BEE GEES Odessa RARE Orig UK 1969 MONO. SUPERB SOUND

	£		129
	$		171

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: BEE GEES

Album Title: Odessa.

Producer(s): Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Odessa (City on the Black Sea); You’ll Never See My Face Again; Black Diamond.

Side 2: Marley Purt Drive; Edison; Melody Fair; Suddenly; Whisper Whisper.

Side 3: Lamplight; Sound of Love; Give Your Best; Seven Seas Symphony; With the Nations (International Anthem).

Side 4: I Laugh in Your Face; Never Say Never Again; First of May; The British Opera.

Label/Format: Polydor – Original deep red format with mono logo. Very slightly textured feel to the fingertips.

Label Conditions: All four look fantastic and they seldom do on original mono copies. Ultra clean, fresh and attractive with only light and one light+, but fine and quite faint spindle marks. A very modestly played double set which is crucial for this demanding mono album. This takes no prisoners for many plays on a mono record player as the sound is easily ruined. A magnificent recording and the mono sound is simply stunning. All four sides of this record play SUPERBLY, with hardly any blemishes at all. It was an absolute joy to play-grade and both records did maximum justice to one of my favourite albums of all time.

Cat Number: 582 049/050.

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 these Records: 148 / 138 grams.

Full Matrix Nos: 582049 A // 1 420 1 1 3 & 582049 B // 1 420 1 1 2 & 582050 A // 3 420 1 1 6 & 582050 B // 1 420 1 2 5

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: This is a scarce album, it never sold in the numbers the brilliance of the music justified. A very late mono version and two records that offer magnificent sound. Not only that, this is a very difficult title to find in anything like decent condition. The ultra fragile and delicate felt cover rarely is seen anything like attractive and that’s no understatement. I have seen examples of this one being offered that look dreadfully shabby with severe, deep penetrating ringwear and huge bald areas worn down right to the card. Large chips, splits, tearing with dull grubby looking felt that looks ‘tired’ and covered with inground debris. Often with dust and foreign matter pressed into its delicate surface. Pale and faded, even washed out examples with large white areas are more the norm. Spines devoid of any felt at all and even torn and split. The card is thin and very fragile indeed and the gold embossing often blackened and worn as well. This one on offer is not perfect, but will any ever be? There is some pressure rubbing near the top edges from the heavy records, a few press lines and mild rubbing. But this retains a full felt coverage with no bald areas and nigh-on fully intact spne. It is clean and retains a fine degree of freshness with the embossed areas pristine. The press lines on the front are the most significant factor, but in context of this unforgiving 43-year-old cover, relatively minor (unless perfection is non-negotiable).

By 1969, the mono format was in major decline with few new titles being issued in the single-channel mode, this was the last Bee Gees album to be offered as such on both formats. For those who did buy it in mono, they did so for a reason, to be played on a mono record player and we all know what that often meant. Both these superb records have bucked the trend – and how, they both play beautifully with little unwanted at all. A magnificent pair and offering all the stunning songs with the punch and detail the mono format offers without the noise and distortions time, careless handling and heavy-tracking stylus that affect so many. This is a real experience in mono as the sound is very different and never underestimate how difficult it is to find this clean.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Brief Info: I always find offering this immense release a delight and a privilege, this album did not sell well and is such a hard one to find in mono for all the obvious reasons. A double album of immense beauty that for me anyway, is the Bee Gees best ever album and a true late 60s classic that was sadly overlooked and underrated by most at the time. The brothers Gibb wrote some incredible music and songs in the 1960s which was probably not as appreciated or recognised as it should have been at the time – with the Beatles and Stones around, many other popular music groups were often overshadowed. Time now seems to have put this right. With it’s famous felt cover that ages very badly if not stored with great care (see comments above on this), this is more than a highly respectable and still attractive example with only relatively mild traces of wear and no damage. An album of stunning harmonies and beautiful music, the title song is truly memorable. But all songs are superb and not one filler is on show. Forget the ‘disco’ 1970s phase – 1960s Bee Gees were simply marvellous and VERY different – quite why this album failed to sell well is a complete mystery to me. That said, hands up – I confess – I too only discovered the early Bee Gees later in life, but it really was worth the wait – their early records are very special indeed and all up to this album are essential. If your collection does not include any of their titles, this one will thrill and these two records do it nigh-on maximum justice. Both look lovely and although they have been played a very small number of times, they have been so with utmost care and there is NO sound degrading or unpleasant surprises. This title was issued in both mono and stereo in the UK, both are magnificent and both are truly essential for collectors with very different sound presentation. So-much-so, the CD reissue deemed it important enough to include both modes for the discerning listener. Like the cover, the records often wear badly too. This has amazingly intense and loudly recorded music and vocals, even stereo copies often have distortion and high frequency clipping and break-up. Mono copies are even more prone, usually played on very heavy equipment with thick, sometimes chipped pickups that caused irrepairable damage to the delicate groove walls resulting in unlistenable sound. This one has incredible real high fidelity sound with power and punch and the mono sound is truly breathtaking. Fully focused, sharp and distortion-free. I adore this album and finding such a clean pair of records inside a strong felt cover is a rare privilege. For those who have not heard an original mono ‘Odessa’ in this clean condition, it’s an experience you owe and indulge yourself. Brilliant is too small a word for this wonderful album that simply gets beter and better on every listen – I now rate this double set as a mini-masterpiece. One of the most beautiful records ever made and all music lovers will treasure it.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: and grading a cover like this is difficult and subjective. There are far more positives than negatives on this one and it has to be up there with one of the most difficult and fragile sleeves ever made. Gatefold covers are delicate enough with thick records inside for these years, but with card almost wafer-thin, this has little chance. A gatefold format with a real felt front and back, the inside is matt, smooth card. Longevity for looks is short unless kept very carefully. It has embossed gold text and Polydor logo and this is rarely seen looking nice either as it blackens and fades with age. This one too is an original mono version with it’s mono text inside on the bottom left edge (seen in close-up). I am a little surprised with potentially very limited sales, Polydor decided to make two different covers for this. Most companies used a sticker to cover-up the difference. This was made in England by Ernest J. Day. Blemishes and very light wear, yes, will any not have?, but this is a splendid example given all the facts and this should please the many of collectors wanting a copy of this lovely album.

Cover Front: The front has four press lines and rim rubbing at the top. The pressure rubbing I accept as normal on this cover as it is almost impossible to avoid unless the records were stored outside the cover for all their years – how likely is that? The press lines are the main issue for the more discerning collector – they are moderate and quite long but have NOT removed any of the felt or exposed any card – that being a crucial factor. This is still a very attractive front with intense and still fresh colour and the embossed details of the text and Polydor logo being pristine. No bald areas or card exposure and any thinning of the felt very mild indeed. The lack of grubbiness or inground grime is also a big bonus, with no tears, splits or even chips, this front sets a high standard, minus the press lines, it would be one of the best seen for a long time.

Cover Back: Even more critical with just a large area of red with no text or design. This has worn equally well and that is incredibly unusual. Again a rub near the top edge and light rim impression, but no cutting ring wear as such. Again no white card is seen and any ‘thinning’ very modest. A few light marks but no press lines or creases. I can hardly reitterate enough just how fragile this cover is, I consider a near miracle any of these actually remain intact at all, and over the years, I have seen quite a number almost falling to pieces.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside is little short of Mint and it looks fantastic with deep rich and super-fresh colour. Note this is a true mono example as seen on my close-up picture.

Top Edges: Any rub traces are tiny, few and faint, NO bald patches up to the very corner tips and I am as sure I can possibly be, there are no tip-ins or enhancements. I hardly think it possible on this cover without being ridiculously obvious. The lack of splits on this thin card is a huge bonus and there are NO repairs.

Bottom Edges: As above, and being the usual storage edges, this is remarkable.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Arguably the most fragile part of this cover: all fours sides have NO splits or tears and remain fairly sharp (in context). A little burring and thickening viewed end on, the lack of chipping on the front and back on this edge is almost miraculous and most welcome. Both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced any any way and it appears any removal of the records has been done with due care to avoid damage.

Spine and Text: Contender for the best I have seen with almost total felt coverage with just a hint of a small central rub. Clean with barely any other rubbing, no splits or repairs and (and a big AND), BOTH the fold hinges totally unchipped or weakened. With a spine and folds this clean, undamaged and barely worn, this makes a massive difference. No text was put on this spine which was probably a wise idea. Even the ends are neat and finely shaped without the usual huge white areas and erosion. These has naturally white ends anyway where the felt has to end and any further chipping is small and minor.

Corners: I have mentioned the spine pair above – both are nice. The right ones have only very small tip rubs and retain excellent shape with no dinks or creases worthy of mention. Incredibly difficult like this.

Cover Summary: This cover goes beyond fragile and only the most carefully stored and handled examples will ever look decent or presentable. Yes this one has a few marks, mainly on the front but hardly major. If any collector wants only perfection as made, well you can wait for the near impossible, and then at what price? Most realistic collectors will know just how difficult this one is and I feel sure will enjoy this one on offer. Perfect?, no, but still way, way above average and still pleasingly attractive for most collectors, one that can be held and enjoyed and not hidden away waiting for the nigh-on impossible. The press lines can be seen on my close up, so look and decide. Two Polydor-style lined white inners are included, both have darkened with age but have hardly any real wear. The polylinings very clear and the window circles crisp and undamaged. No edge splits and barely any creasing at all.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT(++): and this grading has does this lovely pair of records full justice. A very fine visual pair that are very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed on thick, top quality Polydor vinyl. There is a minor pressing mark near the edge of side one, but it has NO sound or effect. Under light, fine surface marks are seen, but NO penetrating scratches at all and anything minor and purely superficial. Four sides have fared well in the context of mono records. Remember these players had a recommended tracking of 10 grams!, and often tracked heavier still. Almost inconceivable on any stereo equipment, it is no small wonder so many 60s mono records were worn out within just a few plays. One arm jolt or drop and a crator or furrow is inflicted and another classic written off – all too common I’m afraid. These two records have suffered NO such abuse and track effortlessly and offer wonderful sound with little unwanted at all. This too being played on a very revealing system. Viewed with standard natural room lighting, little even shows and these set a high standard.

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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Both records exceed their high visual gradings with very little to fault. Only rarely have I ever stated this on this album whether in mono or stereo. Immensely powerful, totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. Sound quality is astonishing with a very wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are very few, gentle and faint, and this is a demanding album with some quiet passages and complex material. The odd minor trace is nigh-on impossible to avoid but little to fault here. One hiss on the run-in groove (not on music) on side four, but little else. The ultimate test being near silence on the joining grooves for the tracks, these on mono records always so hard. The title song is sublime and one of my favourite albums tracks of all-time. The harmony vocals are world-class and uniquely Bee Gees – “Oddesssssaaaaaaaaa” – it gives me that rare tingle factor every time – but only when FULLY focused and sharp – as here. Often distortion can be rife on abused or heavily played copies. With complex vocal harmonies that are recorded full-on and loud with strings, few will retain the clarity and focus this pair offer. From the very beginning, the power and sonic delivery of this superlative mono recording will be apparent. The brilliance of the music, songs and arrangements on ‘Odessa’ is world class and has not aged at all. Forget the mid-70s Bee Gees sound, that offers no relation to the material on this or any of their 60s sets. Beautiful music with breathtaking vocals and fidelity, this copy deserves to be played on a high-end deck and system. The cresendo of harmonics and vocals on the title track alone will sort out the capable systems. I would think few mono copies will survive these days with such clean, clear sound and this was a pure joy from beginning to end. Most experienced collectors will know just what abuse these classic 60s mono albums were likely to be subjected too, and this pair simply have largely avoided it. Few examples will even match, let outperform this early pressing for sound I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these beautiful records. Yes you probably realise I was rather impressed by this set, it certainly will prove difficult to match or find significantly better. I hope this one goes to a collector who enjoyed it as much as I did – BRILLIANT – and both records are strongly recommended.

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 Terrarium 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 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. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 8,000+ items sold in over 10 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 stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. 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 as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, 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 and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). 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] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 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 (£17 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’.