PLEASE PLEASE ME RARE 1ST ORIGINAL GOLD & BLACK LABEL PRESS UK MONO PMC 1202 LP

	£		190
	$		252

The Beatles

PLEASE PLEASE ME

12" LP PMC 1202 1st Mono Press From 1963

Masters XEX 421-1N / XEX 422-1N

This is the The Beatles first official LP release on the first and original Black & Gold Parlophone label before any changes were made to the layout design.

The pressing run started March 1963 on the old Parlophone Black and Gold labels, with the incorrect Dick James credits for 'I Saw Her Standing There', 'Misery', 'Do You Want To Know A Secret', and 'There's A Place'.

The layout of the label text went through two changes in that month, making three variations of the 1st press label with Dick James credits.

This is the 1st variation label before any adjustments were made.

Note that the song title text layout,  '(Dick James....' on the second and third line on Side1 are not yet in line, and on Side 2      '1. Love Me Do' starts after 'Beechwood' below it. The 2nd variation stretched '1. Love Me Do' before 'Beechwood' below it, and the 3rd variation followed in addition by aligning those two lines on Side 1.

The typesetter at EMI changed the incorrect Dick James credits to Northern Songs some time in April-May (The Beatles had set up their own publishing company for their own original compositions). This resulted in 2nd press labels, after which the Black & Gold Parlophone labels were discontinued.

Comes in the original sleeve which housed the Black & Gold labels, this is indicated by the 'Photo: Angus McBean' text being offset to the far right of the bottom corner, starting below the end of the last 's' in songs.

      ************************************************************************

Condition

.

The Sleeve: Very Good. The flipbacks are intact with all the original text, which is quite hard to find like this. The title text on the spine is readable, the sleeve has no staining, and looks very clean and white with only light scuffs on the reverse, and has clear black text. There is some minor storage wear along some of the edges where there is clear tape. There are no rips from the opening edge. The front pictorial retains its original shiny gloss with lamination completely intact all over.

A neat and clean sleeve which is still sturdy and firm with no rips.

1st Edition Gold sleeve Printed and Made by Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd with first flat flip-back design.

Inner Sleeve: Fully intact excellent original EMI Emitex advertising plain white PATENTS APPLIED FOR and MADE IN ENGLAND text poly-lined inner with heavy outer paper. This is a rarer transitional inner sleeve from when EMI changed their poly-lined inner sleeves with heavy outer paper with MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN text in the early sixties, to light outer paper with MADE IN ENGLAND text which were issued up to With The Beatles.

The Vinyl: The vinyl surfaces have retained their first pressed glossy shine and robustness with no dulling and have clean grooves.

Side 1: Good. This side has an area of scuffs from stylus marks as captured in the photos, a few of which nearer the outer rim of the record are feelable by running a finger over them, but the remainder are not feelable. The rest of the surface apart from that area is very good.

Side 2 has survived far better looking fresh with no scratches and nothing feelable, and other than several light superficial hairline marks visible in bright light, the surface would be regarded as approaching excellent.

There are no warps on either side.

The record lays completely flat on the turntable, and looks clean.

Manufactured on heavy 175 gram early sixties vinyl.

The labels are Very Good; the spindle location area has spindle wear but not too heavy and doesn't reach outside of the inner groove area. The spindle hole fits perfectly on the spindle point.

The Gold text is complete and clear and bright and contrasts well against the black label.

No sticker or sticker residue.

The Parlophone Co. text around outer rim.

Very early mother and stamper combination 1 GA and 2 GM.

No tax code embossed on the label as was the case with some when the 1st pressing run began, and is quite rare.

***************************************************************************

The Audio: Very Good Overall

Side 1 plays with skipping on the first track ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, a few pops and two jumps on the next track Misery, and one jump on the next song ‘Anna’ where the audio improves dramatically and the remainder of the side plays without any major detractions, nice clarity with light crackle now and again.

Side 2 has little lessening in the original audio quality, playing smoothly from start to finish with light crackle and light ticks in some places, mainly noticeable in run-in's, but otherwise plays near excellent clear and crisp.

Plays without any loud background noises and without sticks.

This iconic first LP by the greatest band the World has known is robust and is bound to still be playable in decades to come with a very good audio rendition on the whole.

.......................................

The LP will be delivered in a quality two part deep cardboard LP mailer with stifferners.

The record placed separately in a plain generic inner to prevent wear to the original.

Also comes housed in a PVC record protector.

Item will be marked as fragile and sent with quick dispatch, next day special delivery in the UK.

International postage will be tracked and a tracking number will be provided.

To grade this LP I am using the official Grading System from

The Rare Record Collector Magazine.

Happy to refund on return if not satisfied.

If any further info. required please ask.