THE DOORS Morrison Hotel UK 70 Orig LP N/M Elektra Red.

	£		41
	$		54

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. 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, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

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. 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. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: THE DOORS

Album Title: Morrison Hotel

Cat Number: EKS 75007 Stereo. (Not issued in mono)

Label and Condition: Elektra red label. Stunning clean examples that show only light and faint spindle traces each side, yes this is extraordinary for any Doors album to be this lightly played. Zero wear around the centre hole too, I would be surprised if this copy has been played more than once or twice most before making it to me. Vintage copies of this album on the original UK red Elektra labels rarely show up now and in this condition hardly ever (Please see label scans for all information needed, a magnificent pair to say the least).

Country of Manufacture: England, UK

Rarity: Any original Doors record this clean has to be quite rare, this record is astonishing, although the cover does have some lightish wear. I dont no how many times this album would have been pressed on the red label, but I would guess few. This particular Elektra format was not available for long, it replaced the orange format in 1970 which was again changed in 1971 when Kinney took over to the far more common mottled Butterfly format. Red Elektra’s are probably the least found versions of this famous label. This record I feel certain is a very first pressing.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: EKS 75007 A1 420 11 1 and EKS 75007 B1 420 11 3.

Brief Artist & Album Info: One of the greatest albums by one of the greatest US bands ever. Labelled as underground heroes on the first two masterpieces then labelled as a bit too commercial for the following pair, on Morrison Hotel The Doors throw off such conundrums with this magnificent release. It reaffirmed their blues roots, opening with the powerful ‘Roadhouse Blues’ before unfolding through a succession of songs showcasing all the group members’ considerable strengths. Tight instrumentally, this album has moments of sublime brilliance, the raunchy’ Maggie M’Gill’ the almost heavy ‘Waiting for the Sun’ but best for me the gentle passion of ‘Indian Summer’ - I love you, the best; better than all the rest sings a very expressive Morrison. An album of timeless brilliance that paved the way for the grande finale of LA Woman, just when you thought things simply could not get better, maybe they even did. This is a very early pressed, and very scarce UK copy, with the actual record being in quite astonishing, close to mint condition. Yes some cover wear, but the record is unlikely to ever be found looking and playing quite like this again. A record for the connoisseur collector.

Cover Grade and Format: EX(-), a gatefold format and unlaminated. Printed and made by MacNeill Press Ltd London. A little more wear than I would like maybe but still quite attractive. A temptation to wait for a slightly better cover for this one, but if one did turn up I get left with another copy and so it goes on. This has some edgewear and some light scuffs and minor marks but still looks quite nice - more details below.

Cover Front: Strong colour and hardly any creasing at all. Some lightish scuffs to the left of “Rooms’’ and some lighish pressmarks that only really show when scrutinised closely. This front is very clean and if stored inside a protective sleeve this still looks very nice indeed.

Cover Back: Similar to the front but better, hardly any rubbing and surface marks are fewer. A couple of small creases but no ringwear on either side which is hugely important. Like many unlaminates ringwear often is a curse - this has avoided this unsightly wear.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Near perfect with little fault at all.

Top Edge: Lightish rubbing.

Bottom Edge: Moderate rubbing, but quite neat, no major encroachment onto the main faces.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear at all. Record enters on right outside back edge which is neatly folded dead square.

Spine and Text: Solid and square with minimal wear until the very top and bottom near the corners which has rubbed a little. Text incredibly is near perfect, solid and unworn.

Corners: All shows some wear, the right pair very little at all with just white tips. The left pair have a bit more, most on the top one on the back, but still, considering the delicacy of covers like this, not bad really.

Cover Summary: Some wear, but still retains a pleasing look to the eye. I have seen far, far worse around and this should still please many collectors but not the perfectionist - but the record is a far different story.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-) A superb record, the best UK copy I have ever seen bar none, this is very scarce make no mistake. Its super clean, shiny, deep black and significantly, heavily pressed - later pressings were far thinner. This is deep grooved with complex patterns indicating dynamic, real hi-fi sound. As stated this plays as quiet as vinyl can and next to no unwanted sounds at all. A supreme record that does the music full justice.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays up to its high visual grading with stunning sound quality, a first pressing is always the definitive version of any record to hear and this is no exception. Strong, undistorted sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. No pops or ticks from memory and a super fine pressing, any surface sounds are virtually zero. Both channels are clean and defined with bags of detail, pace and rhythm, I feel very sure this record has barely seen a deck - rarely do Doors LPs show up this clean. Little, if anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this gem, a sheer pleasure to hear such a fantastic copy. This one will prove near impossible to find significantly better.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: A true classic, my album of 1970 - I adore all The Doors six proper studio albums, an album that never dates, its still sounds as compelling and beautiful as when it was made. If you want a vintage copy that plays close to CD quiet with all the strengths of what clean, near unplayed vinyl offers, look no further. Dont let the slightly blemished cover put you off, remember, you cant play a cover - simply put this into a heavy duty outer sleeve - yes I will provide this too - and it still looks terrific. A record for the connoisseur collector, Doors albums have all but dried up now, even the reissues are not that easy to come across either, but this is real thing, just think this one was actually made and sold when the great Jim Morrison was still with us. Now there IS a thought, good luck again – Mike.

Payment Details please read carefully:

UK First Class: = £2.50; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £4.00 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £6.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

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 (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do not profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken out of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be given.

I accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders own risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear 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. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.