DAVID BOWIE Heroes RARE ORIG UK 1977 EX++ COMPLETE. FULLY LAMINATED, SUPER SOUND

	£		33
	$		44

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: DAVID BOWIE

Album Title: Heroes.

Producer(s): David Bowie & Tony Visconti.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Beauty and the Beast; Joe the Lion; Heroes; Sons of the Silent Age; Blackout.

Side 2: V-2 Schneider; Sense of Doubt; Moss Garden; Neuköln; The Secret Life of Arabia.

Label/Format: RCA Victor – original and rarer orange format with matt, fairly smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with only one small spindle mark on side two. This classic appears hardly even played and is probably the very best pressing I have heard to date.

Cat Number: PL 12522.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 112 grams. Quite light, but superbly pressed on pure vinyl. This one plays superbly with barely anything to fault.

Country of Manufacture: England: and never take that for granted. Later examples with gold, black, or even green labels are often pressed elsewhere in Europe, often Italy. Nothing wrong with them, but most Bowie collectors will want the early first issue full English copies which seem far more elusive – especially ones hardly played and well pressed.

Rarity: Orange label originals are scarce and are seen far less than subsequent versions. But even more importantly, this copy plays superbly. Being honest, I have more issues with albums on this label than all others and reject more than I offer. Even the cleanest, most unplayed looking albums can often have invisible pressing issues and unwanted sounds or distortion. So I never take any post-Decca RCA album for granted, and my play-grades are often nervous and sometimes disappointing. This one did NOT disappoint and was a genuine pleasure to hear.

Original Year of Release: 1977

Matrix Nos: I-36 PL-12522-A-2 / I-40 PL-12522-B-2 [both sides have -A/-B error corrected matrixes]

Mothers / Stampers: A2 / A5

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘STERLING’ with a small scripted initial mark [both sides]

Musicians: David Bowie – vocals, guitar, keyboards, saxophone, koto: ARP synthesiser, piano, chamberlin; Brian Eno – synthesisers, keyboards, guitar treatments; Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar; Dennis Davis – percussion; George Murray - electric bass; Robert Fripp – lead guitar.

Brief Info: Without doubt one of Bowie’s most daring and original albums and the second of what has become known as the ‘Berlin Trilogy’ – the first, Low and third, Lodger explored this sound still further. This was the only one of the three that was recorded entirely in Berlin. This drifts into ‘Krautrock’ and post-punk scene, these albums had heavy influence from Neu, Kraftwerk, even Can. The experimentalism was furthered along with the album’s two other major players – King Crimson’s founder Robert Fripp, who flew in specially from the United States to record his parts, and ex-Roxy Music experimentalist, Brian Eno. At first this record sounds quite uncommercial and compared to his earlier works, was. This album was better received by fans than Low, which was a major shock to the system, especially with so many instrumentals. ‘Heroes’ is again challenging in places and is best known for its classic title track, without doubt one of his very best post-Ziggy songs. A tale of two lovers who meet by the infamous Berlin Wall, now thankfully deconstructed. Voted ‘Album of the Year’ by both the British music weeklies of the time (Melody Maker and New Musical Express). It peaked at No 3 in the UK charts, but only a more disappointing 35 in the US. Certainly one of my favourites of his post-glam era, this was somewhat ahead of it’s time – too far ahead for many – but prog-rock fans, those who even did not really appreciate his glam period, loved it. This the first orange first issue I have seen or heard for some time – a real full UK issue, that being the record, insert, inner and cover. Better pressed than some RCA albums around at the time too, this plays with barely anything unwanted, and never take that for granted. All elements of this classic are in fantastic condition and could prove a major upgrade for many.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single format with real laminated surfaces (NOT varnished to give a shiny appearance). The laminate ends are clearly seen on the entrance edge on both front and back with the fine exposed strip as seen on most 1960s and early 1970s laminated covers. NO bar-codes and a full English copy that includes the lyric insert and inner sleeve.

Laminate – Front & Back: This is a another supreme cover with real laminate – not coated like later ones or matt – that gleams like a mirror. Even under angled light, barely even a hint of any dulling, lifting or creasing. Just a tiny crinkle on the front bottom right corner tip stops a full Mint(–) grading – and this was very close to it anyway. Ultimate smoothness, freshness and clarity, this is pretty special and looks fantastic. The two small spots on the back are within the graphic and sit beneath the laminate.

Top Edge: Super-smooth, straight and unworn as made.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Barely any hint of thickening or burring at all. Record entered on this edge, both front and back on this edge show the end of laminate line clearly. Varnished covers will NOT have this detail.

Spine and Text: A supreme spine: solid, straight with no compression. All text is perfect and unworn, fully laminated and devoid of scuffs, chips or creases. For extra good measure, very well centred on a fairly limited depth.

Corners: A tiny rub and minor crease trace on the bottom front right, with the aforementioned small laminate crinkle. The other three are immaculate as made with practically mint shape retained.

Cover Summary: A very impressive all-round example of this famous Bowie cover. This attractive fully laminated original should please many, if not most collectors. Such super shiny and fresh examples are rarely seen.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a plain white unlined inner with shaped corners. Unaged, unsplit and hardly creased with no repairs. This also made in Great Britain and near immaculate.

The Lyric Insert: EXCELLENT(++):, this being very critical. Printed on thin intense black paper and with the correct PL 12522 catalogue number on the top right. Little short of as made and avoiding the creasing and thickened edges these invariably attract over time. Any hint of crinkle or crease traces are very light and register little. The real bonus is the lack of fingermarks on the revealing matt surfaces, without any doubt this has hardly been handled and I doubt if this has seen light-of-day for decades.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(–): a fantastic visual copy that is very clean with excellent shine and quite solidly pressed. A copy hardly played on all the evidence, maybe an early purchaser who bought it and found it a little tough going? A very clean looking pressing too devoid of pressing pits and blisters often seen on RCA records of this ‘orange’ era. Any surface blemishes or traces are minuscule. Visually a top copy that should please most-all collectors again.

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: I would like to make this very clear: NOT all copies of this album are the same. I reject way, way more than I ever offer simply due to pressing quality. Who wants to listen to noisy, crackly records often with pressing noises and distortions? Well I certainly don’t, and I would not expect any customer to either. So I am delighted to offer this very clean looking AND sounding copy that plays up to it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. It offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is impressively high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound and has no tracking issues*. An real hi-fi recording with a wonderful production and stereo imagery, this really excelled on my LP12 and was a joy to listen too. Barely any surface sounds noted and the lack of crackle, pressing noises or distortions something of a bonus on what often proves to be a variable album in manufacture quality. Many can and do disappoint and overall, this early issue will take some beating. Total silence a huge ask on this label of which I have had many issues in the past after the 1960s Decca era. Few copies will match or outperform this little and carefully played record I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. I doubt if this one has seen light-of-day for many years. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove immensely difficult to find better and merits my highest recommendation.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

I am 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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £4.75

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

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced 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’.