ROLLING STONES 1st SCARCE UK ORIG UNBOXED DECCA EX LP

	£		49
	$		65

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE ROLLING STONES

Album Title: The Rolling Stones.

Producer(s): Andrew Loog Oldham.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Route 66; I Just Want to Make Love to You; Honest I do; I Need You Baby; Now I’ve Got a Witness; Little by Little.

Side 2: I’m a King Bee; Carol; Tell Me; Can I Get a Witness; You Can Make It If You Try; Walking the Dog.

Label/Format: Decca –original unboxed format (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions & Detail: Both very clean, attractive and retaining a lovely fresh look. Spindle marks are only very light and surprisingly few, faint traces of surface scuffs on side two barely even show. This record is immensely difficult to find unboxed that has not been played into the ground and this one certainly has not been and is light years away from being so. Few of these popular vintage monos withstand clinically revealing stereo equipment to reveal high quality, clean sound with no distortion or groovewear – this one does and was a pleasure to listen too. .

Cat Number: LK 4605.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 148 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: Moderate in theory, most all Rolling Stones albums sold well but it’s the conditions that make the difference. The unboxed copies rarely show up this nice. Let me make it clear: I will not offer inferior and poor-sounding records and believe me, there are many many of them around by The Beatles and The Stones. This lovely record, that has only modest light and mostly fine surface marks, plays beautifully throughout with as close to perfect mono sound as is likely these days. Not loaned out, not played at parties, not personalised for identification, no need to, it went nowhere. Purchased from brand new and treated with the respect it deserved. Compare to most of the 60s examples that took phenomenal hammer and abuse with blunt stylus Dansettes or similar vintage record players. This record was a delight from start to finish. There lies the difference. Okay, the cover has taken a knock and has a few blemishes, but even this will beter the majority of early ones around.

This is NOT a very first pressing as the matrixes confirm, this plays the full length version of ‘Tell Me’, NOT the short version that was only included on the ultra rare 1A matrix on side two. PLEASE be clear on this point. NO excuses for not knowing this, I have made it very clear.

Original Year of Release: 1964

Matrix Nos: XARL 6271-2A / XARL 6272-4A

Stamper Codes: 1 C M / 5 1 C M [The ‘M’s not clear and my best guess].

Brief Info: Debut album from rock’s most durable and evergreen band, this dates way back to 1964 and most will know all about it. I reitterate again, this copy plays the FULL LENGTH version of ‘Tell Me’, NOT the short version. I will now concentrate more on its condition after maing this point crystal-clear because I know someone will ask, if they do, it proves they don’t read the advert and will ignore the question.

Cover Grade and Format: VG++, arguably better. A single format with a Clarifoil laminated front that wraps around the spine on to the back. The top and bottom edges are also protected, this has NO external flipbacks. Printed and made in England.

Lamination & Front: The main issue with this front is the right corner has taken a knock. This has left a less than moderate crease and of course, the laminate has lifted around it. My camera flash has washed this out a little but IS present. A moderate blister that has NOT cracked. Shame, because this apart, it’s really lovely and has little else to fault. A few tiny surface creases show little and the laminate being clear and shiny with minimal traces of any dulling or friction rubs.

Cover Back: The exposed back with large areas of white does have a couple of small stains, I have highlighted the track listing in close-up which shows one clearly, both are pretty much the same. A few light creases and some very mild traces of grubbiness and handling. How many won’t have? let’s be honest. No ringwear or rubbing or note and other marks are few. Both front and back still look fine but are clearly not blemish-free.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both show little wear at all and these are still fully laminated.

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

Spine and Text: This spine is very impressive. Rarely do these slightly flimsy covers survive with such neat and unworn spines. Very solid, quite straight with any compression very mild. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid, clear and shiny laminate. No yellowing and still super-smooth to fingertips with no grazing at all. One microscopic hairline crease if being ultra-critical.

Corners: All in very neat shape and practically devoid of any wear other than tiny tip rubs, all retain lovely neat shape and pointed definition.

Cover Summary: Beginning to think this is somewhat undergraded, the front minus the crease and lift would be nearer EX+, but still looks nice anyway. Clearly not for the more discerning Stones collector, but this now highly Guide-priced album will please the more ‘average’ collector. The record is very nice indeed which is consider more important than the cover (given the choice).

The Inner: This comes with its original polylined inner, it’s in fine condition but has one significant crease on one corner as can be seen in my picture, a far lesser-one on the diagonally opposite corner, some ruffling too. Those apart, nice. It is British patented and has Foreign patents pending text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX / EX(-) A lovely visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. This has some light surface marks but not many, most hairlines and even the couple of ones that do appear a little heavier, have no sound. Often seen with mazes of marks, deep penetrating scratches and ugly fingermarks. Chalk and cheese, this has nothing even remotely like that – I won’t touch, buy or offer such rubbish. These types have had their day and those that survive like this and play to the highest possible standards are the ones I want to offer. As I have said, Rollings Stones records are not that hard to find, but clean playing copies are a different story. A copy that appears modestly played, reitterated by sound that even exceeds its generally fine visual. This will again please many 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 fantastic record plays even above 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 full dynamic range and detailed sound. Although hardly a hi-fi masterpiece this has a lovely raw production that was just perfect for its vintage and will rarely be heard cleaner or better than this from an unboxed example. Barely any surface sounds and no clipping or crackle and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. The raw sound remains fully focused and sharp, few ever will especially when played on highly revealing equipment. Remember, this record was not really designed to be played on clinical stereo systems. That said, this was a mono only album, so the owner had no choice for this one. No heavyweight tracking, thick heavy stylus have ruined this one, the owner insisted it was never played on a mono record player and judging by looks and sound, I could never disbelieve it. Few will even match this copy I feel sure, remember this is a record way over forty years old, hardly a spring chicken in vinyl terms for sure. Both channels are clean and sharp (often mono records play quietly though one channel only for the other to be noisy), this caused by badly aligned or chipped pick-ups – not this one. I am certain this record has been played only modestly and the fact the marks do not sound makes a massive different. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful old record, it will almost remind many of what this title once sounded like when first purchased. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better for outstanding sound and on that basis can be strongly recommended. Not a connoisseur copy for cover and record looks, but if sound is the more important factor, this is a beauty – you decide, any doubts, do not bid.

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: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). 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 VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. 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 as well as a 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 ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not 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. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

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 ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12. (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 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’.