Traffic JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE UK 1ST TEXTURED PINK i LABELS NEAR MINT-

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TRAFFIC - JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE

IN MAGNIFICENT NEAR MINT MINUS CONDITION

ROUGH TEXTURED PINK ISLAND LABEL

• CATALOGUE:ILPS 9116
• MATRIX: ILPS9116 A/2  /  B/2  (BOTH OF THESE ARE ETCHED NOT STAMPED)
• 2ND MATRIX: UAS 5504 A / B (AGAIN ETCHED)
• ETCHED DATE: 6.3.70
• 'STERLING' STAMPED INTO RUN OF DEAD WAX
• CONTRACT PRESS????
• E.J DAY SLEEVE
• PLAYED 2-3 TIMES

A VERY PECULIAR SET OF MATRIX NUMBERS ON THIS VINYL. THIS IS THE SECOND COPY OF THIS ALBUM THAT I HAVE HAD IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS WITH THESE STAMPINGS AND ETCHINGS.

ALL OF THE OTHER COPIES I HAVE SEEN HAVE THE ILPS 9016 STAMPED INTO THE DEAD WAX. THIS ONE HAS THE MATRIX ETCHED AND IN ADDITION A UAS NUMBER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS ALBUM WAS CONTRACTED OUT TO UNITED ARTISTS TO PRESS, ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE DESIGN OF THE VINYL UNDER THE LABEL LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE ISLAND PRESS

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

PINK ISLAND LABELS IN TOTALLY PRISTINE CONDITION. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS AND THE RICH PASTEL PINK COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE

THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS TOTALLY UNWORN AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND THE WHITE i IS PURE WHITE

THERE ARE JUST 2-3 REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING ROUGHLY HOW MANY PLAYS THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED. IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PLAYED WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT IT IS 41 YEARS OLD

THE VINYL

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 ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I DO NOW WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, BECAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE 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

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO COLLECT THE ISLAND RECORD LABEL YOU WILL APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE ALBUMS WERE PRODUCED USING POOR QUALITY VINYL, AND AS A RESULT A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM COME WITH INHERENT VINYL NOISE. NOT CRACKLING OR ANYTHING JUST A LOUDER THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT NOISE GENERATED BY THE VINYL ITSELF. THIS ONE HAS SOME LIGHT STUFF WHICH CAN ONLY BE HEARD DURING SOME OF THE SILENT PASSAGES AND AT THE DEAD WAX.

HAVING SAID THIS, THE LP PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT. LOUD AND CLEAR THE AUDIO REPRODUCTION IS SUBLIME. THERE IS A CLARITY TO A FIRST PRESS THAT YOU JUST DON'T GET ON REISSUES

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OR LOUD CLICKS, JUST THE LITTLE BIT OF OCCASIONAL STATIC AND SOME RANDOM LITTLE POPS AND TICS HERE AND THERE

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS PLAYTHROUGH  NEAR MINT MINUS

BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

A VERY HARD SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. THE REASON FOR THIS IS NOT ONLY IS THE SLEEVE UNLAMINATED, BUT IT IS DEEPLY TEXTURED,AND HAS THE APPEARANCE OF A PLAIN CARDBOARD GATEFOLD. THIS SLEEVE IS VERY VERY EASY TO MARK, AND I HAVE SEEN MANY COPIES THAT LOOK TERRIBLE DUE TO STAINING, AND GRUBBINESS.

THIS COPY HAS REMAINED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE AND IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES I HAVE EVER SEEN THAT'S FOR SURE!!!

THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY FLAT AND CLEAN. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THERE ARE NO CREASES, CREASE LINES OR BENDS, AND THERE ARE NO SMALL LINES EITHER ANYWHERE NEAR THE PERIMETER EDGES OR MORE IMPORTANTLY THE SPINE.

THE BLACK COLOUR IS IN  PERFECT STATE.  FREE OF ANY RUBBING AND WEAR. AGAIN THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE PROTECTION I HAVE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED

UNUSUALLY THERE ISN'T EVEN ANY AGEING TO THE PERIMETER EDGES WHICH OFTEN BLIGHTS THIS COVER. THIS ONE IS REALLY AS GOOD AS THEY GET

THE TOP EDGE HAS A COUPLE OF LIGHT SCUFFS ALONG IT, WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE IS 100% MINT AND UNRUBBED

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP AND DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY THUMB NAIL NICKS ALONG THE EDGES EITHER

THE SPINE IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION USUALLY FOUND BADLY WORN, THIS ONE IS PERFECT. TOTALLY FLAT, AND UNSQUASHED, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS LEGIBLE. THE COLOUR OF THE CARD HERE IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE REST OF THE SLEEVE

THE REAR SURFACE IS PRISTINE WITH NO LOSS OF COLOUR AT ALL, AND NO MARKS, STAINS, BENDS OR CREASES.JUST AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE FRONT. JUST A SLIVER OF RECORD SHAPE AT THE VERY BOTTOM

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES. PERFECT ON THIS FIRST PRESS E.J.COVER

THE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, NO SEAM SPLITS AND JUST A FEW LIGHT CREASE LINES TO THE TOP CORNERS

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE MINT MINUS. IT IS THAT GOOD!!!!

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

GARRY