PINK FLOYD -

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Columbia SX 6157

1ST UK PRESS machined matrices

XAX 3419-2 / 3420-1

Mother stampers :  "GO" and "GG"

 

 Labels: Black Columbia labels with silver text, and a blue "Columbia Records Magic Notes Trademark" at the top, and a blue "Columbia" in the center. A specific font is used with the first pressing. Please compare with the photos on this release to confirm the correct label. Track 1 on Side 2, (including all writing credits), should read across one line only. If the artist credits extend to a second line, it is the repress.

Underneath the blue "Columbia" it reads "Sold in U.K. subject to resale price conditions. See price lists." On most copies, the Tax Code letters "K" and "T" are stamped on the label (on either on side 1 or 2) on each side of the spindle hole.
Text around the bottom edge of the label starts at 10 o'clock and says:

Inner Sleeve #1: Cream colored inner sleeve. On the front is an EMI logo at the top center, with "Add these outstanding LPs to your collection" at the top, 16 LP covers pictured in the middle including Both Sides of Herman's Hermits, and "Remember-the new Emitex cleans and preserves your records," and "Patents applied for" at the bottom. On the back is an EMI logo at the top center, with " - the greatest recording organization in the world" at the top, 16 LP covers pictured in the middle including the Beatles-Revolver, and "E.M.I. Records (The Gramophone Company Ltd.) Hayes - Middlesex - England, Made and Printed in Great Britain" at the bottom.

Inner Sleeve #2: Reddish brown printing on cream colored paper. On the front side is the EMI logo at the top center, with "Add these outstanding LPs to your collection" at the top, 16 LP covers pictured in the middle including The Beatles-Sgt. Peppers, and "Remember-the new Emitex cleans and preserves your records," and "Patents applied for" at the bottom. On the back side is the EMI logo at the top center, with " - the greatest recording organization in the world" at the top, 16 LP covers pictured in the middle including Pink Floyd-Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and "E.M.I. Records (The Gramophone Company Ltd.) Hayes - Middlesex - England, Made and Printed in Great Britain" at the bottom.

The Gramophone Co., Ltd. All rights of the manufacturer and of the owner of the recorded work reserved. Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting, and copying of this record prohibited. Barcode and Other Identifiers Matrix / Runout (Label side A): XAX.3419 Matrix / Runout (Label side B): XAX.3420 Matrix / Runout (Runout side A): XAX 3419-2 Matrix / Runout (Runout side B): XAX 3420-1 Rights Society: BIEM. NCB (From: discogs.com)

 

THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION AT ANY POINT AND THUS NO GROOVE WEAR. CLEARLY PLAYED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAS A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

A CRISP CLEAN MONO SOUND THAT IS JUST PURE FIRST PRESS

NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE WHATSOEVER, AND CERTAINLY NO LOUD CLICKS

THE MONO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT, AND THERE IS JUST THE OCCASIONAL LIGHT BIT OF STATIC LIKE VINYL NOISE HERE AND THERE, HEARD ONLY IN THE QUIETEST OF SPOTS.

I CAN'T SAY THAT I HEARD ANY MORE THAN A COUPLE OF RANDOM LITTLE DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAY

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS INCREDIBLE VINYL'S AUDIO AS EXCELLENT TO EXCELLENT PLUS!!!  

Thick, heavyweight vinyl regarded as the 'finest' and most true encapsulation of this historical recording was used for the first pressings - they were pressed direct from the original master plate. As a result of them coming straight from the masters, nothing even gets close to them today. They play with a deep clear warmth and the sound has to be heard to be believed! The detail and clarity is nothing short of stunning.

  

 

 PINK FLOYD - THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN – STUNNING - 1st EVER ORIGINAL UK PRESSING and 1st EVER ORIGINAL UK  BLUE/BLACK LABELS

  Great Playing Record! Great Audio and Cover. Original UK PRESS A fantastic 1st ever Complete Pressing in Superb investment condition throughout!!!

With ORIGINAL ULTRA RARE 1st Press Flipback sleeve which also  retains its original advertising inner sleeve!!!

 

This is a rare and hugely collectable 1st ever UK press of their classic debut psychedelic album . These mono pressings were the 1st ever variant and taken off the market almost immediately, being released in extremely small numbers in favour of the more common stereo press. Finding this album in this wonderful condition is very rare indeed and makes this a very special chance to own a genuinely rare collectors pressing in TOP condition. This also comes with its original 1st Press  inner sleeve.

A brilliant package, and an ultimate collectable, getting rarer by the day!

