The Beatles : Let It Be 2U/2U 1st Press 1970 (Red Apple Cover)

This first pressing, with the red Apple logo on the back cover, plays to a superb standard with barely any interference.  Any 'background' is so minor as to be insignificant really and there is only one light click on a fade out.  The clarity throughout is very impressive indeed.

Contrary to popular belief the 'red Apple' cover was not only issued with the deluxe box package.  A limited few were sent to market without the box and book which is why they are generally found with low stampers.  S1 here has only a single stamper 'P' aand S2 has two, 'OH'.  This cover is in lovely condition with hardly any shelf wear and the original black inner is also in excellent order.

PCS 7096 // YEX 773 - 2U / YEX 774 - 2U // P 1 / OH 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T2 & T3 Near Mint / T6 Near Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T4 intro Near Mint / the 'hidden' T11 Near Mint)  

The laminated 'red Apple' cover is Ex+

The labels are Near Mint-

The original black inner is Ex+
Visual grading

This vinyl is now of course over 50 years old and has been preserved very well.  It still has a very glossy sheen and there are no scratches.  There are a few faint hairlines on each side but there is nothing that stands out.  S1 does have a very faint scuff mark on track one but it has no bearing on the audio - a few light 'specks' also but again no affect on the audio.  There is some spindle wear (not an excessive amount) so has been played a number of times but that does show how carefully it has always been handled as it still plays with stunning quality.  Other than some spindle wear the labels are in superb shape with no marking at all.

Play grading  

The 'spoken' section at the start of S1 has no interference and the acoustic intro on 'Two Of Us' then plays with no intrusion.  The first verse is of the same quality and from then on plays with wonderful clarity and depth.  I detected only 2/3 dust ticks the playback cannot be faulted.  The 'whistle' fade out is as close to perfect as is possible with only a couple of static ticks right at the end.  A stunning Mint- start to the side.

The 'band' intro prior to the start of 'Dig A Pony' has only a couple of light ticks and once the track 'gets going' the audio is strong and deep and again there is no interference to be heard.  There are no clicks or pops and only a handful of mega light ticks that you could easily miss - so quiet they are scarcely worth a mention but as I often say I will state any 'background' even if barely audible!  They could perhaps be more accurately described as dust ticks.  It is a superb version and Near Mint is an honest appraisal here.

'Across The Universe' has a stunning intro with only a couple of very light ticks and proceeds to play with breathtaking quality for the remainder.  The clarity could hardly be any more impressive and with only 3/4 barely audible ticks the audio is exceptional.  I'm going to grade as Near Mint again although I am sure many would disagree with that!  I'm not sure I should 'downgrade' due to a small number of light ticks!

'I Me Mine' is outstanding from start to finish with no 'background' of any kind.  I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint such is the sonic quality.  No interference and no distortion.

The brief 'Dig It' is of the same standard with not even one solitary tick.  Mint

The quiet piano intro on the classic 'Let It Be' plays beautifully and the first verse also displays great clarity with only a small number of mega light dust ticks for company.  Honestly you can hardly hear them!  As it progresses there is no decrease in quality and from start to finish there is no obvious intrusion at all.  I detected a few seconds of very minimal distortion on the top end (very very minimal!) but it has to be said this is a very dynamic version.  The mid solo could not play with any greater power and to the end it plays with exceptional clarity and depth.  There is just one tick and a light click on the final note of the fade out.  I will grade as Near Mint- because of this.

'Maggie Mae' ends the side with no interference and barely any inner groove distortion.  Mint-

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'I've Got A Feeling' on S2 plays with stunning clarity from the very first groove and continues in the same exact way.  A fantastic version that easily grades as Mint as there is quite simply no 'background' to be heard.

The up-tempo 'One After 909' has the the kind of depth and warmth that you only find on records that have always been well looked after and carefully played.  From the intro to the fade out the audio is of the highest standard and...you know the grade :-)

The intro on 'The Long And Winding Road' is immaculate and continues in a very similar way.  There are no clicks or pops and no underlying static either.  I heard only a couple of light ticks but for once there is very little of the distortion which is often prevalent on this classic track I find.  McCartney may not have approved of them but the orchestral and choral sections play with great precision here and overall a Near Mint- grade is deserved.

'For You Blue' is superb throughout and plays with great depth and resonance.  There is perhaps just a very minor static distortion sound for 1/2 seconds in a couple of sections but it doesn't detract from what is a very impressive Near Mint version.

The classic 'Get Back' ends the album with 'high end' audio once more.  The 'spoken' section is flawless and the intro builds perfectly with no intrusion.  It then plays with wonderful definition and has only the bare minimum of distortion on the top end.  It is so minor and I only mention it to be 100% complete in my grading - it does not intrude on the 'listening' experience at all.  It is still a fantastic version and perhaps does not even warrant a mention as it is so much in the background.  There are no ticks, clicks or pops and I do think Near Mint is a fair assessment of the audio here.

In summary this album plays to a 'high end' standard that you so rarely find today.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is STUNNING and how many of the early pressings have no clicks or pops?  Well this one doesn't!  The sonic quality is just on another level compared to so many others that I have heard and I cannot emphasise enough just how clean and precise the audio is.  'Golden Slumbers' is a fine example of that with a clarity and 'freshness' of sound that is very rare indeed.  As I said there is no 'muddiness' evident here, it is such a strong version.  Every track plays with sublime quality with no actual intrusion of any kind and across both sides there are only a small number of light dust ticks.  Audio does not get much better than this!

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

This laminated G & L cover is not easy to find in decent condition as it is quite delicate but this is without doubt one of the best examples I have ever seen.  The edges have no shelf wear and the thin pinched spine has only three tiny white 'specks'.  The corners of the spine have no wear at all and only the top right corner has a little wear.  If I'm honest most of the wear on this cover can be seen next to the opening edge but even then it is still minor!  A very small amount of laminate wear and some light handling wear on the actual opening edges that is all.  Apart from that the front cover is superb with no other marking - just a couple of minor creases and faint ringwear that you always see.  The back cover is in lovely condition with just 2/3 minor creases, some light ringwear again and a very tiny 'nick' on the bottom edge.  Overall this is a stunning example of this iconic cover and it has always been very carefully handled.

The original black cut inner is in excellent condition with no side splits or marking and only minimal creasing.  There are 3/4 mega tiny 'nicks' on the top edge but for a flimsy bit of 50+ year old paper to be this good is a genuine rarity!

Play Tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

PCS 7096 // YEX 773 - 2U / YEX 774 - 2U // P 1 / OH 1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

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