ZAPPA / MOI We're Only In It For The Money N/M Verve LP

	£		123
	$		163

Artist or Band: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Album Title: We’re Only In It For The Money.

Cat Number: SELECT 2317 034.

Producer: Frank Zappa.

Executive Producer: Tom Wilson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Are You Hung Up?; Who Need the Peace Corps; Concentration Moon; Mom and Dad; Telephone Conversation; Bow Tie Daddy; Harry, Your a Beast; What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body?; Absolutely Free; Flower Punk; Hot Poop.

Side 2: Nasal Retentive Calliope Music; Let’s Make the Water Turn Black; The Idiot Bastard Son; Lonely Little Girl; Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance; What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body (reprise); Mother People; The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny.

Label/Format: Verve – Silver and matt black finish with MGM credits. (Please see label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate with barely any spindle marks.

What’s on Offer and Rarity: At first glance, this may appear to be a regular Select 70s pressing, but the difference is the cover. When originally conceived, this controversial cover was to be the perfect ‘Sgt Pepper’ parody, in other words, the female dressed Mothers were to appear inside the gatefold as per The Beatles on their famous album. This was objected too and the cover was reversed. But this one has been manufactured so it naturally folds with the ‘Pepper’ front appearing as Zappa wanted it to e.g. on the outside. These ‘incorrect’ folding covers are far harder to find than the standard ones. This cover CANNOT be forced to do this without severe damage to the spine fold and I have seen very few of these covers that will actually do this. It NATURALLY opens this way, and although it does open the other way too with almost a ‘double folded spine’, the cover does bend a little more than proving the folds were made this way, possibly in error. This monumental album that over the years has actually gained in accolades for its importance (as has most this great man’s music). This was regarded by those, who cared to listen, as a classic from the outset and its reputation, importance and stark messages are as revelant today as they were back in the 60s. I have included with the groundbreaking set the insert which was taken from the Barking Pumpkin issue to make this album kind of ‘complete’. UK examples of this insert are near impossible to find as again they were objected too and withdrawn, even US versions are highly elusive. This insert is rarely seen in the full size format anywhere. The record is regarded as the ‘definitive’ version too with much of the censoring back in place that was deleted from the first pressing (details on this further down). These 70s pressings with the incorrect cover folds are elusive and I have seen very few over the years.

Original Year of Release: September 1968. This copy was repressed in 1972 and is radically different to the 60s pressing.

Matrix Nos: 2317034 A1 420 1 2 / 2317034 B1 420 1 2

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 121 grams.

Musicians: From left to right: Frank Zappa – Guitar, piano, vocals; Billy Mundi - drums, vocal; Bunk Gardner – All woodwinds, mumbled vocal; Roy Estrada – Electric bass, vocal; Don Preston - keyboards; Jimmy Carl Black (The Indian of the Group) – drums, trumpet, vocals; Ian Underwood - piano, saxophones. Motorhead Sherwood (not pictured on the front, he is seen face-on, on the red inside left) - soprano and baritone saxophones. Guest: Eric Clapton contributes some vocals.

Brief Artist & Album Info: ‘Are you hung up’? - the famous opening line opening this psychedelic masterpiece, spoken by Clapton. A priceless album and for me the greatest ever made. These early Zappa albums were treasured by the few and totally misunderstood by the majority – he put the sneer into underground rock. The brilliant satire of the Sgt Pepper cover should have guaranteed extra sales, but no. It failed to even chart in the UK, it only made 30 in his native States. Zappa’s scathing wit homed in on modern middle-class America and the West Coast hippies and his fears of what was to later emerge. Nineteen amazing songs of avant garde rock, doo-wop, some almost routine pop and hilarious dialogue, which was so hip it has never dated. Zappa made us confront the obvious, and the results were alarming. This album reconstructs music and then turns it inside out - it was so far ahead of its time, as was the man himself, few but the open-minded could accept it. A surreal collage, a psychedelic masterwork that blends together to form the perfect ‘alternative’ album for that crazy time. Treated voices, strange sounds, a needle being scratched over a record, sections recorded backwards, phasing, short classical interludes, surf sounds and finally the band going off their heads on ‘The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny’ which was Zappa’s answer to ‘A Day in the Life’ from the more famous album. It’s almost incredible how so much entertainment and sound can be compressed onto an album that lasts less than 40 minutes. Among all the weirdness (Zappa describes this as a ‘monstrosity’ on the cover’s inner) there are stark messages too: ‘Who Needs the Peace Corps’ ran through a list of Frisco cliches, Augustus Stanley Owsley III, the scene’s acid-maker; the ‘psychedelic dungeons’ that were the hippie clubs; Bill Graham’s celebrated venue, the Fillmore. Zappa’s criticism of the hippies wasn’t just grouchy; it was urgent, political and frightening. ‘Concentration Moon’ made warnings about the internment camps Richard Nixon was readying for non-conformists, while ‘Mom and Dad’ was a chilling premonition of how establishment forces would respond to the anti-war movement (in 1971, when the National Guard University, Zappa’s lyric became a prophecy and a bloody reality). ‘Absolutely Free’ mocked flower Power. The album concludes with ‘The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny’, an outrageous sonic-montage designed to outdo George Martin’s ‘mind blowing’ orchestration at the end of Sgt Pepper. This band were not pretty but special, very special indeed and the originality of this album and all Zappa’s early works is undeniable. Now what makes owning the Select repress so important? Well it is very different to the UK first pressing. There are several versions of this album, a highly controversial record that has varying degrees of cuts, edits and censoring. This reissue is considered THE definitive version for most, with many parts back in place as the censorship relaxed. This copy has less editing and a totally different mix. For those who have the CD version of this album (excluding that dreadful remixed overdubbed effort way back, only of interest as it it totally uncensored) these were based on this Select reissue version. This original mix has never made it to the silver format and is never likely to. The original 4-track master tapes, when Frank acquired them back, were badly damaged, hence new bass and drum parts were mixed on to the first CD issues – this was scorned upon and loathed by Zappa fans. The the later CD issues were mixed from the 2-track masters. That makes a vinyl record the only format to truly hear what this album should really sound like and believe me, there is NO comparison. The stereo mix is very different to the mono version too and is unique to vinyl. I will mention the major differences in this stereo repressing compared to the 60s first press. The line in ‘Who Needs the Peace Corps’ police kicking the s**t out is included. The line about working with The Velvet Underground is EXCLUDED (I don’t know why). The line ‘Flower Power SUCKS’! is included from ‘Absolutely Free’. The track ‘Hot Poop’ is now a short speeded up backwards track of the censored part of ‘Mother People’, the original was just a short shork. In fact many of the snorks on this version are different too. The line on ‘Absolutely Free’ ‘I don’t do publicity balling...’ now has the word ‘balling’ included. The line in ‘Let’s Make the Water Turn Black’ referring to ‘the apron and her pad’ is also now included. Apparently the censors thought the word ‘pad’ was referring to a sanitary towel but refers simply to moma, a waitress taking orders in ‘Ed’s Cafe’. Such was the paranoia from the record label about anything Zappa wrote, even it was innocent. Ironically, the lyrics to the censored songs were still included on the cover. It’s interesting how censorship and acceptability can develop and change with time and this version is almost complete as how Zappa wanted it. As most will know, Zappa was against any form of censorship. Money has several variations, I believe the US copies vary again, some even use bleep-outs in places. But for most the essential copies of this are the original Mono, as here, the original stereo versions and the Verve first reissue (the first CD reissue is interesting in some aspects, as it has ALL censoring taken out, including the, even now, controversial lines in ‘Harry You’re a Beast’ fully intact and unphased). This is a super copy with the record looking and sound almost as new. With many rife with deep scratches, groove wear and terrible sound in accordance, this supreme copy is like a gateway into Zappa’s control room. A high percentage are total right-offs and just to see a copy with clean Verve black labels and very clean and shiny playing surfaces is a thing of real beauty. The famous Pepper spoof cover is superb and with the spine fold in reverse to most it makes it scarce and unusual. I have included with this copy the insert, taken from a copy of the ‘Old Masters’ boxed set. UK copies for a very brief time included this infamous spoof insert before it was withdrawn –it was again a parody of the Pepper insert. I have only ever seen one ‘original’ and that back in my school-days and I would guess many collectors have never seen one at all. This looks superb and puts that extra piece of icing on the cake. Certainly one of the rarer versions of this classic album, the genuine ‘error fold’ covers are very elusive and rarely show up.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High, this Select repress has an unlaminated cover.

Cover Condition and Details: EX++ an unlaminated gatefold format that folds the opposie way to ‘normal’. Printed and made in England by Howard’s Printers Ltd.

Cover Front: To not cause confusion I will classify the front and back of this cover as the standard yellow dress side even though this one naturally folds the opposite way. This is very clean and fresh the barely any marks or creases and is one of the cleanest covers I have yet seen on the unlaminated version.

Cover Back: The back is the same with no rubbing or ringmarks – both look fantastic.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Nice to be able to view this the way Frank originally wanted it. Again minimal traces of wear with just the odd faint rub trace if being ultra critical. Money hailed the arrived of Cal Schenkel, Zappa’s most suggestive visual interpreter. It replicates Sgt Pepper brilliantly, but turns it all around. It was photographed by Jerrold Schatzberg in his New York studio. The blue sky of The Beatles classic now becomes a black thunderstorm with lightning flashing. The flowers for the band name now are vegetables and the band are attired in dresses. The Mothers were flanked by executive producer Tom Wilson on one side, and Jimi Hendrix on the other. A photo of manager Herb Cohen’s daughter, Lisa, was placed in Hendrix’s arms. The lady on the right of Frank is Gail Zappa, heavily pregnant with Moon Unit (his daughter). Darker images of guests appear, MGM lawyers insisted on printing bars across the eyes of anyone in the collage who was still alive (other than players or those involved I would presume): their paranoia simply made it still more dark and sinister. In the sleevenotes, Zappa advised listeners to read ‘In the Penal Colony’, a short story by Franz Kafka that dealt with homoerotic abuse, colonialism and military/judicial atrocity – this album and cover remain a disturbing experience to this very day.

Top & Bottoms Edges: A light rub mark on the top front but little else.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and sharp with no wear or feathering. Records enters on the back regular edge, but with the backwards spine fold, it’s now on the front.

Spine and Text: Both ‘spine’ edges are in superb condition and the yellow regular has all its text in pristine condition. The non-text red spine that is now exposed is also unworn. As stated, this cover can fold both ways but is far more natural the opposite way to normal and this unusual feat gives NO cover distortion.

Corners: Small tip rubs on the bottom right pair, any others are tiny and faint and all retain fine shape.

Cover Summary: Possibly the rarest Zappa cover of them all, I have seen very few of these as as far as I know, none of the original 60s laminated versions ever folded this way. This is a certainly an interesting variant for the serious Zappa collector.

The Insert: As new and taken from the Old Masters box set. The original lined ‘Polydor-style’ inner is also included in superb condition.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-) and this one could practically pass for new. It retains a superb shine and is ultra clean and intense black. There is barely a mark or blemish of note and clearly it’s hardly been played. The audio quality and detail is wonderful, the most psychedelic record ever and this stereo mix is unique to vinyl. Compared to most, this copy is top of the premier league. So many unlistenable, even unplayable, these types put a copy like this into its true context. A beautiful looking record with the original sound the CD version will never have.

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 snippetts 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: Few traces of unwanted sounds with clear, defined and distortion-free stereophonic sound. Both channels being sharp and focused with NO traces of any degrading at all. This one often falls apart, often with heavy surface noise and multiple scratches. The original stereo mix is amazing, another stunning Zappa/Wilson production. Just listen to the voices on ‘Flower Punk’ for example which have a totally different mix and sound to the mono version with two distinct vocals coming from each speaker. That dynamic ‘snap’ on the tracks beginning never sounded sharper. The fine details just kept coming and for those only familiar via CD, well this is what this album should sound like. Tracking is effortless and this could last indefinitely with the due care it deserves. A record from a bygone era but its messages are still relevant. This is a unique experience, nothing has been made like this record before or since.

End Piece: I make no apology for the length of this advert, I adore this album, and finding a worthy copy for offering is always a pleasure. For those who think Sgt Pepper is the Lord of all albums, well this Zappa creation was the anti-Christ. How many times I’ve heard this album I could not even estimate, but for certain I never tire listening to it. There is always something hidden away I discover on every listen, such clean pressings are treasure. Hearing it on a vintage vinyl format makes this one extra special - no CD version really compares, how could it with the original master tapes destroyed? The cover alone is worth any price - its unique and daring, would anyone else but Zappa dare to reconstruct the Pepper cover? It remains a mystery, even today how he got away with it - McCartney apparently was not amused. The sounds embedded in these vintage grooves are a testament to Zappa’s greatness and the same can be said of this legendary band too. It just remains a shame that only after the great man’s death does the world finally wake up to fully recognise this fact. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s here, enjoy this classic forever in glorious clean stereo. The rare spine fold makes for the perfect Pepper spoof, this really won’t be seen often.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I usually post on Fridays, most will arrive Saturday to make signed-for delivery easier. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.