FRANK ZAPPA Hot Rats UK 1969 RARER GENUINE ORIG N/M LP

	£		64
	$		84

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Album Title: Hot Rats.

Producer(s): Frank Zappa who composed and arranged all songs.

Engineer(s): Dick Kunc.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Peaches en Regalia; Willie the Pimp; Son of Mr Green Genes.

Side 2: Little Umbrellas; The Gumbo Variations; It Must Be a Camel.

Label/Format: Reprise – Yellow, pale green and black steamboat originals (‘tri-coloured’ Reprise format, please see my label scan). This is another wonderful record from that collection recently acquired.

Label Conditions: Both in truly astonishing conditions – factory fresh – the labels that time forgot. Both could pass for new and have clearly hardly ever been handled or likely played. I am struggling to see any spindle marks at all and these retain a ‘just printed’ look. Two more beautiful ‘tri-coloured’ originals on this groundbreaking album are unlikely to be found.

Cat Number: RSLP 6356.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 124 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The actual album itself, moderate, this was Zappa’s most commercially successful album in the UK, although it failed to sell well in his native US. But, and a huge BUT, when found as a very first English pressed example on the tri-coloured Steamboat label it becomes a far rarer album (especially with a record in this barely played condition). This landmark classic record was only available for a relatively brief time on this label before being repressed – when more of the world discovered the amazing brilliance of this album – on the Reprise tan format, the early examples of which still carried the RSLP cat number. It still urks me when sellers offer ‘Originals’ on the tan format. The only ‘Original’ is on this label, tans copies are repressings. This copy has clearly hardly ever been played and has stunning detailed sound and plays with astonishing high-fidelity sound. And also for good measure, a RSLP cover with only modest wear which is very unusual. This also legendary cover is often seen very shabby, even worn out. To find an example with the RSLP number with the coveted genuine first pressing inside in this condition makes this set even harder to find.

Original Year of Release: 1969, this copy would have been made and purchased within that year.

Matrix Nos: RSLP 6356 A1 / RSLP 6356 B1 [the ultimate first pressing with no dual matrixes, no Kinney references whatsoever].

Musicians: Frank Zappa - Guitar, octave bass, percussion; Ian Underwood - piano, organus maximus, flute, all clarinets, all saxes; Captain Beefheart - vocal on ‘Willie the Pimp’; Sugar Cane Harris - violin; Jean luc Ponty - violin; John Guerin - drums; Ron Selico - drums; Max Bennett - bass; Shuggy Otis - bass.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The greatest moustache in rock history and the album that proved to the world that Frank Zappa was one of the greatest guitarists of all time – if not THE best. At the end of 1968 Zappa’s contract with MGM expired, he and his manager Herb Cohen set up Bizarre Records. This gave them total control over their own packaging and music. Major distribution was needed too, so they chose Reprise, Frank Sinatra’s label which had recently been acquired by Warner Brothers. Hot Rats was the second album to be just accredited to Frank Zappa, he used a 16-track recorder and state-of-the-art production techniques, making this a musicial extraganza with truly phenomenal sound and detail. This was quite a successful album in the UK, but mysteriously was a relative failure in his native US. This is a jazz-rock, predominately instrumental album and (for me anyway) one of the greatest albums ever made - I simply adore this album and I have probably heard this album more times than any other (not this copy hasten to add, just the once for a mandatory play grade). For this album, Zappa called upon the services of some of the great musicians of the West Coast. Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris features heavily on electric violin with some blistering solos as does French violin virtuoso Jean luc Ponty. Also featured are veteran bassist Max Bennett, John Guerin a young drummer who had been working with Tom Scott on fusing rock and jazz, also Shuggy Otis, Ron Selico and Paul Humphrey. Zappa supplied himself with the finest rhythm section money could buy. The other hugely important presence was ‘Mother’ Ian Underwood, who played keyboards and electric saxes. This is one of Underwood’s finest moments recording with Zappa, his blistering electric saxophone solo on ‘The Gumbo Variations’ takes the breath away. Last but not least there is a cameo performance from Don van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart on vocals for ‘Willie the Pimp’ the lyrics of which are derived from an interview Zappa conducted with a New York-based groupie named Annie. Zappa himself plunges into an awe-inspiring guitar solo. His wah-wah pedal made the notes talk, but amongst the frenzy there remains a marvellous melody throughout. Frank dubbed in percussion, chains, castanets that added that extra fizz and Underwood is credited for playing ‘organus maximus’ which was actually a pipe organ. The cover is as famous as the music too, it features Christine Frka (Miss Christine) of the infamous GTO’s lurking inside a disused swimming pool in Beverly Hills: a striking image that was seen under many an arm in the heady days of the late 60s. She is often credited as the inspiration for the Alice Cooper look, both recorded on Zappa’s Straight label. A notably thin Czech girl, she sadly she died in 1972. ‘Hot Rats’ charted at 9 in the UK and a lowly 173 in the US. A work of genius, even non-Zappa fans who simply never understood his music often appreciated this album. It has been said that some rock guitarists have been quoted as saying Hot Rats contains impossible to play guitar chords, well this great man played them, and how. This easily ranks in my top 10 greatest albums ever made, I never tire listening to it and this wonderful vintage copy is a real beauty. It plays practically as quiet as a CD with all the detail and dynamics of a master recording, this is gateway into Zappa’s recording studio and nothing – and I mean NOTHING will better it, the great feeling of holding and playing a first-pressed ‘Hot Rats’ take some beating. The CD versions are very good but the basslines are far less forward on the silver disc and some details seem slightly more muted, even lost. There will never be a better way to enjoy the king of the bizarre than on this record - I have seldom seen a much better overall copy of this timeless excusion into Frank’s world of jazz-rock, the word ‘masterpiece’ is often overused, but not in this case. If you have not experienced the wonderful world of Zappa, there is no better place to start – but be warned – this man’s music is seriously addictive and he has a vast catalogue.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High, seldom seen without moderate or heavier ringwear, fading and major surface rubbing.

