BID WITH TOTAL CONFIDENCE . YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED: COMPLETE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF NOT TOTALLY SATISFIED

SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. I HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING AND A 100% TRACK RECORD OF OFFERING GREAT PRODUCTS, SERVICE, COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERY – GUARANTEED!!

 

Bob Dylan - 'John Wesley Harding' - 1st Press - CBS BPG 63252 - Classic UK MONO Press in NEAR MINT, STUNNING Condition throughout. 

RARE Original 1ST PRESSING  MONO VINYL ALBUM .

Original and COMPLETE 1st Press Edition  - Ultra Rare!

Imagine owning an original Ultra rare MONO 1st pressing of 'John Wesley Harding'. Here we have a very rare opportunity to own an amazing 1st pressing of the DYLAN master piece. 

This is an unbelievably rare opportunity to own an original MONO pressing of the Dylan classic album, from my own personal collection, in truly stunning condition with GREAT AUDIO THROUGHOUT!

THIS IS A SERIOUSLY RARE LP and ESPECIALLY HARD TO FIND IN GREAT CONDITION, LET ALONE A 1ST MONO PRESSING.  IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND!

THIS IS THE 1ST PRESSING OF THIS ULTRA RARE RECORD, WITH AN ULTRA RARE '1st PRESS' COVER!  

CAT NO:....

CBS. UK. MONO . BPG 63252

LABEL PRESS DETAILS:

Ultra Rare 1st Press MONO labels came in Matt finish. This classic 1st press was first released in 1968, followed by  the later lighter pressed variety which lost the sensational audio mastering of the 1st MONO pressing!

MATRIX NOs. ON RUN-OUT GROOVE

Side 1. 63252  A 2

Side 2. 63252  B 2

MOTHER STAMPERS: 1st ever pressed!

Side 1.  0 A 1 3

Side 2.  0 A B

TRACK LISTING…

Side One • "John Wesley Harding" – 2:58 • "As I Went Out One Morning" – 2:49 • "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" – 3:53 • "All Along the Watchtower" – 2:31 • "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" – 5:35 • "Drifter's Escape" – 2:52
Side Two • "Dear Landlord" – 3:16 • "I Am a Lonesome Hobo" – 3:19 • "I Pity the Poor Immigrant" – 4:12 • "The Wicked Messenger" – 2:02 • "Down Along the Cove" – 2:23 • "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – 2:34

An exceptional 1st pressing of  '

John Wesley Harding

', in SUPERB condition, with Rare MONO Labels, 1st press cover and outstanding TOP AUDIO from start to finish!

John Wesley Harding is Bob Dylan's eighth studio album, released by Columbia Records in December 1967. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album marked Dylan's return to acoustic music and traditional roots, after three albums of electric rock music. John Wesley Harding shares many stylistic threads with, and was recorded around the same time as the prolific series of home recording sessions with The Band, finally released in 1975 as The Basement Tapes.
John Wesley Harding was exceptionally well received by critics and enjoyed solid sales, reaching #2 on the US charts and topping the UK charts. The commercial performance was considered remarkable considering that Dylan had kept Columbia from releasing the album with much promotion or publicity. Less than three months after its release, John Wesley Harding was certified gold by the RIAA. "All Along the Watchtower" became one of his most popular songs after it was covered by Jimi Hendrix the following year. In 2003, the album was ranked on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.






