THE KINKS (1st Album) SCARCE ORIG UK 1964 EX– LP, SUPER SOUND, LOVELY EX+ COVER.

	£		123
	$		163

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, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled 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 KINKS

Album Title: The Kinks

Producer(s): Shel Talmy

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Beautiful Delilah; So Mystifying; Just Can’t Go to Sleep; Long Tall Shorty; I Took My Baby Home; I’m a Lover Not a Fighter; You Really Got Me.

Side 2: Cadillac; Bald Headed Woman; Revenge; Too Much Monkey Business; I’ve Been Driving on Bald Mountain; Stop Your Sobbing; Got Love if You Want It.

Label/Format: Pye – matt, smooth surfaces with ‘recording first published 1964’ text.

Label Conditions: Both clean with a fine degree of freshness and still attractive with no writing or sticker marks etc. There are quite a lot of spindle alignment marks on both which have modest visibility viewed full on, but show more under angled light. However, both playing surfaces are very clean with lovely shine, the lack of penetrating spindle marks is great news. In fact there are mostly only very fine and light surface marks seen under light. Practically all this record plays beautifully with little unwanted. Like most of my records, I got on approval, especially with numerous spindle marks on labels. On play-grade it even surpassed my expectations and was a real pleasure to listen too. These early vintage Pye records are tough and were made to withstand usage on the equipment of the day. Truly, I have heard copies of this and similar records with a fraction of the spindle marks on labels that did come anywhere near the sound quality of this very early copy. With many that surface trashed with sound to match, this record has more than survived, it still sounds great. That along with an age-defying cover, it is very clear this copy has been enjoyed, but with mostly great care.

Cat Number: NPL 18096

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Country of Manufacture: England

Weight of this Record: 160 grams. A typical heavy Pye pressing made in the era of quality.

Rarity & Info: Quite rare: especially with a superb cover and a clean record that still offers very impressive and clean sound. As said, these are normally seen in very poor condition with ripped, dirty and creased covers, and records unlistenable with deep penetrating scratches and groove wear. This somewhat on the other wide of the vinyl spectrum.

Original Year of Release: 1964

Matrix Nos: NN 1096-A1T / NN 1096-B1T (The ‘1’ on both sides is error-corrected from ‘2’).

Mothers / Stampers: O 1 / P 1

Musicians: Ray Davies – vocals, guitar; Dave Davies – vocals, guitar; Peter Quaife – bass; Mick Avory – Drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The first Kinks album and one that included seven Davies credited or part-credited songs, a fairly unusual event for many of the early RnB bands finding their way, but such was the talent of these men, it can be no real surprise. Most vinyl collectors and 1960s pop music fans will know all about this legendary band and albums and will no doubt know just how hard they are to find in fine playing conditions. Given it’s vintage, mode and style, this is a lovely copy. Quite a number of spindle marks on labels, yes – but it still plays with impressive clean sound with little unwanted. The cover as seen is impressive with few blemishes or ageing. A challenging record to find, and dating right back to 1964, this is very well preserved.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): even with minor blemishes, this is one of the finest I have yet seen. A single format, laminated on the front, this wraps around the closed edges and ends on three large rear external flipbacks. Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse and includes the ‘Patents pending’ text. Also included is a vintage Pye tracing paper style lined promotional inner.

Cover Front & Lamination: Totally age-defying and attractive, the laminate retains stunning shine, freshness and clarity with barely any lifting (one tiny spot near the top left corner tip), barely any dulling and very little creasing. A moderate half moon towards the right edge, most others are fine, mostly edge types that few can hope to avoid. A few gentle fine surface marks, but this is outstanding given the vintage. One to hold and cherish, few these days will better it significantly.

Cover Back: The back incredibly, is even better with little to fault. The main matt panel has minimal traces of discolouration or grubbiness, no rubbing or creasing, even rim impression has been avoided. A small few gentle creases apart on the flipback laminate, these are all close to perfect. Clean ends, no grime and barely even any burring. All as solid as when made, this robust top-quality cover both sides set a very high standard.

Top Edge: Dead straight, smooth with no laminate chipping or scuffs.

Bottom Edge: Same again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: This has thickened a little, but still neat and no feathering or softening. Guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced, the laminate end strip on the front still very much present and clean. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and mainly straight with minimal compression, a tiny few fine hairlines near the centre only. All text perfect and unworn under solid and unpeeled laminate. Any hint of toning tiny, the white surface shows minimal discolouration.

Corners: All corners exceptional with minimal traces of rubbing and better than excellent shape retained with no knocks or dinks.

Cover Summary: This is really lovely – how many available examples this age will better it? Few I doubt, this blows away its vintage and will please many, if not most-all collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): a tracing paper lined promotional Pye International inner. Almost as fresh and clean as when made all those years ago. A little creasing on one corner but all edges unsplit with no repairs, still a very attractive inner with the fragile lining still perfectly intact.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(–): a typically thick and heavy pressed Pye record with deep and wide grooves. There are surface marks, mostly fine and faint as seen under light. But no penetrating stylus scratches and this record plays really impressively. Mostly fine hairlines that few records like this can hope to avoid at very best, this is very fine mono record. It 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quality album plays even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. Offering strong, mainly distortion-free sound, the 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 light, overall an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Just the merest trace of degrading on ‘You Really Got Me’, the final song on side one, but even this being critical, and also being played on a revealing system for which this record was not really designed. Full-on sound, loud and with excellent sonic delivery, this I found an impressive listen. A tough heavyweight record with deep grooves, any surface marks are ignored. Few available copies will better this significantly I feel sure. Certainly played and enjoyed a number of times, but largely with due care on better equipment, clearly well stored, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment as that stunning cover will testify. Little of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this quality debut album. It could prove difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black 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 Black 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’.