BILLY NICHOLLS Would You Believe LP 1968 UK 1st Press

	£		3,212
	$		4,256

Hi, and welcome to psych_out! auctions!!!

I specialize in 50's, 60's, and early 70's records of almost every genre - Psych, Prog, Psychedelic Funk, Soul, Rhythm 'n' Blues, Pop, Folk, Garage, Acid, Freakbeat, Rock, Jazz e.t.c and everything in between!!! I try my best to consistently offer some of the VERY BEST records available on ebay!!! Obviously, 90%+ of the LP's I ever get hold of are completely trashed from the hard living ways and the rock 'n' roll, drug and booze fuelled debauchery of all the wild parties of the times, but the golden 10%? I offer them to all of you serious record collectors out there!!!

I'm going to start by listing 20 LP's a week, all timed to end 10 days later. Hopefully after a while, i'll be able to step things up a gear or two in good time. I'll only ever offer THE BEST, MOST AMAZING, MOST IMPORTANT, VERY RAREST UK 1ST PRESS ORIGINAL RELEASE RECORDS I can ever possibly find!!! I won't insult you with later 2nd pressings unless they are of exceptional quality and rarity. I'm sure you love good music as much as me, especially when it's a 1st Press LP, direct from the master tape, as the musicians intended it to be heard (none of this "digitally remastered", weak reissued, remixed rubbish from hired hands with one eye on the mixing desk and the other on the clock! If these session men really knew how genius should sound, surely they would've been geniuses themselves?! There will only ever be one Hendrix, and that's just a tiny example).

I intend to become one of the best sellers on ebay and would like to thank all of you potential bidders for your support and taste in music!!! I strictly grade all LP's I list, visually and sonically using the UK RRPG standards as customer satisfaction is highly important to me, and i'll always do my very best not to let you down. Be sure to add me to your favourite sellers list and check my auctions frequently as i'll be listing some gems that you just WON'T want to miss out on!!!

I think that's everything, so let the auction commence!!!

Title :  Billy Nicholls (with The Small Faces) - Would You Believe

Label & year : Original Immediate IMCP009 LP , Stereo 1968 UNRELEASED UK 1st Press!!!

Matrix's : Side A : IMCP 009 - 1C - 2 , Side B : IMCP 009 - 2C (IMSP - 009 - 2Y crossed out) with 1 G stampers on each side!!!

THIS IS IT!!!!! THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!! Ever since I first heard this album about 3 years ago after reading about it, i've been on an unstoppable mission to find an original unreleased Immediate 1st Press of this LP, and after years of non stop constant searching and detective work Sherlock would be proud of, i've finally done it!!! I'm still in sheer disbelief that it's sitting next to me right now!!! Every time I pick it up (carefully of course!), I just shake my head in wonder that it even exists!!!

There's a reason why this LP is the most valuable psych album of all time, and it's not just because a tiny handful were ever made, it's because it's stunningly awesome!!! It's an absolute tragedy that this never got released, as it would DEFINITELY be hailed now as a solid gold true 60's classic right up there with Pet Sounds, Blonde On Blonde, Electric Ladyland, Forever Changes, Beggars Banquet, Sgt Pepper, Wheels Of Fire e.t.c, but unfortunately hardly anyone's ever heard it!!! Let me take this oppertunity to tell you a little about this monumental LP...

A young 17 year old Billy Nicholls managed to track down George Harrison's house, knocked on his door and handed him a demo of his songs to pass on to Dick James (one of the main 60's song publishers). Somehow the demo got lost, so as an apology, the young Billy was invited to record a new demo in a swanky studio with Caleb Quaye (one of the very finest 60's session players, some of you psych heads may also know him from his awesome forgotten classic "Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad") on hand to help. Meanwhile across London, Stones manager and entrepeneur chancer Andrew Loog Oldham was looking for songwriters for his new Immediate label, got his grubby mitts on the demo, liked what he heard, and got Billy on board!!!

A little along the line after being blown away by Pet Sounds, Oldham decided to promote Billy from staff songwriter to the next Brian Wilson!!! (not too much to ask!!!) Apparently Oldham pumped a million pounds into this record, and it shows - magnificent lush production, beautiful string arrangements, all the magic potions a human body can take (notice the curious initials to London Social Degree?), The Small Faces as the house band, the FINEST London session players including Arthur Greenslade, Nicky Hopkins (the unseen 5th member of every band, he played on EVERYTHING!!! The Who, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, even some US bands too like Jefferson Airplane...pretty much any british 60's LP with piano or harpsichord on would be wired up to this guy!!!), and John Paul Jones (who went on to enjoy mild success in a little known band called Led Zeppelin).

