The Beatles : White Album 1st Mono Press 1/1/1/1 (No 'EMI' on labels) + all Inserts inc Spacer

This highly collectable first mono pressing plays with stunning audio and the 'top loader' gatefold is also in superb condition with only very minimal shelf wear.  Anything lower than 100,000 is deemed as an early first press and this has the number 0067053.  Not many are found in this condition today!

As this is a genuine first press there is no 'An EMI recording' on the labels.

The lyric poster is super clean, I have never seen better, and the four photos are in pristine condition.  It also includes one of the original spacers and black inner sleeves.  

PMC 7067/8 // XEX 709 - 1 / XEX 710 - 1 / XEX 711 - 1 / XEX 712 - 1 // GRM 3 / GRT 5 / GDL 7 / HR 2

The audio on S1 is Near Mint (track 2 Ex+)

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / track 1 Ex+ / track 2 Ex )

The audio on S3 is Near Mint (tracks 2 & 3 Near Mint-) / track 7 Ex+)

The audio on S4 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / track 6 Ex+)

The 'top loading' gatefold is Ex++

The labels are Near Mint-

The lyric poster is Near Mint and the four portraits are Mint
The spacer is VG+
The original inner sleeves are Ex+ and VG+

 Visual grading

  The vinyls are very impressive with very little marking and at over 50 years old I haven't seen many better first pressings!  There is not too much spindle wear and that combined with how clean the records and how well they play confirm they have not been over-played.  S1 is really the only side that has an obvious hairline mark across the record in a sort of 'staggered' formation but, I hasten to add, it has no affect on the superb audio whatsoever.  Aside from that it has only a small number of mega faint sleeve removal hairlines.  The other three sides have only a handful of faint hairlines and only a couple that are a little more obvious.  S3 has a couple of very small faint scuffs and four 'dot' like marks on track one but again they have no bearing on the audio quality.  Vinyls of this age are very rarely going to be in pristine condition but these certainly remain in excellent condition with none of the heavy marking that you so often see.  No scratches either!  They have a lovely glossy sheen and the labels are very clean with no marking or writing.  The matrix info also stands proud and can easily be read.

Play grading

'Back In The U.S.S.R.' has hardly any static on the 'plane' intro and then plays with superb audio.  There is no distortion on the 'top end' and no clicks or pops either.  A stunning Near Mint start to the album.  'Dear Prudence' plays with great clarity and only a little background static every now and then.  It is very quiet and totally non-intrusive.  'Glass Onion' and 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' are both nigh on perfect with audio that cannot be faulted.  The clarity and depth on offer here is so impressive and again there is no interference.  Stunning!  'Wild Honey Pie' is of a very similar standard with just one light tick near the start.  The super quiet acoustic intro on '...Bungalow Bill' plays beautifully and continues in the same manner and grades as Near Mint the playback is that good.  The classic 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' keeps up this fine standard and has no interference...again.  Often this track will have some distortion but that is certainly not the case here, it plays so 'cleanly' and that also applies to the long fade out.  A fabulous Near Mint version if not better!  'Happiness Is A Warm Gun' ends the side with great quality and again no clicks or pops.  Perhaps a minor hint of inner groove distortion but this has to be expected of course and does not detract from the listen.

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'Martha My Dear' has only the bare minimum of static on the quiet piano intro and as the vocal comes in the audio is superb with no intrusion.  There is the odd very quiet static tick but I'm sure many sellers would not even mention this!  The audio remains very impressive.  'I'm So Tired' is very similar with no obvious intrusion apart from one very light click, maybe more a tick!  'Blackbird' for such quiet track plays with excellent clarity and barely any static although during the first chorus there are a couple of crackle sounds so will grade as Ex because of that.  This is the first sign of any obvious interference on the album so far!  Apart from that it plays superbly well.  The classic 'Piggies' is without fault and is Mint- for sure.  I am happy to grade 'Rocky Raccoon' as Mint- also as there is quite simply no 'background' of any kind, the clarity here is astounding.  'Don't Pass Me By' would be the same but for a minimal hint of static on the quiet violin end section - the final two seconds (!) so Near Mint will have to suffice.  'Why Don't We Do It The Road' has only a couple of mega light static ticks and has very strong audio indeed.  'I Will' and 'Julia' end S2 with incredible clarity for such quiet tracks and especially the latter.  This pays testament to how well this first pressing has been preserved, the playback is so 'clean' and each note can be heard with perfect precision.  I have just played them both again and honestly the audio is fantastic!  Wow!!

