THE DOORS The Soft Parade SCARCE ORIG UK 1969 LP with RARE INSERT. NICE EXAMPLE.

	£		45
	$		60

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: THE DOORS

Album Title: The Soft Parade.

Producer(s): Paul A. Rothchild.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Tell All the People; Touch Me; Shaman’s Blues; Do It; Easy Ride.

Side 2: Wild Child; Runnin’ Blue; Wishful Sinful; The Soft Parade.

Label/Format: Elektra – original orange and silver format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Side two is in super condition, being clean, still fresh with less than moderate spindle marks. Side one would have been similar, but has a round sticker removal residue mark, but the surface has no tears or any significant lifting, any traces tiny and minimal. But the mark clearly shows.

Cat Number: EKS 75005.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm. [this album was not issued in mono]

Weight of this Record: 145 grams. An impressive weight even for a first pressing.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: This original EKS album is quite rare and I have always found this the hardest UK pressed Doors album to find. This copy is visually down with some cover wear mainly on the upper and lower edges and the record has surface marks and a label residue mark. The scarce insert is included with some toning and neat folding, but fully intact and still attractive as seen. For me, the most important factor is the sound quality which remains very high indeed. This elusive UK first issue plays with very little unwanted bar the odd sporadic tick. Play-graded as always on my highly revealing Linn LP12 Sondek, this gave a very fine account of itself – or I simply would not have offered it. So one for those wanting a copy of this great Doors album (still sadly underappreciated in my humble opinion) to enjoy the music without shelling out for a high grade visual copy. But not one this time for the more visual purist who want ‘perfection’ at any cost. I cannot say fairer.

Original Year of Release: July 1969.

Matrix Nos: EKS 75005-A1 / EKS 75005 B1

Mothers / Stampers: A 1 / A 1 [these speak for themselves, an ultimate first pressing, these very hard to find especially]

Musicians: Jim Morrison - lead vocals; Robby Krieger - guitar, vocals; Ray Manzarek - keyboards, bass guitar, vocals; John Densmore - drums, percussion. Guests: Harvey Brooks and Dough Lubahn - bass; Curtis Amy - saxophone; George Bohanan - trombone; Champ Webb - English horn; Jesse McReynolds - mandolin; Jimmy Buchanan - fiddle; Reinol Andino - conga.

Brief Info: The Door’s fourth album that marked a slight change in direction, moving away from the ‘Underground’ into a more commercial sound. An album that received more mixed reviews at the time, it’s overall sound was probably a surprise. All the basic ingredients remained, but this album included brass and strings, and even includes a bluegrass song (‘Runnin’ Blue’), with some rare vocal by Krieger. A lush production that took far longer to record than previously, and although this album is often rated as average within the Morrison era, I still personally consider it as another superb Doors set. Notable too, it was the first NOT to be issued in both mono and stereo. Possibly slightly biased maybe, this legendary band have long been favourites of mine and they could do no wrong as far as I was concerned. This original group never made a bad song for me, let alone album – this one is simply a little ‘different’ – and I never have any issues with experimenting with sound. Less intense, but with wonderful melodies and Morrison again in sublime vocal form – I love this album. I can not say the cover is anything like top draw, but in terms of this one, still very respectable with mainly wear to edges. The record has fine surface marks, but no penetrating, feelable stylus scratches. Thus this plays with excellent (or even better) sound with very little unwanted. The difference between a clean-cut original and a later repressing is significant, the details embedded into these vintage grooves will not be beaten. The inside cover artwork is stunning and here is almost perfect as can be seen on my close up pictures. The icing on the cake is the inclusion of the rare insert sheet – printed on both sides – one graphic, one lyrics. Again, not perfect, but this insert was dropped entirely for later butterfly pressings that were not too far away. For Doors fans needing this original where sound is the priority, this sets a high standard, but not for the more discerning visual purist.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD(+): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. This has the original EKS catalogue number of course, beware of substitutions because early reprints are similar. Printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day and includes the rare original insert sheet and white inner sleeve.