Once recording was completed, Oldham had found he had blown all his money on the orchestra and didn't have any left to release it!!! Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!! I suppose cash-flow is the biggest killer of businesses, but man, he really ought to have seen this coming!!!

So, that's the story of this LP. It's remarkable that it even exists at all!!! I suppose it barely does - 50 finished copies were pressed up to be sent to british DJ's and journalists for review purposes, and that was it!!! I would be seriously MASSIVELY suprised if even a third of them max have survived. Well, this one has (and incredibly well too)!!! If you're fortunate enough to own an original and unfortunate enough to find your house on fire, be sure that this (after the family, of course!) be the first thing you rescue!!! Make no mistake, we are dealing with history here!!!

If I could, I would keep this LP in an instant and cherish it forever, but as a young musician myself (though not as young as Billy was!!!), i'm currently immersed in the serious mission of trying to get together enough money to start up a record label and release my first album next year (and i'm hoping I can give it a chance of selling one or two more than this ever got the chance to!) so will unfortunately have to pass it on along to all you beautiful bidders with all the other OUTSTANDING records I offer!!! Make no mistake, this could very possibly be the ONLY chance you'll ever have of owning this truly PHENOMENAL record!!!

So there we have it!!! You are witnessing the proudest moment of my ebay voyage...

Tracklisting : Would You Believe, Come Again, Life Is Short, Feeling Easy, Daytime Girl, Daytime Girl (Coda), London Social Degree, Portobello Road, Question Mark, Being Happy, Girl From New York, and It Brings Me Down.

Trivia : Steve Marriott went for the solo at the end of Girl From New York so hard, he actually snapped the neck off his favourite guitar!!! I guess it was worth it though, for it's the best solo i've ever heard him play!!!

About : Ultra Rare Original 1968 UK 1st Press!!! This MASSIVELY RARE LP initially sold literally NOTHING (being unreleased, it unfortunately never got the chance to) and had a MINISCULE run of 50 finished copies, and is UNBELIEVABLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, especially in this condition!!! An absolute classic LP, one of the best from the 60's!!! An astonishing album that really DESERVES to be the centrepiece of EVERY serious 60's psych record collection!!! Don't miss out on this PHENOMENALLY RARE LP!!! If you like good music and owning a priceless piece of history, bid now!!!

The LP :

Labels : 

Classic UK 1st Press lilac Immediate labels!!! Both sides are FANTASTIC with minimal signs of age, and NO writing, NO stickers OR tears whatsoever!!! Just has a small amount of ultra light spindle marks which suggests that this has hardly had much play over the years at all!!! AWESOME for a 40 year old record!!! Both must grade overall at least as Very Good++!!!

Record : Visual - 

Spectacular Ultra Thick Original 1968 UK 1st Press Vinyl!!! Nice bright, clean and shiny as if it was just pressed!!! Fantastic jet black mirror like surfaces, it looks FANTASTIC with NO nasty scratches, groovewear, or nasty deep scuffs whatsoever!!! The only blemishes are just a few totally non-sounding mild cosmetic paper scuffs, a few of the lightest, wispy sleeve traces/cleaning lines (only visible in strong angled light) and only a few ULTRA light non sounding hairlines from where it has sat or been removed from it's cover over the years!!! Of course, none of these ULTRA light blemishes interfere with play AT ALL!!! PHENOMENAL for a record of this age and rarity!!! You'll be amazed by how generally clean and unworn it is!!! Must grade overall at least as Very Good+!!! (graded STRICTLY to the UK RRPG standards, not overgraded AT ALL!!! Customer satisfaction is of 100% importance to me)   Record : Audio -    Thankfully, it sounds absolutely FANTASTIC with fantastic stereo seperation and clarity!!! It really sounds awesome with NO hops, hisses, distortion, sticks, or skips!!! The ONLY thing I made a note of is literally just 3 or 4 pops during the little trumpet section just after the intro to Being Happy, but other than that, only (like pretty much all records) has low level static in quieter places such as on the run in grooves/very start of each side, a touch between some tracks, the occasional VERY low level light click here and there (VERY buried under the sound), and just the SLIGHTEST static on VERY quiet sections to remind you that you are indeed listening to a record, and a 1st Press of Would You Believe at that!!! It truly doesn't overshadow the music AT ALL!!! I'd even argue it gives it added soul!!! An outstanding listen - The music is TRULY loud and ultra clear with that bass, depth, warmth and clarity you can only get from UK 1st Press vinyl!!! What an absolute privilage to hear the ONLY press direct from the master!!! The instrument clarity is ASTONISHING!!! Absolutely essential!!! Utterly BRILLIANT for a record of this age and sheer rarity!!! Must grade overall audiably at the very least as Very Good++!!! (graded STRICTLY to the UK RRPG standards, not trashed or overgraded AT ALL!!! Customer satisfaction is of 100% importance to me)   Sleeve : 

