Description PINK FLOYD - ATOM HEART MOTHERA truly superb, final upgrade condition copy of this extremely rare and highly sought after UK 1970 very 1st press prog rock gem, on the coveted "non-EMI" record label, STEREO, SHVL 781The dead wax matrix numbers are :Side 1 SHVL 781 A - 1G with stampers "1" and "A P" at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock respectivelySide 2 SHVL 781 B - 1G with stampers "2" and "1.1 R" at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock respectivelyNote the "1 1" mother stampers making this copy one of the rarest very early production run 1st pressings!The appearance and overall condition of the flat and heavy vinyl is excellent plus (EX+). Many would grade as "near mint", I am sure...beautiful, very sparingly played glossy vinyl with a superb jet black sheen. In normal daylight each side of the vinyl comes across as in perfect "as new" condition, and even with very close scrutiny under a bright light there is nothing to suggest that this record has had more than a small number of plays. If you look very closely under a bright you may just be able to detect just a couple of small and very wispy hairlines and extremely faint paper scuffs, along with a few very light scuff marks on the periphery of the dead wax area at the beginning of each side, but that's all. Amazing condition for this 50 year old antiquity - and now becoming very difficult to come across a UK 1st pressing of this prog rock gem in condition as impressive as this.The labels are near excellent plus (EX+). Near perfect in fact, with just a single small and very light (barely noticeable) spindle trail on the side 1 label and four similarly small and faint trails on the side 2 label. All of the black text, smooth textured yellow background, and iconic yellow and green Harvest logo remain in perfect condition and, of course, the absence of the "EMI" large font text authenticates this as a highly prized true 1st UK pressing. Truly top notch. The condition of the non-laminated Garrod & Lofthouse outer gatefold sleeve is also a solid excellent plus (EX+). All edges remain rigid, including the spine, with no scuffing whatsoever - amazing! The corners remain perfect right angles with virtually no rubbing at all and the opening edges are firm with no sign of fraying or feathering. The art work, colouring, photographs, and text of both the exterior and interior of the gatefold remain in iconically beautiful condition with still vibrant colouring and perfect definition throughout. This particular gatefold is very prone to wear and tear so it is again rare to come across a copy remaining in as truly wonderful condition as this.The quality of the audio is again excellent plus (EX+) or better. Fantastic tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No intrusive skips, jumps, repeats, sticks, clicks, or background crackle (not even on the dead wax run-ins and run-outs). Truly wonderful audio quality throughout with the whole album making for a great listen. You might just come across the very occasional light background click due to static or caused by a particle of dust stuck in the grooves through decades of storage, but no more than you would expect from a brand new record. This is vintage, early 70's, prog rock at it's very best. Truly one of the all time great prog LP's, that's for sure.The tracks are :Side 1 :1. ATOM HEART MOTHERa) Father's Shoutb) Breat Milkyc) Mother Fored) Funky Dunge) Remergence Side 2 :1. IF2. SUMMER '683. FAT OLD SUN4. ALAN'S PSYCHEDELIC BREAKFASTComes with original picture advertising HARVEST/EMI poly-lined, "Patent Nos...." and "Made and Printed in Great Britain" inner sleeve with no tears, rips, seam splits, creasing or even the usual mild discolouration due to ageing, and of course remaining fully functional. Note that I always use a new, plain white replacement inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original.In summary a wonderfully impressive condition copy (there can't be too many better than this) of this increasingly rare and sought after 1970 UK very first 1st press Pink Floyd prog rock gem - the whole LP is a great listen, highly collectable, a "must" for any serious vinyl collection and will only continue to gain 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 50 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 65 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! RichardMy 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 £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class, signed for; Continental Europe £12, and Rest of the World £16 respectively, 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