The Beatles WHITE ALBUM UK Y/BLACK * EXPORT * NMINT-

	£		1,927
	$		2,553

THE BEATLES - WHITE ALBUM

THE VERY  RARE PARLOPHONE LABEL EXPORT ISSUE

FIRST (YELLOW AND BLACK) UK PRESS - IN STEREO

UNIQUE NUMBER 0193838

• CATALOGUE: PARLOPHONE P PCS 7076/8
• MATRIX:YEX 709-1 / 710-1 / 711-1 / 712-1
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: 1 GL / 4 LG / 3 GHM / 1 GOP

THE VERY RARE UK PRESSED FOR EXPORT COPY. RECORDED ONTO THE YELLOW AND BLACK PARLOPHONE LABEL RATHER THAN THE APPLE LABEL, THIS VINYL SET IS MUCH SOUGHT AFTER BY COMPLETESTS. THERE IS ALSO A DECCA CONTRACT PRESS ON THE PARLOPHONE LABEL AS WELL, BUT HERE IS THE GENUINE 1ST ISSUE

ONE SIMPLE WAY TO TELL IF YOU HAVE A PERFECTLY MATCHED VINYL AND DISC SET IS THE SLEEVE. THE EXPORT COPIES ARE ALL STEREO, BUT WERE HOUSED IN THE MONO SLEEVE. ONLY THE STEREO SLEEVE HAD THE SMALL SILVER 'STEREO' TYPEFACE IN THE TOP REAR CORNER. SO IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A STEREO COPY (NOT THAT THERE WERE ANY OTHERS) A SMALL STEREO STICKER WAS PLACED WHERE THE TYPEFACE WOULD HAVE BEEN

AS YOU KNOW THE SPINE HAS BOTH MONO AND STEREO CATALOGUE NUMBERS

SO THIS IS 100% A GENUINE PROPERLY MATCHED EXPORT COPY OF THIS VERY RARE ALBUM

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE BLACK AND YELLOW PARLOPHONE LABELS ARE IN MINT!!! CONDITION. THE DARK BLACK BASE COLOUR IS VERY RICH AND VIBRANT, AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE.

THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS BOLD AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, ON ALL FOUR SIDES.

THE YELLOW LOGO AND PARLOPHONE WORD IS PRISTINE ONCE AGAIN ON ALL FOUR SIDES

BEING 1968 PARLOPHONE LABELS THEY HAVE THE 'GRAMOPHONE CO' RIM WORDING, BUT DO NOT HAVE THE 'RECORDING FIRST PUBLISHED' TYPEFACE ACROSS THE LABEL

I DON'T BELIEVE THESE LABELS CAN BE BETTERED

THE VINYL

BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED ALL OF THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND SHEEN AND LOOK SUPERB. ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION ARE THERE ANY SIGNS OF USE TO BE SEEN. THERE ARE SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING LINES AND WISPY HAIRLINES VISIBLE, AND A COUPLE OF LIGHTLY BLOTCHY PATCHES WHICH I STRESS ARE INVISIBLE IN DAYLIGHT

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECENTLY DECIDED TO RECORD ALL OF THE LP'S THAT I LIST FROM START TO FINISH. I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON, AND WHILST THIS TAKES ME FAR LONGER, I AM CERTAIN THAT IT IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR EBAY VINYL SALES

ONE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS WITH THIS ALBUM (APPLE OR PARLOPHONE) IS THAT IT IS OFTEN FOUND TO LOOK GOOD, BUT AS SOON AS THE STYLUS HITS THE VINYL A DISTORTION TO THE RECORDED SOUND IS HEARD USUALLY THROUGH JUST ONE SPEAKER. I HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE TIMES I HAVE FOUND WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE A GREAT SET ONLY TO BE LET DOWN WHEN PLAYING IT.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A TOTALLY DISTORTION FREE PAIR OF VINYLS. NOT ONE JOT OF GROOVE WEAR ANYWHERE AT ALL, AND THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS THEREFORE CRISP AND CLEAR AND PERFORMS LIKE A TRUE FIRST PRESS SHOULD

THERE IS NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLES AT ANY POINT, AND BARELY ANY STATIC OR VINYL NOISE EITHER

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR ARE SOME VERY RANDOM AND MOSTLY BARELY AUDIBLE LITTLE TICS AND A FEW DUST POPS.THERE ARE NO LOUD CLICKS ANYWHERE

IN PARTICULAR IT'S WORTH TAKING A GOOD LISTEN TO 'JULIA' WHICH NONE TIMES OUT OF TEN SOUNDS TERRIBLE, BUT HERE ON THIS EXPORT COPY IT PERFORMS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION AT ALL, AND THAT IS ARE

FOR ME THE DISC PERFORMS TO A NEAR MINT MINUS STANDARD, ALTHOUGH TO BE FAIR SIDE 4 HAS A FEW MORE  IRRITANTS AND WOULD ON IT'S OWN GRADE SLIGHTLY LOWER AT EXCELLENT

THE BEAUTY IS OF COURSE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, JUST TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO IT AND JUDGE THE QUALITY FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT TOP LOADER IN BRILLIANT GLEAMING WHITE CONDITION.

