BOB DYLAN The Times They Are a Changin' RARE UK MONO

	£		52
	$		69

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: BOB DYLAN

Album Title: The Times They Are A-Changin’.

Producer(s): Tom Wilson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Times They Are A-Changin’; Ballad of Hollis Brown; With God On Our Side; One Too Many Mornings; North Country Blues.

Side 2: Only a Pawn in Their Game; Boots of Spanish Leather; When the Ship Comes In; The Linesome Death of Hattie Carroll; Restless Farewell.

Label/Format: CBS, double ridged with a beautifully rough textured finish and 33 speed indicator. Later pressings became smooth and 33 became 33 1/3. The tiny text: ‘RECORDING FIRST PUBLISHED 1964’ is present just below half way down towards the right. Intensely bright orange, both are a thing of real beauty and so rare when seen like this. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very impressive indeed and seldom will these very early labels be found better. Both are ultra clean, fresh, highly attractive and close to reference standard with only very light and faint spindle marks. Indeed, side one has only one with only a scant few more on side two. Most will know the state of so many of the earliest mono records and this without doubt has hardly been played and avoided most of the perils of heavy-tracking old record players of the time.

Cat Number: BPG 62251.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 144 grams. A very good weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Early pressed Dylan UK albums in mono that survive in clean and very lightly played conditions are rare, make no mistake. More often seen badly scratched with more than obvious heavy (and careless) usage.

Original Year of Release: 1964

Matrix Nos: BPG 62251 1L 1 = 420 1 1 7 / BPG 62251 = 2L 1 420 1 1 4

Brief Info: Dylan’s third album and another classic acoustic folk set. This one is incredibly early and so hard to find little played from so far back. This has the paste-on back panel style cover that is uncredited. This has aged a little with a darkened tinge to the laminate but in terms of real wear, little. The record has two superb labels and very clean playing surfaces and offers wonderful sound with very few audio blemishes. For fans of this legendary folk singer, this very impressive copy should thrill.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): this hardly does a hardly worn cover full justice. Marked down a little for toning of the laminate really. As the back has aged little and not darkened to any extent, this laminate discolour may be a natural occurrence on this cover. I have had so few of these really early uncredited ones, indeed this may even be my first ever, so comparisons are difficult. A single format with front laminate that wraps around the closed edges and ends under the paste-on style back panel. This vintage example, a likely first, did not utilise flipbacks. As stated, this one has no printer’s credits.

Lamination & Front: The laminate on this cover retains a fantastic shine and clarity, but has toned to give a pale sepia look – which is far from unattractive and reminds of exactly how old this cover actually is. This early example shows the patches to alter probably the American artwork to adapt for the UK market. Having worked in the printing industry for over 35 years, I know exactly how the process worked and here, has not been too subtle showing two distinct masking patches on the artwork prior to making the printing plate. Any lifting of the laminate is tiny and very little indeed with mere traces on the bottom edge that hardly even show. Same goes for any creasing which is equally few, light and faint. I think this front showing the very young Dylan looks great, the sepia look almost enhances this piece, but that is only my opinion.

Cover Back: The laminate around the edges is again darkened, but the white back shows less in the way of discolouration and with minimal wear. Any grubbiness is slight and again, barely any creasing and no ringwear.

Top Edge: Super smooth and fully laminated, straight and unworn.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear or feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. Made with thicker card and seldom seen with an edge this neat. Record enter here.

Spine and Text: Very solid, straight, uncompressed but naturally quite narrow. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate and even this retains a deep shine. Totally unpeeled and very smooth to the fingertip. The type well centred too on a limited depth.

Corners: Any tip rubs or chips are tiny indeed and all retain superb crisp shape with no dinks or creases.

Cover Summary: I have seldom seen laminate that had darkened to give a sepia looking appearance. But this has done so with real consistency. I think this is a natural occurence rather than being polluted by cigarette smoke – if that had been the case, surely the back would have browned as well? – and likely more severely so? That has not happened and like some old photographs seen from the past, this seems to have naturally darkened. But so little real wear will mean this will please many collectors and I am sure this is one of earliest ever made in the UK.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: again this as aged a little with some moderate browning of the seam adhesive. This is a heavy-duty plain white inner that is polylined as seen through two very neat and mostly crisp window circles. Just one small nick on the back. Minimal creasing with just a few small light marks. This is British patented with ‘British and Other Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and given the age, mode and fragility of these acoustic albums, this is being quite harsh. A super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. A copy very lightly played indeed – I am not going to guess numbers – but very few indeed for sure. The surfaces are very impressive with any marks tiny, few and very faint indeed, this viewed under bright angled light. One ultra tiny, super fine mark near the very beginning emits half a dozen light clicks, but little else unwanted on the entire album. With mono record players tracking at huge weights that almost make you cringe thinking about it (ten grams was the recommended minimum! – as seen on some old 60s inner sleeves) which I think sounds pretty scary. It is no wonder so many of these lovely old records were starting to show signs of wear with just a few plays. One arm drop or jolt, and there is another classic ruined. This copy has avoided such trauma and still offers fantastic clean, focused and near noise-free sound, and so few ever will, especially if played on highly revealing modern stereo equipment, for which they were not really designed. Effortless, easy tracking and a joy to view and hear, this folk classic will take a fair degree of beating, and this very early.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quality record plays up to it’s high visual grading and most all even above with very little to fault. A strong, realistic and beautifully produced recording that has totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Mr Zimmerman himself could be in the room with you performing, it’s truly that good. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops and few clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album. Acoustic guitar and vocal, no loud passages for blemishes to hide in, but none needed here. I mentioned the brief few light clicks near the start, there are few others, but the odd sporadic one cannot be ruled out totally on such a delicate record. Few early copies will even match this early pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel certain this record has been played very little and obviously well stored and carefully handled. The cause of the laminate darkening to the cover is almost speculation, but nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, a landmark recording from a living legend. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. Records this age and quality only come along very occasionally and if this title is wanted, it’s worthy of high consideration if the interestingly aged cover is acceptable - personally, I think it looks great.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.