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S3 of course begins with the classic 'Birthday' and it does not disappoint!  The bass is so strong and this is one of the most impressive versions I have heard in a long time.  This is undeniably Near Mint although I am sure many would grade higher!  Just a little static right at the end.  'Yer Blues' also plays with great depth and power and with very little static.  It is not intrusive and I only mention it to be complete in my grading, I list everything I hear!  This is Near Mint- I would say.  The quiet intro on 'Mother Nature's Son' is beautifully clear at the start and continues in much the same way.  A hint of minor intermittent static but again this is not intrusive, it is so quiet and again Near Mint- is deserving.  '...Me And My Monkey' is fantastic from start to finish!  'As new' is no exaggeration and it plays with wonderful power and no distortion at all.  'Sexy Sadie' has very clean audio and again no obvious intrusion.  The high octane 'Helter Skelter' is so powerful and again such strong bass.  If there is any inner groove distortion it is minimal and this a stunning Near Mint version.  'Long Long Long' plays with Ex+ audio overall but with just a touch more static from the halfway point.  It is worth pointing out there is not one single click or pop on this side!

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'Revolution 1' starts S4 with 'high end' audio and no interference aside from a couple of light ticks on the intro.  The clarity here is so good and it's obvious the record has not been over-played.  A wonderful start to the side.  The quiet intro on 'Honey Pie' is very clean and has only a couple of static ticks.  From then on it plays wonderful definition and you're just amazed by the playback, it is so clean and fresh sounding.  Both of the two opening tracks grade as Near Mint in my opinion.  'Savoy Truffle' goes one better and grades as Mint- the audio is faultless.  'Cry Baby Cry' reminds you just how impressive this vinyl is - I just can't believe the clarity here!  There are only a couple of static ticks on the fade out and the sonic quality could not be any better.  'Revolution 9' is not everyone's favourite (!) but it does nonetheless play with great quality and no obvious interference.  No clicks or pops and no intrusive static or crackle either.  As any Beatles' collector knows 'Good Night' will always finish the album with some inner groove distortion and static and it is just a matter of how much.  Knowing the first/early pressings as I do you cannot escape this and should not be downgraded really.  In saying that it plays very clearly on the whole with no clicks or pops and only minimal static and distortion.  It may even have been recorded like this to give it this affect because it does have that 1940s 'feel'!        

In summary the audio on this genuine first mono pressing is of a wonderful standard and there is barely any interference - in fact the only obvious interference is about two seconds worth on 'Blackbird'!  There is minimal static and even then it is only very quiet and there is not one single loud click or pop - incredible to think this record is now over 50 years old!  It is patently obvious the vinyls have only ever been lightly played - not too much spindle wear and very few marks as stated and no scratches.  The iconic cover is also in lovely condition and rarely seen in this condition and all the inserts plus the original spacer are in in superb order also.  A fantastic example of this 'low' number first pressing.

The 'Top Loading' Gatefold

This has to be one of the finest laminated G & L gatefolds that I have ever seen.  It is so clean and has only very minimal shelf wear.  So often the the 'top loading' edges have a lot of wear but these have hardly any - stunning!  The spine has no obvious wear (how rare is that?!) and the side and bottom edges are also in superb shape with no rubbing etc.  There is just a minor amount of wear on the lower right corner.  The front cover is remarkably clean with none of the fading/yellowing that you so often see and there are no marks just a couple of minor creases near the bottom edge.  The back cover is also in fantastic condition with no real marking.  On the inside there are no marks and the flipbacks are still firmly attached and again they are incredibly clean.  Just look how clean the inner spine is!  Regularly found in poor condition and with staining/yellowing this one is in superb order!  The laminate throughout has no lifting or splits and that again is very much a rarity.  Overall a lovely example and with a relatively low number of 0067053!

The Labels

The Apple labels are very clean with no writing or marking and only a relatively small amount of spindle wear.  They have lost none of their original colour and remain in great condition.

The Lyric Poster, Photos & Spacer

The large lyric poster in fantastic condition and has hardly ever been opened in my opinion as it has none of the creasing so often associated with it and no marks either.  The John Kelly colour photos are quite simply 'as new' and the one plain spacer that is included has only very minor creasing and a tiny tear in one corner.

The Original Black Inner Sleeves

The original black inners amazingly have no side splits although one of them does have four small tears on the central 'window'.  There is also a little creasing.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
PMC 7067/8 // XEX 709 - 1 / XEX 710 - 1 / XEX 711 - 1 / XEX 712 - 1 // GRM 3 / GRT 5 / GDL 7 / HR 2

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

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