NICO Chelsea Girl SCARCE UK MGM 1971 N/M LP, N/M Cover.

	£		104
	$		138

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: NICO

Album Title: Chelsea Girl.

Producer(s): Tom Wilson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The fairest of the Seasons (Copel/Browne); These Days (Jackson Browne); Little Sister (Cale/Reed); Winter Song (John Cale); It Was a Pleasure Then (Nico/Cale/Reed).

Side 2: Chelsea Girls (Reed/Morrison); I’ll Keep It With Mine (Bob Dylan); Somewhere There’s a Feather (Jackson Tim Hardin); Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (John Cale); Eulogy to Lenny Bruce (Tim Hardin).

Label/Format: MGM – gold and blue format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both stunning and truly immaculate: ultra clean and attractive and I am struggling to even find a spindle trace at all. This is the most sublime copy of this wonderful record I have ever seen.

Cat Number: 2353025 Select.

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: 121 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The second Velvet Underground album in all but name and issued in the same year as the seminal groundbreaking debut. The very first copies of this record were issued in the US in 1967 on Verve. In the UK it was pressed in 1971 on MGM, as per this copy. These are scarce and difficult to find in top conditions and if a better example than exists, well I would love to see it. Both cover and record are vulnerable due to format and content, both often seen, when found, in poor conditions. It was later pressed on Polydor and even these are not so easy find either. This classic has always proved difficult to find no matter when it was pressed and this one is connoisseur standard and will prove the bench-mark to judge others.

Original Year of Release: Please see above.

Matrix Nos: 2353025 A2 420 05 1 1 1 0 / 2353025 B2 420 1 2

Musicians: Nico – vocals; Jackson Browne – acoustic guitar; Lou Reed – electric guitar; John Cale – viola, organ, guitar; Sterling Morrison – electric guitar.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The German beauty queen that came to music fame via her contributions with The Velvet Underground. The Velvet Underground and Nico remains for me one of the greatest albums ever issued and its importance to music history cannot be overstated. Requesting to do all the lead vocals, but turned down, and she left the band soon after. This album, her first, for me is an absolute classic also, it simply carries on the sound of the famous VU debut - a couple of the songs were actually to feature on the VU album, but length restrictions made it impossible. It even features compositions and backing by Velvet members. (I have included the writing credits on the track listing above). Also featured is a young Jackson Browne with memorable songs by him also. The album’s title is from the famous Chelsea Hotel in New York which was used by many cerebrities of various types in those heady days of over-indulgence and experimentation. Dylan Thomas, Arthur Miller, Jackson Pollock, Allen Ginsberg, Edith Piaf, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen (he made a famous song about his experiences there) and Janis Joplin have all lived there. This is an album of stunning beauty and I never tire of listening to it. Nico was unique, a one-off, no-one sounds quite like her and this album for those who have not heard it, simply carries on where the first Velvet Underground album ends. It can be argued, this is the Velvet Underground that never was – all bar Mo Tucker feature and the dark mood is the same. Slightly more subtle and subdued in texture - reference to the her songs on that masterpiece debut. This sparse, mellow and stark, but beautiful record gaves no clues to the following dark gothic album that was to follow - The Marble Index. Superbly produced by Tom Wilson, at this time producing Zappa’s Mothers of Invention Verve classics. I have often found the MGM pressings crackly with substantial amounts of unwanted pressing sounds. This one has practically none and is the very pressed copy I have yet heard - a totaly joy from start to finish - anything unwanted barely even registered. The music is so captivating and engrossing, I adore this record, for me, almost as important as the legendary banana classic. The famous sleeve is in breathtaking condition and I have never seen one to compare with it that includes the MGM logo. No wear and clean as new, this is reference standard and all collectors will love it. For me this is one of those definitive covers that again bring those incredible days of the 60s underground scene back again. If you love, like me, ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’, ‘I’ll Be our Mirror’ and ‘Femme Fatale’ you will adore this dark, haunting record. I simply cannot recommend this stunning album and highly enough.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Grade and Format: The temptation to grade this specimen-standard cover full Mint is near overwhelming, I have rarely seen one that even comes close. With just a couple of tiny corner-tip creases and odd microscopic surface mark I will say undergraded at Mint(-), a single unlaminated format with the original UK MGM logo. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd.

Cover Front: One of the covers of the 1960s, what a beauty this lady was. This definitive front has little to fault bar tiny corner-tip creases and one tiny surface trace (only seen under angled light) and a tiny surface crease just below the lady’s wrist. Clean, fresh with no rubbing, handling blemishes and importantly ringwear. This is a front to hold, look at and enjoy - a world-class example.

Cover Back: Near flawless as any cover of this vintage ever will be and even the white areas are still just that – white. A tiny corner-tip crease and the an ultra faint rub trace near the top edge. These ‘blemishes’ I have mentioned are so tiny I feel certain no-one else would have even mentioned them. Both sides are really that good.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering. Being ultra critical, a faint burr on the manufacture cut near the top but look very hard to see it. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Just like new: Solid, straight, no compression, all text is perfect and unworn and the white finish is very clean and untoned. The text is very dark and bold and the boxy shape to the spine is totally as made with zero traces of crushing.

Corners: No wear to any but tiny tip creases probably incurred in transit when made.

Cover Summary: A wonderful all round example of this very fragile early 70’s cover, one that will prove near impossible to find much better. This beautiful item should please practically collectors - worthy of a second look.

The Inner: The Polydor style lined inner is included in high N/M condition. Mild seam gum darkening only and no splits or creases.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Undergraded at Mint(-) and quite honestly full Mint is appropriate for this beauty. A supreme visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. A copy barely even played on all the evidence, this has all the hallmarks of a brand new record. Visually a super record that should please all collectors again.

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 snippetts 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: I could hardly wait to get this on to the turntable – I adore this album and even today it’s still a somewhat guarded secret of excellence. If Reed had agreed to Nico’s request to be lead singer on her own, this would have been the second Velvet Underground album - it’s has all the characteristics of the famous ‘Banana’ album (but with better sound). This wonderful record plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is high with a solid dynamic range and detailed sound. Any surface sounds barely even register and this is the best-pressed example I have ever heard. As stated, I have heard this album several times on MGM and most have some inherent surface sound – nothing to do with static or groovewear – simply in the pressing and this will prove near impossible to find better. Excellent material and sung as only Nico could, this really is The Velvet Underground under Nico’s name – the missing album they could have made and been credited too. Few copies will match or outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played hardly at all and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, maximum pleasure from start to finish. This copy will prove nearly impossible to find better and can be strongly recommended, a keeper, reference copy to connoisseur standard.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth 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.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£39).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.