GTO's Permanent Damage. Very Rare N/M US 69 Straight LP

	£		89
	$		118

Hi, I am Mike, now 48 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 34 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, 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 (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - 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. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Album Title: Permanent Damage

Producer: FRANK ZAPPA.

Engineer: Dick Kunc.

Cat Number: STS 1059.

Track Listing: Side 1: The Eureka Springs Garbage Lady; Miss Pamela and Miss Sparky discuss stuffed bras and some of their early gym, class experiences; Who’s Jim Sox?; Kansas and the BTO’s; The Captain’s Fat Theresa Shoes; Wouldn’t It Be Sad if There Was No Cones?; Do Me in Once and I’ll be Sad, Do Me in Twice and I’ll Know Better (Circular circulation); The Moche Monster Review; TV Lives. Side 2: Rodney; I Have a Paintbrush in My Hand to Color a Triangle; Miss Christine’s First Conversation with the Plaster Casters of Chicago; The Original GTO’s; The Ghost Chained to the Past, Present, and Future (Shock Treatment); Love on an Eleven Year Old Level; Miss Pamela’s First Conversation with the Plaster Casters of Chicago; I’m in Love With The Ooo-Ooo Man.

Label/Format: Straight – Rare original US deep magenta red format with single large ridge.

Label and Condition: Both immaculate, as new: ultra clean and highly attractive with no spindle marks – yes you read right, NO spindle marks. On this evidence, possibly an unplayed record and this from an era where steel spindles left their marks more readily. Truly magnificent examples of this scarce highly collectable label that always specialised in all things bizarre, original and alternative - as you would expect from its founder, the great Frank Zappa who also produces and plays tambourine on the final song. This record could indeed the best copy in existence, I dont see how it could ever be beaten, this is truly like brand new. You can imagine this was a record bought by a very few and of certain types, suffice to say not really hi-fi buffs. This is almost unbelievable for such a record.

Mode: Stereo.

Weight of this Record: 125 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).

Country of Manufacture: US

Rarity: Very Rare as this copy includes the ORIGINAL book: UK copies may actually be rarer still but never included the book which is unique to the original US pressing. This ultra rare insert is essential as the text, with lyrics, explains what the songs are all about and includes a forward by Frank Zappa, who also appears, along with several members of the Mothers of Invention and produces. Some interesting photos too, a few of which I have scanned for this advert – I guess many collectors have never seen this at all.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: STS 1059-A1 / STS 1059-B1 [these are exactly the same as the UK versions]

Brief Artist & Album Info: In my humble opinion the most essential of the Zappa related artists album to own – it’s a magnificent, if a little too short album - you wont want this one to end. One of the rarest albums on Zappa’s Straight label, this would have probably sold only a handful of copies back in the late 1960s. As stated earlier, Zappa produces and appears, along with Jeff Beck, early Mothers: Jimmy Carl Black; Roy Estrada; Ian Underwood and Don Preston. An amazing collection of original psych songs with real surreal moments - some very catchy and they quickly get lodged into the subconscious – mixed with groupie culture dialogue - check out the songs titles above to get some idea of what to expect. The dialogue is at times very amusing, young sweaty schoolgirls encountering a ‘dyke’ gym-teacher. A guy asks how much to j*** off when viewing the ladies in stockings - I think you get the picture - outrageous by name and by nature – its real case of “They Don’t Make ’em Like That Anymore’’. So who were the GTO’s? An all-female group, initially known as the Laurel Canyon Ballet Company, alonside the notorious Plaster Casters (with reference on this album), the best-known members of the 60s groupie sub-culture. After a time each member abandoned her respective surname and became Miss Lucy, Miss Pamela, Miss Christine (died 5 November 1972, appeared on the cover of Zappa’s masterpiece Hot Rats), Miss Sparky, Miss Mercy, Miss Sandra (heavily pregnant when this cover was made) and Miss Cinderella. The septet then moved to Zappa’s home when Miss Christine became governess to his daughter Moon Unit and they occasionally performed live with the Mothers of Invention. Zappa produced the bulk of this album and Lowell George was credited to two tracks. The album almost never made release at all when Misses Mercy, Cynderella and Sparky were arrested on drug related charges. The seven disbanded soon after and went their own ways. This album is very obviously rare, the US version with book especially so, most early albums on Straight are - few had any commercial potential and this is no exception. This is ‘music’ from a bygone crazy era and totally unique. This copy on offer includes a practically mint record, maybe my play-grade was its first. The cover is highly respectable with an attractive front, its never easy to find even EX, no protection makes this one highly prone to wear because of the deep rich colouring and thick LP inside. I have yet to find an example with no ringwear on the back and this again has some but way short of excessive and for this one I would deem it only light. The original book is superb also and has aged hardly at all and I reitterate this is an ORIGINAL book, I have on the odd occasion included replica sheets from the original book with UK copies has they did not include them but this is REAL thing and its even rarer than the record. To make this a complete copy, it also includes the original Straight inner. For any collector of the weird, strange and truly bizarre but above all else – unique – this maybe one of the best complete copies you will ever see or hear. A very rare opportunity indeed and I feel priviledged to offer this one.

