FRANK ZAPPA Lumpy Gravy V. RARE UK ORIG 68 SVLP N/M LP

	£		171
	$		227

Hi, I am Mike, now 51. Old enough to remember the golden era of original, high quality music, bands, artists.

Also records from the 1960s and 70s bought from the shops from new, I have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 37 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and elusive items now. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, 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 reader – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching for covers - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. 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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). 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.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I post all my UK items on FRIDAY every week, most will arrive Saturday to make signed-for delivery easier. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with 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 TWO massively thick stiffners for even extra protection and bubble wrap if deemed necessary. These stiffners are the thickest possible and custom supplied for ‘Oneadayrecords’ – these are NOT commercially available and you will not have seen thicker protection anywhere. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty 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. Printed address labels are used as well as ‘Fragile’ tape for that extra professional touch for the packet. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the cheapest and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 3,500+ items sold in over 5 years of Ebay trading (I am now one of most established sellers via Ebay) and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

Album Title: Lumpy Gravy.

Producer(s): Frank Zappa.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Lumpy Gravy Part I.

Side 2: Lumpy Gravy Part II.

Label & Format: Verve – Original intense black and silver format. This includes the original ‘Sold in UK’ and MGM credits etc text (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both in lovely conditions and amongst the best I have ever seen on this groundbreaking Zappa album. Retaining a really fresh look, clearly little handled or likely played. Spindle marks are few and light bar one on side one that is longer and slightly more noticeable – steel spindles from way back left their marks more readily but in context these are very light indeed. These two vintage Verve labels are very near connoisseur standard.

Cat Number: SVLP 9223.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm .

Weight of this Record: A highly impressive 151 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Rarity: Rare as a stereo first pressing and even harder to find with a record with playing surfaces that could pass for new. Frank Who?, many would have said when viewing this freaky looking man in the 1960s – few would have forked out full album price for such a piece. This album did not chart in the UK and is very rarely found as an original in mono or stereo, most that surface will be worn or even trashed. Only a mere few Mothers of Invention fans would have brought initial pressings of this album – far too way out for most, and the number of SVLP originals found reflect this fact. Until reissued, this album included a laminated cover with two large inside flipbacks and an absolutely massive thick spine. Possibly the thickest UK spine ever and nearly impossible to find uncrushed, creased or damaged – this one is amazing and looks fantastic – it has no wear or damage (Please see my spine area picture for verification of the near impossible, and this will be protected very carefully in transit to any winning bidder). Also far heavier pressed vinyl, this is a heavyweight at over 150 grams, I think my heaviest pressed copy ever. The originals, whether stereo or mono, include that extra detail, dynamics and fidelity the thinner pressed reissues seem to lack – this is a highly complex record. When this elusive title does make an appearance, its more often than not, unlistenable or even playable. It must be remembered this album was often bought by certain types of listeners and rarely hi-fi enthusiasts and only seldomly will copies be seen even VG – this record is little short of Mint. The cover too is exceptional, a work of art, like the record, I can hardly imagine finding a much better one, any blemishes are small and relatively minor. A set from a bygone era, a work of incredible enginuity and originality, the work from the mind of one of the greatest musical entertainers ever. Now over forty years old, this indispensable classic will rarely be found much better and the record I feel certain, never will. This record is a gatefold into Zappa’s recording studio and almost left me aghast.

Original Year of Release: 1968 in the UK.

