THE DOORS Strange Days - RARER ORIG UK 1967 STEREO EX LP, SUPERB SOUND & COVER.

	£		151
	$		200

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: THE DOORS

Album Title: Strange Days

Producer(s): Paul A. Rothchild

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Strange Days; You’re Lost Little Girl; Love Me Two Times; Unhappy Girl; Horse Latitudes; Moonlight Drive.

Side 2: People Are Strange; My Eyes Have Seen You; I Can’t See Your Face in My Mind; When the Music’s Over.

Cat Number: EKS 74014

Label/Format: Elektra – original matt surfaces with rough textured finish.

Label Conditions: Both labels are very clean, fresh and attractive with only a small few, mostly light spindle marks. This record plays superbly throughout.

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: 140 grams. A very good solid weight.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce, and this copy has a superb cover, very clean, lightly played record that offers superb sound throughout. Such copies are very hard to find.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: EKS 74014 A1 [stampers A12] / EKS 74014 B1 [stampers A5]

Muscians: Jim Morrison - vocals; Ray Manzarek - keyboards, marimba; Robby Kreiger - guitar; John Densmore - drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The Doors’ second album redefined their uncompromising art. The disturbing sounds of Ray Manzarek’s organ work provided the musical cloak through which guitarist Robbie Kreiger and vocalist Jim Morrison projected. Few singers in rock possessed his authority and emotional intensity, even after his premature death in 1971, he remains one of rock’s most charismatic and iconic vocalists. Fairly recently, me and my wife Suzanne, visited his grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris – a journey long overdue, it proved quite an emotional experience. Strange Days contains some of the quartet’s finest work, from the apocolyptical vision of ‘When the Music’s Over’ - with it’s famous chilling line The Scream of the Butterfly - to the memorable quirkiness of ‘People are Strange’ and ‘Moonlight Drive’. The graphic ‘Horse Latitudes’, meanwhile, confirmed Morrison’s wish to be viewed as a poet, a stance ensuring The Doors were always more than just another rock band. This masterpiece, their second in the greatest year in music – 1967 – the ‘Summer of Love’, is an astonishing work and boasts a very famous and surreal cover with it’s bizarre circus characters. How this brilliant album did not even make the charts in the UK is a complete mystery: a nation engrossed in ‘Peppermania’ and competition was intense with so many classics issued within that great year. Many of America’s finest were largely overlooked. Initially selling poorly here and copies that were bought often being subjected to heavy playing on basic 1960s record players with thick stylus and heavy arms that rendered many copies unplayable. Finding a UK early stereo issue appearing little played and offering fantastic sound is getting so difficult. Although this copy does not have the inner sleeve that came briefly, the superb fully laminated cover more than compensates. It is quite possibly the best original I have seen, and could prove a major upgrade for some. A classic album in lovely visual and playing conditions, a wonderful opportunity indeed.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single fully laminated format. Printed and made in England by Polydor Records. Includes the basic white unlined inner sleeve with ‘PATENT APPLIED FOR’ text.

Cover – Front & Back: Both sides are in superb condition and will instantly bring a big smile to any winning bidder. Both sides, the laminate retains a high gloss shine, freshness and clarity with minimal lifting – a fine trace on the spine edge that registers little. Even under light, hardly any dulling, slight traces near the extreme top and bottom from the thick record, viewed normally full on, barely anything is seen. Any of the few laminate creases are mostly very fine and show little either. The pictures both sides are dark and little short of perfect as seen. The opening edges both sides have a fairly wide exposed strip against the laminate ends, this perilous area is also barely worn at all, and importantly, present proving without any doubt, there has been no trimming or enhancements to this ‘working’, and wear-prone edge. This famous cover will seldom be found a great deal better and as stated, could prove a major upgrade for some.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both are thin and largely straight. The top smooth and unworn. The bottom storage edge has a couple of tiny surface chips, little else.

Right Edge: Hugely impressive: clean, very sharp with barely any wear, burring or thickening and guaranteed untrimmed as stated above. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Again very thin, but practically as made bar a tiny rub to the bottom corner tip. Solid, straight with negligible compression. The laminate fully intact and very smooth, unscuffed and clear. All text pristine perfect as seen in close-up.

Corners: Tiny tip rubs on the bottom pair, little else, with lovely crisp shape mostly retained without dinks or knocks. No tip creasing worthy of mention.

Cover Summary: A really beautiful example, now into its 49th year, few survive like this. One to please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a basic plain white unlined inner with two crisp undamaged window circles and all edges unsplit with no repairs. Mildly aged with some corner crinkle or gentle creasing. This has the ‘PATENT APPLIED FOR’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or very close to, and this hardly does this record justice. Under bright angled light, wispy or fine hairlines are seen, totally superficial with no audio sound whatsoever. There are no penetrating stylus scratches at all, hence no pops or clicks were noted. Just ask yourself, how many 1967 records will have no minor blemishes? With the vast majority heavily played and badly dulled and scratched, this puts this still lovely record into true perspective, and this one plays beautifully. For those who did shell-out and buy this vintage record back in the day, most played to near destruction and finding one with still clean and fresh looking is never easy. Still a very impressive visual copy that is very clean with lovely shine, intense black and very solidly pressed. I doubt if this has been played many times, and then with due care. This classic, and quite elusive UK copy should 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: A record that plays even above it’s impressive visual. The sound is rich and detailed and has all the inherent detail of an early barely played record that also images superbly in stereo. The album is beautifully produced by Paul A. Rothchild and this is just the way he wanted it to sound - no tampering, remixing, remastering etc. This is the real thing and nothing will better it. A very clean pressing with no tracking issues*, barely any hint of surface sound and no audible pressing noises. Even the challenging and intense ‘Horse Latitudes’ – a challenging vocal track that seldom escapes issues, plays superbly. Deep grooved and more loudly mixed than the debut. The hugely important factor is the lack of distortion – that really unwanted sound caused by groove wear that caused the high frequencies especially to break up and clip – this has totally avoided it. All this album remains totally focused and sharp with supreme sonic delivery of Jim’s vocal and music. This was a delightful record to play grade, Strange Days is one of my favourite Doors albums and I adore this band as does my wife since I introduced her to them back in 1983. It merits strong recommendation and yet another gem I am almost reluctant to let go. A timeless classic heard to maximum advantage on a record unruined by time or usage. Such is the scarcity of this great record it’s clearly a wonderful opportunity not to be missed. The ‘Lizard King’ himself would surely have approved?

* 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’.