QUEEN Rare 1st Press 73 HUGGYPOO KISSY+LAMINATED COVER

	£		156
	$		207

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Artist or Band: QUEEN

Album Title: Queen.

Producer(s): John Anthony and 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 format with Trident Audio Production 1973 logo (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both clean and attractive with less than moderate spindle marks. Most only show under angled light but a couple of three can be seen with normal viewing.

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: 116 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: Genuine first pressings of this legendary album are quite rare. Remember few had even heard of Queen when this album was issued. No previous hit singles and sparce 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 73, fearing a new band’s album would not be guaranteed to be stocked straight away. First pressed copies in clean condition that play superbly are elusive, make no mistake. This album so often crackles and disappoints for sound, the later ones especially so. So what determines a first pressing? What needs to be checked are the matrixes which are: YAX 4623-3U / YAX 4624-3U (as this copy has). The dead-wax messages are: ‘KIP - HUGGYPOO KISSY’ and ‘AGAIN!’ (Please see this detail in my close-up picture, this is very important). There is something extra special about this copy also making it extra and very special for Queen collectors. This copy has a FULLY LAMINATED cover, yes true. Only a tiny percentage of these were ever laminated and most-all are flat matt finished. These are as hard, if not more so than the’ Huggypookissy’ run-out message. Obviously, this gives this cover more class and a quality de luxe look and feel. The colours much richer and pleasing than the standard matts, this is real eye-candy for the cover connoisseur. Never underestimate a first issue of this legendary debut with a laminated cover, I truly cannot remember the last one I ever saw – if ever being honest – I am sure my copy from way back was unlaminated like most were.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: YAX 4623-3U / YAX 4624-3U

Stamper Codes: 1 RO / 2 RH

Run-Out Groove Etchings: These are highly sigificant and read: ‘KIP - HUGGYPOO KISSY’ / ‘AGAIN!’

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 stunning and a genuine first pressing. It’s well preserved but clearly played a few times but this has not affected the spine-tingling sound which blew me away. Right from the start, this band were class acts. Even from the earliest days, quality was paramount and this is an awesome recording. I just had to stop typing this advert during ‘Liar’, the massively powerful basslines towards the end left my body a mass of goosebumps - this has incredible power and detail and no later pressings will compare to this. The laminated cover is superb too, minor edge creases yes, but the difference this makes to the look is staggering. 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: EX+ and that is being somewhat critical. A single format that was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and FULLY LAMINATED (not varnished). Proof of the imprint is seen on my close-up picture. Most-all are matt finished and this variant is unusual and rare.

Lamination – Front & Back: Firstly, do not underestimate the rarity of a laminated version of this cover, I feel sure this was not intended to be laminated and few ever were. A major variant for Queen collectors for sure and with a first pressed record inside, well tis is almost too good to be true – but IS. The laminate on both sides is very shiny with any mild dulling modest and light and only shows under light. Very clear and the difference it makes to the appearance of the artwork is immense. The colours now far more intense and vivid and looking lovely. All is fully adhered too with no lifting or blistering. This is a thin cover and clearly prone to creasing. Most-all of any creasing present on this rare cover is on the edges as fine hairline types. Several on the spine edge, less elsewhere. The opening edge sees the laminated end a few millimetres short of full width, but the exposed strip front and back are practically unworn and clean. For attractiveness this will take some beating and I am asking myself if I have ever seen one of these before laminated. Although I was aware they existed, this I feel sure is my first. One for the serious Queen fan to get excited about.

Top Edge: Barely any wear, it appears to have spine text printed that is lost inside the construction.

Bottom Edge: Unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any traces of wear and no feathering or trimming of course. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, mostly straight with any compression mild. A few fine surface creases but all text is perfect and unworn.

Corners: All retain superb shape and show barely any wear.

Cover Summary: Unusual and rare for this album, most-all are matt finished with no laminate. Richly coloured and with a more de luxe look, this attractive item should please most collectors. If a few edge creases are an issue however, do not bid. The record includes the plain white unlined inner in fine EX condition with no edge splits, significant creasing or ageing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX+ conservatively graded, this has only very light surface blemishes visible under light Whispy friction blemishes only, unlined inners never as surface friendly as polylined. A very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and quite solidly pressed. A copy played modestly and it sounds superb. Visually a super record that should please most 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 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: This fantastic Queen debut plays even above its high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Powerful, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds barely registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a complex and challenging album. Not all EMI pressings were pressed to this standard especially within this year of issue but this is a real beauty. I have heard this album with crackle and distortions, and these usually from later pressed copies that looked like new. These unwanted audio sounds cannot be seen of course, but certainly can be heard. This has avoided such issues and is a clean first issue. Few copies will even match this earliest of pressings I feel sure and later issues almost certainly won’t. Both channels are clean and sharp and this record appears carefully handled and well stored. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and is strongly recommended. This is the King of Queen albums, and with a fully laminated cover, a regal rare example.

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 2M moving magnet 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.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 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. 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These 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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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 stiffners 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 FOUR 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); 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 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. 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 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’.