NEIL YOUNG Tonight’s the Night RARE UK 1975 1st PRESS COMPLETE EX+ LP GREAT COPY

	£		65
	$		86

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

In this most difficult year, I hope these varied quality albums bring some seasonal cheer.

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – lovely albums – some rare – ENJOY!

And as ONEADAYRECORDS enters its 20th year selling on Ebay – I would like to wish all my customers – regulars and newcomers – a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & A SAFE, HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Postage: UK £4.95. Europe (including Russia) £12.95 (£1 per extra record). Rest of World £19.95 (£2 per extra record). All my records are sent in boxes and the price of them has increased over time and these are my first price increases for nearly 10 years. Royal Mail prices have also gone up again. I will never compromise on quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be trackable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers reliable service without it.

Artist or Band: NEIL YOUNG

Album Title: Tonight’s the Night

Producer(s): David Briggs, Neil Young, Tim Mulligan Elliot Mazer

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Tonight’s the Night; Speakin’ Out; World on a String; Borrowed Tune; Come on Baby Let’s Go Downtown; Mellow My Mind.

Side 2: Roll Another Number; Albuquerque; New Mama; Lookout Joe; Tired Eyes; Tonight’s the Night.

Label/Format: Reprise – original tan format with no Warner logo and the CBS style ring ridges. These have matt, gently textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both immaculate, ultra clean, fresh and attractive with barely a spindle trace to be seen. Another purchased new by one collector who put his records to tape, then stored the cover in a protective sleeve. This complete copy will never prove easy to find better.

Catalogue Number: K 54040

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: 115 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity & Overview: Fairly rare as a complete original, especially in this condition. These were different from later pressings. Firstly, the label has no Warner logo. The covers more robust with thick spines and with a more defined gentle textured feel to the surface. Also these include a graphic inner sleeve and a small insert sheet, both manufactured in England. Later ones especially fail to include the small folded insert which is quite rare.

Something else I consider very important regarding this album as well is how it plays. It is one I almost expect to play badly based on past experience. For me, this has to be one of the consistently worst-pressed albums I have ever heard – either that, or I am unlucky – I think the former. Quite why this has to be the case I do not know, but I have found this a near impossibility to ever find even listenable. Generally, I find Reprise records – pressed by CBS – to be of a high standard and give few issues, but ‘Tonight's the Night’ rarely, if ever will play anything like quiet or devoid of pressing issues, that even from copies that appear hardly played – as per this. I have heard some that sound like they have been pressed on sandpaper with constant moderate crackle and surface noise, often with rasping cutting noises and distortion. Often the impurities can be seen within the vinyl without even having to look too hard – I am pretty certain many of these were pressed on recycled vinyl and had little chance from the very start. It has got to a stage now I will not buy this album unless I can hear it first as I have disposed of five copies I deem unfit to offer in the past.

This copy visually is impressive with super cover, inner and the elusive insert sheet. The record appears little used and looks impressively clean, AND it plays great with hardly anything unwanted – one milli-second pressing crackle only – the least I have ever heard on this album. Buying this album ‘blind’ with no play-grade is a real lottery – I know this to be a fact – when just every example I have heard previously had issues, that is no coincidence or bad luck – most will be the same. If present, rasping pressing noises or cutting issues when present are there to stay of course, no cleaning will ever remove them, the lack of these, and crackle, pops and clicks makes this an exceptional example, the vinyl pure with no dulling or mottle to the playing surfaces, it will prove immensely difficult to find better. Over my time selling on Ebay, now fast approaching 20 years, I have discarded no less than five copies of this album, not all first issues, but at least a couple were, simply for unacceptable surface noise, crackle or loud pressing rasps and distortion. This the very best all-round copy I had to offer, and this arguably is one of the rarest Neil Young album that did not sell well. Totally complete, all elements impressive, clearly hardly played form the same collection I am currently offering. One for fans to enjoy with little unwanted on this classic, seldom-seen complete copy.

Original Year of Release: 1975

Matrix Nos: K-54040-A2 / K-54040-B2

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘MS-2221 31884-RE-1 1C EXPORT HELLO WATERFACE A’ / ‘MS-2221 31885-1B EXPORT GOODBYE WATERFACE B’

Musicians: Neil Young – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, vibes; Ben Keith – pedal steel guitar, vocal, pedal steel guitar, slide guitar, vocal; Nils Lofgren – piano, vocal, guitar; Danny Whitten – vocal, electric guitar; Jack Nitzsche – electric piano, piano; Billy Talbot – bass guitar; Tim Drummond – bass; Ralph Molina – drums, vocal; Kenny Buttrey – drums; George Whitsell – vocal.

Info: An album delayed by Young and Reprise as they thought the public were not ready for such an onslaught of bleakness and intensity, especially after the ‘Time Fades Away’ live set. Instead it was issued a year after the classic On the Beach, again another downbeat album that did not sell well. Many thought Young was a spent force, after a disastrous tour and the resulting effects of two friends deaths from drugs, for which this album is dedicated. Within the two years, this record was stored away, his career did take an upturn from the tour with Crosby, Stills and Nash, then it was deemed a better time to unleash this remarkable album to his fans. It remains one of his most moving albums of his long career, harrowing, chilling and not really commercial. It did not sell well, and remains, along with the previous album, one of the key releases of the entire decade. Now with long hair and bearded, the work of a troubled man, but now on the road to recovery from alcohol when issued. It includes one of my favourite Young tracks ever in the wonderful ‘Albuquerque’, where his voice is still in total control even through the torment he was suffering at the time. A cornerstone set from one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and this copy does it superb justice. One that so often suffers major pressing problems with very unpleasant unwanted sounds. As stated above, I have discarded more of these than I have sold – others had unacceptable levels of distortion, crackle and really horrible, loud pressing noises that ruined the music. The brilliance of this album demands it be heard with better quality, and this one – at last – does deliver. At times, quite a sparse album and few places for blemishes to ‘hide’. Without doubt, there were issues with the manufacture of this album and it was not just a trait of this album, others suffered too around this time. This first issue allows me to offer only my fourth complete copy of this classic on Ebay in 20 years. This includes both the inner and the elusive double-folded insert. Later covers differ, they were smooth with a sheen, originals were very matt with a gentle rough surface. An indispensable classic, these are far rarer than many may think. A few years ago on my last sale of a copy, I said “One day a perfect copy may come along”, (because that had relatively light issues) well this is probably as good as they get, and it should please many, if not most fans and collectors. I consider this a rare opportunity.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): with the least wear I have yet seen. An unlaminated gatefold format with a very dull matt finish and gently textured surfaces (later ones had a sheen and smooth). Made with fairly thick card and with the original wide spine. Printed and made in England by Shorewood. The illustrated inner sleeve and insert sheet are included.

Cover Front: Little to fault on this very wear-prone surface, clean, still fresh and barely rubbed with no sticker issues. Just a couple of fine and faint surface creases, any handling traces on the dark surface gentle, light and faint. The long-haired and bearded Young picture will seldom be seen much better on an original cover front.

Cover Back: Even better if anything, the lack of ring wear unusual, but most welcome. Any blemishes again few and very faint, never seen this better.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Barely anything to fault inside either bar a gentle hint of age toning near the top right, and just a fine and faint half moon type surface crease, little else.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four are straight, quite thick, flat and flush. The top pair have minimal patchy and faint rubbing only. The bottom pair a little more, but in context for black storage edges, very light overall. No splits or enhancement guaranteed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: All three edges are sharp with hardly traces of any thickening. The front is closed and factory cut, e.g. it has a white edge surface. The record is stored on the back.

Spine and Text: Little short of immaculate as-made. Solid and wide – later ones much narrower – straight, uncompressed and folded square, so the edges meet up flush and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn as is the surface and folds. Very well centred also. Cover-protection has help ensure this remains impressive and undamaged or worn, few will come close.

Corners: Light, small tip rubbing on the right pairs, the spine with little at all. No knocks with excellent, or better shape retained.

Cover Summary: Dark, unprotected, very matt and fragile – overall, this has fared supremely well with few blemishes bar relatively minor edge rubbing. This much rarer original cover should please many, if not most fans and collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): Unlined and also printed in the UK this is made with very thin matt surface card, the inside is white, almost incredibly, it has all edges fully, and naturally intact, and that is somewhat unusual. Barely any creasing, any handling traces minuscule, this also fresh, clean and unaged. The top flush opening crisp, neat and untorn. Overall, one of the very best you will ever find.

The ‘Hello Waterface’ Insert: VIRTUALLY MINT: UK printed and double folded and guaranteed original, when held to a strong light, a watermark can be seen in the paper which is impossible to fake. Clean with crisp edges and strong, unweakened folds, also, which is not always the case, this is almost perfectly folded with the edges very near flush and parallel. Uncreased and fresh, it appears hardly ever handled or unfolded. This is elusive and most often missing, this one looks fantastic.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and fairly solidly pressed. Every copy I have had has been pressed quite thin, but at least this one appears to be made with purer vinyl than most I have seen previously with minimal traces of impurity or mottle to the playing surfaces. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks or traces few, very light, mostly wispy and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, hardly anything even registers. 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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This magnificent Neil Young album plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault, and that is something I rarely ever stated before. 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 a very clean pressing with no tracking issues* or inherent pressing noises bar one milli-second crackle on side two – blink and you miss it. Few available copies will outperform this early first pressing I feel sure, this has to be the very best pressing I have heard to date, and it’s taken some time. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been very well stored and carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this lovely record. One of the genuine classic Young albums, dark yes, but all the more magnificent for it. It will prove immensely difficult to find better and can be strongly recommended. A rare opportunity indeed.

* 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. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. 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. 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 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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 17­ 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. 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’.