JEAN-LUC PONTY inc FRANK ZAPPA King Kong RARE 1st PRESS

	£		32
	$		42

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: JEAN-LUC PONTY

Album Title: King Kong.

Producer(s): Richard Bock.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: King Kong; Idiot Bastard Son; Twenty Small Cigars; How Would You Like to Have a Head Like That.

Side 2: Music for Electric Violin and Low-Budget Orchestra; America Drinks and Goes Home.

Label/Format: Liberty (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: LBS 83375.

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: 140 grams. A very good weight for this record, an ultimate first pressing with the weight to match.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: hardly a big seller and this being the ultimate first pressing with the prized 1 G / 1 G mothers/stampers as seen below.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: LBS 83375 A-1G / LBS 83375 B-1G

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 G [the very first mothers/stampers and most prized]

Musicians: Jean-Luc Ponty – violin, electric violin, baritone violin; Frank Zappa – guitar; John Guerin – drums; Buell Neidlinger – bass; George Duke – piano; Art Tripp – drums; Ian Underwood – tenor sax; Ernie Watts – alto and tenor sax; Harold Bemko – cello; Donald Christlieb – bassoon; Gene Cipriano – English horn, oboe; Vincent DeRosa – French horn, descant; Gene Estes – percussion, vibraphone; Milton Thomas – viola.

Brief Info: French jazz violinist who had a spells with Frank Zappa’s band between 1969 and 1974. He featured prominately on the famous ‘Hot Rats’ album and here Zappa’s music gets the Ponty treatment. Featuring other members of The Mothers of Invention and Frank himself plays guitar on ‘How Would You Like to Have a Head Like That’, ironically, the only non-Zappa composition, this written by Ponty. A wonderful set of complex music and this is an ultimate first pressing as mentioned above. The record in superb condition and the cover would be the same bar a moderately large sticker pull on the back. Without that, I could have graded this hugely wear-prone cover near mint. Yes, I could have placed a bogus sticker over the top, but sorry, this seller does not work that way. What you see is what you get with me and I will not resort to such dishonest means to raise a few extra pounds. I treat my customers the way I would want to be treated myself and respect has to be earned, not by deviousness or deceit. So a lovely cover with a flaw - if it is an issue - do not bid - simple. The rare ultimate first pressed record more than compensates and offers supreme sound and for fans of Zappa’s masterpiece ‘Hot Rats’, this is more of the same style as Ian Underwood, the master reedsman is also featured as is keyboard maestro, George Duke. Not had this for ages, and the only better copy I have seen is my own personal one that will not be offered for sale.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High: hugely prone to ring wear and rubbing and seldom seen without.

Cover Grade and Format: This is a difficult one to grade definitively: minus the sticker tear on the back, I truly could have graded full Mint. A near impossible task on this hugely fragile cover. In actual fact, this has far less real wear than my own, but the difference is the surface pull on the back. I suppose a grading of Excellent is not far out but I prefer to grade Mint (WITH a sticker tear on the back, that is more accurate). It’s a single format with no laminate with a matt finish. The surfaces are beautifully textured and made with soft card which is thin and flimsy. Printed and made in England by Upton.

Cover Front: Absolutely stunning, this looks just off the shelf new as made. I have never seen one better ever. Truly beautiful and so fragile, this has to be seen to be fully appreciated. My Mint grading (minus the sticker tear) is no exaggeration. There is simply nothing to fault and it’s as fresh and clean as when issued back in 1969.

Cover Back: The back is just the same as the front with a 2 x 0.5 inch sticker surface tear. It is a shame, there is no other word to describe the fact. Without this, it would be like new, yes true. Still, being near the top edge does not draw the eye’s attention as much and all the really critical artwork and text is unaffected. There is not even a hint of ringwear or record impression on either side and how this trauma has happened from such a careful owner, I do not know. Again I reitterate, if this is an issue, do not bid.

Top Edge: As made.

Bottom Edge: As made.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, ultra sharp with no wear whatsoever and guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Absolutely superb, looks new again and this is a hugely delicate part. Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, totally unworn and the manufactured pinched ends both retain beautiful shape. All text is perfect and unworn and the spine area is still ultra white and practically blemish-free.

Corners: Any tip rubs are microscopic and all retain practically mint pointed shape.

Cover Summary: It’s almost painful to see the sticker tear on what is a museum quality cover that apart. Never easy to find even a find very good example let alone better. All bar this flaw is pristine and still looks fantastic even with the tear. The affected area is black, so it could be enhanced quite easily – I left it well alone and any winning bidder can decide for themself. This beautiful item should please many collectors but clearly, the more discerning will not want the tear on the back - any doubts…

The Inner Sleeve: The plain white, unlined solid inner is practically Mint as made as well. Barely aged, creased and still a fine shade of white.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed on thick vinyl, as most first pressings are. A copy barely even played on all the evidence with just the odd faint hairline or surface trace under light. Visually a super 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 beautifully preserved first pressed record plays up to it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no significant pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for what is a complex and challenging album. Electric violin is one of the toughest challenges for tracking and only copies lightly played on quality equipment have any chance to survive today to offer the best sound possible. Few copies will match or outperform this prized first issue significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. I cannot explain what happened to the cover, I simply don’t know, but others from this lot were just like brand new too without any flaws. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended (with reservation on the cover tear - you, the buyer decide if it’s acceptable or not).

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.

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.

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 stiffners 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: 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 & 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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, 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’.