Cover Grade and Format: EX(-), quite close EX given just how wear-prone it is. A gatefold format, unlaminated. It was printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd, London. Although the repressed copies look pretty much the same, only the original covers have the RSLP 6356 catalogue number, beware of Kinney covers being offered as ‘Original’.

Cover Front: A very respectable and attractive front, yes some mild grubbiness or ‘set-off’ to the white edges but the actual graphic of Miss Christine is clean with few blemishes. Any creases are ultra fine, few and faint and surface rubbing or marks are minimal too. There is some darkening to the top edge that just notices from front viewing. The eerie presence of Miss Christine in that swimming pool sets the tone perfectly for this crazy time and era.

Cover Back: Quite similar again but better and both sides retain a really deep, even intense colour finish, again quite unusual. This is so often found looking insipid and pale, not this one – this cover is also intolerant of too much light exposure and quickly fades if subjected – there is a very fine pale line near the spine edge, but this is being somewhat critical. Again creasing is few and faint and marks are also few. There is a mild and fairly faint ring arc rub near the top edge. With many examples showing heavy ringwear, any minor blemish like this can be considered exceptionally light. This ruthlessly revealing back again will seldom be found much better (especially an RSLP original that are the oldest made).

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little to fault, this looks real nice: mild ‘set-off’ on top right where dark rests upon light ink, few, if any will avoid this.

Top Edges: Light rubbing and the front has darkened.

Bottom Edges: Light+ rubbing on the coloured back, any rubbing on the front does not show as its white.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear and no feathering. Record entered on this right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine that shows minimal wear. This delicate black spine is solid, straight with minimal compression, both right edges meet up near perfectly together and parallel. This dark spine, which is very prone to rubbing and damage, shows little, maybe the odd tiny touch-in but no wear or damage to the fine text which unworn and fully present, sharp and clear – a rare sight again and this spine of course has the RSLP prefix and 6356 cat. number.

Cover Summary: One of rock’s most famous covers and this is a very decent example, not perfect but still quite attractive. The fact is, its an original and with that in mind, few will probably better this significantly. It should please many collectors if not the perfectionists.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ to practically Mint(-) with just ultra fine and faint surface traces that just catch angled light. Removal type fine hairlines that has no effect on sound whatsoever. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and very soldily pressed. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence, a better looking and sounding first pressing will prove very difficult to find. Visually one of the best ‘Rats’ I have ever seen. Being a 1969 record, of that there is NO dispute as from 1970 onwards the labels changed to tan, this is far harder to find in clean conditions and was liable to be played on far less sympathetic equipment and thick, heavy (often damaged or worn) pickups. This beautiful record has a avoided all that and has probably only been played two or three times at most which is confirmed by truly breathtaking sound quality. With the majority of original Hot Rats being found badly scratched or well worn, this copy is like a breath of fresh air. For the ‘early-bird’ Zappa fans who bought this from the early days on this label, most played it into submission – imagine the thrill of hearing this masterpiece for the first time – this copy will again remind of that experience. Although recently reissued, NOTHING gives the thrill of a tri-coloured original. Hardly any surprise this album as acquired ‘Classic Album’ status and it remains (for me) one of the greatest albums ever made bar none. This album contains musicianship and composition of the highest possible standard and few would have even known the calibre of this man’s brilliance at this time.

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 snippetts 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality & Audio Grading – The Hot Rats Hi-Fi Experience: This astonishing record plays brilliantly with practically pristine sound, crank this up loud and prepare to be astonished. Just two light clicks were noted on the entire album, probably just a tiny particle stubbornly entrenched into a groove and this is a superb pressing with hardly a trace of any surface sound at all. Both channels are crystal clear and the sound and production are up there with the very best from this period. This copy of Hot Rats will simply make your system sing with totally distortion-free sound. The delicate high frequencies of the electric violins and winds are totally unclipped and simply rasp and fizz from the speakers. Zappa’s frenzied and blistering guitar work is heard to maximum effect and this will leave fans wanting more. Played loudly enough, Underwood’s electric sax solo on ‘The Gumbo Variations’ is almost capable of ripping off the speaker cloth. What set’s this analogue recording apart is the bass-lines which are rich and deep and fully focused and more importantly – present! The CD versions are leaner and lack that vital depth, grace and power. My LP12 gave this record real ‘pace’ and rhythm and it’s total realism will please even the connoisseur listeners. If only all vintage vinyl played like this there would be no need to grade because the astonishing sounds embedded in these totally unworn (and original deeper) grooves, that I feel carry just that extra detail and definition, will rarely be heard better. Beefheart’s brief cameo role on ‘Willie the Pimp’ is famous as he shrieks Hot Meat, Hot Raaaaattttzzzzz, Hot Zitz, Hot Wrists, Hot Ritz, Hot Roots, Hot Sooooottts… this is the album’s only vocal track and it Fizzzessssss. This record sounds so clean and special it should appeal to all vinyl lovers and collectors - even discerning audiophiles reading this. This is a ‘keeper’ copy that is unlikely to need upgrading - if treated with the respect it deserves, this record will last another forty years and this one has now reached that landmark age. Nothing beats an original copy of this, this is a very special album indeed – a gateway to his even more challenging works. They don’t make records like this anymore and the spirit of this musical genius lives on in this monumental work, my musical world has never been quite the same since his sad and untimely death. The highest recommendation is mandatory.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

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

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.