QUEEN (1st) RARER EARLY UK PRESSING & MESSAGE VARIANT, LOVELY EX EXAMPLE & SOUND

	£		56
	$		74

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

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: QUEEN

Album Title: Queen

Producer(s): John Anthony & Roy Baker

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Keep Yourself Alive; Doing All Right; Great King Rat; My Fairy King.

Side 2: Liar; The Night Comes Down; Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll; Son and Daughter; Jesus; Seven Seas of Rhye... .

Label/Format: EMI – original matt, smooth format with Trident Audio Production 1973 logo.

Label Conditions: Both clean and attractive with hardly any spindle marks.

Cat Number: EMC 3006 (YAX 4623).

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. A typical weight for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England

Original Year of Release: 1973

Rarity: Genuine first pressings of this legendary album are far more elusive. Remember, few had even heard of Queen when this album was issued. No previous hit singles and sparse radio publicity. I actually bought a copy of this album after seeing them perform on BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test – the track ‘Liar’ totally blew me away and hearing it again on a clean first pressed record did it again for me. I specially ordered a copy of this album from ‘Mann’s Music’ back in 1973, fearing a new band’s album would not be guaranteed to be stocked straight away. The early copies in very clean, little played condition that offer superb sound are elusive, make no mistake. This album so often crackles and disappoints for sound, the later ones especially so – I have heard too many examples with inherent distortion from badly pressed copies and will never offer them. So what determines a really early pressing? What needs to be checked are the matrixes. Most seen are: YAX 4623-3U / YAX 4624-3U which denotes a standard early EMI pressing. The dead-wax area messages are: ‘KIP - HUGGYPOO KISSY’ and ‘AGAIN!’. Second pressings replaced this text with ‘BLAIR’ and ‘BLAIR RULES’, often mis-sold as a first issue, but not so.

But this copy on offer is quite different and rarer still, it being the very first one I have ever seen. This copy possibly not even pressed by EMI, it has typical Philips (or Polydor) style matrix ends and stampers, quite different to the standard EMI types. ALSO, the run out messages are very different as well, especially on side two. These are listed and detailed below the paragraph below. This variant seems scarce and elusive, quite likely made in only limited numbers. Clearly this is a more unusual variant for Queen collectors – it may appear as a standard pressing and copy, but not the case when checked over carefully. This one also plays superbly well with immense power and detail, and this pressing is documented with the run out message variations, but less so the more unusual matrixes which seem to combine EMI and Philips (Polydor).

Matrix Nos: EMC 3006 YAX 4623 A//2 1 1 5 & EMC 3006 YAX 4624 B//2 1 1 2

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘HUGGY POO KISSY KISSY’ / ‘KATHY PAT SUE KIP JOHN RAY’ [these are very different on both sides and appearing unique to this more unusual variant pressing]

Musicians: Freddie Mercury – Vocals; Brian May – lead guitar; John Deacon - bass guitar; Roger Taylor – drums.

Brief Info: The album that started the legend of Queen – the band that included one of the most charismatic showman vocalists of all time, and from the very outset, it was clear this band were to become very special. Their early albums were far more rocky and heavy, they could even be classified as ‘progressive’, briefly anyway and appealed greatly to rock fans such as myself – their performance on ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ is legendary. This debut is impressive and offers superb sound from quite possibly a unique pressing run. Right from the start, this band were class a act. Quality was paramount and this is an awesome recording. I just had to stop typing this listing during ‘Liar’, the massively powerful basslines towards the end left my body a mass of goosebumps - this has incredible power, depth and detail and no later pressing or CD version will compare to this. The unlaminated cover rarely wears well, but this little wear and is seldom seen as such. One for Queen collectors and specialists, those run-out messages are way scarcer than all other regular issue ones. Get this on to a worthy system and be prepared to rock – early Queen were majestic and all round, this will take some beating.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and arguably better. A single matt, smooth format that was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. Includes the EMI text credit white inner sleeve.

Front & Back: The lack of penetrating or ink removing ringwear on both sides is a good starting point for a cover that rarely avoids it. There is very gentle rim area dulling seen with angled viewing, but that is almost the least to be expected on thin dark print card. Fresh and clean with intense colour, the lack of creasing is a major plus as well. Both sides will prove hard to find much better.

Top Edge: This top edge has text as per the spine that is all unworn. Solild and straight with any rubbing tiny, very light and equally patchy.

Bottom Edge: Largely the same but with no text printed on this one.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly very sharp with minimal traces of wear or thickening on what is quite thin card. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Solid, quite thin but mostly straight with any compression light. All text is perfect and unworn, I cannot rule out the odd tiny chip tip-in from the past.

Corners: Very fine to excellent shape with little wear seen. Again the odd tiny tip enhancement is possible, but overall discrete and neat.

Cover Summary: A difficult dark matt cover, rarely seen this fine. I can hardly believe this is around 42-years-old and few survive a great deal better now. One that should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): an unlined EMI text inner sleeve. A superb example, clean and fresh with hardly any creasing and no edge splits or repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or very close to. A very fine visual copy that is clean with equally fine shine and quite solidly pressed. Under bright angled light, very fine and faint, mostly whispy surface marks are just evident. Natural room light reveals hardly anything and there are no penetrating stylus scratches on this vintage Queen record. The record plays impressively as well, so this more elusive pressed version will 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 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: This fantastic Queen debut plays even above its high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Powerful, 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 minimal and faint with no tracking issues*. This more unusual pressing lacks the crackle and noises I have heard on several ‘regular’ copies and to my ears, this sounded superior in all departments. Those bass-lines on ‘Liar’ are simply mind-blowing, especially with the volume cracked up. I have heard this album several times with crackle and pressing noises, usually from later pressed copies that often looked like new. These unwanted audio sounds cannot be seen of course, but certainly can be heard when present. This one has avoided such issues and little, if indeed anything spoilt the experience. Not pristine visually, how many will be, but for audio quality and entertainment, this on will take a lot of beating and can be strongly recommended.

* 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 programmes. 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’.