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BOB DYLAN - BLONDE ON BLONDE
STUNNING 1st UK MONO pressing with the original banned Claudia Cardinale photographs on the inner gatefold that were removed on later pressings. With a stunning set of vinyls look unplayed. With CLEAR, FLAWLESS AUDIO, superb cover and ORIGINAL inners this is a brilliant example of this rare and extremely hard to find Bob Dylan classic. This is a great opportunity to own a classic, rare piece of musical history, in stunning condition throughout! 

COMPLETELY original, making this the ultimate collectable pressing of DYLAN'S masterpiece, in great condition, from my own personal collection. 

CAT NO:....

CBS RECORDS. MONO DDP 66012

LABEL PRESS DETAILS:

1st UK pressing, 1966. CBS RECORDS. 1ST EVER MONO PRESSING. WITH MADE IN ENGLAND text.

MATRIX NOs. ON RUN-OUT GROOVE

Side 1.  DDP 66012 A1.  

Side 2.  DDP 66012 B1. 

Side 3.  DDP 66012 C1. 

Side 4.  DDP 66012 D1.   

 

MOTHER STAMPERS: INCREDIBLY RARE 1ST PRESS 

Side 1. '' A     0  ''   

Side 2. '' A     0  "

Side 3. '' B     0   ''   

Side 4. '' B     0 "

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TRACK LISTING… 

Side 1  - Rainy Day Women / Pledging My Time / Visions Of Johanna / One Of  Us  Must Know

Side  2 - I Want You / Stuck Inside Mobile With Thee / leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat / Just Like A Woman

Side  3 - Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine / Temporary Like Achilles / Absolutely Sweet Marie / 4th Time Around / Obviously 5 Believers

Side  4 -  Sad Eyed Lady  Of The Lowlands

THIS IS AN EXTREME RARITY AND IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BUY AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE MONO BLONDE on BLONDE, in Great CONDITION with truly REMARKABLE AUDIO!

Blonde on Blonde is the seventh studio album by Bob Dylan, released on May 16, 1966. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing band, The Hawks. Though sessions continued until January 1966, they yielded only one track that made it onto the final album—"One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)". 
At producer Bob Johnston's suggestion, Dylan, keyboardist Al Kooper, and guitarist Robbie Robertson moved to the CBS studios in Nashville, Tennessee. These sessions, augmented by some of Nashville's top session musicians, were more fruitful, and in February and March all the remaining songs for the album were recorded.
Blonde on Blonde completed the trilogy of rock albums that Dylan recorded in 1965 and 1966, starting with Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. Critics often rank Blonde on Blonde as one of the greatest albums of all time. Combining the expertise of Nashville session musicians with a modernist literary sensibility, the album's songs have been described as operating on a grand scale musically, while featuring lyrics one critic called "a unique blend of the visionary and the colloquial". It was also one of the first double albums in rock music.
The album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart in the USA, where it eventually went double-platinum, and reached No. 3 in the UK. 





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According to producer Steve Berkowitz, who supervised the reissue of Dylan's LPs in mono as The Original Mono Recordings in 2010, Johnston told him that they carefully worked on the mono mix for about three or four days whereas the stereo mix was finished in about four hours.
On its release, many critics argued the album was a major work. To accompany the songbook of Blonde on Blonde, Paul Nelson wrote an introduction stating, "The very title suggests the singularity and the duality we expect from Dylan. 
The achievement of Blonde on Blonde seems to have lingered in Dylan's memory. Twelve years after its release, Dylan said: "The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. 
Dylan scholar Michael Gray wrote: "To have followed up one masterpiece with another was Dylan's history making achievement here... Where Highway 61 Revisited has Dylan exposing and confronting like a laser beam in surgery, descending from outside the sickness, Blonde on Blonde offers a persona awash inside the chaos... We're tossed from song to song... The feel and the music are on a grand scale, and the language and delivery are a rich mixture." Critic Tim Riley wrote: "A sprawling abstraction of eccentric blues revisionism, Blonde on Blonde confirms Dylan's stature as the greatest American rock presence since Elvis Presley."

ALBUM PLAYED FOR GRADING:

Like most of Dylan's early records it is unbelievably hard to find original pressings of BLONDE ON BLONDE with great audio. So many vinyls, even visually clean examples can play with surface sound, distortion and repetitive clicks. For such a varied and often quiet album that is not surprising, but the production and mastering also meant that these vinyls were prone to dust penetration and surface noise, and there are a lot of quiet areas that can just sound terrible on worn copies. 

To give an example of how unusual this pressing is, there is a faint vocal echo on Dylan's voice on the quiet 'Stuck Inside Mobile' track. Not the echo on the primary vocal, but a very faint second vocal. This can usually never be heard, it is so faint and the slightest vinyl wear will cover it up. On this press the vocal definition is extremely clear.

This is a great AUDIO 1st press example, with incredible strong, undistorted sound, and a minimum of static or surface sound, the channels are clean and unstressed. The music jumps out, with definition and clarity, particularly on the percussion instruments, and vocals which come through with tremendous power. All the instruments and every breath of Dylan's singing is bright and clear. As with the bass and drums, whilst the guitars come through crisp and precise. There are occasional tics and static between tracks but the music is so clear and bright. I will give a detailed account below.

Even for Bob Dylan, BLONDE on BLONDE is a complex and varied collection of music, and hard to find in clear audio condition. Worn copies can have a lot of surface sound even on musically complex and busy tracks like 'One of Us.' This pressing has strong undistorted audio, with super clear strong sound. NO interference, NO loud pops or clicks, certainly not a hint of Distortion. Any static is low level and at no point intrusive. It really sounds great and plays with great sound separation and clarity!

The album starts with amazing power and clarity. 'Rainy Day Women,' a complex track with extremely complex audio layering, plays with crystal clear sound. There is virtually no static during the run in and after that the track is extremely clear. A wonderful 'Pledging My Time' sounds unplayed, its so clear. Great Audio! 'Visions Of Johanna' plays with bright, clear audio. 'One Of  Us  Must Know' plays superbly with barely any detectable light static. No pops, clicks or tics at all. Unbelievable. Rounding off side 1. with great bright loud audio.

'I Want You' brings in side 2, again with superb clear audio. Barely any detectable static, the sound is so bright and true. There is very slight static between tracks but that's it. The sound is perfect! As with 'Stuck Inside Mobile With Thee', it plays with great clear sound, and virtually no surface static at all.

'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat' and 'Just Like A Woman' play again with great audio. There is barely any light static or surface sound, a couple of very light tics but certainly nothing obtrusive. The audio is stunning!

 

 

 

Side 3. 'Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine' is a complex track with complex audio layering, all playing here clear and bright. There is only some light background static between tracks only. A wonderful 'Temporary Like Achilles' sounds extremely clear. A very small amount of static can just be heard, but barely. Great Audio!

'Absolutely Sweet Marie' plays beautifully, just some very light barely audible static and such clear sound. '4th Time Around' plays with bright clear audio, and 'Obviously 5 Believers' plays with great, bright, loud sound rounding off side 3. There is some very hard to hear static on the run out only, the whole track plays brilliantly.

 

 

Side 4. comes in with slow 'Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands', a long, slow and complex track with complex audio layering, all here playing crystal clear. There is some very slight static on the run ins and later on in the track, but it is very slight. A wonderful track that sounds like it has been barely played, or even unplayed, its so clear. It sounds like the vinyl looks as a matter of fact, very clean with deep uncluttered grooves. Great audio, this track plays beautifully, barely any light static and such clear audio. This final track plays superbly with very little light static only. Unbelievable. Rounding off the great album with great bright loud audio.

I really enjoyed this rare 1st pressing. There are NO loud repeating clicks, NO distortion, NO sticks or jumps what so ever, and barely any surface sound at all. This pressing plays with crisp clear audio throughout, with no loss of audio performance what so ever. A great audio experience it sounds incredibly clear and bright. 

I would give this an audio grading of NEAR MINT. 

 

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THE LABELS

Famous 1st Press Mono labels are in SUPERB Condition, no marks or writing, no  spindle wear.  A lovely set of labels with a few very light spindle traces only, and no marks of any sort. These are a great set of labels! A really wonderful set!  

Graded at NEAR MINT!

VINYL TESTED FOR ANY SIGNS OF WARPING: 

Yes, NONE visible what so ever, when tested be sight and on a moving turntable.

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THE RECORD - Visual Grading 

A superb set of glossy vinyls, and really thick pressings that look unplayed. Deep clear grooves that can only be found on the original early pressings, this vinyl is stunning. On first inspection in strong daylight this vinyl looks super bright and when inspected under a powerful spot light, there are barely any faint sleeve removal marks, and but these are very light. This is a great example of this massive and rare classic. 

Graded at NEAR MINT to MINT!

