TONTON MACOUTE s/t 1971 UK 1st press RCA NEON excellent vinyl + audio PROG GEM

	£		221
	$		293

TONTON MACOUTE - self titled

A highly presentable copy, with gleaming vinyl and wonderful audio quality, of this extremely rare & sought after 1971 UK 1st press prog rock gem (with occasional jazz overtones) on the highly collectable RCA NEON record label, STEREO, NE4

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  AGBS  0510 - 1E

Side 2   AGBS  0510 - 2E with etched "AID"

The condition of the vinyl is excellent (EX) - glossy jet black sheen with just a few extremely wispy hairlines and on side 2 a tiny scuff mark at the very end of track 1 - all non-feelable, appearing to be purely superficial and only visible with close inspection under a bright light. The beautifully glossy vinyl, lack of of any spindle trails on either label, and overall excellent sound quality (there is the occasional hint of some very background and low level crackle during a couple of the interludes and quieter moments, but these instances are occasional, non-intrusive, and do nothing to spoil the overall fabulous listening experience) all combine to suggest that this record has been underplayed. Hard to believe that this vinyl is 50 years of age!    

The condition of the iconic RCA Neon labels is gain excellent (EX) - no spindle trails, all text perfectly intact - as is the beautiful and iconic RCA Neon logo colouring on side 2 - with just the hint of some extremely mild rubbing towards 2 o'clock on the side 2 label...not quite perfect but not far off. Lovely!  

The condition of the E.J. Day non-laminated outer gatefold sleeve is very good plus (VG+) - very presentable with firm edges, no cardboard creasing, and all colours, art work, photos and text nicely intact with the inside of the gatefold in excellent condition. There are a few blemishes, however :   some light but clearly visible rubbing oi each corner, some mild intermittent scuffing on each of the bottom two and top two edges along with some sporadic light scuff marks and a few "nicks" on the spine (although all spine text remains nicely intact and perfectly legible), and some mild ring wear towards the top edge on each of the front and reverse sides. The opening sides remain firm but there is 7cm of light feathering on the front side opening edge. I have tried to show all of these relatively minor glitches in my photos so do take a close look. As already mentioned the interior of the gate fold remains in great condition. Very nice, very presentable, but not quite excellent.

Comes with original poly-lined black inner sleeve with correct "PATENT Nos..." and "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN" horizontal silver text and with  no splits, tears, edge fraying or stains - just some mild creasing towards the corners and remaining fully functional (note that I always house the vinyl inside a brand new plain white poly-lined inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original);    

The stereo sound quality is excellent (EX), with no sticks, jumps, repeats, skips, rotational clicks (I noticed x3 very light random clicks on the 2nd track of side 2 but close inspection under a bright light revealed no obvious cause so I am putting this down to dust in the grooves through decades of storage), or interference. The tone and clarity is excellent with no distortion even at higher volume and higher frequencies. Background crackle is at an absolute minimum - you may just be able to detect some very occasional and very mild crackle during a couple of the quieter moments/interludes but this really is trivial, non-intrusive, and does not spoil the overall truly excellent listening experience of this wonderful LP. Rock, prog, jazz...there is some of each here with some outstanding tracks ("Dreams" is a true rock standout). 

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. JUST LIKE STONE

2. DON'T MAKE ME CRY

3. FLYING SOUTH IN WINTER

Side 2 :

1. DREAMS

2. YOU MAKE MY JELLY ROLL

3. NATURAL HIGH Part 1

4. NATURAL HIGH Part II

A true "under the radar" early 70's prog/rock gem. UK 1st pressings are very hard to come by and this copy makes for a special addition to any serious rock vinyl collection.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 66 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard mailer, along with extra protective flange edges, with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £5.00, Royal Mail 1st class, signed for; 

Continental Europe £13, and Rest of the World £17 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

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.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

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, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler