JOY DIVISION Unknown Pleasures SCARCE UK 79 FACTORY EX++

	£		44
	$		58

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

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 ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: JOY DIVISION

Album Title: Unknown Pleasures

Producer & Engineer: Martin Hannett.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Disorder; Day of the Lords; Candidate; Insight; New Dawn Fades.

Side 2: She’s Lost Control; Shadowplay; Wilderness; Interzone; I Remember Nothing.

Cat Number: FACT 10.

Label/Format: Factory – one side black, one side white (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both clean, still fresh and attractive with just a few light spindle marks on the white side, barely any on the black.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate: this is a slightly later pressing with the smooth-finish cover that has semi-shiny surfaces. This copy pressed on non-translucent vinyl e.g. light does NOT pass through this copy when held to light.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 138 grams. A very good weight for this record, one of the heaviest I have held actually.

Original Year of Release: 1979

Matrix Nos: FACT 10 - OUTSIDE-2 / FACT 10-INSIDE-2

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘THIS IS THE WAY’ on side one / ‘STEP’ on side two.

Musicians: Ian Curtis – vocals, guitar; Bernard Sumner – guitar, synthesisers, bass; Peter Hook – bass guitar, guitar; Stephen Morris – drums.

Album/Band Information: Now recognised as a bona fide classic, this was Joy Division’s debut album and few first albums have hit the mark quite like this. Both the band’s only two proper studio releases are definitive gems that should be included in any serious collection. Fronted by the tragic Ian Curtis, a man whose vocal intensity made them so unique. Rarely has a singer sounded more troubled, moody and at times, desperate. All his emotion on this album was real which makes both their albums all the more haunting and chilling. But amongst the darkness their is a stark beauty to the the band’s music and the listening experience is never bleak. Joy Division had an original sound with drums and bass high in the mix, and they often lead, being more dominant than the guitar and keyboards. The lyrics are deeply troubled and complex and Curtis would not discuss their meaning. Clues of his desperate plight went ignored until it was too late. This timeless record proudly stands up there with the all-time greats and always features in any list compiled by critics and buyers alike. A masterwork of near unrivalled intensity, power and darkness, it did not sell well initially, charting at only 71 in the UK and not at all in the US, but after the success of the hit single ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, more interest was shown. This album has not aged at all and with several modern bands sounding quite similar. I recommend the younger vinyl fan to listen to Joy Division, but be prepared for a fairly unsettling experience. As groundbreaking as the likes of The Doors, Velvet Underground and Patti Smith’s first albums. Ian Curtis, one of the last truly great vocalists, a desperate man demanding to be heard, tragically taking his own life after the conclusion of their second album, ‘Closer’. I still remember the day: I was listening to John Peel’s 10 o’clock radio show when he announced his death. John was almost too choked to talk and just played the music with no interruption. He was really that great, both their only studio albums demand to be heard and enjoyed forever. Joy Division’s legend and popularity fails to diminish, their records are much sort-after and even a full length feature film was released covering their formation and works up to Curtis’s death, and now more recently a full documentary film too. Like their music, this too was a very moving experience. This is not a very first pressing, but a superb, ultra clean copy that plays beautifully – that the most important thing for me. The next paragraph was written by Colin Larkin about this groundbreaking release, it features in the Virgin top 1000 albums book, it was voted No. 111 best album of all time:

“Joy Division’s music inhabits an eerie, twilight world. Decay and alienation envelop singer Ian Curtis, whose cavernous, but dispassionate, voice belied the intensity he brought to bear. Rolling drum patterns, thudding bass lines and uncluttered synthesizer combine to create a dank, brooding atmosphere, chillingly supporting the songs’ bleak lyrics. Yet listening to Unknown Pleasures is not a depressing experience. The group generate a terse excitement, emphasizing individual strengths and avoiding unnecessary embellishment. Their sense of commitment is utterly convincing and few debut albums can boast such unremitting power”. – A perfect description I can add nothing else too – simply listen to this record whenever possible. Regardless of era or age, this for me, is one of the greatest albums ever made and I strongly recommend it.

Cover Condition and Type: EXCELLENT(++): a single format with semi-shiny, smooth (untextured) surfaces. Made in the UK.

Cover Front & Back: Clearly this cover is prone to all forms of wear, but has avoided it well due to being cover-protected. A small dull spot near the top edge of the front with any surface traces or creasing minimal, tiny and faint. The lack of rubbing and ring wear considerable bonuses too. This uncompromising cover will prove hard to find much better.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both practically as made, straight and unrubbed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Very clean, sharp with no burring, wear or thickening. Record entered on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: The spine is superb and has no rubbing. Solid, straight with any compression gentle and faint. All text is pristine perfect and unworn and never take this for granted on this unforgiving cover, this seen on my close-up picture. Also notice how well centred this is on quite a narrow depth.

Corners: All crisp, neat with any tip rubs or creases, tiny, light and faint. Excellent to near mint shape retained.

Cover Summary: A near reference standard example of this second format cover, these equally as difficult to find in such lovely condition. This should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: MINT(-), unlined with ALL edges unsplit or repaired - this is so unusual, many were split on purchase with the sharp rimmed vinyl often sawing through in transit to the retailers. Very clean, fresh and attractive, devoid of grubbiness and hardly a mark or rim trace to be seen. One near microscopic corner tip crease trace stops a practically Mint grading (and look very hard).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): or better. A super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface trace marks tiny, very few and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. This too with a hard card inner that is never friendly to the record’s surfaces. Visually a super record that should please most collectors.

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 Factory record plays even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything 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 pops or significant clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will outperform this still quite early pressing significantly I feel sure. The vinyl experience of this album surpasses any other version I have heard with really powerful delivery of Curtis voice and dynamic punch of the instruments, especially drum and bass. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. 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.

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] = £4.75

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]) = £12.50 (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]) = £16.50 (£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’.