Etchings and Matrix Nos: V6 8741 A-1G / V6 8741 B-1G

Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 R

Brief Artist & Album Info: I am always delighted to be able to offer the rare early titles from this great composer and musician and one of the greatest musical minds of all-time. Lumpy Gravy has a special place in the Zappa catalogue; he cited it as his favourite work, and Civilization Phaze III, that was written in his final years, was meant to be its completion. This was actually recorded in February 1967 and is one of Zappa’s earliest recordings. It also constitutes his most extreme refusal of conventional formats. Although commissioned by Capital Records to ‘write something for an orchestra’ - to the tune of $40,000 - Zappa also included eerily bizarre arrangements of jolly melodies, 30,000 bursts of guitar distortion, sped-up interludes, and bizarre discussions by people who had been placed inside a piano. This was a sure-fire recipe for commercial failure, and pretty much was, it failed to even chart in the UK. Although many of its procedures - collage, fragmentation, parody, humour, documentary - have since become requisites in the ‘postmodern’ academy, Zappa’s writing was too brash and severe for contemporary classical recognition. The back cover showed Zappa in tuxedo and top hat, he is seen leering into the camera - asking ‘Is this Phase 2 of We’re Only in it for the Money?’ Lumpy Gravy was designed as a companion volume to the next release, working as its subtle counterpart. Towards the close we hear the words ‘Cos round things are... are boring.’ Then he exhales, as if blowing out smoke. The listener is spiked with discontent, pondering a list of ‘round things’ (smoke rings, circular logic, records...). Despite his repeated condemnation of drugs, Zappa’s attack on the mundane was universally interpreted as dope-fuelled fantasy. In fact, no dope-head could summon the skill and energy to construct Zappa’s surrealist extremes. When the slogan ‘Round Things are Boring’ reappeared on the covers of One Size Fits All in 1975. Zappa’s dedicated, no detail-missed, fans felt contented. Lumpy Gravy appeared in the US album charts for just one week - at 159 (but only in stereo). Mono copies of this record were not issued there for commercial release, a few yellow label DJ promotional copies exist but are very rare indeed. It failed to chart at all in the UK making original pressings rare – very rare in such amazing condition. This was his ‘solo’ debut and a major and very complex work from the genius, that was Frank Zappa.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderate in theory as originals were laminated on both sides and give the originals that huge extra boost in ‘class’. This is a lavish cover with its distinctive and massively thick spine, but is delicate and is usually seen crushed or flattened.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++ anything less would not do this vintage cover justice, this is a beauty. This is a stunning 1968 cover and any wear or blemishes are relatively minor. A gatefold format and laminated front and back. A massively wide spine and the inside has two large flipbacks on the top edges. The laminate wraps around them both and also inside on the top edges. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and this is the SVLP Stereo format original.

Lamination, Front & Back: The first thing this laminate does of course is to highlight the real colour of this impressive cover which gives it a real de luxe look. The Verve Select reissue has no laminate and appears much paler and clearly vastly inferior to the eye. The artwork here is very intensely coloured and looks amazing. This laminate retains a very deep shine and lustre with pristine clarity with minimal traces of friction rubbing or dulling, the front has little at all. This famous ‘PIPCO” Zappa artwork will rarely be seen much better than this but there is a small cluster of press marks just to the right of Zappa’s right (as we look) elbow. With normal viewing, these have very modest visibility. The back as a light record impression which has lightly dulled but only shows with angled viewing, few examples will ever avoid this. No peeling or lifting (blistering) all is fully adhered and attractive. The laminate ends several millimetres short of full width on the opening edge on both sides, but the exposed strip retain full colour and has minimal traces of grime-line build-up which again is always good news and no chipping either. As the laminate wraps around the top and bottom edges entirely on to the inside, these edges are superbly preserved and again devoid of rubbing and chipping. Creasing is modest and very few on both main faces but there are a few light surface marks and mild press marks when viewed more critically close-up and under light. The spine foldlines (incredibly) are unworn and immaculate which I consider almost incredible, not a single chip to be seen with solid unpeeled laminate. Overall, it will easy to forget its great age, but seeing is believing and if anyone has a much better example of this legendary cover, well they are indeed very lucky – treasure it.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Both faces are in terrific condition. Ultra clean, fresh with no toning or ageing. Both flipbacks are in fantastic condition with no lifting or fraying to their delicate edges – both are crisp and sharp with no grime-line formation again, both almost as new. Also, for a change, the ends have not stuck together to cause damage by pulling against each other, this was a very common problem on this and similar covers. The faintest of faint traces of ‘set-off’ on the white areas on the right that touch black ink when closed – all very normal and practically impossible to avoid – this is as light as you will ever see or get. I reiterrate this is the earliest example cover that has the laminate covering both top and bottom edges and present for approximately half an inch on the bottom edges inside, some end short on the front and lack the protection this early example offers.

Top Edges: These are laminated and both are as new, straight unscuffed, immaculate.

Bottom Edges: Both also laminated, many SVLP examples are not making this the ultimate deluxe version. Both again unworn as new and even these retain a high glossy finish.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear and no feathering. Record can enter on either edge, both open and no glue residues on either – again a trait of the earliest-made examples.

Spine and Text: Oooh that spine, it’s a stunner: even thicker than Jethro Tull’s debut album on Island. This one has not flattened and that is VERY unusual, it remains solid, straight and upright with minimal traces of any crushing. It retains a lovely shape and has NO foldline creases on its huge surface. Any compression is minimal and the hinged foldlines are immaculate with no chips or wear at all and that is even more unusual. The laminate here is rock solid with no peeling or dulling and crystal clear. The massive text is pristine and looks quite fantastic. My finger text reveals no scuffs or laminate blemishes and this spine is a work of art too. Certainly up there with the best I have yet seen, not quite as new, but very, very close.

