THE ROLLING STONES Through the Past Darkly RARER UK 69 MONO EX+ LP, PLAYS SUPERB

	£		302
	$		400

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

I would like to wish all my customers, regulars and newcomers, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – lovely albums – some rare – ENJOY!

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 (£2 per extra record). All boxes sent FIRST-CLASS & TRACKED in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS with extra 7mm side protection and bubblewrap.

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 ROLLING STONES

Album Title: Through the Past Darkly (Big Hits – Vol. 2)

Producer(s): Andrew Loog Oldham, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Miller.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Jumpin’ Jack Flash; Mother’s Little Helper; 2000 Light Years from Home; Let’s Spend the Night Together; You Better Move On; We Love You.

Side 2: Street Fighting Man; She’s a Rainbow; Ruby Tuesday; Dandelion; Sittin’ on a Fence; Honky Tonk Women.

Label/Format: Decca – original unboxed mono format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only light+, mostly fine spindle marks. In terms of this popular album, this appears little played and offers fantastic clean sound throughout.

Catalogue Number: LK 5019

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: 144 grams. A typical solid weight from Decca.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Moderate in terms of numbers sold. But like Beatles albums, it’s the condition that is the real factor. This is a lovely 1969 mono issue on the original unboxed format label, very soon the boxed format replaced it. Also, by this time, mono was in decline and fewer records were issued in this mode. So an original unboxed mono copy in really impressive condition – that’s record, sound, cover and inner sleeve – is actually quite a challenge to find.

Original Year of Release: 1969, originally, and quite briefly issued on the unboxed Decca labels. Within weeks, the new small Decca boxed logo took over.

Matrix Nos: XARL-9067-P-1A / XARL-9068-P-3A

Mothers / Stampers: 1 BB / 1 BB

Musicians: Mick Jagger – lead vocals, percussion, harmonica; Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, sitar, piano, tambura, mellotron, recorder, organ, backing vocals; Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals, bass guitar; Mick Taylor – guitar; Bill Wyman – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals; Charlie Watts – drums, percussion.

Brief Info: Issued after the tragic death of Brian Jones, this was the follow-up to the 1966 compilation Big Hits – High Tide and Green Grass. More brilliant, mostly later singles, it sold well and peaked at No. 2 in the UK and US album charts. The American version includes different tracks. Originally issued in a distinctive, but somewhat fragile hexagonal gatefold cover. So never easy to find without issues, or sometimes even intact. The small spine which is also the hinge fold often splits and becomes weakened or broken. This copy is very impressive with little to fault, the spine still sold and neat as seen. The mono record equally impressive visually and plays beautifully with no pressing issues or sounds. Lastly, the hexagonal red coloured inner sleeve – red denoting mono when placed inside the main cover to fill the mode indication hole – is unsplit or damaged, this made with thin paper and seldom escapes tears and splits. So an impressive copy to please many collectors. The inside has a short poem for Jones, this in quite pale orange type towards the top of the inner gatefold area – it reads:

BRIAN JONES (1943 – 1969). “When this you see, remember me, and bear me in your mind. Let all the world say what they may, speak of me as you find.”

Most will know the songs, so on to the conditions.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): an octagonal gatefold format with the front and back being laminated. The back has the mono/stereo peep-hole, here filled with the deep red inner sleeve to denote a mono copy inside. The inside is matt and smooth. Storage for the record is from the inside against the thin card spine, hence so many are seen badly damaged or weakened. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and includes the hexagonal shaped unlined inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: Immensely fragile for obvious reasons, but one of the most solid and least worn I have yet seen. There is just a fine, small surface crack on the front centre of left edge hinge and a tiny rub on its corner. But this delicate area is still very sold and strong, the fine blemish showing or detracting little. The laminate both sides retains fine shine, freshness and clarity with minimal dulling, even under light. A little mild creasing near a couple of edges on the front, and a lift on the back on the spine edge, this hardly registers with normal viewing, any other is little and very light. Also this example is superbly folded, so the the edges meet up practically flush and parallel. Minimal marks or blemishes, and the laminate practically all present and mostly intact. The peep-hole on the back, pristine. So attractive outside faces on a very delicate, fragile cover.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little to fault inside, this smooth finished example has barely any wear, and the entrance area and spine fold intact and still strong.

The Edges: Firstly the delicate spine, clearly half-size and acting as the fold hinge for the gatefold format. As stated already, a fine surface crack on the top hinge, but this has not impacted on strength, this is still very sold and unweakened. The main surface itself has little to fault bar a gentle trace of compression as seen, all text fully present and unworn. All the back edges at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions have folds and are laminated, these are all virtually unworn, straight and neat. The angled back edges are open, there is a little thickening here-and-there to the single thickness card ends. The entire front of this cover is single thickness card, all edges are mainly crisp and neat with minimal thickening or burring. Just a little mild thickening to the top edge and traces on the bottom one. Overall, the edge ends are mainly neat, especially viewed normally full-on.

Corners: The multiple ‘corners’ on this cover are neat and still mainly crisp. No impacts or issues of any note.

Cover Summary: Another innovative and fragile cover, this one has survived the years well and few available ones will have fewer issues. Attractive indeed, it should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): this were not lined, hence the thin paper even more vulnerable to edge splits which this has totally avoided. Clearly red to denote a mono copy, this only has a little creasing to a couple or three of the corner parts. Clean, fresh and attractive with little else to fault, it includes the ‘Foreign patents pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading:EXCELLENT(+): and arguably better still, fewer mono copies survive in this lovely clean condition. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface trace marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. There are no penetrating stylus marks and sound quality is superb for all songs. Visually a super record that should please many, if not 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 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 collection of Rolling Stones classics play even above the high visual grading with barely anything to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sound minimal, barely anything heard, this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Unlike some I have heard, no pressing noises or distortions, this gave a brilliant account if itself, and I am sure this has been played little and with due care. We all know the potential damage and wear that can be, and often is inflicted on mono records in particular, especially the more popular titles. Few copies will outperform this very early unboxed pressing I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, these songs still sound superior with the dynamic, warm mono mix. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* 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 programs. 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’.