UNIT 4 + 2 [1st Album] SCARCE Orig UK 65 Mono EX LP

	£		21
	$		28

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: UNIT 4 + 2

Album Title: 1st Album.

Producer(s): John Barker.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Concrete and Clay; Sorrow and Pain; Couldn’t Keep It To Myself; You’ll Remember; Cotton Fields; 500 Miles.

Side 2: La Bamba; You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’; Swing Down Chariot; Wild is the Wind; The Girl From New York City; Cross a Million Mountains.

Label/Format: Decca (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with light to light+ spindle marks which are all fine and faint.

Cat Number: LK 4697.

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: 143 grams. A typical solid weight for Decca.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: and never easy finding these popular 60s mono records in clean condition and offering high quality sound. These were typical ‘party’ records, often loaned out and played to destruction on very basic record players that tracked at massive weights. Ten to 15 grams was not untypical, a huge down-force on a vinyl record, hardly any wonder most are seen trashed and unlistenable. To put into context, probably 20 to 30 plays on a modern fine-tipped quality stylus would equal just one play on a typical basic 1960s machine. Thus the life of a mono record was usually short in respect of being able to still offer top quality, near perfect sound. Such records are at a real premium these days.

Original Year of Release: 1965

Matrix Nos: ARL-6779-1A / ARL-6780-1A

Mothers / Stampers: 1B K / 1 K

Musicians: Tommy Moeller, Dave Meikle, Peter Moules, Howard Lubin, Rod Garwood and Hugh Halliday.

Brief Info: A mid-60s pop band originally founded by former Roulette Brian Parker. Their main claim to fame was the popular hit single ‘Concrete and Clay’ that made the No. 1 spot for a week – this at a time when the singles chart actually meant something. The song opens this debut album, entitled ‘1st Album’ in the UK but carrying the famed single name in the US. Success was not to last however, further singles faired less well and the band went through line-up changes and eventually folded. This album is not easy to find and is rarely seen lightly played and offering clean distortion-free sound. All evidence suggests this has been played very modestly and this really does offer quality sound, this too on a very revealing system. The cover has aged a little more and it appears to have had a piece of tape applied to the back top left corner with the brown residue the resulting evidence. That apart, a very strong copy and one to again revive those sounds of the swingin’ sixties.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High: these early Decca covers were always made with very thin card and seldom avoid major laminate issues and often severe wear to the unprotected back.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(-): a single format with front Clarifoil laminate. This covers all the folds and ends on the back via the spine. Printed and made in England by James Upton.

Lamination & Front: A very flimsy front that bends readily if not supported carefully in both hands. So a few light surface creases, mainly near the right edge, are the least that can be expected. With normal viewing, these have very modest visibility. The laminate retains a fine shine and clarity with minimal traces of any friction rubs or dulling. Adhesion is impressive, Clarifoil has a habit of tightening and contraction, thus many covers that have it as seen with large blisters or areas of lifting, this has a modestly small one on the top of the spine edge, again, it shows little. Any record impression is light and the front graphic looks fresh and clean – in respect of a 46-year-old cover especially. The critical right entrance edge is generally neat with only minor evidence of usage as seen from the front. Overall, this scarce cover front will prove hard to find a great deal better.

Cover Back: The back has as a little more with consistent mild darkening of the white surface. The brown tape mark on the top edge is the main issue for the more discerning visual purist. A few other small marks and mild grubbiness is seldom avoided on these vintage Decca unprotected backs. Barely any creasing or ringwear however, and that is a bonus and overall, this back looks very nice bar the tape mark.

Top Edge: Very thinly made and little wear at all.

Bottom Edge: Little real wear but the back panel card has thickened a little, but very neatly so. Being the traditional storage edge, few will avoid this at the very least.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Viewed end-on, this is seen a little softened and thickened, but neatly so. No tears and feathering has not occurred. Simply normal usage on very thin card that is guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: The spine is impressive: solid (but thin), mainly straight with any compression quite modest. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and unpeeled laminate. This being well-centred on a very narrow depth.

Corners: A little mild thickening and rubbing as most would expect on a old cover like this. Being white, any visual impact is small and fine shape.

Cover Summary: The brown tape mark apart, an overall quite impressive cover. Clearly it has been handled and enjoyed to some degree, but in context, quite modestly. Just enough to remind of it’s age and fragility but still quite attractive and it will please many collectors, if not this time the visual purist.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a solid heavier-style Decca polylined inner. Very modestly aged with a ruffling and creasing on the corners but any discolouration modest. Both window circles are ultra crisp and undamaged and the lining very clear and barely even crinkled. All edges unsplit with no repairs and this has the text ‘Patents Applied for’.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: (or very close to), a super visual copy that is very clean with fine shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed on top quality, robust Decca vinyl. A copy with very modest plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, light and mainly faint. There are no penetrating scratches on either side and overall, this appears quite carefully played. Remember, one jolt or arm drop from a heavyweight vintage record player, and a mini crator or serious scratch would have occured. No such traumas on this one, but light and modest surface marks are seldom avoided totally on a mono record this age (unless barely handled or played). Visually a super record that should please many collectors again.

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 scarce mid-60s record plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing 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 indeed and no pops or noteworthy clicks were heard and this is an exceptional clean pressing (as you would expect from Decca). Few copies will outperform this very first pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very modestly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled. In the past, application of clear tape to protect a vulnerable area was quite common practice and done with the best of intention. But tape ages, darkens, dries out and fall off and leaves it’s mark. For me, the primary concern is the record and it’s audio quality, and this one delivers. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be highly 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 QED Silver 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.