THE CRYSTALS He's a Rebel UK 63 Orig EX++ LP

	£		102
	$		135

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE CRYSTALS

Album Title: He’s a Rebel.

Producer(s): Phil Spector.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: He’s a Rebel; Uptown; Another Country – Another World; Frankenstein Twist; Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby; He’s Sure the Boy I Love.

Side 2: There’s No Other (Like My Baby); On Broadway; What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen; no One Ever Tells You; He Hit Me; I Love You Eddie.

Label/Format: London – Original purple format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in stunning condition and totally ignoring their considerable vintage. Ultra clean and attractive with only very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Can you imagine ever finding a rare UK copy of this better?

Cat Number: HAU 8120.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 136 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: Very Rare: US originals will be hard enough to find but UK ones, well nigh-on impossible especially with a record that has hardly been played and sounds quite stunning. This clearly has never been subjected to mono needle abuse and plays beautifully with almost pristine perfect sound. Such much so, I downloaded this to CD for my own personal use. The silence between tracks was so quiet, my CD recorder even registered the silence to separate the songs in the index. This is a fairly rare occurence as any ‘natural’ stylus sound will make this near impossible but only one song index number was omitted – quite incredible. This is a 1963 original with the earliest matrixes – you can imagine the state most of these will be found in – if indeed you can find another. The cover has aged a little – I think it’s earned the right too, but the record itself is near reference standard and truly one of the most beautiful items I have held from this far back and the Spector ‘Wall of Sound’ simply blew me away. For collectors of this legendary act, this will thrill and I can hardly imagine many will still survive quite like this.

Original Year of Release: 1963

Matrix Nos: ACPL-2408-1K / ACPL-2409-1K

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 U / 1 C

Musicians: Barbara Alston, Mary Thomas, Dolores ‘Dee Dee’ Kenniebrew, La La Brooks and Patricia ‘Patsy’ Wright.

Brief Info: One of the most famous albums from the Phil Spector ‘Wall of Sound’ studios. The Crystals were adored in their native USA with some very famous singles including the title track on this album. That said, the album itself only had a very low and remote chart position and did not sell at all well in the UK. Thus original UK copies are highly prized and very rare indeed. The few that surface on this original purple London label are usually trashed beyond use but this one looks hardly even played and so typical from the collection it came from. The cover is lovely and only shows its great age with some mild toning and age darkening. It has the prized PR logo (Philles Records) on the front and back (please see close-up) and will also prove difficult to find much better. These five girls set a bench-mark of pop excellence that was rarely matched and for collectors of this era and genre, this copy is priceless.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High.

Cover Grade and Format: Even though gracefully aged it has practically no damage and still looks lovely. To grade this much less than EX would not be doing it real justice and remember this is 46-years-old now. A single format with front laminate, Clarifoil that wraps around the close edges, the top and bottom on to two rear flipbacks. Printed and made in England by James Upton Ltd. It has the ‘PR’ Philles Records logo on front and back.

Lamination & Front: The laminate is still shiny and very clear with minimal traces of friction rubs or dulling. The classic time-piece artwork can still be enjoyed to maximum advantage being bright and vivid and aged very little at all. The famous ‘Rebel’ will rarely be seen better with an original record inside. Some lifting on the spine but most and having a white background, it hardly even shows. Few marks but a little mild toning near the edges, most on the right opening but still only a fine strip. Hardly any creasing but a few fine cracks on the spine edge – hardly unusual on but more recent covers, so I can easily excuse so few ones on one like this. Such a classic sleeve, when was the last you saw one of these and did it compare to this?

Cover Back: The back has darkened to a fair degree but is undamaged. Few covers anything like this age will still have snowy white backs and this consistent darkening actually adds character I feel – it simply looks ‘right’ for its vintage. Hardly any marks or creases to the main panel and no ringwear. Again some edge toning and cracks on the spine, but small and modest. Both flipbacks intact and undamaged and stuck fastly down. The exposed ends have toned but devoid of grime-lines. Given all the facts, this is a lovely back and will again prove difficult to find much better these days.

Top Edge: Just a couple of tiny surface chips.

Bottom Edge: Practically unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid but with a small few crease-cracks which means it can bend a little near the centre. Quite straight with a little mild compression in places. All text is perfect and unworn, remarkably any cracks have missed the letters. Again slightly darkened.

Corners: A little relatively mild rubbing and scuffing but generally way above average for a cover this great age. Very shape is retained with barely any traces of erosion.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this very fragile early 60’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. How often will this ever show-up anyway? Those that do will rarely, if ever include a first pressed record that looks and sounds almost as made. This beautiful item should please many and most realistic collectors.

The Inner: Yes this rare classic even includes its original polylined inner. A Decca-style inner that is British patented but has foreign patents pending text. The lining is secure and has a supremely clear window and all edges are unsplit. Again slightly darkened and with a little ruffling but no real creasing as such. One smallish tear on the back window circle and a nick split on the top opening edge. Easily grades EX(-) and arguably better for one so old. Guaranteed original too and making this album authentically complete.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: I think this is undergraded at EX++, A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with barely a noteworthy mark or blemish worthy of mention. A few very light and faint surface marks of course, how many will not have? Both playing surfaces are as beautiful as the vintage labels and that is little short of immaculate. These mono grooves have never been abused by worn or blunt needles. Purchased from new by the one-and-only owner who owned quality equipment even from the distant past. He played his vinyl sparingly and this is a record time has forgot. I am certain it has not seen daylight for several decades. Visually a super record that should please most, if not all 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: Can a 1963 mono pop record still play with audiophile sound quality? Answer, yes! This beautiful classic record plays up to, and even exceeds its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. The famous Phil Spector sound will rarely sound much better than on this fabulous record. I am primarily a rock fan and The Crystals are little before my time – I was only around six when this was issued – but I can truly appreciate the sublime music on these girls made with the help of the legendary producer. This is early 60s pop-music at its very best and even today it still sound marvellous. For record buyers around at this time, this record will remind of THAT sound again and without the usual pops and clicks associated with long playing records of this era. Few will ever compare to his one, the sound is reference standard. Remember too, this mono record was never made to be played on high-end stereo turntables but more at home on a Dansette or similar single channel record player. One arm drop or jolt and there’s another priceless copy written-off. This has avoided such traumas and tracks effortlessly and importantly, quietly. ALL the music and vocals are fully focused and pin-sharp, those beautiful harmonies as crystal clear (no pun intended) as when first pressed. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing as you would expect from a Decca-London record. 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 very lightly and has been carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove almost impossible to find significantly better and is unreservedly recommended. The cover may show its age a little but the record certainly does not. A beautiful timeless piece, almost too good for words, do not lose this one.

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: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets out ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is no bad thing. Also: any item with a value over £40 will have to be insured as well, but for any item that sells for over £150, I will pay the extra insurance (then the lower shipping price applies).

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). 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 VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will be Double Boxed. 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 as well as a 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 ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not 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. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course of multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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. (Only for items under £40)

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (Compulsory for items over £40).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, [£500 Maximum]) = £11.

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, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500 Maximum) = £15.

For items that sell over £150, I will pay the insurance, so the lower shipping price will apply.

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 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’.