THE DOORS LA Woman RARER Orig UK 71 EX++ Final Classic.

	£		221
	$		293

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

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 (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: ultra clean, fresh and highly attractive. I am struggling to find a spindle trace at all.

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: 125 grams. A typically average weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce especially as an early pressed example with a neat cover and a record quite possibly unplayed. So many of these original format ‘window’ covers get badly damaged and the inners are often ripped and torn or missing altogether. The inner on this copy is in very impressive condition and that is immensely difficult to find as such.

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/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 magnificently strong song? - 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. The record without doubt has hardly been played or even touched and the sound throughout is fantastic with very little to fault. 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.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a single unlaminated format with the original round corners and see-through 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.

Cover Front: Firstly, the window area: this is little short of immaculate. The die-cut rounded window frame is crisp, totally unburred or thickened – I have rarely seen this fragile area better. Also, the perspex screen print of the band is close to pristine and even under light, shows barely any hints of scratches or even fine hairlines. That is a near impossibility these days as this is soft and easily marked. It retains incredible clarity, shine and freshness, no creasing or ripple of any note. This really is the crucial area which makes a massive difference. Just a few tiny marks on the bottom right corner that hardly even show. Now the main deep maroon ‘frame’: a few very light surface creases that have minimal visibility with hardly any rubbing. A tiny thumb ‘nick’ on the right edge but little else to fault. Overall, this fragile front looks impressive.

Cover Back: The back is similar: a few light surface creases and odd minute chip but the lack of rubbing and especially ring wear is a huge bonus and this unforgiving cover sets a high standard.

Top Edge: No rubbing of any note, very mild traces of thicking on the round corner arc – this being critical.

Bottom Edge: Any rub traces are beyond tiny, corner arcs neat and crisp.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The back edge is crisp and practically devoid of wear or thickening. The front has a small thumb nick as mentioned above, this can be seen (just) on my picture. Any burring or thickening very few and light. The small nick on the front being the most significant blemish on this fine cover, hopefully that reitterates how nice this is.

Spine and Text: A fine spine but manufactured very thin, hence delicate, and this is the part that is more often ragged and even damaged. Solid, straight with minimal evidence of compression, this was a thin spine from new. The main spine itself shows barely any wear at all with just burring and thickening of the bottom arc at the beginning of the round corner, the top has little to fault. All text is perfect with NO wear at all, that being a considerable bonus.

Corners: The main curve on the corners are all neat and crisp, I have expained above if any of the first arc areas are thickened or burred.

Cover Summary: A neatly attractive all-round example of this very fragile early 70’s cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. With so many damaged and tatty with large tears quite common, this almost intact and attractive example sets a high standard. With mimimal edge rubbing, fully present, undamaged spine text, a superb window and frame edge, this will not be easy to beat and should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): and truly exceptional. The only blemish, a small tone spot on the back left edge clearly visible on my picture. That apart, almost as made being very clean, fresh and attractive and all edges very solid. The bottom had a very small and ultra neat movement split, I carefully repaired this to stop any chance of it widening. It is so neat and undetectable I hardly know whay I mentioned it, but there you go, I always do and will. So often, even new examples were split from motion movement on their journey to the retailers. The bottom corners were vented in manufacture and also rounded. 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, ageing or other marks make 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.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and this does this lovely record scant justice. A copy that looks hardly even played with stunning labels and ultra clean playing surfaces. A little tiny dulling seen within the pressing on ‘Cars Hiss By My Window’ but this has minimal effect on play with any sound (via my ultra sensitive equipment) faint, brief and negligible. So often heavily played and why not? Very clean with excellent shine, intense black and solidly pressed. No scratches and even hairline traces under light minuscule. Visually a super record that should please many, if not 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic album plays even above it’s high visual grading with 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. 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. The dynamics and detail within the 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 early pressing significantly I feel sure. A copy that looks barely even run-in and this at times gave that rare tingle factor only the great recordings and albums ever can. A long-standing favourite of mine, this copy does it supreme justice – the title songs is simply sublime and has to be heard from a copy like this. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly (if indeed at all) and offers the ultimate in audio pleasure, and will do so for many years to follow. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find 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 as 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’.