JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE Electric Ladyland (Track) RAREST BLUE UK 1st Press MINT

	£		871
	$		1,154

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE Electric Ladyland (Track 613 008/9) RAREST BLUE UK 1st Pressing MINT! ONE PLAY!
RAREST UK original, VERY FIRST pressing of the Jimi Hendrix Experience`s masterpiece "Electric Ladyland", on Track Records (October 1968).
I cannot stress highly enough what an incredible find we have on offer here. A very first UK pressing with BLUE tracklisting and large band photos.
This is a 100% guaranteed MINT, ONCE PLAYED copy of "Electric Ladyland", as defined and thusly described on Discogs, the record collector website:

Cover: First press with third version (V 3) gatefold sleeve, featuring the controversial image of naked ladies on front/back. 

Cover spread has 'unwrapped/floating' gloss laminate applied, matt print areas left exposed at the two cut edges where the albums insert. 

Gatefold opens to view inner spread (glued to outer cover's inside tabs as separate element). Gloss laminate exposing matt areas on all four edges. 
(Effectively, the sleeve is a flattened 2-piece cardboard tube). 

Hendrix portrait on right-hand side (Back cover behind it). 
Large sepia images of Noel Redding & Mitch Mitchell on left (Front cover behind it), with blue songlisting.
"Track Record" logo center, E.J.Day print data to left, both in "third version" white print. Erratic use of upper & lower-case in titles. 
Discs in poly-lined white paper punch-hole sleeves. "Patent no 800513 & 973939" "Made in England 108".


The vinyl: First release, 1st pressing 180 gram vinyl with original 'high-dynamic' mix. Produced in auto-coupled sequence; 

Disc 1: 613008 Side A; Cat# (613008 A) [inverted over 613008] 

Disc 1: 613008 Side D; Cat# (613008 B) [inverted over 613008] 

Disc 2: 613009 Side B; Cat# (613009 A) [inverted over 613009] 

Disc 2: 613009 Side C; Cat# (613008 B) [inverted over 613009] 


Defect in matrix stamping on this early issue, altered by hand. This typical vinyl is: 

Side A: 61300##8 A//1 12 (10) 

Side D: 51 61300#8 B//1 1 

Side B: 10 61300#9 A#//1 1 ("10" has the '1' backwards, or it's an oddly stamped "CJ" upside down) 

Side C: 61300#9 #B#//1 12 10  [The #, #8 or #9 indicates scratch-out] 

Matt texture 'Version 1' labels with additional inverted catalog in parenthesis. 


Titles: This (i.e. first) UK issue has no suffix to "Come On", "The" is prefixed to "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" and "Cross Town" appears as two words.

GRADING:
MINT- COVER. Fully laminated very first UK gatefold pressing, never fully opened. Please see photos for details.
Please note: Any wear indicated is (absolutely minimal) storage wear only. 
- Sleeve still retains its characteristically crisp "crackling" sound when opened.
- Very lightest record imprint on laminate of gatefold sleeve, front and back.
- Three superficial creases close to opening edge of front sleeve (on first naked beauty from left).
- Three small creases to the spine (on front and back sleeve).
- Two small creases to the bottom edge (on rear only).
- Small superficial crease close to opening edge of rear sleeve.
- Very slightly roughened area on rear opening edge (approx. 2 ½ inches long; at bottom).

MINT(-) RECORDS in original, very probably ONCE PLAYED condition. Judged by view as pure perfection.
- The records show no signs of any previous play whatsoever. A few specks of dust have been left exactly as found.
- Both records come in their original first-pressing poly-lined inner sleeves. 
- Both sleeves are in unhandled and uncreased MINT(-) condition: Obviously, the records never left the sleeve!
- First-pressing inner sleeve specifications (stamped "Made in England 108" etc.) are as described on the Discogs website; see above.
- Original jet-black Track Record labels of Record One have a single, tiny spindle mark (2-3 mm; directly next to spindle hole) on each side.
- Track Record labels of Record Two show no sign of previous play whatsoever: No scuffing, no spindle wear, nothing.
- This copy of "Electric Ladyland" is fully guaranteed to be a very first UK pressing, released in October 1968. It is referred to as a third version, due to the fact     that the inner sleeve credits and the Track logo are printed in white. All three first-press versions of "Electric Ladyland" were concurrently released that same    month, October 1968.
PLEASE NOTE: This copy of "Electric Ladyland" comes to you in such a (near-) perfect condition that the chances of your (or my, for that matter) finding  another comparable copy in this lifetime are about as remote as actually turning into a Merman on a non-hallucinogenic, 21st century standard diet. Or, to paraphrase the great guitarist himself: "If you don`t see this record anymore in this world, you`ll see it in the next one - just don`t be late!"