THE PRETTY THINGS (1st Album) RARE ORIG UK 1965 MONO FONTANA LP, LOVELY EXAMPLE.

	£		103
	$		136

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 PRETTY THINGS

Album Title: The Pretty Things

Producer(s): Bobby Graham

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Road Runner; Judgement Day; Big City; Unknown Blues; Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut.

Side 2: Honey, I Need; Oh, Baby Doll; She’s Fine, She’s Mine; Don’t Lie to Me; The Moon is Rising; "Pretty Thing.

Label/Format: Fontana – original format with matt and rough textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and very attractive with only a small few light, fine and quite faint spindle marks. This appears little played, and even on revealing black labels, these minor spindle marks show little.

Cat Number: TL 5239

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: 147 grams. A quite heavy pressing from the era of quality.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce: and rare in finer conditions.

Original Year of Release: 1965

Matrix Nos: 687341 1L//1 420 1 1 1 2 & 687341 2L//1 420 1 1 0 1 2 (the latter stampers on side two appear reversed)

Musicians: Phil May - vocals, harmonica; Brian Pendleton - guitar; John Stax - bass; Dick Taylor - guitar; Viv Prince - drums.

Brief Info: The first Pretty Things album and in commercial terms, their most successful. It was their only album to chart until 1970 when ‘Parachute’ scraped into the top 50 in the UK. Featuring a number of RnB covers with a couple of their own songs, this is classic-era British beat, and heard here with impressive clean mono sound. The over 50-year-old record has only a few light surface marks, but superficial and non-sounding. Few available ones will better this for looks or sound, most will be heavily played and worn. Even the cover is impressive, some toning on the unprotected back, but the front is almost exceptional. Arguably, one of the lesser-lauded classics of the British beat era, not seen often, this should please many fans and collectors.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: this an average overall grading, the front is better still. A single format with front laminate. This covers all the folds and ends on the back covered by a paste-on style matt panel. Printed and made in England, uncredited. Includes the white polylined inner sleeve that is British patented with ‘British and Other Patents Pending’ text.

Lamination & Front: A superb looking front with deep rich colour of the band graphic. The laminate has only gentle friction rub dulling seen under light and probably almost as light as it gets for a cover this great age. It still retains fine shine, freshness and clarity with no lifting or peeling. The lack of creasing is a massive plus with any of the very few present fine and faint. Very impressive indeed.

Cover Back: Fontana covers rarely age well, especially those with the paste-on back panels. The adhesive used will darken and brown, and this has some, mainly towards the left side. Any adhesive that smears on the surface within manufacture would have been invisible at the time, but as the years move on, this will always brown and age. And I am sure this is what has happened here, even though it may appear as a strain. Anyway, this browning (or staining, whatever you wish to call it) apart, it has little else to fault bar almost unavoidable traces of grubbiness on the basic black and white surface. No rubbing, scuffs, writing or creasing, this has simply, and most likely, just naturally aged. And at around 50 years old, it probably has the right to a little.

Top Edge: Pristine: ultra straight, smooth, shiny, unscuffed or flaked, this edge is immaculate.

Bottom Edge: A small toning trace near the left corner, then practically as above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with very little wear at all. Any thickening or burring minimal and light as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced, this vintage cover made with thicker than standard card.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight, this with a more rounded manufacture, I feel there is little compression. All text is near perfect and unworn under the solid and unpeeled laminate, just a couple of ultra fine hairline creases with a hint of darkening of the white card (this being somewhat critical).

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and light, hardly anything. Excellent shape being retained with no knocks or dinks.

Cover Summary: Overall, a very fine example, the front superb, the back a little aged, but with very little real wear. With that in mind, it should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: little to fault other than ageing with natural discolouration and browning of the seam adhesive areas especially. Two near pristine window circles, the polylining intact and still clear, all edges unsplit with no repairs. Neat corner creasing, often done by the owners to reduce risk of the record sliding out. This is British patented with ‘British and Other Patents Pending’ text, also a date code of 016 (January 1966), reiterating an early example.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: arguably better for a mono record of this age and type. These early beat albums usually took a lot of heavy usage and most are seen trashed or in very poor shape. This is still an impressive visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, mostly light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. There are no penetrating stylus scratches at all and few mono records of this vintage will be seen a great deal better. So many of these classic RnB albums are seen trashed, ruined by heavy usage and covered in heavy scratches on dulled worn-out vinyl. This copy in almost opposite terms, retaining lovely freshness and shine, the audio quality still very high and with little unwanted. Visually not pristine, but a super 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This mid-60s beat classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault, this being played on a very revealing stereo LP12 turntable. Offering strong, mostly very clear sound with barely any hint of sound degrading or distortion, sound quality is high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds registering little and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. I must make this clear: the song ‘13 Chester Street’ has several sounds that may trick listeners into thinking they are pressing noises. But this is NOT the case, the sounds are perfectly correct and normal. Having offered a copy last year, I know this to be true, initially concerned by the previous one, I checked on several websites and listened to this track online, and hey presto, exactly the same sounds were heard in exactly the same places, which came as a major relief. This quality record again plays impressively and I enjoyed to mostly to the near maximum. How many available copies of such records can still be enjoyed on clinical stereo systems these days?, they were not even designed to be played on such equipment, but when they play well, they are still a thrill to hear. Few copies will better this significantly I feel sure. I am certain this record has been played only lightly and has been generally well stored and handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Yes a few light marks or blemishes and the cover a little aged (in the back), but barely anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this elusive record. It could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be highly 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’.