Cover’s Potential for Wear & Damage: Very high and near impossible to find with little. Both US and UK covers are equally vulnerable with ringwear and rubbing is always found. I have yet to find either with none and this example is certainly the best US version I have ever seen with in real terms is minimal overall wear.

Cover Condition and Details: Technically this is an EX(-) cover I guess but I am happy to grade it as EX as this is more than justified for such an impossible cover. Most around found in atrocious conditions, literally falling apart with seam splits and horrendous ringwear, this is light years above all that and looks strong. My flash over over-emphasised the back wear which is only really modest and quite light in real terms. It’s a non-laminated gatefold format. Printed and made in the US. A more than respectable example of this fabulously bizarre cover, this will never be easy to find much better – it’s one of the most wear-prone sleeves I have ever encountered with ringwear being almost the norm. Some blemishes and light wear but way less than the usual – it should still please many collectors and most realistic ones.

Cover Front: Very clean and retaining a real freshness. Still attractive with minimal wear and hardly any creasing but there is a dink on bottom left corner, fairly light and not causing too much trauma or visual blemishing. This delicate front retains very good colour and shows only modest rubbing, almost as light as it gets. No (permanent) damage or major indentations bar the corner knock and the colour is strong and unfaded. All very surreal artwork from a mind-bending time.

Cover Back: This has the almost mandatory ring mark but way short of heavy or excessive and for this near impossible back, only quite light and falls way short of being a total ring. The very deep purple finish is still just that and this has only mild overall wear and few will better it significantly. A small chip on the bottom edge and bottom corner creasing is all quite light. This is a back often hidden when offered because it is so wear-prone and this is strong and even better than my picture that has seen the flash highlight the only light wear more. The chilling back text was written by Miss Christine and is totally wear -free.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Magnificent with hardly any wear at all - these girls were really wierd - check out the centrefold pictures – three in close-up. Testament to those crazy times again – Frank marketed these girls perfectly, these cover types will never be seen again and if they did, who could take them seriously when its all be done before here?

Top Edges: The odd tiny chip but little wear at all, no splits.

Bottom Edges: Same again but a slight ‘curl’ on the dinked corner.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with practically no wear and no feathering. Record entered on this right outside back edge which is rock solid and totally unsplit or damaged.

Spine and Text: Solid and massively thick, straight, uncompressed and folded fairly square, both right edges meet up quite closely together. All text is pristine perfect and unworn which can never be taken for granted on this one. The top end has a very light rub, the bottom (with the dink) has scuffed and rubbed, the most ‘permanent damage’ on this splendid cover. Even the foldlines have retained most of their ink which is highly unusual and even UK versions seldom do that.

Corners: All have rubbed but only lightly so and mainly to the tip parts. The bottom left dink is scuffed as stated and not as neat as the others of course but hardly terrible.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this very fragile original US cover, one that could prove very difficult to find much better and that is a certainty. A wonderful, bizarre, even surreal cover that sums up these crazy chicks better than my words ever could.

The Inner: EX++ but all edges have neatly split from the sharp record rim. Being unlined, few will ever escape this but as stated, all very neat, so-much-so, thes could be repaired if any new owner wanted too. But classics like this do not get stored in their original inners these days so why bother? A very clean and uncreased Straight inner with a near perfect shaped top opening edge, this too has defied its great age and looks terrific.

The Book: Mint(-). I have seen or had so few of these which is hardly a real surprise as they only were available with the US copies. Rarer than the record itself this is one of the classic inserts to own and vital for this record. A genuine original, printed on semi-gloss , quite thick paper and strongly held together with the two original staples. This pure white, 12-page book has aged little and looks hardly handled. A couple of very faint tone spots are just apparent on a couple of pages but this is near unbeatable. Uncreased, clean and fresh, even the outside covers look near immaculate. A one-off opportunity to own one of the best, virtually pristine, unsoiled or damaged book inserts for this classic album and do not this go lightly.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: I feel most would put a Mint grading on a jewel like this but I can just about detect a couple of ultra faint hairlines under light so a Mint(-) grading is correct for me. An amazing Straight record and one of the very best I have ever seen. Pristine clean with deep mirror-like shine and lustre with a intense black finish. All the hallmarks of an unplayed record, any ultra fine surface traces are purely removal marks from a less than sympathetic unlined inner. An immaculate example of this near extinct record, looking stunning and sounding the same. Is it really likely a much cleaner copy will ever get offered? As stated both US and UK copies are difficult enough to find, and like this, well near impossible. This record should thrill all connoisseurs of this alternative and strange entertainment.

Album Played For Grading: Yes, maybe its first ever.

Sound Quality: A record that plays just as good as it looks with little unwanted. Top quality clean sound with minimal unwanted sounds, the odd mild sporadic surface trace but nothing else and this has to be best copy of this title I have ever heard. No distortion or sound degrading whatsoever - consider its vintage and what it could have been subjected too with pile driver needles and very heavy weighted tone-arms. The detail from the musical tracks are superb with a real psych feel, another triumph for Zappa. Of course the appearance of the Mothers of Invention makes this an essential item for any Zappa collector - I had to wait a long time, and the arrival of Ebay to eventually get a copy for myself - no record fayre I have attended has ever had a copy for sale and would one ever show like this? A challenging recording with quiet passages and dialogue, a top pressing and lightly played record is essential for maximum pleasure – all is included here. A better copy will never be found and this US pressing of a US band is the creme-de-la-creme copy to own.

End Piece: Without doubt one of the most original ‘one-off’ albums you will ever hear - it sums up that crazy band/groupie scene of the late 60s/early 70s perfectly. A strange, bizarre and totally off-the-wall album as you will ever wish to hear - along with An Evening With Wild Man Fischer this has to be included in any serious Zappa collection. This is also out of print on CD and prices for that are getting high too, again if you can find one. This record simply will not appear often and I can honestly state you will be very unlikely to find this actual record much better (or the cover, inner and book either come to that). To conclude this advert I quote from the from the front page of the book, its a short preface written by Zappa: “The GTO’s write all their own lyrics and no subject matter covered by these lyrics was suggested by any outside source. The choice of subjects is a reflection of the girls’ own attitudes toward their environment. The GTO’s hope you like their album’’ – well I love it, and I hope the winning bidder enjoys it too. Truly original and unique, there has never been anything else quite like the GTOs.

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’.

My Terms For Bidding

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions for payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions.

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. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I buy quality single items and collections also (I am regularly told I offer the best prices – please Email me if you have items for sale).

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3 or Special Delivery (Next day, fully insured), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured & Signed For: £8.00.

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured & Signed For (where available) = £11.00. Doubles add extra £1. Reductions for multiple items for all.

Any item that sells for over £75 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £100 get the same service Overseas. This gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

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 (£30).

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOT profit on postage, in fact I lose money on most packets (my packing standards are very high and the package weighs a little more - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR proper stiffners for extra protection (if space allows). More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new inner, but will include the original inner if available.

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

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.