Rolling Stones* – Exile On Main St.

Very early first UK issue, in a Shorewood-printed gatefold sleeve which opens from the inside, unipak-style, with both the printed inners and postcard set.

This version has NO grey TM symbol by the lips on the rear sleeve, bottom right.

This early (possibly earliest) UK sleeve variant has an uncomfortably tight pocket – its inner sleeves barely fit, even without discs.
Set of 12 postcards comes in one perforated string, with black and white text only, both sides.
Printed inner sleeves feature photographs, credits and copyright notices.
Title is printed on the right hand spine only, i.e. along the opening edge of the unipak sleeve.

Runouts on these discs are arranged with:
– Neatly stamped 'COC' matrices at what would be 12 o'clock.
– Etched American 'ST-RS' numbers and 'Rolling Stones Records' indication at 6 o'clock.
– Faintly stamped mother/stamper indications in the form of (for instance) 'A' (9 o'clock) '1' (3 o'clock). These are too faint to notate with any confidence here.
– The Artisan "drumstick" logo is at either 1 o'clock or 4 o'clock.

All titles published by Essex Music Int. except A3 by C. Connelly.

On rear sleeve and inner sleeves:
"Rolling Stones Records TM Musidor N.V. Distributed by Kinney Record Group Ltd ℗ 1972 by Shorewood Packaging Co. Ltd., ENGLAND"
Inner sleeves include additional 'This stereo record..." notice.

A nearly identical early issue with a grey TM at bottom right on the rear sleeve is here: Exile On Main St.. That issue also includes the A1/B1/C1/D1 matrix variants, so the two can both be reasonably considered first issues. This sleeve with the TM omission is likely earlier-printed, but may have been issued contemporaneously.

Runouts and Artisan logo are stamped except for "ROLLING STONES RECORDS ST-RS-7225XX" which is etched.