THE KINKS Something Else By… VERY RARE Orig UK 67 Mono

	£		280
	$		371

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE KINKS

Album Title: Something Else By The Kinks.

Producer(s): Shel Talmy & Ray Davies.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: David Watts; Death of a Clown; Two Sisters; No Return; Harry Rag; Tin Soldier Man; Situation Vacant.

Side 2: Love Me Till the Sun Shines; Lazy Old Sun; Afternoon Tea; Funny Face; End of the Season; Waterloo Sunset.

Label/Format: Pye – intense dark pink-magenta and black format with a matt finish. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both are very clean and highly attractive with spindle marks on the lighter side of moderate. These are fine and quite faint and these too on very revealing labels. In terms of Pye-era Kinks records, these are way less than ‘average’, most seen are a web of often heavy ground-in marks that ruin these beautiful labels and only emphasise just how many times the record has been played. Old steel spindles on vintage record-players left their marks freely and in real terms these are very modest for such a record. And with ultra clean and little marked playing surfaces, it’s more than clear to me this record has only been played with the utmost care and sound quality confirms has suffered NO abuse from old blunt mono stylus. This is a fantastic mono record with lovely visuals and audio quality even when played on modern revealing stereo equipment. A fabulous example from one of the greatest ever albums from the magnificent 60s.

Cat Number: NPL 18193.

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 this Record: A massively impressive 164 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. 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, 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 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The title itself on vinyl is rare enough and considered the rarest ever ‘normal issue’ Kinks album ever. With the record in fantastic condition and sounding as near perfect as any mono record will ever get, this is a major Kinks rarity, I can hardly imagine finding this record a great deal better. It looks great and sounds the same, it’s that simple. The cover is massively prone to wear but this has as little as is almost possible without being kept in cottonwool for over 40 years, it’s near impossible to find without some. Being an unprotected silvery-grey finished sleeve, its prone to all forms of wear and housing such a heavy record inside for over 42 years, well most are found in simply horrible condition (if indeed you can find one at all). Classic pop-beat records, are so often trashed and unplayable, this gorgeous classic set will prove incredibly difficult to find better, this record gave me immense pleasure and just holding it is a delight.

Original Year of Release: December 1967

Matrix Nos: NPL 18193 A-1 M (this side has a small matrix correction) / NPL 18193 B-1 M (this side has a major matrix correction)

Stamper Codes: D 1 / E 1 (these are tiny and faint and very difficult to eve locate).

Musicians: Ray Davies – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica; Dave Davies – lead guitar, 12 string guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (on three songs); Pete Quaife – bass, backing vocals. Guests: Nicky Hopkins – keyboards, piano, organ, harpsichord; Rasa Davies – backing vocals.

Brief Info: One of the UK’s greatest music treasures, this album is up there with the very best albums of all time. Brilliant pop music and their sound had now progressed beyond pure RnB. Ray Davies writes most of the thirteen songs on offer with his brother Dave writing two – the classic ‘Death of a Clown’ was co-written by them both. Ray especially in the 60s, wrote some of the most brilliant songs of this famous decade. Catchy tunes with superb lyrics but their albums did sell in the numbers they should have done. I feel sure if it were not for The Beatles and Stones, they would have sold in vastly greater numbers. Most only had a certain amount of money to spend on records, and even then, they were not cheap items and people had to choose. Although the singles still sold well, the albums declined which is mystifying as they simply got better and better and better. This is a very rare record, especially in top conditions and the mono version commands a very high catalogue price (and as we all know, it usually undervalues everything), it’s near impossible to find unless heavily played. Tired, dull looking vinyl with marks and bad sound is almost the norm for today, finding such a clean and modestly played example is getting more and more difficult. This has hardly any marks of real note and for any mono record, this is light years above the average. The cover, again an impossibly difficult one, is really in superb condition and possibly my best yet. Unlike so many, this has no price sticker issues or writing applied. This record is lovely and has very few marks, those few present are only surface blemishes that have no effect on sound. It will take something extraordinary to better it significantly and a very rare opportunity to own one of the genuine classics from a very famous year in music. With ‘Peppermania’ sweeping the country, masterpieces of this type were largely overlooked, in my humble opinion, I consider this album superior to the far more famous title. In terms of rarity, well ‘Pepper’ would have sold several thousand to just one of these. Hardly any wonder it’s all but disappeared. Baring this in mind, only one in hundred will ever have a record like this. This did briefly peak at 35 in the UK albums charts, a lowly effort for such a beautiful album and faired even worse in the States with a miserable high of 153. Maybe the change of direction from beat to art-pop was not what their early fans wanted. Only as the years passed have these classic Kinks albums been so cherished and highly sort-after, few survive in top conditions with many trashed or even written-off. Viewing and hearing this mono cut is a priviledge not to be taken lightly. No piledriver thick, heavy needles have ruined this one. Although it has a fair number of spindle marks, this in no way reflects the clean playing surfaces and audio quality. A record that plays with NO distortions or noteworthy surface sound on the music, the odd trace was noted between songs but all the is fully focused and sharp with no clipping to the high frequencies. All traits that mono records suffer when not treated with due respect. No pops or clicks were noted either and how unusual will that be on a record this age and format? Remember, one jolt or arm drop from a Dansette or similar single channel record player, that tracked at massive weights could have destroyed this or any similar record. Pop nostalgia never gets better than the Kinks and this is one of their very best ever – the timeless ‘Waterloo Sunset’ brings this perfect album to the perfect end - and maybe a tear to the eye?

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+

Cover Grade and Format: No hesitation in grading this lovely as EX+ and considering just how intolerant it is of handling and poor storage, it’s arguably worth half a mark higher. A single unlaminated format, this being unusual for the time and most of the Kinks 60s albums were laminated. It has three large rear outside flipbacks. This was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd and has the ‘Patents pending’ text. This is a dedicated mono sleeve with the NPL 18193 number on back and spine (please see this detail on my pictures).

Cover Front: Terribly prone to all forms of wear and rarely seen looking quite exceptional hence I have taken a few close-up shots to prove the point. Few available ones will tolerate close-ups without showing for they are – worn, tired and trashy. The silver-grey ink takes no prisoners and most are seen rife with major rubbing, creasing and ringwear. This has minimal creasing or ringwear. There is a small tip crease on the bottom right and a fine surface crease near the right edge but that’s about it. The faintest possible ring arc trace at the extreme top and bottom edges, few will show fewer of either blemishes. Some very light rubbing is just present but the actual artwork is unaffected and this is really exceptional. A little corner rubbing (bottom right) encroaches into view but only small and modest. What I feel is worthy of mention is the overall freshness of this sleeve. Clearly not stored in a loft or subjected to damp or cold - no traces of toning or mildew staining - all common traits of such old covers. Not perfect but way, way above the average found and for a change, actually looks attractive.

Cover Back: The back is even better than the front and that is some achievement. There are minimal traces of any rubbing on the back panel and few marks either and no creasing or ring marks. The flipbacks are particularly fragile and delicate and vulnerable with no laminate protection. But these are in superb condition with clean ends and barely any burring or creasing. All well stuck down and neat with any surface rubs few and faint. So many will be torn or damaged from rack stacking where they catch other records but not these. All the copyright text and credits etc are pristine and totally unworn. A very nice back indeed which I truly consider exceptional.

Top Edge: The odd tiny surface chip but barely any rubbing which makes a real change.

Bottom Edge: This has light, patchy rubbing, being the storage edge this is hardly uncommon. The good news is it has not spread to the main back and front faces. Possibly the least wear I have seen on this edge for this cover.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with minimal traces of wear and no feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. Very slight traces of thickening when viewed end-on. Record entered on this edge.

Spine and Text: Against the odds, the spine is in overall fantastic shape and any tiny wear being confined just to the very ends which are slightly tapered in manufacture. A couple of microscopic surface chips most would not even mention. Solid, clean and straight, amazingly ALL the text is present, bold and strong and devoid of damage or erosion (again see my close-up spine details). To say this is unusual would be an unstatement.

Corners: Just tiny tip rubs to most, the bottom right a little more. Excellent shape is retained, by the first three especially.

Cover Summary: A very fine EX+ cover. One that can be held and viewed with some pleasure not hidden away waiting for the near impossible near mint one to come along. Most collectors will be more than happy to keep this one forever and not wish to upgrade it. For one of the most uncompromising 60s covers, I consider this an exceptional example but a little short for the most discerning perfectionist.

The Inner: The plain white tracing paper style lined inner is included in fine EX condition. This has no edge splits and a very neat window with no damage to the fragile lining. Clean, white with minimal creasing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ with close examination under angled light I can see very light hairlines and the odd very small surface mark but any mono record this age has earned the right to have a few in my opinion. Merely surface blemishes that few records escape, there are NO real scratches in what I deem a ‘scratch’ and nothing effects the beautiful sound of this record as I have already outlined above. Given to what most mono records of this vintage are found like, this exceptional grading hardly does this full justice, Kinks albums are simply rarely found like this. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. This record has to be seen to be fully appreciated. With a high percentage of 60s Kinks albums in such terrible conditions, mono examples in particular, this is a remarkable find. Any of the faint surface blemishes present have NO sound whatsoever and this tracks effortlessly and plays beautifully – and this on one of the most respected turntables ever made – mono records were not really designed to be played on such equipment. Clearly this has been played a few times but very carefully and there’s the difference. These clean unworn grooves look and sound amazing. Visually a super record that should please most 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: This breathtaking Kinks classic plays up to and even exceeds its high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, never, ever take this for granted on any mono record, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed, punchy sound. Barely any surface sounds worthy of note, any minuscule traces were just about noticed between a couple of songs. No noteworthy pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Even the run-ins and run-out grooves are quiet and that is never easy. What a joy to hear this monumental classic with such clean, sharp sound, this is a top copy and I enjoyed it immensely. Few examples these days will outperform this early mono pressing significantly I feel sure - and early is the word for this - actually purchased within the year of issue. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful album. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and is unreservedly recommended. The ‘Waterloo Sunset’s fine’…

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 ‘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, 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 even 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 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for 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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

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

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

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 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12. (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 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’.