SAVOY BROWN BLUES BAND - SHAKE DOWN

A very nice copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1967 UK 1st press blues classic, on the unboxed and early production run "deep groove" Decca label, MONO, LK 4883

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   ARL - 7887 - 1A with stampers "1" and "K" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively, and the "JT" tax code at 12 o'clock

Side 2   ARL - 7888 - 1A with stampers "1" and "U" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively, and the "KT" tax code at 12 o'clock

In normal daylight the appearance of the vinyl is excellent. Gleaming, completely flat and heavy duty vinyl with jet black lacquering and a beautiful sheen. Close scrutiny under a bright light does reveal hairlines and light scuffs on each side of the vinyl, however, though the only one that is feelable (just) is a 2cm diagonal light hairline scratch on track 3, side 2 which does result in light but clearly audible rotational clicking (no repeating, jumping or skipping) through most of this track. This is the only blemish of any sort which obviously results in slight degradation of the audio quality (because of the clicking), though there is the odd sporadic click elsewhere along with a mild "pop" on track 4, side 2 (but no obvious cause). Taking this into account means that I can only grade the overall quality of the vinyl as a solid very good. (See below for further details of audio quality.)

The labels are excellent plus. Beautiful labels with all text, all colouring, and the iconic sliver and red unboxed DECCA logo all in wonderful condition. There are a few small faint spindle trails on each label but apart from that perfect! Note the circular Decca deep groove on each label, indicative of earliest 1960's production runs and (arguably) the best audio quality.

The condition of the front side laminated outer sleeve is very good plus (VG+). All edges remain firm with no scuffing, each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with no rubbing, the opening sides are similarly firm with no fraying, the spine is rigid with all text perfectly intact and legible. There is a thin 5cm strip of vertical laminate lifting adjacent to the spine, four 1cm superficial horizontal laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine, two small arcs of laminate creasing towards the bottom right corner, a very superficial 5cm laminate crease in the bottom left quadrant, and a 6cm diagonal laminate crease towards the top right corner. on the reverse side there is just the hint of some very mild ring wear, only really visible when the sleeve is tilted at the right angle in a good light, and the occasional small mark...all very minor. In summary, no major blemishes and "very good plus" is a fair and accurate grading I feel.

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent on side 1 and very good on side 2. Great tone and clarity throughout (what an underrated album this is, by the way) even at higher volume and frequencies, and on side 1 there are a couple of very light sporadic clicks but nothing intrusive and negligible background interference. Truly impressive. Side 2 does have some light rotational clicking on most of track 3 which spills over to track 4 with x4 light clicks and a single "pop" later on during track 4; there are also x3 light clicks on track 1, x2 light clicks on track 2, and x4 light clicks on the final track all on side 2. Nothing nasty, and no skips or jumps or repeats but because of these minor blemishes I can only grade the audio quality of side 2 as very good. Nonetheless, every track on this "under the radar" mid 60's blues gem still makes for a great listen, with some truly virtuoso guitar work throughout.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. I Ain't Superstitious

2. Let Me Love you Baby

3. Black Night

4. High Rise

5. Rock me baby

6. I Smell Trouble

Side 2 :

1. Oh! Pretty Woman

2. Little Girl

3. The Doormouse Rides the Rails

4. It's My Own Fault

5. Shake 'Em On Down

Comes with original red border MONO Decca inner sleeve with no tears or splits, no fraying and no unwanted writing but there is mild creasing in each of the corners and general wear, and the original polythene inner is missing.  Note that I always post the vinyl in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a solid very good condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1967 UK 1st press blues/rock classic, with some minor blemishes but still a worthy addition to any vinyl collection and only continuing to increase 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 49 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 64 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 thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick 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 UK £3.00, Royal Mail 1st class; continental Europe £11 and Rest of the World £15, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail, tracked and signed for.

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

Good luck with your bidding!

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