Dylan went to work on John Wesley Harding in the fall of 1967. By then, 18 months had passed since the completion of Blonde on Blonde. After recovering from the worst of the results of his motorcycle accident, Dylan spent a substantial amount of time recording the informal basement sessions at West Saugerties, New York; little was heard from him throughout 1967. During that time, he stockpiled a large number of recordings, including many new compositions. He eventually submitted nearly all of them for copyright, but declined to include any of them in his next studio release (Dylan would not release any of those recordings to the commercial market until 1975's The Basement Tapes; and by then, some of those recordings had been bootlegged, usually sourced from an easy-to-find set of publisher's demos). Instead, Dylan used a different set of songs for John Wesley Harding.
It is not clear when these songs were actually written, but none of them have turned up in the dozens of basement recordings that have since surfaced. According to Robbie Robertson, "As I recall it was just on a kind of whim that Bob went down to Nashville. And there, with just a couple of guys, he put those songs down on tape." Those sessions took place in the autumn of 1967, requiring less than twelve hours over three stints in the studio.
Dylan brought to Nashville a set of songs that would be given an austere sound sympathetic to their content. When Dylan arrived in Nashville, producer Bob Johnston recalls that "he was staying in the Ramada Inn down there, and he played me his songs and he suggested we just use bass and guitar and drums on the record. I said fine, but also suggested we add a steel guitar, which is how Pete Drake came to be on that record." Dylan was once again recording with a band, but the instrumentation was very sparse. During most of the recording, the rhythm section of drummer Kenneth A. Buttrey and bassist Charlie McCoy were the only ones supporting Dylan, who handled all harmonica, guitar, piano, and vocal parts. "I didn't intentionally come out with some kind of mellow sound," Dylan said in 1971. "I would have liked ... more steel guitar, more piano. More music ... I didn't sit down and plan that sound."








Most of the songs on John Wesley Harding are noted for their pared-down lyrics. Though the style remains evocative, continuing Dylan's strong use of bold imagery, the wild, intoxicating surreality that seemed to flow in a stream-of-consciousness fashion has been tamed into something earthier and more crisp. "What I'm trying to do now is not use too many words," Dylan said in a 1968 interview. "There's no line that you can stick your finger through, there's no hole in any of the stanzas. There's no blank filler. Each line has something." According to Allen Ginsberg, Dylan had talked to him about his new approach, telling him "he was writing shorter lines, with every line meaning something. He wasn't just making up a line to go with a rhyme anymore; each line had to advance the story, bring the song forward. And from that time came some of his strong laconic ballads like 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest.' There was no wasted language, no wasted breath. All the imagery was to be functional rather than ornamental." Even the song structures are rigid as most of them adhere to a similar three-verse model. "All Along the Watchtower" is also notable for its vi-V-IV chord progression. Jimmy Page would use this cadence for the coda to "Stairway to Heaven," John Entwistle of the Who would use it in the opening bars of "Fiddle About", and it would later find popular use in much heavy metal music. Dylan himself would return to this progression in Desire's "Hurricane".
In a year when psychedelia dominated popular culture, the agrarian John Wesley Harding was seen as reactionary. Critic Jon Landau wrote in Crawdaddy Magazine, "For an album of this kind to be released amidst Sgt. Pepper, Their Satanic Majesties Request, After Bathing at Baxter's, somebody must have had a lot of confidence in what he was doing ... Dylan seems to feel no need to respond to the predominate  trends in pop music at all. And he is the only major pop artist about whom this can be said."
The critical stature of John Wesley Harding has continued to grow. As late as 2000, Clinton Heylin wrote, "John Wesley Harding remains one of Dylan's most enduring albums. Never had Dylan constructed an album-as-an-album so self-consciously. Not tempted to incorporate even later basement visions like 'Going to Acapulco' and 'Clothesline Saga,' Dylan managed in less than six weeks to construct his most perfectly executed official collection."

John Wesley Harding would prove to be the end of a long, influential run of prolific, groundbreaking work. Though in retrospect Harding already hinted of the country-pop sound of his next album, the seemingly sudden change in his musical style once again would prove dramatic and baffling to the press and his fans. 

 

ALBUM PLAYED FOR AUDIO GRADING:

Yes – brilliant! - TOP AUDIO sound quality throughout!

1st pressings of 'John Wesley Harding' often have a dull sound, with experimental recording and mastering techniques being employed in the making. There a very small quantity of pressings that came out with bright, clear audio, and this is one of them!

This great record plays up to the visual grading and beyond. Strong, undistorted sound free of loud pops or clicks or repetitive noises. Super strong sound with minimal distractions, the album plays right through with absolutely NO sticks, jumps or repeating unwanted noises what so ever. 