A great all round Complete and Rare example of this EARLY ROCK MASTERPIECE

THE COVER 

The cover photo of Blonde on Blonde shows a 12-by-12 inch close-up portrait of Dylan. The double album gatefold sleeve opens to form a 12 by 26 inch photo of the artist, at three quarter length and the first press covers have flip backs on the inside gatefold and a full set of original images. 
The original inside gatefold featured nine black-and-white photos, all taken by Schatzberg and selected for the sleeve by Dylan himself. A shot of actress Claudia Cardinale from Schatzberg's portfolio was included but later withdrawn as it had been used without her authorisation. Cardinale's representatives threatened to sue, making the original record sleeve a rare collector's item. Dylan included a self-portrait by Schatzberg as a credit to the photographer. The photos for Gill, added up to "a shadowy glimpse of Dylan's life, including an enigmatic posed shot of Dylan holding a small portrait of a woman in one hand and a pair of pliers in the other: they all contributed to the album's air of reclusive, yet sybaritic genius."

The laminated covers of Blonde on Blonde are almost impossible to find in great condition. They are nearly always scuffed and creased to a large extent, if not heavily worn, with dark specs where the colour has been worn off across the flat surfaces. I don't need to tell you how rare it is to have a mono pressing that is has a solid square spine and un worn edges. 

This great complete 1st press comes with the original laminated cover, which is a stunning example. The cover very little handling wear, minimal creasing and corner wear, and has certainly no tears or obvious defects. There is no feathering to the openings, which is very unusual. A few light laminate creases only. The cover is square and un flattened and has been has not lost any of its shape. 

Graded at EXCELLENT.

THE INNERS

Great Original 1st Press picture inner sleeves in EXCELLENT PLUS to NEAR MINT condition. A great set, with some light creases only, there are no tears to the top edges, and NO seem splits, a couple of light creases only. This is a great fully intact set with very little wear at all.  

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RARITY

The Original MONO BLONDE on BLONDE is a highly collectable vinyl, reaching increasingly high prices. And there are a number of good reasons. It is a classic, ground breaking piece of music and has a number of brilliantly designed components, all if which are prone to wear. A gatefold cover, which is nearly always heavily marked and scuffed, inners that are usually torn and covered in finger prints, and a great vinyl that was nearly always played into submission. The Mono pressings are incredibly rare and near impossible to find in playable condition, let alone one like this, with great, Top audio.

THIS IS A GREAT ALL ROUND 1ST PRESSING. FINDING AN ORIGINAL UK MONO PRESS IN STUNNING ALL ROUND CONDITION, a 1st PRESSINGS MAKES THIS AN EXTREME RARITY. 

THIS IS A GREAT PLAYING VINYL WITH SUPER BRIGHT CLEAR AUDIO, A SUPERB COVER AND INNER. ALL MAKING THIS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO OWN AN EXTREMELY RARE PIECE OF MUSICAL HISTORY!

RARE COMPLETE CLASSIC ORIGINAL VINYLS WITH TOP AUDIO AND GREAT CONDITION THROUGHOUT

AT TRADE MARK RECORDS WE SPECIALISE IN RARE COLLECTABLE PRESSINGS - WITH GREAT SOUND UNINTERRUPTED BY INTERFERENCE. NO LOUD POPS OR CLICKS, JUMPS OR REPEATS - GUARANTEED!

GREAT ORIGINAL COVERS WITH NO SEAM SPLITS, TEARS, WRITING OR STICKERS!

VINYL

We sell high quality examples of Classic Vinyl. Large format art work covers with the best original sound and mix unique to the original pressings, giving the highest audio depth and performance. Vinyl prices have soared over the last ten years, making classic examples a great financial and cultural investment.  

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VINYL SOUND - PLEASE NOTE:

Highest quality vinyl with clear sound is rare, and what we always aim for. We sell records that play with TOP AUDIO performance; clear sound uninterrupted by hiss or interference. Even with the cleanest vinyl pressing you will find occasional static or occasional light tics during playback, caused by a build up of dust and dirt in the wide vinyl grooves. This is clearly different from the distortion, loud pops, repeating tics or clicks that are found on heavily played and worn pieces of vinyl. Static build up can reduce when played, and we advise a clean between plays for optimal performance. 

SCRUPULOUS EXAMINATION and TESTING:

All our records are play tested on highly sensitive equipment to ensure the sound quality and accuracy of description. We aim to give a precise and concise description of the sound, pointing out defects so that you know exactly what you are buying. We aim to describe our records as accurately as possible, and offer a full refund on return if for any reason you are not completely happy with the item description.

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IMAGES and INFORMATION

We use photographs of the item for sale taken with professional digital cameras. The images are designed to be as clear as possible, giving an accurate representation of the item. We aim to give sufficient and accurate detail as possible so that you know exactly what you are buying. Please let us know if you need any further information and we will be happy to oblige.

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SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. WE HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING.

SOME EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK –

BRILLIANT LP MINT CONDITION, AWESOME SELLAR, 1ST CLASS PACKAGING, NO PROBLEMS A+

Absolutely fantastic! Worth every single penny! Trust you are in careful hands!

ITEM RECEIVED.. AS DESCRIBED... PACKED GREAT...MANY THANKS..RECOMMENDED.. A*******

Great LP from a great seller. Thanks !! Very well packaged. AAA+++

Item arrived quickly, well packaged and in excellent condition. Very pleased.

fast delivery, superb communication, good item, great ebayer AAAAA+++++

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RETURN POLICY:

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed ; - returns accepted without question. If you are not happy then any item can be returned, we cant say fairer that that!

WE ONLY SELL RARE RECORDS THAT ARE IN GREAT CONDITION. IF THERE IS ANY SLIGHT DEFECT, IT WILL BE CLEARLY STATED.

If in the unlikely event that you may want to return an item, or that we have missed something in the listing, we offer a no quibble returns policy. Items must be returned within 12 Days of receipt, and returned in the same condition that they were sent out in. Return postage will be paid by buyer, unless there is a particular fault with the item, and then we will pay the full postage costs!

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RECORD GRADING SYSTEM IS AS FOLLOWS - ( BASED ON RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE U.K. )

MINT: Virtually unplayed. The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. Cover is pristine.

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.

V.G PLUS: The record will still be nice and shiny, but may have a few light marks, and will play well. Slight wear and tear on the cover.

V.G: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items.

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, etc.

FAIR: Fair. It is noticeable that the record has been played so much that the sound quality has deteriorated very noticeably. The cover and contents are showing signs of folding, scuffing of edges etc.

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POSTAGE AND PAYMENT DETAILS : -

Items will be extremely well sealed and securely wrapped using the best possible packaging for safe handling and delivery. We send items all round the globe with 100% success! We sell top quality rare records to discerning buyers. We do not make money from the postage costs and aim to keep the prices at a reasonable rate while never offering a cheap or second rate service. 

IT IS AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY THAT THE RECORDS YOU BUY GET TO YOU IN PERFECT CONDITION. All RECORDS ARE REMOVED FROM THEIR MAIN COVER AND PLACED IN A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT INNER SLEEVE TO AVOID ANY CHANCE OF EDGE SPLITS OR KNIFING. THEY ARE HELD SAFELY IN EXTRA THICK PLASTIC SLEEVES, AND THEN SECURED WITH SEVERAL EXTRA LAYERS OF REINFORCED CARD BOARD AND PADDING, DOUBLE BOXED IN EXTRA STRONG PROFESSIONAL RECORD CONTAINERS TO ENSURE THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL. WE HAVE A 100% SUCCESS RATE AND AIM TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

Example of packaging used

UK - First Class Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £9.00

EUROPE - International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £9.95

INTERNATIONAL, Non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Russia, Australia etc. International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £18.95

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MULTIPLE PURCHASE REDUCTION

Reduced postage for multiple records up to 30% off extra items.

POSTAGE WILL BE FIRST CLASS OR THE FASTEST AND SAFEST POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE, - RECORDED WITH TRACKING AND INSURANCE. ALL ITEMS ARE FULLY INSURED AND COVERED FOR THE SAFEST DELIVERY POSSIBLE, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. GUARANTEED!

POSTAGE RECEIPTS AND PROOF OF POSTAGE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. 

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PAYMENTS 

Payments must be made within 3 days of purchasing unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed upon. 

Pay Pal or bank transfers are accepted for International buyers. We accept Pay Pal, bank transfers or postal orders within the UK. Records will be sent out immediately on receipt of payment.

Please Note: If no contact is made by the winning bidder following the mandatory Ebay 3 days, we will reserve the right to offer the item to the next highest bidder, unless prior notice of any delay is arranged beforehand.  Any bidder who has missed the chance to purchase a record can still email to make a priority second chance offer.   

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CUSTOMS CHARGES 

If this record is purchased from outside of the European Union there may be a customs fee charged. Unfortunately we cannot advise about the exact customs fees in individual countries and advise that if you are concerned about potential fees that you contact your own Customs and Excise Department. 

All text & images © Trade-Mark-Records 2020