THE ROLLING STONES Aftermath ORIG UK 1966 MONO with FANTASTIC 'SHADOW' COVER.

	£		648
	$		858

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Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

Artist or Band: THE ROLLING STONES

Album Title: Aftermath.

Producer(s): Andrew Loog Oldham.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Mother’s Little Helper; Stupid Girl; Lady Jane; Under My Thumb; Doncha Bother Me; Goin’ Home.

Side 2: Flight 505; High and Dry; Out of Time; It’s Not Easy; I Am Waiting; Take It or Leave It; Think; What to Do.

Label/Format: Decca – mono unboxed format with matt, fairly smooth surfaces. This has the deep ring ridge. There are a multitude of variants of this label – mostly the difference are small and minor. Earlier examples must have the KT tax code printed to the right of the hole. This one correctly looks very early indeed.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with quite to less than moderate spindle marks. Side one especially being fine and seen less. Side two has a few more and a few a little thicker so seen more.

Cat Number: LK 4786.

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: 134 grams. A typical solid weight from Decca.

Country of Manufacture: England.

SPECIAL NOTE ON RARITY: The record is not hard to find per se, like most Rolling Stones records, this sold in considerable numbers. But what makes this copy VERY special is the cover. Known as ‘The Shadow Cover’ because of the deep lilac outline around the titles lettering on the front (as seen in close-up). This is the rarest ‘Standard’ Rolling Stones cover possibly ever made. Initial printings of this had this lovely design, but some reason was quickly changed to just plain white lettering, the lilac shadow removed never to be made available again. Thus it is immensely rare and a major variant for specialist Rolling Stones fans. Of late, this has become very difficult to find, especially in really top conditions. I have only ever had two for sale, one sold to a good friend privately and now this one. A small few others have been seen, but in very poor to atrocious conditions which I decided to leave alone. However, this one is in beautiful condition with very little to fault at all. The record has a tiny milli-second groove jump, but there is no way I am going to mix-and-match this record, as this disc was bought from new by one owner, and here it stays. Here is a case where the cover is worth far more than the record – I suppose a comparison with Led Zeppelin’s first album with the turquoise first cover can be made – and being honest, I have seen considerably more of those than I have this one. Why the change was made on this Shadow design was made, I have no idea. For Rolling Stones collectors it has become an iconic piece and owning one in this exceptional and superb condition will be a prized possession (and a likely investment). As these are now highly sort-after and purchased, available examples become increasingly harder and harder to find. Few will look a great deal better and a rare opportunity, indeed this cover could prove a major upgrade for many. ‘Standard’ issued monos copies are not hard to find, even with very clean records. This one on offer is mainly about the cover itself and this is not one to be lost lightly.

Original Year of Release: 1966.

Matrix Nos: XARL-7209-6B / XARL-7210-3A

Mothers / Stampers: 1 I I / 1 KN (the ‘N’ not clear)

Musicians: Mick Jagger – lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonica, percussion; Brian Jones – guitar, slide guitar, marimbas, bells, dulcimer, koto, harmonica, keyboards; Keith Richard – guitar and backing vocals; Charlie Watts – drums, percussion, marimba; Bill Wyman – bass guitar, marimba, organ. Guests: Jack Nitzsche – percussion, piano, organ, harpsichord; Ian Stewart – piano and organ.

Brief Info: Most interested collectors will know all about this title already and needs no introductions suffice to say, it was their fourth album from 1966 and one of their longest on a single album. This clocks in at around 53 minutes aided by the 11 minute 35 seconds ‘Goin’ Home’ that ends side one. This way over average duration, especially for the time, meant sound quality is not wonderful. It has a somewhat compressed sound and lacking any great dynamic range. Compare this say to The Beatles ‘Revolver’ from the same year – well there is NO comparison really. That famous album with considerably shorter playing time sounds stunning, of course the maestro production and genius of George Martin a major factor, but when sound is compressed to fit on a record, volume and dynamic range drops. So basically, ‘Aftermath’ is not a hi-fi classic with somewhat low-fi sound which is somewhat muted, no matter really what it is played on.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): this being the very rare and unique ‘Shadow Cover’ as explained further up. The deep lilac outline shadow is seen around the ‘AFTER-MATH’ title, this very quickly removed never to be included again on future printings. Strictly limited, rare, highly collectable and sort-after. The back top right is also different with the LK 4786 being printed below the word MONO, rather than beside it – this smaller detail unique to the ‘Shadow Cover’. A single format with a Clarifoil laminated front that wraps around the spine and closed edges ending on the spine. Printed and made in England by Robert Stace and made with typically thin card that was very vulnerable and highly prone to creasing and laminate issues.