A RARE WIDESPINE VARIANT IN FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE CONDITION

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE. THE FIRST THING TO ADMIRE IS THE FACT THAT THE LAMINATE GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR, AND THAT THERE IS NO LAMINATE LIFT OR FLAKE, EVEN AROUND THE VULNERABLE BEATLES EMBOSSED LOGO. THE UNIQUE NUMBER IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER IS 100% UNRUBBED AND EVERY DIGIT IS CLEAR AND LEGIBLE.

THE WHITE SURFACE IS STILL A SPARKLING BRILLIANT WHITE WITH JUST THE BAREST SHADOW OF YELLOWING. CERTAINLY ONE OF THE WHITEST I HAVE SEEN.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES AND NO BENDS OR FOLDS EITHER

AMAZINGLY THERE ARE ONLY TWO TINY LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE,  AND A FEW ALONG THE RIGHT EDGE, AND A THUMB LINE JUST UNDER THE TOP EDGE SHOWING WHERE THE LP'S WERE REMOVED FROM THE SLEEVE.

THE BOTTOM EDGE IS FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR, AS ARE THE TWO RIGHT HAND EDGES, THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER TIP HAS SOME LIGHT RUBBING TO IT.

 THE TOP OPENING EDGES REMAIN VERY VERY SHARP AND ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO TINY LITTLE THUMB NAIL NICKS ALONG THE EDGES.

THE HUGE WIDE SPINE IS IN UNBELIEVABLE CONDITION. THIS LARGE SPINE USUALLY HAS SOME FORM OF LAMINATE DAMAGE, BUT I HAVE RUN MY FINGER DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE SPINE AND THERE ARE NO CRACKS OR CHIPS, NO PEEL OR FLAKE EITHER. ALL OF THE LAMINATE IS PERFECTLY INTACT. ALL OF THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND THE ONLY WEAR TO THE SPINE IS AT THE VERY TOP WHERE THE TIP HAS LIGHTLY RUBBED

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME STUNNING CONDITION AS THE FRONT. AGAIN NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES, NO FOLD, BENDS OR EVEN THUMB LINES, JUST A COUPLE OF INVISIBLE LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE LEFT EDGE AND SPINE.

UNLIKE THE UK STANDARD STEREO SLEEVES, THIS ONE HAS A PAPER STEREO STICKER WHERE THE TYPEFACE USUALLY SITS IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER

ALSO WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THIS SLEEVE HISTORICALLY HAS RING WEAR, BUT ON THIS SLEEVE THERE IS JUST NONE WHATSOEVER. NO EVEN RECORD SHAPE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS THE TWO INNER PANELS, WHICH ARE IN MINT CONDITION

THE TWO BLACK INNER SLEEVES IN ABSOLUTE SUBLIME UNMOLESTED CONDITION. THEY ARE BOTH FLAT AND CLEAN, AND TOTALLY UNDAMAGED. NO SPLITS, NO NICKS OR TEARS TO THE DIE CUT HOLES AND NO WEAR TO THE OPENING EDGES, APART FROM ONE TINY NICK ONE ONE OF THEM. AND INCREDIBLY BARELY A WRINKLE ON THE SURFACE. I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER SEEN A BETTER PAIR OF THESE INNERS ON ANY COPY I HAVE HANDLED

THE ORIGINAL GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE POSTER IS ALSO INCLUDED AND IS IN MINT CONDITION, HAVING PROBABLY BEEN OPENED NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES EVER. THE PAPER IS WHITE AND UNMARKED, AND ALL OF THE FOLD LINES ARE RAZOR SHARP. THERE IS NO TEARS TO THESE LINES EITHER

THE 4 PICTURES ARE ALSO INCLUDED AND LOOK TO BE IN NEAR MINT CONDITION. NO CREASES AND NO DAMAGE TO ANY AREA OF THE PICTURES SIDE. THERE IS A LITTLE TAPE MARKING ON THE REAR OF THREE OF THEM, AND IT IS LIKELY THEY WERE MOUNTED CAREFULLY IN AN ALBUM AT SOME POINT. THE MARKS ARE VERY SMALL HOWEVER

SO AN ABSOLUTELY SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS TOP LOADER SLEEVE AND I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO GRADE IT NEAR MINT!!!

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT MINUS

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY