NEIL YOUNG Tonight's the Night RARER UK 1975 1st PRESS COMPLETE, PLAYS GREAT.

	£		65
	$		86

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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: 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. These have matt surfaces with a faint hint of texturing.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle traces minuscule.

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: 99 grams. Light, but to date, this is the best-pressed copy of this scarce first issue record I have heard.

Country of Manufacture: England

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

Something else I consider very important regarding this album as well is how it plays. It is one I almost expect to play badly every time I buy a copy. 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 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 is even from copies that appear hardly played. I have heard some that sound like they have been pressed on sandpaper with constant moderate crackle and surface noise, often with rasping pressing noises, rasps 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.

This copy appears little played, but does have a fine stylus mark on side one. It being light and non-penetrating with NO sound at all. A complete copy with superb cover, inner and insert. The record appears little used and looks impressively clean, it may be pressed lightly, but better that than heavier using impure vinyl, this has no dulling or visual impurities, the difference that makes to this record is massive. It is zero pressing rasps or distortions and minimal hint of surface noise, overall it is the most enjoyable copy I have heard. Buying this album ‘blind’ with no play-grade is a real lottery – I know this to be a fact – when most examples I have heard had issues, that is no coincidence or bad luck – most will be the same. So-much-so, I have sold a tiny few of these since I first started selling on Ebay in 2001 with lesser issues, because if only ‘perfection’ can be offered, this Neil Young classic would hardly ever be offered at all. So, even with a few light marks with no affect on the sound, it has no inherent sound problems or cringing distortions or rasps. One that can be played and enjoyed, it could even prove an upgrade to some fans and collectors. First issues, complete and in very fine condition that plays very well indeed are at a real premium for an album that did not sell well. I truly consider such a copy very scarce, bordering on rare.

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’ [the main ‘K’ matrixes are machine punched, other information scripted]

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.

Brief 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 disatrous 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. 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 strong fine 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 – I will not offer any record like that or I cannot enjoy myself. The brilliance of this album demands it be heard with better quality, and this one does deliver. It is only the second copy I have heard without pressing rasps or irritating noises. At times, quite a sparse album and few places for blemishes to ‘hide’. Without any doubt, there were issues with the manufacture of this album and it was not just a trait of this Young album, others suffered also around this time. This first issue, at last allows me to offer a complete copy of this classic on Ebay that plays to a high standard throughout. 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. Do not under-estimate how difficult this album is all departments. A true classic – some even say masterpiece – an indispensable gem from a master musician and songwriter. This is a copy probably most will enjoy.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): an unlaminated gatefold format with a very dull matt finish and gently textured surfaces. 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: Not only one of the cleanest sound copies I have had, the cover is probably the very best to date also. This is very prone to all forms of wear and seldom seen quite this nice from a genuine first printing. The front is magnificent with barely anything to fault. Clean, fresh with no fading, rubbing, sticker marks or creasing. The odd faint handling trace here-and-there being critical, but this unforgiving front will prove beyond difficult to find better.

Cover Back: Same again, the lack of ring wear unsual, but most welcome.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little short of as-made and again magnificent.

Top & Bottom Edges: All are straight, quite thick, flush, flat and parallel. No splits or repairs, the top surfaces barely even rubbed with only faint traces on the bottom storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Three edges, all superb. Clean, very sharp with minimal hint of wear and both guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on the back edge, the front is closed, any thickening or burring minuscule.

Spine and Text: A small rub near the bottom stops an extra (+) for the overall grading. Solid, thick and wider an later ones. Very straight, uncompressed and folded square, so all edges meet up flush and parallel. As seen, all text is perfect and unworn as is most of the surface and folds. Even with that small rub, this superb spine will prove incredibly hard to find better.

Corners: All corners are again in supreme condition with barely any rubs and no dinks. Practically mint shape being retained for all with no creasing.

Cover Summary: Dark, unprotected and fragile – overall, this has fared impressively well with little to fault bar the small spine end rub. Massive upgrade potential for many collectors, this is seldom seen even half this nice. A rare first and one to hold and enjoy.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): and unsplit with no repairs, that is very unusual and a huge plus. Unlined or creased, this printed in the UK. A tiny edge rub only, this almost as fragile as the main cover, and rarely seen in this fantastic condition.

The ‘Hello Waterface’ Insert: EXCELLENT(++): Again UK printed and double folded in manufacture. Clean with crisp edges and solid folds, also, not always the case. This is perfectly folded with the edges flush and parallel. One gentle, fine crease registers little. This is elusive and most often missing, this one looks very impressive indeed – and is guaranteed original. It failed to appear at all in later copies.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(–) / NEAR EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and fairly solidly pressed. Never heavily pressed, but this one below average in weight, but made with much purer vinyl, hence the overall impressive sound with no pressing faults. As stated, side one has a fine, non-penetrating stylus line mark that does nothing whatsoever. Any other marks are even finer and also superficial. Not for the visual purist, but still a lovely record that without doubt, has been played little. It should please many, and for sound (compared to many copies), most collectors. An elusive original, and one that can be enjoyed to a very high standard.

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 very personal, downbeat, but truly magnificent landmark album plays even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. That can never be guaranteed even on the cleast looking copy of this record, initial play-grades are always a nervous 40 or so minutes. Any marks are simply ignored, non-penetrating and superficial. This offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. NO pressing rasps, distortions or loss of clarity, this quite light record made from much purer vinyl with no visual impurities or dulling. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, this has some very quiet passages, so the odd faint trace is near impossible to avoid totally. But I state with genuine confidence, few will better this. Overall an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored within a non-smoking environment. Yes, a fine visible stylus mark and other traces, but with no audio affect, so why worry? Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this classic album. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. All elements of this copy are near exceptional with audio quality top-of-the-list, not one to be lost lightly.

* 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’.