THE DOORS - LA Woman - RARER ORIG UK 1971 LP + INNER.

	£		55
	$		73

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

PLEASE NOTE: Overseas packets that go through the customs system, can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to process and deliver, this IS normal. For Russia, this can take even longer and is out of my control, so please be patient.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: THE DOORS

Album Title: LA Woman.

Producer(s): Bruce Botnick and The Doors.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Changeling; Love Her Madly; Been Down So Long; Cars Hiss by My Window; LA Woman.

Side 2: L’America; Hyacinth House; Crawling King Snake; The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat); Riders on the Storm.

Label/Format: Elektra – Original butterfly format with no Warner logo (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and highly attractive. But more especially under angled light, at least moderate spindle marks are seen. More than I would normally prefer to see, but in this case, I have no doubts the original ower used the labels as a guide to locate the hole. Both playing surfaces are clean with only very fine and faint surface marks and no penetrating scratches. Sound quality is superb as well with barely anything unwanted. This being the most important factor. This being one of the heaviest and robust copies of this evergreen classic I have yet had. So many seen are the light flimsy later pressings where the sound simply is not as rich and detailed.

Cat Number: K 42090.

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: 145 grams. This somewhat above average.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The pre-Warner label originals are harder to find. Especially so with a very neat and attractive yellow inner sleeve as described further down.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: K 42090 A1 / K 42090 B1

Brief Artist & Album Info: Without doubt one of the greatest US bands of the 60s and just into the early 70s, lead by the vocal icon Jim Morrison. ‘LA Woman’ was the final Doors album to feature this amazing singer. This remarkable release reaffirmed the quartet’s grasp of blues-rock. Beset by personal and professional problems, they retreated to a rehearsal room, cast such pressures aside and recorded a masterpiece that included several of their most memorable compositions. The musicianship is uniformly excellent, the interplay between guitarist Robbie Krieger and keyboard player Ray Manzarek exuded confidence, while the strength of Morrison’s voice - now very much deeper than on earlier albums - add an unmistakable resonance. His tragic death within a week of the album’s completion inevitably casts a shadow over it’s excellent content, especially the eerie rain and thunder with the funereal electric piano of ‘Riders On The Storm’ - has any original band ever ended their career on such a magnificent high? - I dismiss of course the two non-Morrison albums that followed. This stunning album surprisingly only made 28 in the UK charts whereas it peaked at 9 in their native US. A common album to find as a later UK pressing that had the solid cover and no inner, but the early copies are much different. The originals have a front with a real cut-out window with a see through perspex type ‘glass’ with the band printed on it. The famous inner gives the yellow effect through the ‘glass’ and has the controversial crucifix illustration. With Morrison’s rapid fall to self-destruction, quite how this band held this together to produce one of the greatest albums of the entire 70s was little short of remarkable – ‘LA Woman’ is possibly the greatest ‘epitaph’ album ever made this copy, although it appears a number of times, does it strong justice.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD(++): a single unlaminated format with the original round corners and see-through printed window. The white ‘DOORS’ text is embossed. The rare yellow crucifix inner gives the yellow effect through the window. Printed and made in England by Shorewood with the scarcer ‘Patents Pending’ text. This has the dual cat number K 42090 and EKS-75011 numbers on the back, although the official number in the UK was K 42090.

Cover Front: Overall, the cover has aged a little but nothing excessively, it is quite a fragile and thin sleeve and prone to just about everything. So all-in-all, this is a very solid and still quite attractive example (or I would not offer it). The front has only very faint traces of rubbing with several quite gentle surface creases that have only very modest visible impact. A little thicking and mildish rubbing of the lower circular corners is seen as well as all of the fully intact spine edge text – that is very common indeed as the spine’s on this were practically flat from new. The top white DOORS text is clean and attractive and undamaged. Arguably the most important part of this cover is the window cut and the plastic printed ‘glass’. Here this is quite impressive with no splits or tears, the frame is mostly sharp with minimal thickening or burring. So many of the plastic printed part dulls and fogs with scratches and crease-cracks – this one has avoided most of any of this and the graphic looks superb and remains very clear. One very small crease near the bottom left corner, but the lack of ugly marks makes this a huge positive for this vintage cover. Equally, both sides have avoided any sticker marks or tears, another peril this unforgiving cover had to face.