Lamination & Front: A very impressive front that has little to fault. Very clean, fresh with still shiny, clear laminate that has minimal traces of lifting (spine edge slivers only). The only crease of note is a fairly light one on the top edge towards the right. What sets this apart is the lack of dulling and rim impression. Even under light, barely any trace of either, few will have lesser traces of record impression and resulting friction marks around it. A few ultra fine hairlines around the sides that few will ever hope to avoid. Also this very thin card has hardly bowed, that also very unusual with Clarifoil laminate that tends to shrink and pull the card out-of-shape (or badly lift). The unique shadow graphic looks fantastic with deep rich colour and freshness. A cover rapidly approaching a half century in age, few will even compare, this rarest of Rolling Stones original, and major variant front will rarely be found better.

Cover Back: The protected front are often let-down by badly aged and grubby backs. Well this one failed to disappoint with any darkening or grubbiness very gentle, little and faint. Quite simply, this back matches the beauty of the front perfectly with just the merest hint of its true vintage – personally – just the way I like them. Sometimes squeaky clean pure white covers can look a little too clinical and I like a slightly ‘mature’ cover. That said, this gives only gentle hints with the odd ultra faint tone trace and mild off-white appearance. In terms of wear or marks, this has very little at all, and hardly a noteworthy crease or rub worthy of mention. Even the laminate end is clean and incredibly neat (still with shine as well). This rare original is one of the best Aftermath covers I have seen, including the far more common standard non-shadow ones.

Top Edge: Barely any surface wear at all and still quite straight with minimal traces of bowing. Very slight end-panel thickening towards the right being critical.

Bottom Edge: Totally unworn and ultra smooth to the fingertip with no scuffs or friction marks. Again as straight as almost possible with Clarifoil laminate that always tightens and pulls.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear, just the odd small burr or gentle thickening traces viewed end-on, this guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with any compression light – the ends are pinched in manufacture. All text is perfect and unworn with full laminate and barely any cracking or creasing at all – all seen in close-up.

Corners: A small rub on the top right, barely anything on the others. Very fine, but mostly excellent shape retained with any tip creases tiny. The lack of dinks or corner bashes on covers this great age is quite unusual.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this very rare original ‘Shadow’ cover, one that will prove immensely difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please most collectors, and indeed could prove a significant upgrade for many lucky enough to own one (in any shape).

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): this record includes a blue Decca polylined inner in superb condition with barely any wear, ageing or significant creasing. Two immaculate crisp and sharp window circles and the lining very clear, fresh and solid. All edges unsplit and including the ‘PATENT APPLIED FOR’ text. Not seen too many of these a great deal better.

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 snippets 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.]

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading/Sound: EXCELLENT(-): with a few marks, mostly on the surface, thus with little audio affect. One tiny mark on ‘High and Dry’ caused a click and a milli-second jump, but that by a distance the only issue in terms of tracking. A very fine visual copy overall that is clean with fine shine and solidly pressed. Compared to many similar era Rolling Stones (and most other popular acts) records, this is way above average. Many with deep penetrating scratches and totally worn out from heavy usage on heavy tracking, very basic mono record players. In terms of usage, reasonably light I would suggest with most marks light and faint, also generally superficial. The groove-width of the songs are ultra fine to allow the music’s long duration. Few records at this time exceeding thirty-something minutes – indeed most early Beatles albums barely going much over 30. This album over 53 minutes meaning the sound is more compressed and the production raw and fairly basic. Somewhat lacking in volume and high-end equipment simply reveals all the constraints more. Put as simply as possible: this is no hi-fi classic and for me, the least-well produced Rolling Stones made. This mono record was not really designed to be played on high-end and very revealing stereo equipment and playing on such does it no favours. But realistically, most owners of vintage mono records will use stereo equipment in some form or another. Overall, this plays generally well – the one ‘blink-and-you-will-miss-it blemish apart. Any surface sound mostly gentle, light, but a little present in places, but no other tracking issues. Being a low-volume album, turning it up will reveal any light sound issues more, that is a simply fact. I compared this to another copy – my own – and the sound was nigh-on identical in terms of fidelity (or lack of being honest). Just enough to politely remind you are playing a 48-year-old mono record, and not a squeaky clean digital alternative. So a solid, decent example that may not prove too easy to find a great deal better – not for the perfectionist, but many will be happy. The cover as stated already, for this copy is the main item for collectors. Not something I will state often as the music always has to take priority in most-all cases. But rules sometimes have to be broken, and here very much a-case-in-point.

Conclusion: Overall, a very fine copy. The rare original ‘Shadow’ cover, exceptional as is the early Patent Applied For inner sleeve. The record has been played several times and has one milli-second tracking glitch. That apart, a clean and fine sounding copy with no other really noteworthy issues, but as stated, this is no hi-fi classic in audio terms due to mediocre production and duration. Obviously, they are all the same, any questions, please ask.

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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

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 soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 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 boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, 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. When larger boxes are used, 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. 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. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an 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: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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 necessarily 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’.