FRANK ZAPPA Apostrophe UK 1974 Discreet Super N/M LP

	£		21
	$		28

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: FRANK ZAPPA

Album Title: Apostrophe.

Producer(s): Frank Zappa.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow; Nanook Rubs It; St Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast; Father O’Blivion; Cosmik Debris.

Side 2: Excentrifugal Forz; Apostrophe’; Uncle Remus; Stink-Foot.

Label and Condition: Discreet – both practically as new with hardly a spindle trace to be seen.

Cat Number: K 59201.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 120 grams. About average for it’s era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate in Zappa terms – this proved to be one of his better sellers.

Original Year of Release: 1974

Matrix Nos: K 59201 A1 and K-59201-B-3

Run-Out Groove Etchings: KIPA (on side one).

Musicians: Frank Zappa – vocals, guitar, bass, bouzouki; Lynn – vocals, backing vocals; Kerry McNabb – backing vocals; Ian Underwood – saxophone; Ruth Underwood – percussion; Sal Marquez – trumpet; Sue Glover – backing vocals; Jim Gordon – drums; Aynsley Dunbar – drums; Tom Fowler – bass guitar; Napoleon Murphy Brock – saxophone, backing vocals; Robert Camarena – vocals, backing vocals; Ruben Ladron de Guevara – vocals, backing vocals; Debbie – vocals, backing vocals; Tony Duran – rhythm guitar; Erroneous (Alex Dmochowksi) – bass guitar; Johnny Guerin – drums; Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris – violin; Ralph Humphrey – drums; Jack Bruce – bass on ‘Apostrophe’ ’; George Duke – keyboards, backing vocals; Bruce Fowler – trombone; Jean-Luc Ponty – violin.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Quite possibly Frank’s most personal and focused ‘solo’ albums so the stunning close-up cover picture is very apt. A very varied album featuring songs about Poodles, yellow snow and bad feet, and that (in)famous Eskimo – Nanook. A stunning album with an array of musical talent backing, including Jack Bruce on the awesome title track playing a heavy fuzz bass. A near six minute instrumental with blistering dynamics that grinds the speakers into submission, Frank later solos on his guitar - what a combination this was. It proved to be his most successful album to date in his native America. This is a near mint record with a strong cover devoid of the common ringwear often seen. I regard this album highly in the Zappa catalogue and is one of around 60 that are essential to own. Just a few weeks ago, Dweezil, his son played the entire album live at Cambridge with his band – what a stunning evening this was. This album often appeals to non-Zappa fans, it’s a very easy album to like, being a little more commercial and easy on the ear than previous. It sold quite well in the UK and it deserved to. Most collectors should enjoy this copy and I strongly recommend it.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single unlaminated format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed in England.

Cover Front: Great picture of the man, this one has great deep colour and lacking the usual rubbing seen on so many. Any rim impression very light indeed and barely a crease to be seen.

Cover Back: A mild thumb crease near the left edge, that apart, little else to fault.

Top Edge: Practically unworn.

Bottom Edge: Almost the same again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely a hint of any wear, this entrance edge is guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with a little compression towards the centre, possibly there in manufacture. All text is perfect and unworn.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and faint and all retain superb definition and excellent (or better) shape.

Cover Summary: A very fine attractive all-round example of this quite wear-prone 70’s cover, one that could prove quite difficult to find much better. This strong item, one of the best I have yet seen, should please most collectors. This one has no insert – the fact is, not all had them – and the owner put this directly into a lined inner sleeve, this being the only one with the copy.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): a superb copy with hardly a noteworthy mark or blemish. Clean, shiny, jet black and quite solidly pressed. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence. Visually a splendid record 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: This top quality record plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear and a fine clean pressing too. Superbly produced by the man himself with stunning detailed and dynamic sound. The power of ‘Apostrophe’ with the grinding basslines and crashing drums is simply sublime – play this really loud for real hi-fi nirvana. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful title, this hardly played does it maximum justice. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and merits my highest 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 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’.