LOU REED Rare 72 First Album with FULLY LAMINATED COVER

	£		53
	$		70

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Rare Early Pressed Classics to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down with Picture & All Shipping Rates.

Artist or Band: LOU REED

Album Title: Lou Reed.

Producer(s): Richard Robinson & Lou Reed.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: I Can’t Stand It; Going Down; Walk and Talk It; Lisa Says; Berlin.

Side 2: I Love You; Wild Child; Love Makes You Feel; Ride Into the Sun; Ocean.

Label/Format: RCA Victor – Original intense ‘bright’ orange format with glossy finish. Even slightly later examples had matt finished labels (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both pristine, immaculate, literally as new. These have that lovely radiance only these early-made orange RCA labels had, the matt ones paled in comparison when they followed in 1973. These have no spindle marks and you will rarely see a pair of orange ‘Victors’ looking better than these, equally as superb as the stunning ‘Ziggy’ I recently sold.

Cat Number: SF 8281.

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. [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: Scarce: this did not sell well and still not a name in great demand in the UK at this time. This very early pressing from 1972 includes a fully laminated cover and those gorgeous shiny labels. Fully laminated covers for this album are immensely scarce, indeed I actually offered a -1E/-1E copy last year on Ebay and even that did not have a fully laminated sleeve, just the front in that case. In real terms, this is probably as rare as the fully laminated ‘Hunky Dory’ album by Bowie. So not underestimate the rarity of this elusive set like this.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: BPRS 6349-2E / BPRS 6350-1E

Stamper Codes: A2F / A2AG

Musicians: Lou Reed – vocals, guitar; Caleb Quaye - electric and acoustic guitars, piano; Steve Howe - electric guitar; Rick Wakeman - piano; Paul Keogh - electric and acoustic guitars; Les Hurdle, Brian Odgers - bass guitars; Clem Cattini - percussion; Kay Garner, Helene Francois - vocal harmonies.

Brief Info: After founding and then quitting one of the most important bands of all time in The Velvet Underground, this was Lou Reed’s first ‘solo’ album and a fine set it is too. After a very brief ‘retirement’ and then signing to RCA records, this was a prelude to his next masterpiece which was Transformer, the album that finally got this man noticed and more commercial success. This record includes a few well-known musicians including Yes members Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman, material-wise, not dissimilar to Loaded, the last proper Velvets album. That should be no great surprise as some of these songs were written for the ‘Loaded’ era but were shelved. Smoothly produced with fine sound and songs but this record was largely ignored by critics and sold poorly, hence the scarcity of the very early pressed issues that in real terms are little easier to find that the early Velvets titles. The price guides again make this album sound common with the value of a modern CD – pure crazy and an insult to people’s intelligence. How many 1972 UK pressed copies of this exist and in high-grading conditions?. Fans of this unique US artist are sure to treasure this one.

Cover Grade and Format: EX+ (at least) a single, FULLY LAMINATED format. This rare original cover was printed in England by Clout & Baker Ltd.

Lamination: Front & Back: With fantastic artwork on the front, quite how this was so ‘unnoticed’ when issued I am not sure. I am certain this is the only fully laminated example I have ever seen and it looks really lovely. The only mild blemishing is mildish dulling around the record’s rim impression and few ever avoid that. The back being mainly black, when seen as a standard non-laminate, is usually badly rubbed and ringworn. Well the difference on this one will be immediately apparent of course. The laminate is mainly fully adhered bar a narrow few lifts on the back spine edge - all very fine and mild indeed - just one tiny trace on the front in the same area. Few will look better than this. The laminate retains a very fine shine and degree of freshness and has few marks. Obviously, the intense black back will show any blemishes freely, but few to see here bar the mild friction rubbing under light. Superb artwork can be enjoyed to the near maximum retaining bright, vivid colour with few marks and the whole cover has hardly any noteworthy creasing, always a bonus on darker covers of course. I regard this as one of the most difficult RCA covers (by a now major artist) to find fully laminated, like the aforementioned Bowie album, it was soon dropped to single and then later, none at all. One for the serious Reed fan and collector for sure.

Top & Bottom Edges: No wear, both laminated.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering or trimming. Any thickening very slightly only seen viewed end-on. Record enter this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with little compression and just a couple of very fine surface creases. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and unpeeled laminate.

Corners: All practically as manufactured again with lovely neat pointed shape retained.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this beautiful early 1972 cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. Finding the fully laminated one will always prove challenging and a delight to even be able to offer one. This beautiful item should please many, if not most collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ and little short of Mint(-) with just a few ultra faint surface traces, super-fine whispy removal marks that just catch angled light. Going by the labels, this looks unplayed, but possibly once or twice only prior to my sound-check. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. These ultra early 1972 pressings, this being one of the earliest ever, seldom get seen so little ‘used’. 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 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 and Audio Grading: This beautiful record that time has largely forgotten plays up too its high visual grading with 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 barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will match or outperform this vintage pressing I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful vintage Lou Reed record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and merits very high 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 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.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 Moth 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These 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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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 stiffners 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 FOUR 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); 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 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. 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 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’.