Superb sound, every minute and track has been tested and I could find no obvious sound blemishes. Some light occasional static only, and it is light and very occasional. Wonderful TOP audio, there is NO distortion, NO sticks or jumps what so ever, and virtual silence between the tracks. 

This vinyl is an absolute gem! It must be the clearest original pressings of 'John Wesley Harding' I've heard. 

The music jumps out, with definition and clarity. I'll give a detailed account below:

Beginning with the iconic 'John Wesley Harding', the music comes in with crystal clear audio, no pops or clicks and nice clean run ins. Moving into the wonderful 'As I went out One Morning', which demonstrates Dylan's incredible subtle production layering, with notes and effects that are usually lost on most even relatively played vinyls. Here the audio sings out with amazing clarity.  'I Dreamed I saw Saint Augustine', a real test on this  album due to its many layered quiet sections sings out with very little static in the run ins and quiet areas. Great music with great clarity, and so hard to find with this type of sound. Still no pops or clicks during the music, and not a hint of distortion. In fact I may as well confirm now that there is not a hint of distortion anywhere on this great vinyl. there are a coupe, of very light pops between tracks, but no loud pops or clicks during the music. The massive classic 'All Along The Watchtower' plays with crystal clear sound, and the long instrumental section layered again, sounds great. Superb clear bright sound, amazing. Leading back into the paired down 'Ballad of Frankie Lee' , the vinyl again plays with super clear sound, amazing for such a paired down sparse audio. And rounding off with 'Drifter Escape' which maintains the very high standard of this vinyl. 

Side 2. comes in with the great 'Dear Landlord', following near silent run ins, and again in the the long delicate 'I am A Lonesome Hobo', the audio is just superb, with minimal static and clear vocal layering. 'I pity the Poor Immigrant', another delicate track also sings out, with great clarity and an amazing lack of surface sound. Another very quiet track that is nearly always blighted with loud pops, clicks, buzzing crackle and distortion, but not here. 'The Wicked Messenger' sounds just superb and leads into 'Down Along the Cove', another quiet track and again a real vinyl audio test, just sounds so clear. 

All the way through every track plays with incredible definition. The complex arrangements in 'The Wicked Messenger'  play so well, with astounding audio precision. A total lack of pops, clicks, interference, and certainly no distortion anywhere on this great pressing, makes this a truly incredible collectable press of this great MONO record. Rounding off with the delicate 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight', it play superbly, maintaining the high audio standard set by every other track on this lp. The music jumps out, with definition and clarity, the vocals which come through with tremendous power. The tonal quality make this a sensational pressing. With the clear and extra loud First cut Mono engineering giving the audio a vibrant sound which cannot be beaten.

A great all round example of this classic Dylan vinyl. This is a great Audio pleasure and I would have to give the Audio at least an EXCELLENT to NEAR MINT grading.

A great all round example of this great vinyl, with amazing audio throughout!

THE RECORD – VISUAL GRADING - NEAR MINT 

A superb piece of glossy vinyl, and a really thick pressing. Deep clear grooves that can only be found on the original early pressings, this vinyl is immaculate and has been little played. The record has great shine, with no scratches or hairline. On first inspection it looks completely unmarked. Only under intense light can I just about make out a couple of tiny  (ultra) light handling marks /  paper removal marks. Any minor surface marks or very light and non sounding, perhaps being caused by handing and sleeve removal. On the whole this is a really unbelievable example.

This rare UK MONO pressing gives a great early press listening experience for this classic album.

VINYL TESTED FOR ANY SIGNS OF WARPING:

Yes, NONE visible what so ever when tested be sight and on a moving turntable.

THE COVER 

Designed to look like an old faded photograph, the cover photograph of John Wesley Harding shows a squinting Dylan flanked by brothers Luxman and Purna Das, two Bengali Bauls, South Asian musicians brought to Woodstock by Dylan's manager, Albert Grossman. Behind Dylan is Charlie Joy, a local stonemason and carpenter. A long-recurring rumor is that images of various members of the Beatles are hidden on the front cover, in the knots of the tree. This was verified by Rolling Stone with photographer John Berg prior to the album's release. There is speculation that the faces were much more apparent but brushed over sometime before press time (hence, the unusually dark features on the most prominent tree trunk).

