THE BEATLES White Album UK 1968 Apple MONO ALL COMPLETE

	£		182
	$		241

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE BEATLES

Album Title: The Beatles - known as the ‘White Album’

Producer and Orchestrations: George Martin.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Back in the USSR; Dear Prudence; Glass Onion; Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da; Wild Honey Pie; The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill; While My Guitar Gently Weeps; Happiness is a Warm Gun.

Side 2: Martha My Dear; I’m so Tired; Blackbird; Piggies; Rocky Raccoon; Dont Pass Me By; Why Dont We Do it in the Road?; I Will; Julia.

Side 3: Birthday; Yer Blues; Mother Natures Son; Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey; Sexy Sadie; Helter Skelter; Long, Long, Long.

Side 4: Revolution 1; Honey Pie; Savoy Truffle; Cry Baby Cry; Revolution 9; Good Night.

Cat Number: PMC 7067/8.

Label/Format: Apple, the early very dark format (please see label scans).

Label Conditions: Four very clean and attractive examples with spindle marks ranging from very light to light+. Practically all faint with little visibility. There is no wear around the holes which both remain very snug around my Linn spindle.

Country of Manufacture: England.

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: 131 / 144 grams. .

Rarity: I still maintain that most Beatles albums are not ‘rare’, they sold far too many copies to say ‘Rare’, but obviously there are exceptions. Complete mono copies are getting scarcer these days and are particularly prized. This copy includes the poster, two black inner sleeves, and four heavy duty cards - beware of substitutions, later pressings had thinner cards, even the inners get switched, the originals were soft paper and damaged very, very easily, they have their own special feel and look). The number of this copy is 0609842, a lot of emphasise is always placed on the number - too much as far as I am concerned except the real low ones. Let’s face it, every copy of this record is unique, every one a ‘one off’ copy with its own individual number. The important thing is the early copies actually had a number, later pressings had none. Beware of fakes too, it should feel lightly pressed into the cover, lightly rub your finger over the number to feel the impression.

High-grading mono copies command large prices these days and are out-of-reach for many collectors. Some vinyl-lovers also would choose not to spend a king’s ransom on a record also and I can respect any collector’s opinions and options. Hence I think this copy may suit the more ‘average’ collector who really wants a numbered mono copy of this classic without breaking the bank. It’s a very respectable all-round copy: the vinyl has marks, not that many and very few sound. The cover is lovely and has little to fault, just the odd small blemish. It’s an original top-loader with a highish number. Both the black inners are included but (as per most) have edge splits but are still neat. The poster is unmounted and attractive, a few light marks and one small neat fold split that shows little. The four insert pictures are superb and unmounted and are up there with the very best I have ever seen. So a splendid mono example that has been ‘used’ and enjoyed, but compared to some, especially mono copies, I have seen, this is a nice and pretty clean. A little gentle surface sound in places, a couple of rev groove sounds and a very few light clicks. But generally the sound is very nice and enjoyable – if it wasn’t, believe me, I would not offer it. This record was not really designed to be played on a high-end stereo system – my LP12 is highly revealing and this set still sounded very nice, and majority really lovely. The second disc playing excellent and beyond. So the right copy to the right collector – not the perfectionist or more discerning or audiophile purist – copies for them do come along and will be out there. This is not as rare as made out, but ultra clean, barely played copies do fetch and command high prices. Complete examples are harder to find and there is far more to like about this copy than dislike and on that basis, this one is worthy of consideration. Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: XEX 709-1; 710-1; 711-1 and 712-2. The stampers are: 3 GRO; 3 AO; 2 GG and 3 GMG.

Brief Artist & Album Info: A legendary issue, now regarded as one of the very best Beatles albums, it remains my favourite. A massively diverse collection that covers just about all musical styles - from pop, ballads, country, rag-time, rock, blues and avant garde psychedelia. Some sublime moments that most interested readers of this advert will already know. I feel what’s actually on offer and the condition is the most important information. The sound mix and contents are so different from the stereo version. The mix on this record is unique and gives a different insight into the music, another triumph for George Martin – this is an amazing experience, especially through headphones. The sheer manic nirvana of ‘Helter Skelter’ is very noteworthy too, the basslines grind like never before and the line ‘I’ve got blisters...’ is excluded. The mono and stereo presentation of the music is markedly different and to state the obvious both stereo and mono versions are truly essential. As stated above, this set has been enjoyed and is not perfect – that said, the cover and four insert pictures will take some beating and the poster is nice too. Again, not a copy for everyone: but for collectors on a budget and happy to accept a few visual blemishes and relatively minor audible flaws, it’s truly worthy of consideration. Not this time, for the audiophile or less tolerant – to some degree, it will depend what type of system this will be played on. If you have any doubts after reading all the information, please do not bid.

