SMALL FACES (1st) SUPER RARE Orig UK Unboxed 66 Mono LP

	£		362
	$		480

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Artist or Band: THE SMALL FACES

Album Title: Small Faces.

Producer(s): Ian Samwell.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Shake; Come on Children; You'd Better Believe It; It's Too Late; One Night Stand; Whatcha Gonna Do About It.

Side 2: Sorry She's Mine; Own Up Time; You Need Loving; Don't Stop What You're Doing; E Too D; Sha-La-La-La-Lee.

Label/Format: Decca – original unboxed format (Please see my label pictures).

Label Conditions: Both in stunning conditions: very clean and attractive with only two or three light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Rarely do these beat-pop albums get seen like this, the mono format is a thing of real beauty when seen and heard so clean. Although the gorgeous playing surfaces have two or three fine surface marks, this is a league apart from the normal seen and offered. An absolute joy from beginning to end – and dare I say it – this plays with pristine perfect sound – yes true and can from a serious connoisseur’s collection (and more these to follow soon).

Cat Number: LK 4790.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm. This was not issued in stereo.

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: 126 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 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: and in such wonderful clean visual and playing conditions, very rare. For sound quality this could only ever be matched and never beaten. Even on a highly revealing LP12 turntable and Naim amps, this gave an astonishing clean performance that simply sounded as made. Just compare to a well played copy where a Dansette had ground into the grooves with its massive tracking weight and misaligned inferior sapphire stylus. Sounds harsh?, well the majority were subjected to just that and we have all seen and heard the results. Most a maze of spindle marks, badly marked or deeply scratched records, dulled and grubby playing surfaces – all too common on these vintage classics. Remember, just one arm drop or jolt, and there’s another written-off or ruined. This wonderful debut album has avoided such trauma and survived the perils the 60s could inflict on it – and how. The couple of minor surface marks have NO sound and the record plays with outstanding clean sound from beginning to end and I never even heard a crackle, pop or click let alone any groovewear distortion (the hidden menace of mono vinyl). This copy also includes a stunning cover that dismisses its age in sheer beauty. I have taken a couple of close-ups of the band, the small faces now appear large to see just how clean this cover is. And the unprotected white back is the same, simply incredible. I do not do long distance shots of covers, I want to show exactly what they look like and what to expect – as they say, ‘If you got it, flaunt it’. This is connoisseur quality and they rarely get seen or heard quite like this these days. A wonderful piece that will challenge the very best anyone has to offer. Rare? I should say so.

Original Year of Release: 1966

Matrix Nos: XARL-7217-4A / XARL-7218-4A

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 UK / 1 UU

Musicians: Steve Marriott - vocals, lead guitar; Ronnie Lane - vocals, bass guitar; Kenny Jones - drums; Ian McLagan - organ, guitar, vocals. Jimmy Winston - vocals, keyboards (prior to departure).

Brief Info: A popular debut album that features two superb hit singles in ‘Whatcha Gonna Do About It’ and the catchy ‘Sha-La-La-La-Lee’. It sold well and was well-received. Featuring the cheeky chappy with his Cockney charm, Steve Marriott, his vocals were infectious. A brilliant copy with wonderful sound and fine good looks, this has my highest possible recommendation.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High.

Cover Grade and Format: Can I seriously grade a 1966 cover as practically Mint, well in this case I certainly can. This is a cover of the highest quality that time has simply overlooked. I grade Mint(-) but the minus being as tiny as they ever get because this remarkable cover truely could pass as new. I remind again, this from a connoisseur’s collection and has been cover protected from new. A single format with front Clarifoil laminate, the wraps around the closed edges and on the back via the spine for around half an inch. This has no flipbacks. Printed and made in England by James Upton.

Lamination & Front: This front really has to be seen to be believed and that is no understatement. The laminate gleams with the lustre of a brand new cover. The only blemish of small note, and this has nothing to do with wear, is a small fragment appears to have been ‘trapped’ under the laminate in manufacture, it lies just to the right of the hand on the shoulder. The surface is mirror-like and simply will take those of a certain age back to remind of these once looked like when first purchased. With clarity as clear as glass and smoothness the same, this is ultra fresh with any friction rubbing barely even registering – mere traces with close scrutiny under light near the bottom edge with any microscopic hairline traces only appearing there. Practically all this cover is totally devoid of even the faintest hairline traces on the incredible fresh surface. I am struggling to even see a hairline edge crease let alone any others, yes this really is remarkable. Just look at my pictures, the close-ups will hopefully prove and convince what this is like. These early Decca covers were made with very thin and delicate card and barely any will survive crease-free. Also this is also FULLY ADHERED, yes true, not even a hint of a blister or lift, even on the spine edge, that goes beyond remarkable as many had them from day one in manufacture. The white exposed strip on the right opening edge is pure white and has no grime-line formation where the laminate ends a fraction short. With edges crisp and sharp and corners pristine, this is a 1966 cover in a different class. I can hardly stop looking at it as I tap out these words, it deserves a place in any high-end collection and deserves to be cherished. This sets the kind of standard others can only dream of, if it was a car, this is in ‘showroom’ condition.

Cover Back: If the front is nigh-on unbeatable, the back is little short either. Being white and unprotected, this is still practically pure white with any traces of set-off or grubbiness being ultra fine and faint. Mere traces near the top and bottom edges but even this if being harsh. The laminate end has faint line discolour of the faintest magnitude only. The surface has barely any marks or friction blemishes and again is crease-free. Not even a hint of any record impression because the discerning owner stored the LP separately and not even in the same cover, yes true. Both sides have NO record rim impressions whatsoever. World-class and how many truly will survive like this?

Top Edge: As new.

Bottom Edge: As new.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Ultra clean, razor sharp with no wear or feathering and guaranteed untrimmed or tampered with in any way. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Again little short of as made. Solid, straight, pure white with any traces of compression minuscule. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate which is totally unpeeled or scuffed. Indeed my fingertip text revealed NOT one single scuff or crack on any of the closed edges which are all as smooth as silk.

Corners: All four practically as made again, and they have to be seen to be believed. Clear pointed definition as sharp as when manufactured with barely a blemish to be seen.

Cover Summary: I have had and seen some amazing covers since becoming an Ebay dealer and this is up there with the very best. Imagine, this was purchased from those heady days of the 1960s and has survived looking almost as new ever since. That is well over 40 plus years ago – remarkable beyond words. It just proves these beautiful items can be preserved with the utmost care. But the reality is, most of these were heavily played and left lying around the house to suffer all the perils of what life has to offer them and only one in many thousand will ever get even close to this – fact. This remarkable item will delight all collectors, even the most discerning purist reading this piece. The winning bidder will probably not believe their eyes when this shows up (and I also remind, it will be packed bullet-proof).

The Inner: The inner is EX, in terms of wear, practically none but the glue on the seams has darkened.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX+ and this does this superb record no justice at all. It does have a few light surface marks but still has the lustre of a new record and that is the honest truth. The marks are very fine and light, they have NO SOUND whatsoever and this record plays like new and that’s a guarantee. A super visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. The surfaces gleam and the grooves have NO wear at all and have not been subjected to mono needles as the owner had a stereo system from way back and this has only received the small few careful plays anyway. We all what these early beat-pop albums were likely to have been subjected too and the horrendous results. The difference here is world’s apart and like the cover, this record is a great survivor. Visually a super record that should please most-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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This wonderful Small Faces debut plays to perfection and above its high and impressive visual grading with nothing to fault whatsoever. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. No surface sounds were heard and no pops or clicks either and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will even match, let alone outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I know this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing whatsoever spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find better for looks and near impossible for sound and deserves my highest possible recommendation. I can only tip-my-hat to the original owner and I wish all these vintage records could be found like this. ‘Beautiful’ is too small a word for this one.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon 2M moving magnet 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.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW 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. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). The record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with THREE or EVEN FOUR ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. The thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 6,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

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

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.