Cover Front: A cover well-known for all forms of wear and often severe. This has a small surface pull mark near the top left corner, and most of any wear is seen on the very edges. Still generally clean with deep colour, very little creasing at all, any marks to the card few and light as well. All very respectable indeed, and this a far from easy one to ever find even excellent – originals especially.

Cover Back: The back is largely the same with most of any rubbing or chips near the edges. The lack of penetrating ringwear is a major plus as few are ever seen without often significant amounts.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Fantastic artwork and this is in super condition with little to fault at all.

Top Edges: Light to more moderate patchy rubbing. However, straight and flush with no splits.

Bottom Edges: These storage edges, predictably, have more consistent (less patchy than above) moderate and plus rubbing in places.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both generally neat and still quite sharp with a little thickening and light burring here and there. Both still quite flat and meet together flush and parallel. The record enters on the back and both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Most of any rubbing is on the ends with moderate amounts. Only small and little rubbing elsewhere and somewhat against the odds, practically all the text is intact and present, that also the same for the vulnerable fold hinges. Overall, mainly solid, straight with any compression or tilt light. Folded square so the edges meet up closely together and parallel. Again, this vulnerable edge is very respectable.

Corners: All corners have above moderate rubbing with near fine shape, minor rounding and loss crispness almost inevitable.

Cover Summary: Minus the typical edge rubbing and the small surface pull on the front, this would be a very fine example overall. With the main four faces in impressive condition and the spine text being nigh-on fully present, the positives far outweigh the negatives. No splits or tears either. Enjoyment for viewing a cover for me is to look at the front, back and inside with the edges of lesser importance. I am not saying they are not important, but not as crucial as the main areas. So, clearly not for the more discerning collector, but many fans will still enjoy it. The unlined open window white inner is included and has darkened with age. Minimal creasing and all edges secure and solid with no splits or repairs.

The Lyric Insert: EXCELLENT(–): this is guaranteed original. Great band artwork one side and the song lyrics on the other. This only came with the first-made originals and it remains an elusive insert only briefly available. The graphic side is lovely with just a mild tone ‘stain’ near the bottom left. The lyric side has more toning/staining, but considering age, this can be regarded as quite light overall. It has been folded twice, but neatly and sharply, so this detracts little. There are no tears or splits and all edges are sharp. With more copies missing this than including it, this an integral part of a first issue UK copy.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VERY GOOD(++): with the surface marks mostly very fine and light with no penetrating, feelable stylus scratches. This is very well pressed and without pressing bumps and blisters I have seen previously on some. Still clean with fine shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy played a few times and quite possibly the surface marks being the result of dry cloth ‘cleaning’. The main factor being hardly anything sounds at all. Visually still a very fine vintage record that should please many collectors, but the more discerning visual purists. Originals of this album are never easy to find, thus, along with the very fine sound quality, I have no qualms in offering it.

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: A record that plays at least a full grade, or even above it’s visual grading and offers all the power, precision, details and grace of a heavyweight first issue. Impressive and distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - including the horns and strings that are always more of a challenge on older vinyl records. These complex sounds more intolerant of heavy tracking equipment more used from the past. Sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound and no tracking issues*. A powerful production and genereally clean sound this was a pleasure to hear again via a vinyl source and they seldom sound a great deal better than this. The lack of any distortion, pressing noises or groove wear is the most important factor and very little surface sound either – this being played on a very sensitive system. Often the reeds and strings can clip and break up on less than fine copies which ruins this more fragile recording – this has none of that and this is a superior first pressing for ultimate detail. The odd sporadic click or two, but few overall – a couple noted near the spoken part of the title song, and that passage is always challenging. This rare A1/A1 stamper copy even surpassed my expectations being honest, I know this to be quite a difficult record. Few available early pressed copies will beat this significantly for clean and focused sound, and little of any major note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful, and still unfairly underrated record and I can highly recommend it. All elements of this set have visual issues for the more sensitive collector, but the sound was impressive – I am not saying pristine – but I enjoyed it a lot. Certainly worthy of consideration if a genuine first issue is wanted that delivers for sound, without the high likelihood of the huge cost of a near mint visual copy – makes fine sense to me.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.