THE MOODY BLUES - A QUESTION OF BALANCE

 MAGNIFICENT  MINT AUDIO

VERY FIRST PRESS WITH 1W/1W MATRIX NUMBERS

STUNNING MINT MINUS 1ST ISSUE SLEEVE WITH FLAP

HEAVY TEXTURED 2 PAGE INSERT

 

CATALOGUE:THRESHOLD THS3  MATRIX:XZAL-10009P-1W / 10010P-1W  MOTHERS / STAMPERS: 2B UG / 2B UA PLAYED 2-3 TIMES SINCE 1970 VERY FIRST PRESS WITH THE 1W/1W MATRIX NUMBERS FIRST ISSUE COVER WITH THE FLAP SLEEVE

A FIRST PRESS OF THIS ALBUM MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTES

THE SLEEVE

THE VERY FIRST PRESS MUST BE MADE BY GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE

SECOND PRESS ISSUES WERE ROBERT STACE

THE FRONT SURFACE HAS A TUCK IN FLAP WHICH WHEN CLOSED SITS INSIDE THE REAR SURFACE (SECOND PRESSES DIDN'T HAVE THE FLAP)

THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SLEEVE IS FOUND ON THE ACTUAL FLAP (I.E WHO MADE IT AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS A DECCA RECORD ETC)

SECOND PRESSES HAD THIS INFORMATION ON THE FOOT OF THE REAR SURFACE

THIRD PRESS SLEEVES HAVE (INSERT INCLUDED) TO THE RIGHT OF THE REAR SURFACE JUST BELOW THE CATALOGUE NUMBER.

 FIRST AND SECOND PRESSES DO NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION

THE INSERT 2 PAGE SHEETS IS HEAVY AND TEXTURED ON A FIRST ISSUE

 

THE RECORD

THE LABELS MUST BE WHITE, SECOND PRESSES ARE BLUE

THE MATRIX NUMBERS OF A VERY FIRST PRESS WILL END IN 1W ON BOTH SIDES

 

  TO LISTEN TO THE RECORD, PLEASE PRESS PLAY ON THE PLAYER, AND WAIT FOR IT TO LOAD. IT CAN TAKE UP TO A MINUTE. THE NEW SOFTWARE IS SLOWER THAN THE OLDER ONE. BY THE TIME YOU HAVE READ THROUGH THE DESCRIPTION IT SHOULD START TO PLAY

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THE RECORDS

 

THE LABELS

THE WHITE AND MAUVE LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE WHITENESS OF THE BASE COLOUR IS JUST PERFECT. NO MARKS OR STAINS, OR SIGNS OF HANDLING, JUST WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT ON A RECORD THAT HASN'T HAD MORE THAN A FEW PLAYS. THE MAUVE LOGO'S AND TYPEFACE ARE ALL PRISTINE AND UNRUBBED. THE SPINDLE HOLE IS TOTALLY UNWORN, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A TINY PAPER NICK ON SIDE TWO.

JUST 3-4 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

ABSOLUTELY GLEAMING PRISTINE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. HAS A MIRROR LIKE FINISH TO IT, AND LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS AT ALL ON THE DISC IN DAYLIGHT AND ONLY WHEN PRESENTED TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION, ARE THERE SOME LIGHT ANGEL HAIRLINE HANDLING LINES AND SOME WISPY HAIRLINES VISIBLE. THERE IS ONE TOTALLY NON SOUNDING HANDLING LINE THAT RUNS ACROSS THE FIRST TWO TRACKS ON SIDE ONE. INVISIBLE UNTIL PLACED UNDER A SPOTLIGHT THOUGH

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 RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I AM DOING WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

THE ALBUM PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND AS I MENTIONED AT THE VERY TOP OF THE LISTING, THE RECORDING IS VERY LOUDLY PRODUCED, AND THE QUALITY OF THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS REALLY MAGNIFICENT,

THE VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, MEANING THAT WHAT LITTLE PLAY IT HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE DISC PLAYS WITHOUT ANY VINYL NOISE AND NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER EITHER

THERE IS NO STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND EITHER , AND EVEN THE LINKING GROOVES ARE SILENT

I HEARD NO DUST POPS OR EVEN STATIC TICS

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL MINT MINUS!!!

DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A FULL LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF AGAINST YOUR OWN STANDARDS

 

THE SLEEVE

 

THIS IS THE GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE WITH THE TUCK IN FLAP

FINDING A FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE THATS HASN'T GOT SEVERE WEAR TO THE FLAP IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. BUT HERE WE HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS NEAR PERFECT. NO LOSS OF THE COLOUR ON THIS UNLAMINATED SURFACE, JUST ONE SMALL LINE CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THE SPINE,WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE BOTTOM EDGE IF YOU WANT THE PICTURE THE RIGHT WAY UP. THERE ARE NO LINES ALONG EACH OF THE SIDE EDGE, AND NONE EITHER ALONG THE TOP EDGE. NO THUMB LINES ANYWHERE.

SO THE FLAP SITS AT THE TOP EDGE OF THE COVER WITH THE PICTURE THE RIGHT WAY UP. IT FOLDS OVER THE OPENING EDGE AND FORMS A SPINE COVERING THE OPENING EDGE, AND THE FOLDS BACK INTO THE TOP OF THE REAR SURFACE AND TUCKS INTO THE REAR SURFACE JUST BELOW THE TOP EDGE (HOPE THAT MADE SENSE)

THE FLAP HINGE IS VERY STIFF AND CLEARLY HAS NOT BEEN TUCKED INTO THE SLEEVE MORE THAN ONCE OR TWICE. I AM LEAVING IT OUTSIDE SO THAT IT CANNOT GET ANY WEAR AT ALL.USUALLY THIS FLAP WEARS AND CREASES BUT HERE WE HAVE A SUPERB EXAMPLE

THERE IS ONE OTHER FEATURE THIS FLAP HAS AND THAT IS THAT THERE IS A TINY PUNCH OUT PIN HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLAP. EVERY COPY I HAVE SEEN HAS THE HOLE PUNCHED OUT AND THE SMALL DOT OF CARDBOARD IS LONG GONE. THIS ONE HAS IT IN ABSOLUTE MINT UNTOUCHED CONDITION. THE REASON FOR THE HOLE IS THAT THE OWNER IF THEY WISHED COULD HANG THE SLEEVE IN IT'S FULLY OPENED POSITION. LIKE YOU WOULD PIN UP A CALENDAR

THE SPINE FORMED BY THE FLAP IS FLAT AND FREE FROM ANY SQUASHING WHATSOEVER. THE TYPEFACE IS ALL PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE YELLOW BASE COLOUR HAS LIGHT RUBBING TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS ENDS 

THE TWO SIDE EDGES (TOP AND BOTTOM ON MOST SLEEVES) ARE IN IMMACULATE RUB FREE CONDITION

THE BOTTOM EDGE WHICH WOULD BE THE SPINE ON A NORMALLY SITED SLEEVE HAS A LITTLE RUBBING TO THE COLOUR AT BOTH TIPS, AND A COUPLE OF FLECKS OF WHITE ON THE LEADING EDGE

THE REAR SURFACE IS AGAIN IN SUPERB CONDITION, AND UNRUBBED, RICH AND VIBRANT COLOUR AND THE SLIT THAT THE FLAP TUCKS INTO IS PRISTINE AND UNWORN OR TORN. I SUSPECT THE FLAP HAS ONLY EVER BEEN INSERTED ONCE EVER

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A TRULY PRISTINE PAIR OF PANELS

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN IMMACULATE UNSPLIT, UNCREASED, AND PERFECTLY FLAT.

THE POSTER INSERT IS IN MINT CONDITION AND WAS HOUSED INSIDE THE FRONT SIDE OF THE GATEFOLD. IT MAY HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTICED AND REMOVED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER, BECAUSE IT IS JUST MINT!!!! IT IS ALSO THE HEAVY TEXTURED PAPER USED ONLY ON THE FIRST ISSUES

THE BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE HAS SOME LIGHT AGEING TO THE  SEAMS. THE SEAMS ARE NOT SPLIT HOWEVER AND THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE DIE CUT HOLE

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE MINT MINUS

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

GARRY