THE KINKS - SCARCE Orig UK 1964 Pye Mono EX LP+Inner.

	£		82
	$		109

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Artist or Band: THE KINKS

Album Title: The Kinks.

Producer(s): Shel Talmy.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Beautiful Delilah; So Mystifying; Just Can’t Go to Sleep; Long Tall Shorty; I Took My Baby Home; I’m a Lover Not a Fighter; You Really Got Me.

Side 2: Cadillac; Bald Headed Woman; Revenge; Too Much Monkey Business; I’ve Been Driving on Bald Mountain; Stop Your Sobbing; Got Love if You Want It.

Label/Format: Pye – Orig deep magenta mono format with ‘recording first published 1964’ text (please see scans).

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive. Side one looks slightly rubbed around the hole area which gives a darkened appearance around that area, my label picture actually over-emphasises this effect due to the flash, but at least does show what I mean. No ink removed or surface damage at all, possibly a sticker was applied in the distant past but that is purely a guess. Spindle marks are light to light+ an in context of this record, way, way below average. These early beat albums are well-known for being hammered on Dansette’s and other vintage mono record players that tracked with huge down-force often exceeding 10 grams++. Hardly any wonder most seen or offered are totally worn out and sound terrible.

Cat Number: NPL 18096.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 165 grams. A real vintage Pye heavyweight, even heavier than the 60s average.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce, but when found in really nice conditions – that’s for looks and sound – these are scarcer still. Kinks records, like Beatles and Stones records from this period, always seem to always be the most played, worn and trashed around – maybe even more than most. Their debut album from way back in 1964 is never an easy find in anything close to EX and this one even exceeds that.

Original Year of Release: 1964

Matrix Nos: NN 1096-A1T / NN 1096-B1T (The ‘1’ on both sides is error-corrected).

Musicians: Ray Davies – vocals, guitar; Dave Davies – vocals, guitar; Peter Quaife – bass; Mick Avory – Drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The first Kinks album and one that included seven Davies credited or part-credited songs, a fairly unusual event for many of the early RnB bands finding their way, but such was the talent of these men, it can be no real surprise. Most vinyl collectors and 60s pop music fans will know all about this legendary band and albums and will no doubt know just how hard they are to find in fine playing and visual conditions. This copy looks very nice indeed and in terms of any beat mono record from this period, it lacks the usual matted spindle marks and scratches seen on most. Importantly, it still plays beautifully with any sound degrading minuscule with no pops or clicks. The cover is way above average and includes it’s original Pye inner – most are found very tatty, severely creased or torn with the backs a rich shade of brown rather than the original white. Any ageing or wear on this one is modestly light and sets the bar high to be significantly beaten.

Cover Grade and Format: EX to EX+ and I consider this a super example especially when set aside other well-worn and badly aged ones. So often seen with deep laminate creasing and well fogged laminate with backs severely discoloured or massively grubby – this shows little of that and retains a high degree of attractiveness. A single format, laminated on the front, this wraps around the closed edges and ends on three large rear external flipbacks. Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse and includes the ‘Patents pending’ text. Also included is the original blue Pye promotional inner, this too in fantastic condition.

Cover Front & Lamination: Not perfect, but one of the best I have seen for some time. The laminate is very shiny, clear and fresh, and importantly, fully adhered with no lifting of blisters. Even under light, this has little dulling or friction rubs, any present near the bottom edge. It does have a few creases but none disfiguring or large and these have modest visibility too. Most confined to the edges with just a couple of half moons near the right edge. Any wear of any (small) note is very slight softening to the extreme right entrance edge, this being a thicker card cover, this is hardly unusual and this is very light and minor with any burring fine and light. With normal viewing, this is a very attractive front with rich colour to the artwork and any real marks few and ultra faint and barely registering. Really very nice indeed.

Cover Back: The unprotected back is exceptional being still a lovely shade of real white, not yellow or brown. A few mainly light creases are evident near the left edge, these being ‘thumb’ types that form on removing the very heavy record. The lack of rubbing, grubbiness and ringwear is significantly good news. The flipbacks are in splendid condition and all remain firm and also still very white indeed. Their ends show barely any burring and no grime-line formation, the bottom one has a few surface creases that few ever avoid. Again, the entry edge has slightly burred but this merely reitterates the lack of trimming, always beware of razor sharp openings on any cover this age especially. An overall very fine and attractive back that complements the front perfectly.

Top Edge: Practically unworn.

Bottom Edge: Same again up to the very corner tips that have small rubs or chips.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, with very light rubbing to the very edge of the edge (if you see what I mean?). Reasonably sharp and quite neat with slightly thickened edges but no feathering or trimming. A slightly rustic trim in manufacture on this thicker than some covers card. It simply looks ‘right’ for a cover well into it’s forties.

Spine and Text: This cover has a very attractive and strong spine: solid, straight with barely any compression and little short of wear-free. The ends are very gently tapered in manufacture and all text is pristine perfect and unworn under the perfectly solid and totally uncracked laminate (please see my close-up picture of this detail).

Corners: Any tip rubbing or chipping is tiny and minimal. A couple of tip creases only, and all considered, all are in super shape with excellent definition retained on most.

Cover Summary: A very fine example that still pleases the eye immensely. The laminate freshness and shine has to be seen. This very fine – and probably still undergraded cover, should please the majority of collectors (if not the absolute perfectionist).

The Inner: A superb EX++ tracing paper lined promotional Pye inner. Almost as fresh and clean as when made all those years ago. Incredibly, the edges are all unsplit with no tears or repairs and the fragile lining is little short of perfect. Any creasing fine and light with any darkening ultra faint indeed as is any record impression. The reason why this is so exceptional is the record was stored in an alternative lined inner to preserve this splendid inner. The results are more than clear to see.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Excellent and that is no mean grading for a record like this. A typically massive, thick and heavy pressed Pye record with deep and wide grooves. Any light surface marks are simply ignored and these playing surfaces set a high standard as does the sound. A very fine visual copy that is very clean, with fine shine and intense black. A copy with modest (way below average) plays on all the evidence which is confirmed by high quality audio playback. Considering just how vulnerable these early mono records would have been to any jolt or needle drop from a heavy-armed Dansette or similar record player that would have left a furrow or crator on the delicate music surfaces, both sides are in pretty remarkable visual and audable conditions. Visually a super record that should please many, if not most realistic collectors again.

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: This fantastic record plays even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. Strong, and close to distortion-free sound as will be offered easily on this rare debut. There faintest of faint traces of clipping on ‘You Really Got Me’ that ends side one. This being the most critical part of any long playing record where the tracking angle is at it’s most critical. Remember I play-graded this on one of the world’s most clinical turntables, this mono record was never designed to be played on a deck like this but this record still sounds Fantastic! Never take this for granted on any mono record let alone one this age, the frequencies are sharp and clear on pretty much all of this record. Always easy to state any record plays ‘perfectly’ on budget systems or even old mono record players that just scratch the surface for detail and clarity. Sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very punchy sound. Any unwanted sounds are minimal indeed with no pops or clicks noted. With it’s powerful loud mix any tiny blemishes would be lost anyway but this copy needs few hiding places. Both channels are clean and sharp with no single channel mono noise or crackle. I feel very sure this record has been played very modestly and has been generally, caringly handled and well stored and looked after. The lack of distortion or groove-wear, for almost all, is worthy of extra mention. A high percentage of record players of the 60s, whether mono or stereo, used sapphire tipped pickups, these wore very quickly and chipped easily (fifty plays only were recommended before changing). Few would have changed or checked them regularly enough to avoid the potential groove damage many of these records suffered. Many only changed their needles when the actual sound quality dropped sufficiently to become apparent and by then, it was too late – damage done. The delicate groove walls irrepairably damaged resulting in clipping, noise and worst of all, distortion to the sound – all common traits of the records of this era – mono copies usually suffered most. Most record players tracked very heavily and groove wear set in quickly on even moderate played copies. Many are seen with a maze of deep, ugly scratches, dulled vinyl covered in fingermarks – this record has nothing like that and I regard this record, like the cover, as exceptional. A very few mild and very light surface blemishes is almost the least that could be expected. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this landmark recording. The sounds embedded in these near wear-free grooves will thrill the vast majority of vinyl lovers. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better for looks or sound and all but the most highly discerning of connoisseur collectors can consider this one.

End Piece: Kinks albums are fast becoming as collectable and sort after as Beatles and Stones and so they should be. Far less around of course and those that do get offered will rarely be seen respectable VG let alone better. To hear any vintage mono record play this clean on modern higher-end equipment is a special privilege, vintage Kinks were extra special and this will make your audio system sing. The Davies brothers seldom sounded much better than this and I can hardly recommend this wonderful set highly enough. I feel most music lovers will enjoy this one, not quite ‘perfect’, but realistically these days, they are very hard to find much better and I can highly recommend 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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). 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 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’.