING BUT DOES HAVE ONE CREASE LINE ACROSS THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. SO ON THE THREE PANELS THIS IS THE ONLY MINOR BLEMISH

I HAVE ALSO TAKEN A PICTURE OF THE TRIFOLD INNER SURFACES AND ONCE AGAIN THEY ARE IN SUPERB UNMARKED CONDITION. THE FAR RIGHT SECTION IS THE POCKET THAT HOUSES THE VINYL AND AS I HOPE YOU CAN SEE IT HAS REMAINED UNTORN IN THE MIDDLE WHICH IS WHERE IT OFTEN GOES WITH THE PRESSURE OF AN ERRANT THUMB. THERE IS ONE TINY NICK TO THE VERY BOTTOM EDGE

THE NUMBERED BOOKLET THAT COMES INSIDE THE SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT FLAT CONDITION AND CONTAINS THE UNIQUE LOW NUMBER '7540'

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVES ARE IN UNDAMAGED CONDITION.  WITH JUST SOME LIGHT AGING TO THE GLUE WHICH SHOWS THROUGH THE PAPER. , BUT NO SEAM SPLITS ETC.

YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO A LONG WAY TO FIND A SLEEVE AS SPECIAL AS THIS ONE, AND IT WILL GRACE ANY COLLECTION

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY