ALICE COOPER Killer UK 1973 COPY with VERY RARE 1974 FULLY ATTACHED CALENDAR.

	£		25
	$		33

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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: ALICE COOPER

Album Title: Killer

Producer(s): Bob Ezrin

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Under My Wheels; Be My Lover; Halo of Flies; Desperado.

Side 2: You Drive Me Nervous; Yeah, Yeah, Yeah; Dead Babies; Killer.

Label/Format: Warner Bros – First Green format with rich deep colour with matt, smooth surfaces. This copy going by the cover calendar issued just prior to the change to the Burbank format.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with hardly any hint of spindle marks. Note: any patterning seen on my current records surfaces is purely a reflection from my window blinds which I had to close to keep out the strong sunlight at time of compiling my listings and photographing.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 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: 101 grams. Below average, but this copy is very well pressed on pure vinyl. The record plays superbly throughout.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Moderately scarce with an intact calendar. Most copies seen have the 1972 or 1973 calendar, then often partially detached or damaged. This example, mostly likely the last to feature this format of cover, has a 1974 calendar, something I have never seen before. This detail seen in close-up. So this copy was issued sometime during 1973 prior to the change to the Burbank Warner format label, making this almost certainly one of the last green label copies made. A 1974 calendar has to be rare compared to the others made, I am a keen Alice Cooper fan and collector, and this is the first I have seen or had. For good measure as well, it remains fully intact to the little worn main cover. The record plays great as well, I consider this quite a rare example.

Catalogue Number: K 56005

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: K 56005 A-2 [scripted] / K 56005 B1 [machine punched]

Run-Out Groove Etching: ‘ALLEN’

Musicians: Alice Cooper – vocal; Neil Smith – drums; Dennis Dunaway – bass; Glen Buxton – guitar and Mike Bruce – guitar.

Album Information: Following two fairly obscure psych albums and the brilliant ‘Love it to Death’, all originally issued on Frank Zappa’s Straight label, this fourth album was the first to appear on Warner from day one. Original and very different from the very start, Zappa was the only person prepared to give this band a chance, signing them to Straight got them started as a recording group – albeit only with low sales at first. This is king of the macabre at his very best and along with the previous album, a real favourite. Another very dark album, initially issued before he became a household name and pushed his showbiz ghoulishness still further. Songs of desperados, dead babies, killers and executions are the order of the day – you must remember that slow drum beat and organ to the scaffold before our Alice is hanged for his crime on the albums title track – a truly blood-curdling finale as the trapdoor opens and the throttling begins. But for me, the finest track on this gem is ‘Halo of Flies’, his intense scream of the title still sends a shiver down by spine. This is a later green label issue, possibly amongst the last made prior to the Burbank label change, it still features the same format cover with the calendar, but this a much rarer 1974 version, most seen are 1972 and 1973 versions (please see close-up of this detail). The cover is very wear and damage-prone and the calendar is seldom seen fully intact. The perforated areas often pull and sometimes detach fully – that was the intention, the calendar was designed as a poster. The record appearing little used, although quite a thin pressing, it plays great with hardly anything unwanted. Still touring and ever-popular, now also a DJ on ‘Planet Rock’, Alice was my first true hero as a young teenager, even prior to me discovering his mentor’s music – the late, great Frank Zappa.

Cover Condition and Details: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated double gatefold cover with matt, smooth surfaces. It has the left side opening up again to reveal the grizzly calandar. Printed and made in England by Shorewood, includes the plain white inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Intense orange with the famous snake Kachina that looks impressive with little wear or ageing. Any marks of blemish to the unforgiving deep orange surface light and faint. Light handling traces are seen under light, but hard to really avoid over such a long period. There is no fading to this surface, this is highly intolerant of natural light and often the orange fades badly, this is a big plus for this area. No sticker issues and hardly creased, this is a better than average front for a cover that refuses to wear well.

Cover Back: Viewing normally, full-on, there is little to fault on this back. Under light, minor, very gentle surface marks are seen, and I do emphasise light. Both front and back are impressive.

Cover Gatefold Inner: This more unusual format cover opens from left to right. The right (band) picture, is again in impressive condition with little real wear at all, any blemishes again, light and few. The left side seen in a mauve-purple colour is in fine condition, and being a solid colour, this often wears badly. A little rubbing near the top edge, compared to some I have seen, this is light. When opened (fold at top) the gruesome intensity of the hanging Alice is immediately quite shocking and this was not well received by ‘clean-up’ campaigners of the time – nor indeed was the the content of some of the songs – it even includes added ‘gore’ for extra realism. This ‘calendar’ spread is superb with hardly anything to fault. All elements remain flat and crisp, importantly, the rarer 1974 dated calendar is fully intact, and seldom is that the case. This is the very first 1974 calendar I have ever seen.

Top Edges: All straight with barely any rubbing or wear.

Bottom Edges: Only light patchy rub traces to the orange folded front.The single thickness card has avoided any significant thickening or burring, any traces present patchy and light, again unusual on storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: A little rubbed at the very ends, but even there, the performations for the gallows poster are fully intact. A little tilted, but not compressed, the surface artwork as barely worn at all.

Spine and Text: The main spine that has the text could be faded, but if so, entirely and neatly, so-much-so, it may not be, but I suspect it is. The text is all present and the surface unrubbed.

Corners: As stated above, some rubbing to the right corner ends, any others little and light with just the odd tiny tip crease. For a delicate complex thin card cover, these have fared quite well overall.

Cover Summary: In terms of lack of real wear, this remains impressive with only scant clues of age and handling. The calendar fully attached and in lovely condition, and I genuinely believe a 1974 year version were only made in very small numbers and quite rare. I know several collectors who want all calender years for this cover, well this one will not be seen often, and in fine all-round condition, it will please many fans.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a basic plain white unlined inner with little to fault. The paper still mostly clean with minimal hint of darkening, hardly creased and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine, quite lightly made, but with pure vinyl and no pressing issues. A copy little played on all the evidence with any surface marks or traces few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. Visually 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This Alice Cooper classic album plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering 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 this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Some very quiet passages, so pressing quality is even more crucial, any polite reminders of what is being played are few and light indeed. Few available copies will outperform this still early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been quite well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very 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 programs. 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’.