BOB DYLAN Blonde on Blonde VERY RARE Orig UK 66 Stereo.

	£		112
	$		148

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Artist or Band: BOB DYLAN

Album Title: Blonde on Blonde.

Producer(s): Bob Johnston.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Rainy Day Women Nos 12 & 35; Pledging My Time; Visions of Johanna; One of Us Must Know.

Side 2: I Want You; Stuck Inside of Mobile With Three; Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat; Just Like a Woman.

Side 3: Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine; Temporary Like Achilles; Absolutely Sweet Marie; 4th Time Around; Obviously Believers.

Side 4: Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.

Label/Format: CBS – ultimate first pressed examples with the rough textured surfaces and the even rarer 33 speed indicators. Shortly changed afterwards to the more familiar 33 1/3.

Label Conditions: All four are in fantastic conditions and all look practically the same. An intense, deep orange and ultra clean and fresh. Spindle marks are very few and light and only show under angled light. For those few who even bought a stereo copy back in 1966, most played them heavily and rarely will such a clean example show up.

Cat Number: 66012.

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 these Records: 136 / 144 grams. Good solid weights for this period of quality.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Much rarer as a first UK pressing especially in stereo. The era of the mono record and far fewer were purchast or even pressed in stereo. Finding one so little played and offering pristine sound for all four sides is an immense ask, but this set delivers just that, that’s rare enough in-itself. This groundbreaking and ultimate classic Dylan issue, that many still regard as the greatest album ever made, was pressed many times, but there are distinct differences for a genuine first issue. The matrixes are A1 to D1 and the labels are as explained above – rough surfaces with the 33 speed indicator. The cover has the word ‘stereo’ printed on the front and the inside has nine pictures. Also the inside has four external flipbacks, there are no printer’s credits. Two orange promotional inners are also included. Historically important too: a first pressing of the first double album, beating Zappa’s ‘Freak Out’ by a few days. I have often stated ‘Freak Out’ to be rock’s first double album – well not really incorrect – this is a folk album, but whatever you consider as rock, this was the first double set. The album itself is not hard to find, but the majority will be later pressings, a genuine first press stereo is a far, far different story.

Original Year of Release: May 1966.

Matrix Nos: SDDP 66012 A1 / SDDP 66012 B1 / SDDP 66012 C1 / SDDP 66012 D1

Musicians: Bob Dylan – Vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano; Robbie Robertson – guitar, Vocals; Rick Danko – bass, violin, Vocals; Garth Hudson – keyboards, saxophone; Richard Manuel – drums, keyboards, Vocals; Charlie McCoy – bass, guitar, harmonica, trumpet; Al Kooper – organ, guitar, horn, keyboards; Hargus Robbins – piano, keyboards; Bill Atkins – keyboards; Paul Griffin – piano; Kenneth A. Buttrey – drums; Sanford Konikoff – drums; Joe South – guitar; Jerry Kennedy – guitar; Wayne Moss – guitar, Vocals; Henry Strzelecki – bass; Wayne Butler – trombone.

Brief Info: A massive release and even 45 year after issue, it has more than stood the test-of-time. This landmark issue peaked at No 3 in the UK and 9 in his native US and is arguably his greatest ever work. A double set lasting around 72 minutes, it was his longest album to date and the first double set made. Featuring a host of musicians and following on where Highway 61 Revisited left off, this is classic ‘electric-era’ Dylan. Every song a gem with beautiful, meaningful lyrics and the finale that occupies all side four, ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ one of his most moving songs ever. With supreme arrangements and sound to match, this timeless album will forever be his masterpiece.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a gatefold format, laminated both sides. This has the word ‘STEREO’ printed on the front and has the four inside flipbacks and nine pictures with no printer’s credits. Both orange inners are included too.

Lamination: Front & Back: Clean, clear laminate that is fully adhered with no lifting on the both the main exterior surfaces. Some patchy peeling on the spine as explained further down. A small rub on the bottom right front corner and a very small chip on the top front edge but little other real wear. Any creasing is very light and fine and confined just to the very edges that show little. Under light, some mild friction rubs and light dulling is seen but far less than many seen. The famous out-of-focus graphic still looks lovely. Very fine surface marks (and I do mean fine) are also seen with scrutiny under light. Gatefold double album covers are more susceptible to wear with more stressing due to weight and all areas with records pressed against them. Consideration has to be given to age and popularity of this set, and all duly considered, this cover has survived in quite exceptional condition and importantly, still looks great.

Cover Inner Gatefold: This looks fantastic and is ultra clean and fresh. Both flipbacks are immaculate with pristine ends that lack the usual grubbiness seen on most. The only blemish is a crease to the right side of the fold, almost certainly acquired in manufacture, I can see no other explanation really as no other area is affected. This shows little and all ink is undisturbed and fully present. Note the nine pictures too.

Top Edges: A chip on the front edge towards the left corner as stated above. That apart, both unworn and very straight with full laminate cover.

Bottom Edges: Both almost as made up to the right corner tip, the front tip has rubbed as again stated above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, both mainly sharp with little wear, no feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. Any burr traces of thickening minimal. Records entered on these right outside edges.

Spine and Text: In terms of surface wear to the actual cover, this has barely any. But in a similar way to the standard ‘Sgt Pepper’ spine, this has largely peeled it’s laminate, simply caused by being opened. This design makes this near unavoidable over time and let’s face it, this is 45-years-old – imagine what most will look like. Opening causes a light central line crease to form, that gently cracks the laminate. The air then gets in and it dries out the adhesion and it flakes, most are seen totally laminate stripped, the difference here is the surface has remained very clean with all the text and graphic unaffected by rubbing. In fact ALL the text is fully present and unworn. Solid, straight with mimimal compression, this impossibly fragile spine has survived well all considered.

Corners: Mostly tiny tip rubs, more on the front bottom right as stated above. The spine pair are exceptionally neat and very fine to near excellent shape is retained.

Cover Summary: Overall, an impressive all-round example of this classic cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better as a genuine first-made stereo. I emphasise again, far fewer of these were even made, most purchases were mono versions and the printed stereo version with all the other details are rare, make no mistake. This has been well-looked after for it’s considerable vintage with blemishes and wear small. This more elusive original item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeves: EXCELLENT / NEAR EXCELLENT: both are mirror-image design and unlined. One is a fair degree darker than the other, this in manufacture or due to fading?, not sure. The light one has a corner crease, the darker one a neat split on the bottom edge, but that’s about it. All other edges secure and both look very nice. These vintage inners promote early CBS artists like Streisand, Cash, Bennett et al. Only the Dylan albums prior to this are mentioned as they should be and the most ‘modern’ album promoted is The Byrds debut ‘Mr Tambourine Man’.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT to EXCELLENT(+): this being critical on records this fantastic age. A pair that have survived those perilous times of popularity and far less refined playing equipment. Overall, a super visual pair of records that are very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Without doubt, these have been played only lightly with any surface marks fine and very faint. Just one, still very fine mark shows a little more but has NO sound at all, that still little more than a hairline. Just begin to imagine what these could and often are seen like. Two highly impressive records that have more than survived, they still excel, even when played on my LP12, still one of the most revealing and clinical turntables ever produced. These should please most collectors I feel sure.

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: Both records play even above their high visual grading with 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. Even surface sounds barely even registered and pops or clicks, this is an superb pressing that will be hard to match, always vital on these more delicate folk type albums. Few copies will match or outperform this ultimate first stereo pressing I feel certain – how many available genuine first issues of this masterpiece will still sound this clean? Take into account of the rarity too, most stereo are seen as later pressings with stereo stickered, non-flipbacked covers. Both records have avoided all the perils of the heavy tracking, thick stylii from those times and these superb textured 33 label copies will seldom be heard better. Generally well stored and carefully handled, definitely in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these brilliant records. This set will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly 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.

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.

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 stiffners 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: 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 & 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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, 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’.