The Who - Tommy Laminated 1st Press EX+ Numbered Booklet A1/B1 Matrix

	£		100
	$		133

THE WHO :- Tommy - Original 1969 UK Track 613013 / 613014 Stereo 2LP with

Three Way Open Out Sleeve and Picture/Lyric Booklet (Limited Edition No 66756)

This is an excellent condition First Pressing – The Excellent condition booklet bears the limited Edition number 66756 -see photograph. 

It has the Three Way Open Out fully laminated Ernest J Day Sleeve ( the rear of which has 613 013/4 number in top left hand corner)

There is minimal wear at the folds to the laminate and the laminate is beginning to lift on the extremity of the right hand edge and The is a small area of linear wear along the bottom left edge fold (approx 3cm) as is usually the case with examples of this classic Who album - The sleeve on the whole is a very good example for a record approaching 50 years old.

Track Listing:-

1. Overture

2. It's A Boy

3. 1921

4. Amazing Journey

5. Sparks

6. The Hawker

7. Christmas

8. Cousin Kevin 

9. The Acid Queen

10. Underture

11. Do You Think It's Alright?

12. Fiddle About

13. Pinball Wizard

14. There's A Doctor

15. Go To The Mirror!

16. Tommy Can You Hear Me?

17. Smash The Mirror

18. Sensation

19. Miracle Cure

20. Sally Simpson

21. I'm Free

22. Welcome

23. Tommy's Holiday Camp

24. We're Not Gonna Take It

Matrix Numbers:- Record One - Side One 613013 A#1 / Side Four 613013 B#1

Record Two - Side Two 613014 A#1 / Side Three 613014 B#2

Condition of Vinyl:-
I would grade these as very good. (others might grade higher) They are not mint – this is a 48 year old album which has been played but is very well looked after. Both discs play perfectly with very little if any surface noise.

Side 3 has an additional few small hairline marks again totally inaudible.

Minimal spindle wear – see photograph

Good sound quality throughout :They have good shine and the marks can really only be seen under a close inspection

Label Condition:- Beautifully bright Track clean labels .......... only very minimal wear


Condition of Sleeve:- The Laminated Sleeve is bright , crisp and clean ................ very minimal creasing and slight laminate lift at the right edge.

Minor signs of wear on the front lower edge bottom corners (very slight)
Graded in VG++ condition.

The Booklet has minimal use only :

Complete with two original polylined Liner Sleeves - one is torn at the centre but still protects the vinyl well

The following summary characteristics of First Pressings of Tommy from an experienced dealer on the web

My album meets all these criteria :

Characteristics of a ‘TOMMY’ First Issue, First or Very Early Pressing:-

1/. The outer cover is a triptych style gatefold with two single layer panels which hinge out from a double slip cover. The outer design is from a pop art paint by Mike McInnerney showing a sphere with diamond shaped cut- outs and seagulls, and the important feature is that all first issues covers outer surfaces were LAMINATED and they are easily recognisable because of the VERY HIGH GLOSS finish which gives them a MUCH BRIGHTER BLUE appearance. This glossy laminate is very distinctive and not easy to confuse with the relatively dull matt blue finish of the later re-issues. The first issue covers were made by Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd London. W.11., marked ‘Patent pending’, this is credited on the back of the cover bottom left corner following the track list / credits and just above the Track Record logo.

2/. On the back of the outer cover, top left hand corner the first issues have the Track Catalogue numbers printed, which are 613 013/4, whereas the later issues have the set number, which is 2657 002.

3/. Gloss finish is an important part of identification with the vinyls as well because you will notice that the first pressings have a much more ‘polished’ high gloss finish than the later pressings.

4/. The vinyls are noticeably heavier for the first pressings, weighing in at around 140-145 grammes each, the later pressing typically weigh around 110-125 grammes.

5/. The record labels on first pressings are a deep matt black when viewed head on in daylight and slightly coarse anthracite when viewed in reflected light at an angle, later pressings have a ‘flatter’ and ‘greyer’ finish, even from head on, and even later pressings are almost a dark silvery or titanium colour with an outer ridge. Also, on Track first pressings from this era the labels are usually aligned (or in the same orientation) either side of the same vinyl, later pressing alignment tends to be random.

6/. More easily noticeable on the first issue record labels is the fact that they state ‘DOUBLE ALBUM’ (Record 1 [or 2]) underneath the catalogue number at 9 o’ clock (most of the variants have the side 4 backed on to side 1 on Record 1, and side 3 backed on to side 2 on Record 2; so that is not a reliable ‘separation’ characteristic as it is on some albums).

7/. First Pressings have predominantly ‘1’ matrices and ‘1’ or low number stampers in the vinyl run off area of each side.  Later pressings have 2’s’, 3’s, 4’s etc occasionally mixed up with a ‘1’.

8/. In my opinion first pressings, as is the case with most vinyl recordings, deliver noticeably better audio in terms of clarity and ‘reality’; but this of course subjective and a matter for the individual listener.

9/. Last, and by no means least, the illustrated lyrics booklet which accompanied first issue albums has a LIMITED EDITION NUMBER PRINTED IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER WHERE INDICATED in this case 56. Unfortunately this is not always a reliable feature as after the Limited Edition run was finished the Record Company continued, for quite a long time, to include non-numbered books and some unscrupulous sellers have printed, or even written a number in to try and maximise the value. They can usually be spotted and this one is COMPLETELY AUTHENTIC - we had it from new!

10/. If an album has all of the characteristics listed 1-9 above, WHICH THIS ONE HAS, then it is a GENUINE UKFIRST ISSUE, FIRST OR VERY EARLY PRESSING.

ORIGINAL UK ‘TRIPTYCH’ GATEFOLD ERNEST J. DAY & Co. ‘Patents pending’

ORIGINAL LIMITED EDITION NUMBERED "66756"’ ILLUSTRATED LYRIC BOOKLET

ONE OF THE HARDEST TO FIND POPULAR PROGRESSIVE ROCK ALBUMS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION