FRANK ZAPPA / MOI Ruben and The Jets RARE ORIG UK 1968 MONO LP.

	£		211
	$		280

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Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World £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. More details on this 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. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Album Title: Cruising with Ruben & The Jets.

Producer(s): Frank Zappa.

Engineer(s): Dick Kunc.

Rarity & Background: Very Rare: this is on the other end of the scale to the debut ‘Freak Out’ album. That title in stereo is very rare, but by the time this final original Verve album was issued, the mono format was fast becoming defunct and this is the rarest Mothers mono album of them all. The final two Verve titles were not commercially available in America in mono, just a handful of promotional label copies exist and they are near impossible to find. All versions of this classic Zappa album are fast becoming very elusive, this was not a big seller (even by early Zappa standards). The demand for this record is now justifiably high because the standard CD versions of this album are simply TERRIBLE!! Since the invention of the CD format, none included the original sound and mix, instead it’s a mish-mash of overdubs with new bass and drum parts mixed into what’s left of the original master tape sound. When Frank got the rights back to his early albums, the master tapes for Ruben (and the four-track ‘Money’) were badly damaged and could not be used to remaster them to CD. So ‘Money’ and ‘Ruben’ got the over-dub treatment with dire results, and that’s not putting too finer point on it. ‘Money’ was later reissued again, remastered from the original two-track masters with very pleasing results, sounding again more like it should. Ruben, alas was too far gone to be useable and until very recently, did not exist on CD with the original sound. In 2010, a US CD version of this was issued with the original sound, but only in stereo, I can only assume it was mastered from a vinyl record because written-off damaged mastertapes cannot suddenly be resurrected I would have thought? But still the ONLY way to hear the original mono sound on this fantastic album is via vinyl. The music is delivered in a different way and is hugely unlikely to ever be offered in it’s entirety on disc in this mode. Not only is the most elusive mono album in the Zappa catalogue, this copy offers excellent sound even though the visual is down even with a few minor visual blemshes. For younger Zappa fans out there reading this (and they are out there I know), if you have only heard this classic on CD for the past 30 or so years – throw them away and hear this album as it was made back in 1968. All the brilliant original pulsating percussion is present and the proper bass parts and they all can be heard to maximum advantage via this vintage record. Also included are repros the mega rare inserts (taken from the Old Masters boxed set) showing any listener how to do the Bop dance steps and how to comb and set a Jellyroll hairdo. The original inserts that came with a mere handful of the early US pressings and are ultra rare and seldom seen. These nifty inserts are well worth having, I have only ever seen originals once, way back in 1973 when I was still at school – I bought a second-hand copy from mail order company that had them inside – very regrettably, long since gone, never to be seen again.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Cheap Thrills; Love of My Life; How Could I Be Such a Fool; Deseri; I’m Not Satisfied; Jelly Roll Gum Drop; Anything.

Side 2: Later That Night; You Didn’t Try to Call Me; Fountain of Love; No, No, No; Anyway the Winds Blows; Stuff Up the Cracks.

Label/Format: Verve – with text details seen on my scans, both have matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with light+ / very light, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole.

Cat Number: VLP 9237.

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: 130 grams. A fairly typical solid weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Musicians: Frank Zappa - low grumbles, oo-wah and lead guitar; Ray Collins - lead vocals; Roy Estrada - high weazlings, dwaedy-doop and electric bass; Jimmy Carl Black and Arthur Dyre Tripp III - lewd pulsating rhythm; Ian Underwood - piano, saxophones; Don Preston - piano; Bunk Gardner - saxophones.

Original Year of Release: November 1968. [more likely early 1969 in the UK]