This original 1st press mono non flip back cover is bright and clean, with little creasing, no tears or stains. Laminated on the front only, the opening edges are very square and un frayed. The back cover is nice and clean, with NO ring wear, which is very unusual for these covers.

The Spine is  true and not flattened, and shows little wear / rubbing to the corners. The spine text is totally intact. 

A great all round example of this rare cover, I would have to give it an EXCELLENT to EXCELLENT PLUS grading.!!

THE LABELS -  NEAR MINT CONDITION

Superb MONO labels, stating Made In England. Minimal spindle traces. Absolutely no marks or writing what so ever, and NO brush marks that these labels seem prone to. Great all round examples!

THE INNER

Original ultra rare Made In England non poly lined picture inner sleeve. These ultra delicate inners usually faired very badly, being ripped, torn, split and stained, or totally discarded. 

This is a great example with little wear. There are NO splits to the sides. There are NO tears to the front or opening edges, which are nice and crisp. There is a slight impression of the album, but it is faint. There is some creasing and discolouration, and the odd small mark. 

All in all a really nice and ultra rare example. Comes of course with a new white inner sleeve. Easily grades at VERY GOOD PLUS to EXCELLENT.

RARITY

A complete UK MONO Label Vinyl of this early Dylan classic in decent condition is scarce. The vinyl is so often played so much, heavily marked, scratched, with noisy, poor and distorted sound.

The cover is hard to find without serious wear, tear and staining, even modestly worn examples are scarce and this one is a lovely example. Finding a great cover like this, with a thick pressed piece of MONO vinyl, fantastic!. 

Finding one with audio performance like this, with a vinyl that is virtually unmarked,  with the Ultra Rare 1st press MONO labels makes this an extremely rare collectable from the 1960's, and one of the true pioneering records of the 20th century, and of Dylan's career!

MAKING THIS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO OWN AN EXTREMELY RARE PIECE OF MUSICAL HISTORY.

GREAT COVERS WITH NO SEAM SPLITS, NO TEARS, NO WRITING, NO STICKERS.

GREAT VINYLS WITH NO LOUD CLICKS OR POPS, NO JUMPS OR REPEATS - GUARANTEED!

SCRUPULOUS EXAMINATION and TESTING; PLEASE NOTE:

This record has been play tested on highly sensitive equipment to ensure the sound quality and accuracy of description. I aim to give a precise and concise description of the sound quality, pointing out any defects so that you know what you are buying. I will not go into screeds of information about the nature of the songs, as I imagine that you already know them well. I aim to describe all items as accurately as possible, and offer a full refund on return if for any reason you are not completely happy with the item description.

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VINYL SOUND - PLEASE NOTE:

The highest quality vinyl with clear sound is rare, and is what I always aim for. I only sell records that play with TOP AUDIO performance, super clear sound uninterrupted by hiss or other interference. Even with the cleanest copies you will find occasional static sound or occasional light tics during playback, caused by a build of dust in the grooves. This is clearly different from the distortion, loud pops, repeating tics or clicks that are found on heavily played and worn pieces of vinyl. Any static build up will reduce when played, and I advise a light clean should be given between plays for optimal performance. 

VINYL

Large format art work covers with the original sound and mix unique to vinyl and of the highest quality audio. Vinyl record have always been loved and have become a great investment opportunity, with prices soaring over the last ten years, making classic pieces a great financial as well as a cultural investment.  

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IMAGES and INFORMATION

I only use my photographs taken with a high quality professional digital camera of the item for sale. The images are designed to be as clear as possible, giving an exact image of the item. I aim to give sufficient and accurate detail as possible, so that you know exactly what you are bidding on. Please let me know if you need any further information and I will be only to happy to oblige.

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ABOUT ME 

I am a visual artist, working internationally, a collector of art and rare objects including rare vinyl, which I have been collecting for over 25 years, and an art and music enthusiast. I specialise in the  highest quality rarest items, selling to collectors the world over. I want you to know what a great item you are bidding on. If there is anything that is unclear in the listing, or you have any questions about this or any other item, please feel free to get in touch. All the best to you.  

SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. I HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING.

SOME EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK –

BRILLIANT LP MINT CONDITION,AWESOME SELLAR,1ST CLASS PACKAGING, NO PROBLEMS A+

ITEM RECEIVED.. AS DESCRIBED... PACKED GREAT...MANY THANKS..RECOMMENDED.. A*******

Great LP from a great seller. Thanks !! Very well packaged. AAA+++

received today! great record!! thank you!!!

Item arrived quickly, well packaged and in excellent condition. Very pleased.

fast delivery, superb communication, good item, great ebayer AAAAA+++++

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RETURN POLICY:

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed ; - returns accepted with out question. If you are not happy then it can be returned, I cant say fairer that that!

I ONLY SELL RARE GOODS THAT ARE IN GREAT CONDITION, IF THERE IS ANY SLIGHT DEFECT, IT WILL BE CLEARLY STATED.

If in the unlikely event that you may want to return an item, or that I have missed something in the listing, I offer a no quibble return policy. Items must be returned within 12 Days of receipt, and returned in the same condition that they were sent out in. Return postage must be paid by buyer, unless there is a particular fault with the item, and then I will pay the full postage costs!

MY RECORD GRADING SYSTEM IS AS FOLLOWS - (BASED ON RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE U.K. )

MINT: Virtually unplayed. The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. Cover is pristine.

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.

V.G PLUS: The record will still be nice and shiny, but may have a few light marks, and will play well. Slight wear and tear on the cover.

V.G: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items.

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, etc.

FAIR: Fair. It is noticeable that the record has been played so much that the sound quality has deteriorated very noticeably. The cover and contents are showing signs of folding, scuffing of edges etc.

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POSTAGE AND PAYMENT DETAILS : -

Items will be extremely well sealed and securely wrapped using the best possible packaging for safe handling and delivery. I send items all round the globe with 100% success! I sell top quality rare records to discerning buyers. I do not make money from the postage costs and aim to keep the prices at a reasonable rate, but please don't expect a cheap second rate service. 

IT IS AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY THAT THE ITEMS YOU BUY GETS TO YOU IN PERFECT CONDITION. All RECORDS ARE REMOVED FROM THEIR MAIN COVER AND PLACED IN A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT INNER SLEEVE TO AVOID ANY CHANCE OF EDGE SPLITS OR KNIFING. THEY ARE HELD SAFELY IN EXTRA THICK PLASTIC SLEEVES, AND THEN THEY ARE SECURED WITH SEVERAL EXTRA LAYERS OF REINFORCED CARD BOARD AND PADDING AND MAILED IN EXTRA STRONG PROFESSIONAL RECORD CONTAINERS TO ENSURE THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL. AS I HAVE STATED I HAVE A 100% SUCCESS RATE AND AIM TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

Example of packaging used

UK - First Class Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £5.00

UK Special Signed For Next Day Delivery with Insurance : = £8.90

EUROPE - International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £11.95

INTERNATIONAL, Non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Russia, Australia etc. International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £18.95

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MULTIPLE PURCHASE REDUCTION

Reduced postage of course for multiple items up to 30% off extra items.

POSTAGE WILL BE FIRST CLASS OR THE FASTEST AND SAFEST POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE, RECORDED WITH TRACKING AND INSURANCE. ALL ITEMS ARE FULLY INSURED AND COVERED FOR THE SAFEST DELIVERY POSSIBLE, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. GUARANTEED!

POSTAGE RECEIPTS AND PROOF OF POSTAGE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. MANY THANKS.

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PAYMENTS 

Payments must be made within 3 days of purchasing unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed upon. Pay Pall ONLY for International buyers. We will accept Pay Pall, cheque or postal order within the UK, but no cash or bank transfers. Items sent out immediately on receipt of payment

Please Note: If no contact is made by the winning bidder following the mandatory Ebay 3 days, I will reserve the right to offer the item to the runner-up, unless prior notice of any delay is arranged beforehand.  Any bidder who has missed the chance to purchase an item from me can still email to make a priority second chance.   

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