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ILLINGHAMMACHINEBOYARTIST: THE ROLLING STONES
TITLE: ENGLAND S NEWEST HITMAKERS LP
LABEL:DECCA
CATALOGUE NUMBER:LL LL3375
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE:ENGLAND
YEAR OF MANUFACTURE:1964
FORMAT:1 X FACTORY SAMPLE TEST PRESSING LP
MATRIX NUMBERS:
SIDE 1:XARL 6291-3A
SIDE 2:XARL 6292 -3A
MOTHER/STAMPERS CODES: NONE
OFFERED HERE FOR AUCTION IS A SERIOUS ROLLING STONES COLLECTORS ITEM. THIS IS A RIDICULOUSLY RARE,QUITE POSSIBLY ONLY 1 OF PERHAPS 10 MADE, TEST PRESSING OF THE FIRST US ROLLING STONES LP - ENGLAND S NEWEST HITMAKERS WHICH WAS ULTIMATELY RELEASED IN MAY 1964 AS LONDON LL3375.
AS MOST COLLECTORS WILL KNOW, THE INITIAL FIRST RUN OF THIS RELEASE WAS MANUFACTURED IN ENGLAND BY DECCA FOR EXPORT TO THE US BEFORE AMERICAN LONDON TOOK OVER MANUFACTURE THEMSELVES TO KEEP UP WITH THE UNEXPECTED DEMAND. REMEMBER AT THIS TIME BEATLEMANIA AND BRITISH ARTISTS WERE ABSOLUTELY HUGE IN AMERICA BRITISH INVASION THEREFORE THIS TEST PRESSING REPRESENTS THE ABSOLUTE EARLIEST POSSIBLE PRESSING OF THE VERY FIRST ROLLING STONES LP EVER SOLD IN NORTH AMERICA.MAKING THIS AN HISTORIC ITEM OF SOME SIGNIFICANCE.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS TEST PRESS PREDATES THE SOUGHT AFTER MAROON FFRR PRESSING AND EVEN THE WHITE LABEL PROMO AND I SUSPECT THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ONLY ABOUT 10 MADE, PRIMARILY TO ASSESS AUDIO QUALITY. THEY WERE THEN OFTEN DISTRIBUTED TO BAND MEMBERS, MANAGERS, PRODUCERS AND INDUSTRY BIGWIGS FOR THEM TO CAST THEIR CRITICAL EYE OVER. AS THEY HAD NO COMMERCIAL VALUE AND WERE NOT FINISHED THEY WOULD OFTEN BE DISCARDED OR DISAPPEAR INTO THE MIDSTS OF TIME -LIKE THIS ONE OFFICIALLY,THEY WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TAKEN HOME BY STAFF BUT THIS ONE WAS....
I ACQUIRED THIS TEST PRESSING FROM A GENTLEMAN WHO WORKED FOR DECCA IN THE 1960 S AND 1970 S.HE WORKED AT THE DECCA NEW MALDEN SURREY PLANT THE SITE OF WHICH IS JUST 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM ME AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE OFTEN USED TO TAKE HOME TEST PRESSINGS HOME TO ANALYSE THEM WHILST ROUND HIS HOUSE I DISCOVERED THIS SUPER RARE ARTEFACT IN A BOX WHICH CONTAINED NUMEROUS CLASSICAL TEST PRESING RECORDS- WHICH I ALSO HAVE LISTED.
DECCA LP FACTORY SAMPLES AT THIS TIME WERE GROOVED WHICH MEANT THAT THE LABELS WERE PRESSED INTO THE GROOVE BY A HYDRAULIC PRESS DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF THE RECORD. THIS KNOWLEDGE GOES SOME CONSIDERABLE WAY TO AUTHENTICATING THIS ITEM. BLUE LABELS WERE USED FOR MONO TEST PRESSINGS AND PINK/ GREEN LABELS WERE USED FOR STEREO RECORDINGS. LATER ON ,CIRCA 1968, THE GROOVE SYSTEM WAS ABANDONED AND THE CENTRE LABEL BECAME FLAT.TEST PRESSINGS BEAR THE LEGEND NOTICE- THIS PRESSING IS NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FINISHED RECORD AND MUST NOT BE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES.THIS LABEL HAS BEEN COVERED BY A TYPED LABEL AND GLUED ON TOP OF THE EXISTING. PLEASE SEE MY OTHER LISTINGS TO SEE HOW IT SHOULD LOOK.