Corners: All corners are in superb shape and the delicate spine pair are very strong considering their fragility. The odd tiny tip rub, but little else and all look very pleasing and neat.

Cover Summary: A rare stereo original and up there with the best I have offered. The almost unique spine being the star feature along with the incredible colour that radiates through the ultra solid laminate. This example has largely forgotten its great age and is a joy to view. It should surely please most collectors.

The Inner: The record includes its original unlined plain white inner. This is justifies an EX grading and it’s general lack of wear proves the record has hardly been touched. The only text is ‘Patent applied for’ and ‘Made in England’. This is clean with few traces of wear and any creasing modest and light. One small edge split which is hardly any great surprise given the sheer weight of the record. No gum browning or toning and this inner will even be hard to match.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Surely tempted to grade this one Mint, this goes beyond belief with most examples of this fit for the trash can. With close scrutiny, I can just see one ultra fine hairline, so let’s say undergraded at Mint(-). A truly stunning example and now possibly the best I have ever seen as an original. A supreme visual copy that is ultra clean and fresh with a lovely rich shine. Jet black and very heavily pressed with deep wide grooves for maximum sound fidelity. I would think this record was played just once, maybe it frightened off the original owner? I can hardly imagine finding this 40-year-old classic better.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-) with nothing more than ultra fine, faint surface hairlines that have no sound of course. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. A copy with very few plays on all the evidence reitterated by amazing clean sound, even on the quiet passages. Visually a super record that should please mos-all 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 snippetts 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: The bedrock of any Zappa collection, this amazing record plays up to its visual grading with nothing to fault. Powerful dynamic sound with maximum fidelity from these deep and wide grooves. Audio quality is as good as it will ever get from this record with a full and wide dynamic range and all the fine details deeply embedded in totally unworn grooves. A difficult and complex title – it includes dialogue and high-tech sound that rarely will be heard ‘silent’ on vinyl. Here these parts play as close to perfectly as any 40-year-old record ever will and although the very beginning sounds a little muted and unclear, this is quite intentional and normal on this record – even the CD version sounds the same. An intricate and complex work with incredible dynamics and stereo imagery, the vast majority of these would have been damaged or trashed by heavy thick needles from the past. This rare Zappa classic was a joy from start to finish and will rarely be heard this clean, clear and focused again. This album was highly technical and is beautifully produced and engineered and still has amazing sound values even today. This copy takes the listener directly into the recording studio, what a pleasure to hear a record like this so devoid of unwanted sounds, within the entire duration, I noted just one very light click and that was it, that goes beyond remarkable. Just listen to the drawing of the cigarette and the exhallation near the record’s end – the finest of details are encaptured here. Also the resonance of the voices within the piano, it’s the fine details that make the real difference as all audiophile connoisseurs will already know. This copy will prove near impossible to find better and I state my reputation on it. I have heard several disappointing copies of this album in mono and stereo – I refuse to offer them. This record is just how Frank wanted it to be heard and even the great man himself would have been happy to listen to this one. The latest CD remasters are good but simply and truly not in the class of this first pressed vinyl that of course has the original mix and sound with all the finest of details that fade away on the digital format.

End Piece: Frank Zappa cherished this album and he was a guy who rarely looked back at his own catalogue. The laminated cover is truly lovely and makes the US and UK Verve select reissues look somewhat drab in comparison. The cover states ‘Francis Vincent Zappa, conducts Lumpy Gravy, a curiously inconsistent piece which started out to be a ballet but probably didn’t make it.’ It includes Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (with maybe even some of the Mothers of Invention) – What the cover does NOT states is: a brilliantly bizarre and original record from one of the greatest musical minds of the 20th-century – but it really should have done. The cornerstone of any Zappa vinyl collection, but Frankly, possibly not the best place to start if you are unfamiliar or about to start a Zappa collection for the first time – this is a dense and complex work – try the ‘easier’ material first and work your way back. A challenging album, one of around sixty essential records he made. For those who need this title or have an ear and mind to try him out, this superb original UK stereo copy is far too scarce and good to let slip the Net, its a copy I can unreservedly and wholeheartely recommend – do NOT lose this one.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. US; Australia; Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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’.