FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED PRIOR TO LISTING SO YOU CAN HEAR IT BEFORE BIDDING

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DAVID BOWIE - ZIGGY STARDUST

PLAYS TO A MINT MINUS GRADE

A GENUINE EARLY FIRST PRESS FROM 1972

FIRST ISSUE EX+ SLEEVE

 

CATALOGUE:RCA SF 8287

MATRIX: BGBS0864-1E / BGBS0865-2E (ONLY 1E/1E IS LOWER)

TITANIC CREDITS ON THE LABEL

ZIGGY STARDUST WAS RELEASED ON JUNE 6TH 1972 AND REACHED ONLY NUMBER 5 IN THE UK CHARTS. IT HAS SINCE GONE ON TO ACHIEVE LEGENDARY STATUS, AND HAS BEEN REISSUED MANY TIMES. THERE IS OF COURSE ONLY ONE GENUINE FIRST PRESS

SO HOW TO TELL A FIRST PRESS?

THE SLEEVE MUST HAVE 'VICTOR' UNDER THE RCA LOGO TOP RIGHT CORNER NOT 'INTERNATIONAL'

THE SLEEVE MUST ALSO HAVE  BLURRY IMAGES AND TEXT , IN PARTICULAR THE TOP RIGHT CORNER

THE REAR MUST HAVE NO MENTION OF 'MAINMAN' ACCREDITATION

IT MUST BE A ROBERT STACE SLEEVE

THE LABELS MUST BE GLOSSY AND NOT MATT

THE VINYL MUST BE HEAVY AND NOT FLIMSY

THE LABEL MUST HAVE 'TITANIC' CREDITS not mainman

THE MATRIX MUST BE STAMPED AND NOT ETCHED

THE MATRIX NUMBER MUST BE BGBS 0864 1E / 0865 1E

 

IF ANY OF THESE ARE MISSING THEN YOU ARE NOT LOOKING AT A VERY FIRST PRESS

 

HERE WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING SET OF DISCS OF THE PRESS WITH THE 2E MATRIX NUMBER FOR SIDE 2. STILL A FIRST PRESS FROM 1972

THE RECORDS

 

THE LABELS

THE GLOSSY ORANGE LABELS ARE IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. THE GLOSSY LABELS ARE EVIDENCE OF A FIRST PRESS, AS LATER PRESSES WERE RELEASED ON LIGHTER VINYL WITH MATT LABELS

THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE ON EITHER SIDE. THE BASE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE JET BLACK TYPEFACE IS CLEAR AND UNRUBBED AND THEREFORE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. 

THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

THE RECORD GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND COULDN'T LOOK ANY BETTER. ALL OF THE ORIGINAL LUSTRE HAS BEEN RETAINED. 

THERE ARE NO VISIBLE MARKS OR ANY SIGNS OF HANDLING ON THE DISCS IN DAYLIGHT, AND IT LOOKS FLAWLESS, 

AND EVEN UNDER A MAGNIFYING HALO I SEE JUST ONE SMALL AND WISPY HAIRLINES. A STUNNING EXAMPLE

THE TEST PLAY

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES

THE SLEEVE ADVISES TO PLAY THIS LOUDLY, AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE STEREO MIX IS SIMPLY MAGNIFICENT. CLEAR AS A BELL AND CUT VERY LOUD INDEED

THERE ARE NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES AND NO LOUD CLICKS AT ANY POINT

THERE IS NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE WHATSOEVER, AND THE LINKING GROOVES ARE SILENT

ALL I HEARD WERE 3-4 VERY TINY LITTLE DUST TICS DURING THE FIRST 30 SECONDS OF TRACK ONE, SIDE ONE, AND ONE ON TRACK ONE SIDE TWO

OTHER THAN THIS THE RECORD PLAYS TO PERFECTION

A REAL PLEASURE TO HEAR THIS ALBUM AS IT WAS INTENDED TO BE HEARD 50 YEARS ON

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SUPERB AUDIO MINT MINUS

TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

 

 

THE SLEEVE

 

UNLAMINATED ROBERT STACE SINGLE SLEEVE - 1ST PRESS NO MAINMAIN CREDITS

THE FRONT SURFACE IS IMMACULATE AND IMPORTANTLY NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES, AND ALL OF THE DELICATE COLOURS HAVE BEEN RETAINED WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR THIS OFTEN ABUSED COVER.

THERE IS NO RING WEAR WHICH IS AGAIN A RARITY, AND JUST A LIGHT SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE 

THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SQUARE WITH A TINY DOT OF RUBBING TO THE CORNER TIPS

THERE ARE FIVE PRESSURE LINES BY THE  SPINE. FIVE ON THE TOP EDGE, FOUR ON THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND ONE THUMB LINE NEAR THE OPENING EDGE 

THE TOP EDGE IS SUPERB. ALL OF THE COLOURS HAVE BEEN RETAINED AND FULLY RUN FROM CORNER TIP TO CORNER TIP. JUST A PIN PRICK OF RUB TO THE RIGHT TIP END

THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS A SMALL SCUFF IN THE MIDDLE AND A SPECK OF RUB ON THE TIPS

THE SPINE HAS A VERY SMAL BIT OF SQUASHING. ALL OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECT AND FULLY LEGIBLE, AND THERE IS NO WEAR TOP THE SURFACE AND THIS INCLUDES THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL VERY SHARP, AND DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THOSE TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS EITHER

THE REAR SURFACE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE FRONT

THE MAIN REASON WHY THE SLEEVE IS IN SUCH SUPERB CONDITION IS THAT IT BEEN HOUSED INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER FOR ALL OF IT'S LIFE

THE LYRIC INNER SLEEVE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. AMAZINGLY NO SEAM SPLITS WHICH IS RARE. NO CREASES EITHER

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS  SLEEVE EX+

On 14-Nov-23 at 07:58:20 GMT, seller added the following information:

UPDATE: There are in fact mainman credits on the label on this making it a bit of an odditty. I can only assume that the new labels were used on the old vinyl, as the matrix numbers do indicate a first press