Cover Back: The back is similar: a little very gentle surface rubbing, the odd light crease or two and a few quite fine press marks near the top that are only really seen with more scrutiny under light. A very ring wear prone plain back that has avoided it.

Top Edge: A little very light patchy rubbing with the corner circles reasonably sharp and neat.

Bottom Edge: Light to moderate patchy rubbing, the areas near the corners are more thickened and less neat than the top pair.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and quite sharp with minimal traces of thickening or burring, this guaranteed untrimmed, the record enters here.

Spine and Text: Solid but thin, as stated above, these were quite flat when first made, hence the text is seen more on the front face. The ths surface has only light, patchy rubbing and the text has survived more-or-less fully intact.

Corners: All the back curved corners are quite crisp and neat. As generally are the top front pair. The bottom front ones are a little thickened and rubbed. Few of these escape without some wear and many get badly damaged over time.

Cover Summary: A very good solid all-round example of a difficult original cover. It remains attractive and fully intact, the window area will better many, if not most. Enough to remind overall of it’s 40+ years of age and not for the highly discerning collector, but these are now getting quite scarce and many will enjoy owning it.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): truly exceptional and up there with the best I have seen. The centre of the bottom edge had a very neat and quite small movement split which I have neatly repaired to stop it widening further. There is barely any evidence now it was eve there and few will escape this unscathed. This one is very clean, fresh and attractive and all edges now are very solid. The bottom corners were vented in manufacture and also rounded all crisp and neat. The artwork has always been controversial but for sure, it will rarely be seen better than this (please see my close-up picture). Barely any hint of creasing, or marks – any discolouration or toning is very faint and light which makes this one of the very best inners I have ever seen on this classic album, these are so prized when found like this. This can and usually does ring wear, but this has hardly even a trace of rim impression with no ink lost whatsoever. What also sets this one apart, is the top recessed opening is ultra sharp, uncreased or damaged. Although the record may be have been played a number of times, I feel sure it was stored outside this crucial inner that has survived in near remarkable condition

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: and this does this lovely record scant justice. Under angled light, some very fine whispy surface marks or hairlines are evident, but the lack of larger marks or scratches is a real plus. These minor surface traces are totally superficial and non-sounding, and most used records rarely escape these types of blemishes. Still clean with fine shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed. The most important factor, is the lack of groovewear and as stated, I am sure the spindle usage evidence was purely because of alignment to locate the spindle to the hole. Visually a very fine record that should 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 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic album plays even above it’s fine visual grading with very little 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. I did a direct comparison against a thinner pressed Warner logo label copy, and quite honestly, the different in depth, detail and sonic delivery was quite vast. This heavy pressing being superior in every department. Any surface sounds are minimal and faint, and hardly any at all. No pops or significant clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing – this does have some quiet passages but all play very well indeed. Seeing at least moderate spindle marks on labels was an initial concern, but my fears were quickly dispelled. The dynamics and detail within this early copy are incredible. Morrison’s vocals truly have in-the-room quality and presence and Kriegers guitar is simply breathtaking. The tragic loss of Morrison at this time was a loss to the world, who knows what he could have achieved after this masterwork with his new deeper bluesy voice. Few copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. A copy played a number of times, but I suggest with due care on a worthy record player. A long-standing favourite of mine, this copy does it fine justice – the title song is simply sublime and has to be heard from a copy like this. Although the cover gives clues to it’s considerable age, the record offers few and will last indefintely given the care it merits. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this still impresisve record. As stated, not a copy for the perfectionist, but for those who want to experience a copy issued as close to when Morrison was still with us as possible, this one still delivers.

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] = £4.25

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 (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 (£17 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’.