DAVID BOWIE Heroes RARER ORIG UK 77 ORANGE RCA EX++ LP

	£		50
	$		66

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

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 much rarer orange format.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with only very light and few spindle marks as seen critically under angled light. This classic appears hardly even played.

Cat Number: PL 12522.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 122 grams. An average typical weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England: and never take that for granted. Later examples with gold or black labels are 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 little played and well pressed.

Rarity: Orange label originals are scarce and are seen far less than subsequent versions.

Original Year of Release: 1977

Matrix Nos: I-33 PL-12522-A-2 / I-32 PL-12522-B-2 [both sides have -A/-B error corrected matrixes]

Mothers / Stampers: A2 / A5

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘STERLING’ [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 the ‘Krautrock’ scene and post-punk, 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 US 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 (MM and NME), 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 ages – a real fully UK issue, that being the record and cover. Better pressed than some RCA albums around at the time too, this plays with little unwanted with only the mild reminder here and there you are listening to a vinyl record. It will not prove easy to find much better than this.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single format with shiny surfaces. I think this is a varnish coating rather than laminate, but does have a laminate type appearance. It has NO bar-codes. This includes the lyric insert and was printed and made in England.

Cover Front: Shiny, fresh and attractive with deep rich artwork intensity. A few fine edge hairline creases with only one away from that barely even shows. No friction marks or dulling, even under light with minimal traces of any record impression. This is a very impressive front that will please most Bowie collectors.

Cover Back: The back is similar but even better with very little to fault at all. Any crease or mark traces very fine, few and faint, again super shine retained.

Top Edge: Super-smooth, unworn as made.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Barely any hint of thickening or burring. Record entered on this edge.

Spine and Text: A super spine: solid, straight with barely any compression. All text is perfect and unworn, fully coated and devoid of scuffs, chips or creases.

Corners: All as manufactured and that’s nigh-on perfect.

Cover Summary: A very impressive all-round example of this famous Bowie cover. This attractive original should please many, if not most collectors. Emphasise again, this was printed in England.

The Inner: NEAR MINT: a plain white unlined inner with shaped corners. Unaged, unsplit or creased with no repairs. This also made in England and immaculate.

The Insert: MINT(-): printed on thin very dark paper and with the correct PL 12522 cat number. This includes the song lyrics. Little short of as made and avoiding the creasing and thickened edges these invariably attract over time. Any hint of crinkle or crease traces, barely even register. 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: EXCELLENT(++): a super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and 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 hairlines are very few and ultra faint. Visually a very nice record that should please many 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: This very clean looking record mostly plays up to and most-all above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is impressively high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. An real hi-fi recording with a wonderful production and stereo imagery, this really excelled on the LP12 and was a joy to listen too. Few 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 outperform this little and carefully played record significantly 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. Very little spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and merits strong recommendation.

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 Terrarium 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 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 8,000+ items sold in over 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 2 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). 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 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] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16 (£17 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’.