VAN MORRISON HUGELY RARE UK ORANGE WARNER ASTRAL WEEKS
£
176
$
233
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Description
Stunning Original 1968 UK Warner Brothers UK 1st Pressing (A1//B1 Matrix - Orange Label!!!!) 'Astral Weeks' by Van Morrison!!!! Massively Rare!!!!
Right before we get going - this is my all time favourite record and I have been deliberating for ages whether to put this on or just keep it for myself....I don't usually write forewords to my records because (a) I don't have the time and (b) ...well I just can't be bothered really. However I'm gonna have to make an exception here... After much sentimental pondering, I have decided to do something I have never ever done before and whack a reserve on this baby - If you wanna win it I'm afraid you gotta meet my valuation - if you don't it ain't going nowhere. :0) I have only ever come across 3 of orange label 1st pressings of Astral Weeks before, and this is, by a million miles, the best of the 3, I cannot begin to stress how rare this is...
Right now we got that over with...You are bidding on a STUNNING ORIGINAL1968 UK WB Orange Label 1st Pressing of this all time classic LP by Van the Man!!! In my humble opinion it is quite simply the best album ever made, just edging 'Pet Sounds'. Unbelievably, this record was a commercial flop upon release (funnily enough as was 'Pet Sounds' - hmmm, I sense a pattern emerging here - maybe my own band's 1st record will be held in the same esteem 40 years from now... or maybe not...) Anyway's, due to the much perceived general crapness (!?!?!?) of this album upon release there were not many pressed at all. So copies of the UK 1st Press (denoted by the orange Warner label and of course the A1/B1 matrix) are pretty thin on the ground these days. In fact it is Unbelievably Rare!! Do not confuse this with the later 2nd Pressing on the WB Green label!!! Although the green label is rare in its own right, it's got nothing on this baby!!!! I was lucky enough to come by this copy about 10 years ago whilst browsing through the stacks of vinyl on my favourite Portobello Road market stall (thanx again Mikey man!) It really is in beautiful condition, I'm gonna describe it best I can below. Again don't miss this one because it won't be listed again...
The cool 1960's quality pressed thick and chunky vinyl is in visually and aurally stunning condition and shines with a 'just pressed' look and feel, it really looks as if this record came off the press yesterday!!! You will not find a better vinyl 1st press copy of this mega rare LP. It really is a THE BEST EXAMPLE YOU WILL FIND!!!!
Cat No:
WS 1768
The vinyl itself is IN stunning EX+ Condition!!!! It has NO Scratches, No scuffing, NO marks, NO warping or blemishes of any kind!!!! It just has some miniscule paper scuffs from removing it from its inner sleeve. I am very pleased to state that this is a record that also PLAYS FANTASTICALLY!!! It has NO jumps, NO pops and NO hissing!!! The thick quality pressed chunky 1960's vinyl looks and feels great (it is very heavy!). I would have to grade this vinyl as a EX+!!! The classic orange WB centre labels are in very good condition. The only minor drawback is a very small red pen squiggle hear the spindle hole on side 2. However it really does not notice as it is small, in red ink on a bright orange background. Don't let this put you off, the vinyl is STUNNING in every other respect!!!!! The classic 1st Press front laminated Garrod & Lofthouse flipback sleeve is Very Good condition, with NO Tears and a nice crisp opening edge, with just minimal wear. The flipbacks are all nice and tight and there are no seam splits and no real seam wear. The laminate is in good condition with NO cracking or Lifting!!!! There are some creases however, but nothing more that one would expect. There is a another very small pen line on one of the flipbacks, again very small and unobtrusive, as can be seen by the photos. Of course, it comes with it's original British Patents inner flipback sleeve, in superb EX condition. Please check out our feedback and bid with confidence as this is a no reserve auction with a very low starting price! You will probably not see another copy of this, the ultimate UK 1st Press, for a very, very long time so don't miss out on this one...
WIN MORE THAN ONE AUCTION AND SAVE £££'s ON POSTAGE!!!! THIS AUCTION HAS NO RESERVE AND STARTS A VERY LOW START! SO CHECK OUR FEEDBACK AND BID WITH CONFIDENCE!!! Please don't hesitate to email me with any questions you may have, I'll do my best to answer them all!
In the 60's & 70's we didn't think to preserve our records, we were too busy being liberated! As such, you will find most of these albums (the few that remain) in very poor condition nowadays. This is due to a number of factors, i.e. age and bad handling/storage methods and general vinyl deterioration, not to mention the amount of parties they've attended! So to find one in such superb condition is a real rarity. What's more, the low starting price and no reserve status gives you a realistic chance of winning and owning this highly sought-after album. For any lover/Collector Van Morrison or just great 60's & 70's Progressive/Psych LPs in general, this is an absolutely essential album to have in your collection. It is also a true investment for the future as its price of this very rare LP will just rise and rise...