JUST TRY AND FIND ANOTHER ONE!!!!  BACK IN 1967 WHEN THIS LP QUICKLY DISCONTINUED AS A MONO RECORDING - IT ONLY EVER SOLD IN ABSOLUTELY SMALL AMOUNTS!!!! NO MORE THAN BETWEEN 800 and 1500 WERE PRESSED UP, HOW MANY WOULD STILL BE LEFT??                               

*********A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE**************

 

 HOLY GRAIL PSYCH/PROG LP  ESPECIALLY IN THIS GREAT CONDITION!  PLAYS AWESOME ON EACH SIDE!!! AS YOU CAN SEE THE COVER IS IN GREAT CONDITION, SEE PICS!  TRY TO FIND ANOTHER COPY LIKE THIS ONE!!!  A FANTASTIC COLLECTOR'S COPY! COMES WITH THE ORIGINAL 1967 INNER SLEEVE IN EX CONDITION!

 

 Vinyl: EX. A superb archive copy!!! The vinyl has a beautiful glossy sheen and is a very well preserved copy indeed. I have played this in full> There are NO jumps, NO clicks and NO sticks!!! It still retains a beautiful glossy sheen. Even under an intense light it looks great with only one tiny hairline trace, which is so wispy that you can barely see it. The audio is stunning all the way and this album sounds fantastic. All tracks play with strong gusto and the channel separation is just awesome! It totally went under the radar and is now extremely scarce especially as a first issue on the extremely collectable blue/black Columbia label. This is the best I have ever seen or heard!! NO jumps, NO sticks etc.

 

The title of 's debut album is taken from a chapter in 's favorite children's book, The Wind in the Willows, and the lyrical imagery of  is indeed full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD. 's catchy, melodic acid pop songs are balanced with longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the group's instrumental freak-outs, often using themes of space travel as metaphors for hallucinogenic experiences -- "Astronomy Domine" is a poppier number in this vein, but tracks like "Interstellar Overdrive" are some of the earliest forays into what has been tagged space rock. But even though 's lyrics and melodies are mostly playful and humorous, the band's music doesn't always bear out those sentiments -- in addition to 's eerie organ work, dissonance, chromaticism, weird noises, and vocal sound effects are all employed at various instances, giving the impression of chaos and confusion lurking beneath the bright surface.  successfully captures both sides of psychedelic experimentation -- the pleasures of expanding one's mind and perception, and an underlying threat of mental disorder and even lunacy; this duality makes  all the more compelling in light of 's subsequent breakdown, and ranks it as one of the best psychedelic albums of all time.(review from allmusic.com)

 Sleeve: EX. Front laminated stunning sleeve with flipbacks. This is of course the original  sleeve with the mono cat. number, not the later stereo that is often married to the vinyl by dealers!!! In lovely condition really considering that this sleeve is so very prone to extensive wear,  the opening is still nice and crisp and is a strong indicator that this LP has not been handled much and has been well preserved in its protective polythene sleeve. The edges are super sharp and square and show it has been looked after very well. The edges have only light storage wear, the pictures tell all. The spine is 100%. A couple of micro under laminate creases near the edge as per the pictures. NO split, NO writing , NO tears etc.

 

Labels: EX. No writing, only very light spindle traces.

 

                   

 

This is a unique investment opportunity!!! This album hardly sold at all. Finding this album in any condition at all is nearly impossible so late in the day. Condition is what counts and this album really delivers, an upgrade for most collectors. A very hard album to find in any condition these days, leave alone in this EX condition. This album is only going to go one way ... up and up ... until it will be totally unavailable at all for a reasonable price. How many would be left??? But in this great condition ....? Golddust!!

  

 

This an excellent investment opportunity!!! Any questions please ask me and I will try to answer soon.

Important : International postage will be registered and insured if over GBP 20.00.  Please wait for my invoice before paying. Postage will be according to Royal Mail rates. Postage is NOT a money spinning exercise for me.

 

Though there are rarely ever any problems with my items, I always try my very best to describe everything exactly!  PLEASE REMEMBER to contact me FIRST,  if you have any problems at all, before you leave feedback and star ratings, so I get a chance to turn any negative experience into a positive one!  I can always happily sort anything out for you, if you let me know you have a problem!  This way no one has to leave Negative/Neutral feedback - and we both walk away happy! Similarly with the amount of stars, anything less than a full 5 * rating is effectively detrimental to a seller's rating as lower ratings will incur higher Final Value Fees  and lower priority in the bidlists eventually making it unattractive to list items on Ebay at all. I know of at least one major previous Ebay seller who has decided not to list via Ebay again. Please do NOT bid if you cannot give me at least 1 chance to sort everything out to your FULL satisfaction in the unlikely event of a problem.  Thanks again!!

 

 

This an excellent investment opportunity!!! Any questions please ask me and I will try to answer soon.