Cover Grade and Format: EX+ at the very least and arguably better, this has little to fault and really does look lovely. A gatefold format and laminated all over. The number is 0609842 and of course is an original ‘top loader’. The centrefold has two huge flipbacks on the far left and right and it was printed and made in Great Britain by Garrod and Lofthouse International Ltd. This has a wide, thick spine with both mono and stereo Cat numbers and the front embossed with ‘The BEATLES’. A very fine example of one of the most wear-prone covers ever. So often bashed, creased, flaking or dried out laminate, badly shaped and regularly crushed with totally flattened spines. The sheer weight of the records made this a relatively ‘flimsy’ cover and this one is way, way above average and still looks white and highly attractive. Certainly one that will please many collectors and indeed could actually be a substantial upgrade for many.

Cover Lamination - Front & Back: One of the best I have seen for some time, theory says a fully laminated plain white cover should not wear badly, but sorry, in this case, not true. Both front and back look superb with ultra shiny and fully adhered laminate with no blisters or lifts. The whiteness is lovely too and devoid of the nicotine yellowing that spoils so many. The embossed ‘The BEATLES’ text is undamaged and with minimal blistering around the raised letters. The front number is pristine and very sharp and unfaded. A very few light surface creases that have little visibility and a mild trace of burring on the top openings but far less than usual – beware of trimming here too. The back has a small chip-rub on this edge, the only real blemish of note on this fantastic sleeve – there is a fine surface scratch further down, but how many will avoid the odd one? Minimal record impression and few surface marks, the silky smooth surfaces have largely avoided friction rubbing or dulling and there is no peeling. These outer faces will prove difficult to find much better and attractiveness remains very high.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Not too much to fault here, the four b/w pictures are perfect and the two flipbacks solid and neat. Both still firmly stuck down and unfrayed and devoid of the end of laminate dirty line that often forms – also avoiding contact pulls. These flipbacks are in almost unbeatable condition. The centre hinge fold is still fully laminated and even remains uncracked, that’s somewhat unusual on this cover. All four main surfaces are unstained and never take that for granted. The laminate has the odd faint crease or two and retains superb shine and clarity. This centrefold looks fantastic and will truly be hard to find much better.

Top Edges: The record entry edges: quite neat and relatively sharp, any burring or thickening is minimal. There is a rub or chip on the back but only quite small.

Bottom Edge: Barely any wear and no chips or abrasions. Tiny press marks if being somewhat critical.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both immaculate and closed of course. The laminate ultra smooth and undamaged.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine and rarely actually retaining most-all of its laminate with barely any peeling at all. Amazingly uncracked too and this also feels silky smooth to the fingertip and devoid of the usual abrasions and flakiness. A mild central ‘ridge’ has formed as per most but all the text is pristine and undamaged. Both foldlines are in superb condition and all evidence suggests this cover has not been held or opened many times. The colour whiteness is lovely on this spine and on the whole cover in general – consistent on all surfaces.

Corners: One of the most critical areas on this cover and delighted to state, all look superb and devoid of the usual dinking and creases. All ultra neat with little traces of wear or rubbing. Superb shape is retained by all.

Cover Summary: A very fine better than EX example of this intolerant late 60’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find significantly better. This cover does not tolerate abuse or heavy handedness well, its tattyness is well known and finding one that pleases visually is getting far harder. Many even have large tears on the openings, all too common with inserts and heavy records being rammed inside. This strong clean item should please many, if not most collectors and could be a likely upgrade for many.

Inners: Incredibly soft and delicate and massively prone to all forms of wear and damage. One is a superb EX++, the other a lesser VG. Both are from this original album and not substituted. This difference in condition is a good indication one record has been played more than the other. As stated the second record is better. These were unlined and had only a window on one side. One being near perfect, the other has a couple of nick tears. The EX++ has barely any creases and NO edge splits, which is very unusual. The other has edge creases and all edges have split. One exceptional, one more average.

The Cards: All thick originals that have a semi-gloss surface sheen and ALL are UNMOUNTED. Also all are devoid of fingermarks to the lovely clean front surfaces. All have crisp edges and sharp corners with no bending.

JOHN: Mint(-), One ultra small and faint semi-crease trace, any back set-off barely even registers.

GEORGE: Mint(-), little short of perfection. The back has minuscule set-off traces.

PAUL: Mint(-) and looking fantastic. Just the vaguest hint of a thumb crease on the left edge if viewed under angled light. The back is very white with just a mild and fine set-off line.

RINGO: Mint(-) Largely the same as Paul. Ultra light set-off traces only on back.

Poster: Close EX, this is a large poster and remains unmounted and still attractive, the coloured side particularly so. All the fold lines are pretty solid with just one 2 inch neat split on one edge. There is a mildish stain on the lyric side on the top right segment. Minimal creasing and it still folds flat with no crumpling. The imprint states Printed and made in Great Britain by Garrod & Lofthouse – again beware of the German printed versions being substituted, they are much more common - without any doubt, this is an original.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Critically graded:

Side One: EX(-) light surface marks, mostly hairline types.

Side Two: VG+ again light surface marks, hairlines, mild paper scuffs, some longer and can be seen more easily.

Side Three: EX(-), arguably better, a very few light, fine surface marks, longer types.

Side Four: EX, a tiny few light surface marks.

Both solidly pressed records, indistinct banding, clean, intense black with fine shine. A respectable and very decent mono pair and most of the marks superficial and non-sounding. The odd one or two have a few low-level ticks but no loud crunching clicks at all. With so many examples seen dulled and bland, covered in fingermarks and thick dust or grime. So often a patchwork of heavy penetrating scratches or gouges with shabby spindle cratered labels, often they skip grooves or even stick – these are light years away from those types – I won’t offer Beatles albums like that. As stated again: this has been played and enjoyed, they are not a perfect pair and there are some audible imperfections but few major. A very decent VG++ mono copy that will clearly please many but not the discerning audiophiles on this occasion. Effortless and precise tracking is assured on all four sides.

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: I would say both records, for most of their entirety, play above their visual gradings. Strong, distortion-free sound (two revs apart on ‘Blackbird’), all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is still high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Some surface sound is apparent, but not heavy, mostly background where present, and large amounts of this double set plays without any. The music and mix is strong enough to dominate over it and my play-grade was still enjoyable for most all. There are some quiet passages however, and clearly then is will be more noticeable but still the music wins out more often then not. The mono mix is powerful and distinctive and very different. Most of the marks are ignored with just a few light clicks on the odd track or two. Both these records have many plays left in them and my honestly opinion is, they have not been that many times, I think the original owner was just a little heavy-handed and these records would have been played on a mono record-player. Most mono albums were let’s face it, they were not quite as kind to records as lighter tracking and finer stereo units. One major reason why ultra clean, lightly played mono copies command such high prices these days. They are more at a premium, this is a more ‘typical’ set played on the equipment it was intended for. This is still a highly respectable example and generally the sound is fine – little spoiled my pleasure when play-grading and I enjoyed the mono sound very much. Many others will too, but not good enough for the sound perfectionist, if a fine sounding, solid all round copy is wanted, more than worthy of consideration, but do not expect silence for all.

End Piece: I make no apologies for the length and detail of what’s available here - its importance demands it. White Albums are fast running out now and any interested person needs to know what will be turning up. This set is a roller-coaster ride of mixed entertainment, one minute quiet and delicate, the next blistering volume and stunning sound. The Beatles most experimental issue, brave and daring, it has ‘classic’ written all over it and justifiably so. A very popular 41-year-old mono album, realistically it will rarely be totally perfect these days and this isn’t. What you get in summary is: two lightly marked records that sound fine for most with some mild audible blemishing. A superb and highly attractive numbered, top-opening cover. Two decent inners, one exceptional. A highly respectable unmounted poster and lastly four superb insert portrait cards. You now make up your mind, but again, if you have any doubts, please do not bid.

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 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: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets out ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is no bad thing. Also: any item with a value over £40 will have to be insured as well, but for any item that sells for over £150, I will pay the extra insurance (then the lower shipping price applies).

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). 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 VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will be Double Boxed. 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 for clarity as well as a sender label. 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 ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course of multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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. (Only for items under £40)

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (Compulsory for items over £40).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, [£500 Maximum]) = £11.

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

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500 Maximum) = £15.

For items that sell over £150, I will pay the insurance, so the lower shipping price will apply.

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 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’.