Sold Date: September 21, 2014
Start Date: September 14, 2014
Final Price: £64.50 (GBP)
Bid Count: 2
Seller Feedback: 821
Buyer Feedback: 317

UK - Sgt Pepper's ‘Fourth Proof’ Mono LP.

PMC 7027 – original black and yellow Parlophone labels.

A UK pressing in original condition featuring:

This unique version of this album was effectively a pre production sleeve, the first three ‘Proof’ sleeves never saw the light of day, this ‘Fourth Proof’ sleeve was passed around at EMI for final agreement. Never meant to be released, but a number of these sleeves did find their way into the public market. As these were ‘Proof’ sleeve copies they should have NEVER have left the printers.

There are a number of unique differences from the final production sleeve:

1. printed ‘Fourth Proof’, ‘AR’ and ‘D 13217’ text printed on the top right flipback on the inner gatefold of the sleeve. There is a story about this, the old style of ‘visual’ flipbacks were on the way out and the sleeve for the latest Beatles LP, Sgt Pepper was to feature the new ‘hidden inner’ flipback design, (but this never happened) therefore it was thought that the above text would NOT be seen. Apparently the ‘AR’ stands for the designers initials and the ‘D 13217’ is the internal catalogue number for the printers of the sleeve, ‘Garrod and Lofthouse’.

2. The rear of the sleeve features the text ‘Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd Patents Pending’, it is only a very small number of very early Pepper Mono sleeves that have this additional text, ‘Patents Pending’. The sleeve normally just states ‘Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd’ (G&L). By the time of the official launch of Sgt Pepper in June 1967, G&L had got their ‘Patents’ confirmed and this text ‘Patents Pending’ was removed from the rear of the sleeve.  

3. Georges jacket is Pink instead of Red, as on the standard sleeves,

4. Johns jacket is Yellow instead of Green, as on the standard sleeves.

In addition to the above the record on side  two has unusual ‘mothers’ engraved at the 9 o’clock position, as they appear to be a multitude of the number ‘8’  stamped over each other !.

CONDITION:

THE MAIN SLEEVE: is in very good++ condition, the sleeve is fully laminated. The spine is in near very good condition, it is strong, solid and complete. There is some ‘scuffing’ to the centre of the spine so not all of the text is clear to read. When the gatefold sleeve is opened the original exposed top two flipbacks can be seenThere are NO stains, splits, tears, stickers or sticker residue. Inside the gatefold to the top left corner, see photo, there is some pen writing, that reads “ best wishes to everyone at the B*ly h*** G F**** 18 7 67 (date) XXXXX (kisses !)

THE CARD INSERT: is in poor condition, as the original card insert has had the ‘cut outs’, cut out.

THE INNER SLEEVE: is in very good++ condition and is the original wavy pattern red and white sleeve. There are NO tears, stains, stickers or sticker residue on it.  A very clean sleeve for its age. There is a split to one of the side edges and a tape repair to the bottom edge and on each side there is a name written in blue pen.

THE VINYL: side one is in very good condition, side two is in very good+ condition, it is made from the period ‘thick’, heavy vinyl.

The matrix are:   XEX  637 - 1  and   XEX  638 - 1,

The mother / stampers are:  ‘ 1   A A L ’ and on side two, the ‘mothers’ look like a multitude of the number ‘8’ printed !  ‘ ?   A T O ’.  

THE AUDIO: is near very good, it plays with some crackle and some light ‘ticks’ here and there. The record lays flat on the turntable.

THE LABELS: side one is in excellent+ condition, side two is in very good++ condition. There are the letters ‘K T’ embossed around the spindle hole on side two. The labels are free from any pen writing, stickers or sticker residue.  

TO GRADE THE CONDITION OF THE RECORD I AM USING THE OFFICIAL GRADING SYSTEM FROM THE ‘RECORD COLLECTOR’ MAGAZINE.

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE BEFORE YOU SEND PAYMENT.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE.

ALL PHOTOS AND RECORD DESCRIPTIONS ARE MY OWN AND ARE ALWAYS OF THE ACTUAL RECORD FOR SALE.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL ITEMS ARE PAID FOR BY AT LEAST ONE WEEK FROM THE END OF THE AUCTION. I RESERVE THE RIGHT THAT IF PAYMENT IS NOT RECEIVED AFTER ONE WEEK OF THE END OF AN AUCTION THE ITEM WILL BE OFFERED TO THE NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER, OR THE ITEM WILL BE RE LISTED.

‘PICK UP’ OF ITEMS CAN BE ARRANGED BUT THE BUYER MUST PAY CASH ON COLLECTION.

POSTAGE AND PACKING.

ALL RECORDS POSTED TO A UK ADDRESS WILL BE SENT 1ST CLASS POST.

PACKING  -  ALL RECORDS ARE POSTED WITH MULTI LAYERED CARD STIFFENERS FOR PROTECTION.

BEFORE POSTING, THE RECORD IS REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS ORIGINAL INNER AND OUTER SLEEVES, THE RECORD IS THEN PUT INTO A SECOND PAPER INNER SLEEVE TO MINIMISE ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY OCCUR WHILE IN TRANSIT. THE RECORD / SLEEVES ARE THEN PUT INTO A NEW PLASTIC SLEEVE FOR FURTHER PROTECTION.

DISCOUNT WILL BE GIVEN ON POSTAGE FOR MULTIPLE PURCHASES.

IN THE UK – RECORDS THAT SELL FOR OVER THE VALUE OF £45 WILL BE SENT ‘RECORDED DELIVERY’ AND THERE MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR INSURANCE AS THE SELLER HAS NO PROTECTION IF THE ITEM GOES MISSING IN THE POST, THEREFORE POST AND PACKING CHARGES MAY VARY.

I WILL SEND RECORDS ANYWHERE OVERSEAS.

ALL RECORDS THAT ARE POSTED OVERSEAS WILL BE SENT ‘RECORDED DELIVERY’ AND THERE MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR INSURANCE AS THE SELLER HAS NO PROTECTION IF THE ITEM GOES MISSING IN THE POST, THEREFORE POST AND PACKING CHARGES MAY VARY.

IN NON EU COUNTRY’S AN ‘IMPORT TAX’ AND A COURIERS ‘CLEARANCE FEE’ MAY NEED TO BE PAID, THIS IS DOWN TO THE BUYER TO PAY THESE FEES.

THEREFORE PLEASE WAIT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE BEFORE YOU SEND PAYMENT.

SEE MY OTHER ITEMS FOR SALE.