Grading Information & Image Details
All our records are strictly graded under strong light using the UK Record Collector Grading System (see chart below for a full guide). The item you see in the images is actual item being sold. This album comes shipped in a sturdy record mailer, (with stiff cardboard insert added for extra protection, so will reach you in the awesome condition that you see it now).
Postage Costs
Please note, there are no hidden surcharges in our auctions, the price you win is the price you pay, just add the relevant postage, it's as simple as that! Win more than 1 auction and save money on postage costs! Paypal is Free of charge!
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Postage and Packing within the UK = £3.50. Insured £6.50
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Postage and Packing to Europe via Air Mail = £4.65 Insured = £8.95
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Postage and Packing to Rest of the World (USA, Japan etc) via Air Mail = £7.95. Insured = £14.25
Payment Methods
-UK
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In the UK we accept Cheques, Postal Orders and Cash Only, WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL FOR UK TRANSACTIONS.
-International (Outside UK)
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We accept Paypal and International Money Orders only for overseas transactions, sorry. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL PAYMENTS FROM UK BIDDERS!
Please Read...
DUE TO AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF TIMEWASTERS WE HAVE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING TERMS - (1) IF YOU DO NOT INTEND ON PAYING THEN DO NOT BID!!!! (2) IF YOU HAVE EXCESSIVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK PLEASE EMAIL ME BEFORE YOU BID! THIS AUCTION IS FOR SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY! (3) WINNER MUST MAKE CONTACT WITHIN 3 DAYS OTHERWISE ITEM WILL BE OFFERED TO NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER AND NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WILL BE LEFT. SORRY!
Good Luck! The UK Record Collector Grading System NAME GRADE INFORMATION Mint M Vinyl has just left the vinyl pressing machine and does not have any manufacturing flaws. It has never been handled and never played. Unless you work at the record plant, there is no such thing as mint! Record sleeves just left the pressing machine that made the sleeve. It has never been handled and a record has not been placed inside it which would deform it. Unless you work at the record plant, there is no such thing as mint! Near Mint NM Vinyl is virtually perfect. At most, perhaps a light scuff appears on the record. It should play without any noise or skips of any kind whatsoever. Record sleeve should look close to perfect with only minor signs of wear. The artwork should have no marks of any kind and there should be no "ring wear" (that is, the outline of the record inside should not show through the sleeve). Excellent EX or VG++ Vinyl should play with no skips of any kind. It should sound better than it looks. Often "Excellent" or "VG++" is a conservative version of "Near Mint." Perhaps some very minor surface scuffs, but again no effect on sound quality. Record sleeve might have some minor "ring wear" but otherwise the artwork should be unaffected. There should be no "ink wear" to the artwork. That is areas where the ink has worn down to the paper underneath. Perhaps some minor creases in the corners but no splits in the seams. Very Good Plus VG+ Vinyl will show wear including surface scuffs and some light scratches. Often, minor scuffs will be caused by the inner sleeve rubbing against the vinyl. If held up to a bright light, you will often see many tiny lines on the vinyl. Perhaps a few minor clicks or pops can be heard, but no deep scratches. Record sleeve should be clean, but slightly more aged. Perhaps some very small writing on the sleeve. The corners may be slightly bent, but not broken. There may be wear to the seams but not tears or holes popping through. Very Good VG Vinyl doesn't necessarily look good, but still plays well. Surface noise will probably be present including pops and clicks. At good volume levels, the music should overpower any pops and clicks present. Flaws should only be heard between tracks or on low volume passages. Record sleeve will look warn and used. There may be seam splitting, but not complete separation of the sleeve panels from each other. There will be noticeable ring wear on the cover, but most of the cover should still be in good condition. Good VG-/G+/G Vinyl looks well played, dull, and possibly not well taken care of. However, the record should still play without skipping. It will have substantial surface noise, pops and clicks. Loss of various parts of the dynamic range will occur due to worn grooves. This grade depends a lot on the owner and the type of record. A rock record may still sound "good" at high volume whereas a slower styles of music will sound terrible. Record sleeve may have many problems including seam splits, writing, taped repairs. However some of the artwork will still be visible. There can't be large tears and gouges in the cover. Fair/Poor F/P Doesn't meet the lowest standards for "good". At this point, the vinyl is difficult to listen to. The only reason to keep it would be due to extreme rarity or to fill a good sleeve until a better copy of the vinyl comes along. Doesn't meet the lowest standards for "good". The sleeve is torn, bent, and shows a very high level of wear. Attempts to tape the sleeve have made it worse. The only reason to keep the sleeve would be due to extreme rarity or to protect a good copy of the vinyl until a better sleeve comes along.price rating
