Pink Floyd OBSCURED BY CLOUDS UK LP 1ST PRESS NMINT-

	£		72
	$		95

PINK FLOYD - OBSCURED BY CLOUDS

FACTORY SAMPLE FIRST PRESS

• CAT:SHSP 4020
• MATRIX: SHSP 4020 A-2 / B-2
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 RA / 2 AP

AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING EXAMPLE OF THIS SUPERB FLOYS ALBUM. RELEASED ON JUNE 3RD 1972, THIS IS A VERY HARD TO FIND FACTORY SAMPLE, A TRUE COLLECTIBLE COPY

THE RECORD LABELS

THE HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE HARVEST RECORD LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE LIME GREEN SURFACE IS VULNERABLE TO MARKS AND STAINS BUT HERE WE HAVE TWO PRISTINE CONDITION LABELS WITHOUT ANY BLEMISHES. THE COLOUR IS VIBRANT AND UNFADED AND CONTINUES ALL THE WAY INTO THE SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS IN PERFECT CONDITION. CLEARLY FORMED LETTERS AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THERE ARE ONLY 1-2 VERY SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE, THAT CAN ONLY BE SEEN WHEN THE DISC IS AT A CERTAIN ANGLE . SIDE ONE HAS A PERFECTLY STUCK FACTORY SAMPLE STICKER ON THE TOP RIGHT HALF

THE VINYL

NEAR PRISTINE GLOSSY BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. REMOVING IT FROM THE SLEEVE AND GENTLY AND CAREFULLY EXAMINING THE DISC REVEALS A SPOTLESS SURFACE, WITH PERHAPS JUST A COUPLE OF BARELY VISIBLE HANDLING LINES UNDER ILLUMINATION. THIS VINYL APPEARS EXACTLY HOW A NEW VINYL WOULD HAVE LOOKED BACK IN 1972 WHEN THIS DISC WAS ORIGINALLY PRESSED. ETCHED INTO THE RUN OFF WAX ARE THE DIGITS THAT IDENTIFY THIS ALBUM AS A VERY FIRST PRESS. NAMELY THE CATALOGUE NUMBER SHSP 4020  A-2 / B-2. THE HIGH GLOSS AND MARK FREE DISC IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE CLEANEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. EVEN WHEN OFFERED UP TO A SPOTLIGHT (WHICH ARGUABLY ISN'T REALLY A TRUE REFLECTION OF HOW GOOD A VINYL IS, AS THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMETHING TO SEE THIS WAY) THE VINYL DISPLAYS JUST A FEW REALLY LIGHT WISPY HAIRLINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

I HAVE INCLUDED 4 SHORT EXAMPLES OF JUST HOW GREAT THIS RECORD SOUNDS. PLEASE CLICK ON THE MEDIA PLAYER ABOVE TO HEAR THEM. I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE INTRODUCTION (RUN IN GROOVE) IS A REALLY GOOD REFLECTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE DISC. SO I HAVE STARTED THE RECORDING FROM THE RUN IN GROOVE, HENCE A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE MUSIC STARTS. HOWEVER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY HEAR WHAT THAT RUN IN SOUNDS LIKE, WHETHER IT HAS ANY NOISE ETC. THE OTHER THREE RECORDINGS INCLUDE ONE SEGMENT FROM EACH SIDE INCLUDING THE LINKING GROOVE SO THAT THE SILENCE CAN BE DETECTED, THE RUN IN GROOVE AND FIRST 90 SECONDS OF TRACK ONE SIDE TWO HAVE ALSO BEEN RECORDED

THE RUN IN IS SILENT, AND AS THE RECORD STARTS TO PLAY "OBSCURED BY CLOUDS" IT IS VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO SOMETHING SPECIAL. THE FIRST THING THAT IS CLEAR IS THAT THE SOUND IS DISTORTION FREE. ALMOST POINTLESS STATING THIS IN LIGHT OF HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN PLAYED, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THE PLAY THAT THE RECORD HAS HAD WAS DONE WITH A GOOD QUALITY STYLUS AND NOT ONE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE GROOVE SUCH AS A WORN, CHIPPED STYLUS, OR INDEED ONE THAT WAS TRACKING TOO HEAVILY.

EACH TRACK PLAYS THROUGH WITH UTMOST CLARITY. THE PERFORMANCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES IS JUST OUTSTANDING. THERE IS NO BACKGROUND NOISE ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE, AND EACH LINKING GROOVE IS AS SILENT AS THE RUN IN THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD BY NOW. EVEN THE RUN OUT WHICH HISTORICALLY HAS NOISE ON MOST ALBUMS IS AS CLEAR AS A BELL. THE ONLY UNWANTED NOISES ARE THE ODD VERY LIGHT POPS IN A FEW ISOLATED PLACES,

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS DISC NEAR MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

THE OVERALL GRADING OF THE SLEEVE IS NEAR MINT

THIS IS THE FIRST PRESS GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED TEXTURED FIRST PRESS SLEEVE WITH THE ROUNDED CORNERS. THE FRONT SURFACE IS IMMACULATE. NO CREASE LINES ANYWHERE, APART FROM TWO REALLY SMALL ONES ACROSS THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER (BARELY VISIBLE) AND IMPORTANTLY NO LOSS TO THE TEXTURED SURFACES COLOUR, AND NO RINGWEAR. THE ROUNDED CORNERS ARE ALSO UNDAMAGED. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE MINISCULE SHELF WEAR, AND THE SPINE IS FLAT AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.  THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND APTLY DEPICTS JUST HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE. FINALLY THE REAR SURFACE IS AS SUPERB AS THE FRONT SIDE

THE ORIGINAL HARVEST ADVERTISING INNER SLEEVE IS PRESENT, UNSPLIT JUST AGAIN A LITTLE BROWNING

THE RECORD HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN A NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE, THE ORIGINAL IS INCLUDED AND LEFT INSIDE THE SLEEVE. THE LP WILL BE SENT VERY CAREFULLY PACKAGED AND I WILL PLACE THE LP OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION. YOUR NEW PURCHASE WILL ALSO COME HOUSED IN A NEW STIFF PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE.

SO ONCE AGAIN THIS IS A VERY VERY HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE ALBUM IN THE MOST SUPERB CONDITION IMAGINABLE, SO BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY