THE BEATLES - HELP!

An increasingly rare & sought after copy of this 1965 UK MONO 1st pressing on the UK yellow/black PARLOPHONE label, MONO PMC 1255

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  XEX 549 - 2  with stampers "3" and "G G" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Side 2  XEX 550 - 2  with stampers "3" and "G 0" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Note the "-2/-2" matrix endings, each indicative of a very first UK pressing (there were no matrix numbers ending in "-1").

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent. The vinyl is heavy, flat and each side has retained much of it's original glossy sheen. In normal daylight the appearance of each side of the vinyl comes across as truly excellent with just a a couple of very light scuffs in evidence; under a bright light a few more wispy hairlines and light scuff marks do come into view but the only blemish which is below the surface (and I only discovered this upon playback) and which is "feelable" is a small scratch on side 2 which results in some mild clicking (I counted 24) towards the beginning of the first track on side 2. I was all ready to grade the condition of the vinyl as excellent but the existence of this small scratch forces me to downgrade the overall condition of the vinyl as VG+. In reality side 1 is excellent and side 2 is very good, so split the difference and you get very good plus! 

The labels are excellent. Just a few light spindle trail traces on each side adjacent to the centre hole with the yellow "PARLOPHONE and logo perfectly intact and all silver text on the lovely black matt textured background nothing less than excellent. Note the presence of "THE GRAMOPHONE COMPANY..." text on the perimeter of the label and the "SOLD IN THE U.K. SUBJECT TO..." text across each label which are both indicative of a first pressing. A further indicator is the * credit indicator for “I Need You” being placed to the right of the song title with a space between I Need You *.

The front-laminated Garrod & Lofthouse laminated outer sleeve is in very good+ condition.  All edges remain firm with no scuffing whatsoever, and that includes the rigid spine where all writing remains perfectly legible apart from the "e" in "Help" which is partially obscured by a surface crease (see photo). There is no laminate lifting or obvious creasing, each corner remains a well defined right angle, and the reverse side flip backs are pristine and remain fully functional with no tears or scuffs. There are no nasty marks, no age discolouration, no writing or doodles. All the colouring remains rich and vibrant and the photos remain crystal clear, There is just a little (4-5cm) fraying on the opening edges, slightly more pronounced on the reverse side opening edge and on the front side opening edge there is a small 3cm surface crease adjacent to the fraying. There are also a few very, very light 1cm surface laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine edge and bottom edge (12 in total) but these really are obscure and totally non-intrusive. The reverse side is near perfect  - apart from the aforementioned light fraying it is difficult to fault. definite "excellent" (at least!).

Finally, the quality of the audio is again VG+. Impressive MONO tone and clarity, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. To be precise, the quality of the audio on side 1 is excellent+ - wonderful listenining throughout with no skips, clicks, or background interference. Much of side 2 is the same but there are those x24 mild clicks at the beginning of "Act Naturally" and I noticed 4 or 5 other very mild clicks which seemed totally sporadic - nothing intrusive but they were noticeable (because I was listening out for them!). So again, split the difference : excellent (or better) for side 1 and very good for side 2 and you end up with a VG+ for the overall audio quality. The bottom line is that this copy of this classic Beatles LP still makes for a great listen, so enjoy!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. HELP!

2. THE NIGHT BEFORE

3. YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY

4. I NEED YOU

5. ANOTHER GIRL

6. YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE THAT GIRL

7. TICKET TO RIDE

Side 2 :

1. ACT NATURALLY

2. IT'S ONLY LOVE

3. YOU LIKE ME TOO MUCH

4. TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE

5. I'VE JUST SEEN A FACE

6. YESTERDAY

7. DIZZY MISS LIZZY

Comes complete with original die-cut "USE EMITEX" tracing paper lined inner which has no tears or splits, only minor creasing and some light age discolouration, and remains fully functional. Excellent.  Note that I always post the record(s) in a new plain white inner sleeve(s) in order to protect the original(s).

In summary an overall VG+ copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1965 UK 1st MONO pressing Beatles classic. A worthy addition, despite some blemishes as outlined above, to any serious Beatles vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 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 48 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 63 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 cardboard mailer along with at least two 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 Royal Mail 1st class : UK £3.00; 

and Royal Mail 1st class/Airmail for continental Europe £7, and Rest of the World £11. 

PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE PAYING!!

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

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

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