Original UK 1st press Immediate "Upton" unlaminated sleeve complete with original blank white lightly speckled (as all the 1967 Immediate inners were) "patents applied for" inner!!! IMPOSSIBLE to find this sleeve in anything approaching a good condition - surely most will be spent, torn, worn, and stained due to age sheer rarity of this particular LP!!! This one is NOT, and looks FANTASTIC, especially considering the nature of this fragile sleeve!!! NO bad marks AT ALL, NO tearing, NO staining, NO ringwear, NO graffiti, NO writing, and still ULTRA strong and solid after all these years!!! Only has a few mild signs of ageing such as some light creasing, some colour whitening to the lower seam and one or two touches to the top seam from where it has sat on the shelf over the years (absolutely NOTHING drastic at all!!!), the beginnings of a split in the centre of the spine (the record has NOT cut right through the cardboard), very slight signs of age dulling to the bright white unlaminated back (absolutely NO stains or ANYTHING drastic at all!!!), a minor touch of denting to the four corners which ALL vintage LP's have, and POSSIBLY (just to be sure!!!) one or two other minor signs of age here and there, though nothing that really stands out to note at all!!! And that's truly about it!!! All the negatives I can possibly find!!! This is an OUTSTANDING sleeve, and a TRUE rarity to find one as incredible as this - most have been virtually destroyed or are just about being held together, but not this one!!! It sits flat and true with the colours undulled and as vibrant as ever!!! It remains ultra strong, solid, and unspoilt, and despite the small nick to the centre, even the spine remains strong and solid too!!! Must grade overall at least as Very Good++!!! (graded STRICTLY to the UK RRPG standards, not trashed or overgraded AT ALL!!! Customer satisfaction is of 100% importance to me)

Summary : An utterly FANTASTIC example of this IMPOSSIBLY, PHENOMENALLY, UNBELIEVABLY RARE classic unreleased UK Stereo 1968 1st Press Immediate LP!!! You simply can't find this in ANY condition, so to find one as truly AWESOME AS THIS? UNHEARD OF!!! A TRUE, TRUE ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPERTUNITY - YOU WILL NEVER GET THE CHANCE AGAIN, so don't miss out on this chance to own a true piece of 60's music history!!! Bid now!!!

Please take a look at all my other auctions for many other ultra rare classic LPs, and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Thanks again for looking, it's truly appreciated!! Cheers!!!

I've realized that most countries have their own unique grading system. I base mine strictly on the UK RRPG grading system (occasionally with a + or a - to indicate the higher and lower ends of the grade, though I only use these if i'm having real trouble deciding!), so please check their chart for further clarity if you are unsure of what my grades mean. As a general rule, a mint record will be 100% perfect, an excellent record will be in fantastic clean condition with the occasional light mark and light use from the years, and a very good record will have noticeable light visual markings and obvious signs of age and use, but will still remain clean with relatively light wear and will play fantastically well with plenty of life remaining in it. I very rarely offer records below the very good region unless they are of an EXCEPTIONAL rarity and playing quality...I hope this helps!

Postage and packing (UK bidders) will be £3.99 for the first item, £3.00 for every item after that. International buyers, postage is £7.99 for the first item, £3.00 for every item after that. Contact is expected to be made within 3 days, and payment usually expected within 7 days of the auction ending, otherwise you may lose priority over the item and it may be relisted e.t.c. UK bidders, I accept paypal or postal orders. I will reluctantly accept cheques, although they will take at least a week to clear. That is why I prefer the other methods, as it means I can get your item to you faster. International bidders, I can only accept Paypal, IMO, or Bank Transfer! I only accept £’s. Unfortunately, I can’t accept any other internet payment other than paypal. 

Please just ask if you have any questions or if you require further information. The photos below are of the genuine item, apologies for the occasional blurryness or glare from the light in some of them. If you would like further pictures or details, please ask. 

If you are not happy with your item, please let me know within 3 days. I pride myself on my 100% feedback so if there are any problems, I will do my very best to sort them out.

All my auctions usually start from a bare minimum price, so there is always plenty of opportunity for a bargain!

Please check my other auctions for many more of the rarest, most awesome Vinyl Record items ever!!!

Thanks for your time, happy bidding!