BEE GEES 1st SCARCE ORIG UK 1967 MONO Nr EX LP, PLAYS GREAT, TEXTURED LABELS.

	£		23
	$		30

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: BEE GEES

Album Title: The Bee Gees 1st

Producer(s): Robert Stigg (co producer: Ossie Byrne)

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Turn of the Century; Holiday; Red Chair, Fadeaway; One Minute Woman; In My Own Time; Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You; Craise Finton Kirk Royal Academy of Arts.

Side 2: New York Mining Disaster 1941; Cucumber Castle; To Love Somebody; I Close My Eyes; I Can’t See Nobody; Please Read Me; Close Another Door.

Label/Format: Polydor – with matt surfaces that have a rough textured finish, clearly seen on my pictures.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, still fresh and attractive with only light(+) spindle marks. These being fine and faint. This mono record plays very well indeed.

Catalogue Number: 582012

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: 145 grams. A very solid weight for any record.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce, clean early copies in mono even more so.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: 582012 A//2 420 1 ? 3 1 & 582012 B4 420 1 1 1 8

Musicians: Barry Gibb – lead, harmony and backing vocal, guitar; Robin Gibb – lead, harmony and backing vocal, organ; Maurice Gibb – harmony and backing vocal, bass, piano, organ, harpsichord, mellotron, guitar; Vince Melouney – guitar; Colin Petersen – drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: A brilliant early album from The Bee Gees, many consider it their first album proper – they did make two earlier ones that were issued in Australia, but not initially worldwide. A very fine copy of this almost forgotten classic, issued in the greatest year in music, 1967, the summer of love. It stands up to comparison with The Beatles, at the absolute peak of their powers, and true there strong similarities in their early sound. Forget the commercial disco workouts of the 1970s, early Bee Gees albums were nothing like that at all. 1st has stunning vocal harmonies, classic rock, pop and psychedelia. ‘Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You’ even has moments of darkness with a real Gothic sound – this is no ‘Saturday Night Fever’. This track is very prone to distortion (to say the very least) but here plays with rich clarity (as does the whole album). The cover has Beatles links also, the gorgeous artwork was designed by Klaus Voormann who was responsible for the classic Revolver sleeve and played with members at various times. The brothers Gibb were all still teenagers when this album was issued, Maurice and Robin (17) and Barry (19), it is almost unbelievable to take in when you hear these fourteen, all original written songs. If this true classic album eluded you all those years ago (it certainly did me until fairly recent years), this must be heard, and I promise, and even guarantee, you will be captivated by this groundbreaking issue. All the Bee Gees albums up to 1969’s masterpiece Odessa are essential, and this ‘1st’ album is up their with the very best.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: arguably better, this is very attractive. A single format and laminated on the front, this only covers the top and bottom edge folds, hence the spine is very exposed and delicate. The back is matt and smooth. An early patents pending example and the mono version. Printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day & Co Ltd, includes the Polydor inner sleeve.

Front & Lamination: Superb artwork by Klaus Voormann and this one does it excellent justice. Rich deeply coloured artwork lies beneath clean, fresh and very shiny laminate that has no peeling or lifting. I always consider that particularly noteworthy as it can spoil the darker covers especially. Light rim impression only with minimal dulling, even under light. A couple of mild laminate creases near the top left and three or four light surface marks just below, these mostly seen under light and only very gentle indeed. Little detracts from the magnificent artwork, this has aged little and is a pleasure to hold and view.

Cover Back: This black and white back is totally unprotected and clearly prone to all forms of wear. This has very little, any discolouration or creasing minimal and light. No ring wear and barely any rim impression, this is seldom seen this nice, the lack of stains, writing and major grubbiness are all major pluses.

Top Edge: Thin with barely any wear, also quite straight, being thin, again good news.

Bottom Edge: Like the top edge, practically as-made.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with minimal traces of thickening, even as viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: The spine has rubbed and a little of the text is gone, but some still present as seen. A thin but solid spine that is not protected, it has far lesser chance of remaining unscathed being honest, unless kept in cottonwool. This the main reason for the cautious grading, in real terms, this cover arguably looks a little better than the grade.

Corners: Any tip rubs tiny and light with better than excellent shape retained with no knocks.

Cover Summary: The light spine rubbing apart, this is a superb example of this vintage cover. This seldom seen better, it should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a polylined heavy duty inner in very fine condition. Some discolouration to the white paper to politely remind of age and two corner creases. These neat, and almost certainly deliberate, often done to stop the record sliding out. Two immaculate window circles and clear, fresh polylining. All edges unsplit with no repairs. The date-code is 098 (September 1968).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: with some fine surface marks, but no penetrating stylus scratches. These are pretty much all superficial and ignored. In fact this record plays well above it’s still fine visual grading. A very clean record with superb shine and very soldily pressed. A copy with modest plays on all the evidence reiterated by clean and focused sound. Few mono records escape totally unscathed, but this has little to fault. Mono records were not really designed to be played on high-end stereo turntables, but were more at home on a Danssette or other single speaker record player. When they still offer clean, distortion-free sound, they are a thing of genuine beauty and many vinyl connoisseurs still regard them as the real sound of the 1960s. Visually a fine 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 brilliant album plays above it’s clean visual grading with very little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound (never take this for granted on any vintage mono record, especially Bee Gees titles with those intensely complex vocal harmonies), all frequencies being sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound and no tracking issues*. Beautifully produced with real hi-fi quality sound, this mono version has great depth and definition with deep inherent, ‘warm’ bass where mono records so often excel. Any surface sounds are minimal and light, the odd sporadic click or crackle trace hard to avoid totally, overall, this will take some beating. The aforementioned song with the Gothic overtones from the beautiful mellotron, plays very well with barely anything unwanted, and few ever do. Any blunted, chipped or worn out mono stylus from the past would have stripped these complex groove walls to render noise and horrendous distortion, this has not happened. The mellotron sound remains focused and sharp. Few available copies will better this significantly I feel sure. Little of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this classic Bee Gees album. It could prove difficult to find significantly better in early mono and is highly recommended, the best example I have heard in some time.

* 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’.