CONDITION: VISUAL GRADE. RECORD HAS NUMEROUS SURFACE SCUFFS AND HAIRLINE SCRATCHES THROUGHOUT BOTH SIDES INCLUDING ONE SMALL FEELABLE SCRATCH. WHICH DOES NOT SOUND RECORD HAS LOST MOST OF ITS GLOSS TOO. RECORD GRADES GOOD
PLAYGRADE: RECORD PLAYS VERY WELL. NO SKIPS ,FULL BLOODED SOUND WITH SURFACE NOISE IN BETWEEN TRACKS AND SOME QUIET SECTIONS OF WHICH THERE ARE FEW . GENERALLY THIS IS A LOUD, RAUCOUS ALBUM BY A TIGHT BAND FEATURING BLUES STANDARDS AND THE ROLLING STONES FIRST SELF PENNNED SONGS- WHICH THEY WERE INSPIRED TO WRITE AFTER WITNESSING THEIR GREAT FRIENDS AND RIVALS , LENNON AND McCARTNEY, WRITE I WANNA BE YOUR MAN FOR THEM AFTER AFTER A CHANCE MEETING IN LONDON. EVEN PHIL SPECTOR APPEARS ON IT . IT IS A POWERFUL LOUD CUT. GRADES VG. LISTEN TO THE SOUNDFILE OF ENTIRE ALBUM TO MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND:
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LABELS: TYPED LABEL STUCK ON TOP OF EXISTING LABEL. I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE IT. CAROL HAS THE FRACTION HALF BESIDE IT. NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS
NO MOTHER/ LETTERS PRESENT AS THIS IS A TEST PRESSING RECORD IS PERFECTLY FLAT.
COMES IN STANDARD DECCA POLYLINED SLEEVE AND IS HOUSED IN A DIE CUT CARD SLEEVE. NO PROPER SLEEVE AS PER INDUSTRY STANDARD. PLEASE REMEMBER- THIS IS A TEST PRESSING.
IN SUMMARY, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS AN ARTEFACT OF GREAT HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. A TEST PRESS OF THE ROLLING STONES FIRST US LP. A HOLY GRAIL RECORD THE START OF SOMETHING MONUMENTAL, NEVER TO BE REPEATED. SECONDARY ONLY TO THE BEATLES FOR COLLECTABILITY THIS ITEM IS WAAAAY RARER THAN SO CALLED HOLY GRAIL STONES COLLECTABLES SUCH AS THE 2.52 TELL ME VERSION OF THE STONES FIRST LP OR STONES 45 DEMOS WHICH WERE SENT OUT IN SIZEABLE NUMBERS TO DJS AND REVIEWERS. THIS LP SHOULD NEVER EVEN HAVE LEFT THE FACTORY TO PUT THIS INTO CONTEXT, THIS IS LIKE HAVING A WHITE ALBUM WITH A NUMBER LOWER THAN 0000010. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HOLD OF THIS RECORD FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES, BUT SADLY I CANNOT.I M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MENTIONING THE DEMISE OF A LIVING ARTIST BUT AT THE SAME TIME ONE HAS TO BE APPRECIATE HOW THE MARKET OPERATES TOO UNFORTUNATELY, MICK AND KEITH ARE NOT GOING TO LIVE FOREVER AND WHEN THE INEVITABLE HAPPENS THIS RECORD WILL EASILY SELL FOR FOUR FIGURES UPWARDS.I DO NOT THINK THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ONE COMING ALONG....
UK RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE GRADINGS USED.
POSTAGE FROM TOLWORTH,SURREY,ENGLAND
UK- FREE
REST OF WORLD - 14.99 SIGNED FOR RECORDED DELIVERY ONLY
I WILL POST YOUR ITEMS OUT THE DAY AFTER I RECEIVE PAYMENT.RECORDS WILL BE SENT IN A PROPER RECORD MAILER WITH THE RECORDS REMOVED FROM THEIR SLEEVES TO PREVENT SPLITTING IN TRANSIT. STIFFENERS ALSO USED. 2 X 2MM MDF CUSTOM CUT BOARDS WILL BE USED TO SANDWICH THE BUBBLE WRAPPED RECORD
ALTHOUGH I AM NEW TO EBAY I AM NOT NEW TO SELLING RECORDS. I HAVE BEEN A PROFESSIONAL RECORD DEALER FOR 10 YEARS SO PLEASE BE ASSURED THAT THE GRADINGS ARE ACCURATE.
NO QUIBBLE FULL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF NOT SATISFIED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM.
INCLUDING RETURN POSTAGE