Matrix No: V 5055 A-1 / V 5055 B-1

Stamper Codes: 1 GD / 2 M

Brief Artist & Album Info: Zappa’s album of retrospective nostalgia and one of his most personal. This set that went back to the doo-wop sound of the 1950s, the music of Frank’s youth he was so proudly fond of and enjoyed in his younger days. This doo-wop sound was so faithfully reconstructed, it fooled many critics and listeners at the time to who was actually playing the music. Zappa originally decided to record this with a deliberate low-fi, scratchy sound but decided against it. Instead, he used a compressed production to emphasise the mechanical nature of the music – it works perfectly. Ray Collins vocals rarely sounded better than on this amazing journey into the past. The Ruben parody still has elements of Mothers humour and fun, the balloon on the front cover states “is this the Mothers of Invention recording under a different name in a last ditch attempt to get their cruddy music on the radio”? – I would very much doubt whether much ever made it over the airwaves. This is a very copy – both cover and record have the odd minor visual flaw, but little degrades the wonderful production and audio quality of the elusive mono sound. The record has one small noticeable mark on ‘Fountain of Love’, but it has only six very light clicks, any other visual or audio blemishes, very few, light and faint, a lovely record overall. The cover’s main flaw is a surface tear to the centre of the bottom edge of the flipback, but not a great deal else, and compared to several I have seen, this is still quite impressive, the front very much so. This my first mono copy for some time, indeed if I had not got this in my own collection it would not even be offered at all. I have never found this an easy one to find, and although not perfect (and how many rare mono albums are these days?), it is still a very nice all-round copy. Although UK copies never included the inserts, I feel the inclusion of the repro inserts is a nice touch too, still great fun, and these are even rarer than the record if indeed they can ever be actually found as originals these days.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: this MINUS the surface tear to the bottom flipback. It is never easy grading a cover with damage, so this is graded as if it was not present, and you, the potential buyer can decide how much this degrades because opinion is purely subjective, mine included. The original VLP cover was a single format, the gatefold non-laminates were reissued in 1971. It has a laminated front and three rear external flipbacks. This is the genuine original mono VLP cover, the stereo version has it’s own version with its own unique S/VLP catalogue number. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. The picture on the back is a very young Frank with pencil moustache. I reitterate, the Jelly Roll hairdo and Dance Steps insert sheets are repros, as a little bonus, the plain white inner sleeve also included.

Cover Front: The front is very nice indeed as on its own grades excellent(+) and arguably better. The laminate has a lovely shine, fine freshness and clarity with no lifting, peeling and any of the tiny few surface creases very fine, light and faint. A little dulling seen under angled light around the thick record rim shape, that seldom avoided as a bare minimum on most vintage covers. Any minor marks or blemishes equally fine and faint and the superb colourful artwork looks magnificent, bright and vivid. A front to be held and enjoyed and close to outstanding quality.

Cover Back: The main issue on the back is the surface tear to the bottom edge, hardly major, but significant enough for the more discerning cover collector. There is a little creasing to the bottom right corner as well, but this is relatively minor. Other than this, the rest is very positive: these early Zappa covers, for some reason, have a tendancy to age, brown and discolour, often purely natural without help from nicotine or damp. They are difficult to find without brown streaking effects, this I know for sure as I am always on the look for them and had most several times. This one shows hardly any of it at all and does actually remain white, albeit with a little mild traces of grubbiness here-and-there. But the lack of rubbing and creasing to the matt-finished main panel is good news, and overall, this back, the bottom tear apart, looks impressive. The flipbacks are solid with clean ends that have hardly any burring. So not for the perfectionist, but still a very fine example of arguably the most elusive UK Verve Zappa album ever made.

Top & Bottom Edges: The top edge is perfectly smooth and with laminate retained, the red ink not present on the left, either in manufacture or faded – I am split 50-50 on which. The centre of the bottom, possibly due to a small piece of tape being added in the past for reinforcement, has pulled the central area surface, likely neatly split and repaired. This theory would of course account for the surface pull on the back as well. Otherwise straight and neat and now solid, so an issue here if you wish to view plain edges rather than the beauty of the actual artwork.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, and still sharp with any thickening or burring slight with just one tiny burr as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this vulnerable edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way. The fine unprotected strip on the front right clean, unchipped or rubbed.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with barely any compression, the ends very gentle tapered in manufacture. The laminate clear and unpeeled and all the blue text present, undamaged and strong. No cracking with a smooth feel to the fingertip.

Corners: Any tip rubs are very small indeed, most on bottom right with a little minor discolouration to the edge. Very fine or even better shape retained with the odd faint tiny tip crease.

Cover Summary: Still a very attractive vintage, and rare cover. Not for the highly discerning with the rear flipback and bottom edge issue, but these show-up very infrequently, and it will take a very impressive example to better it significantly.

The Insert Sheets/Inner Sleeve: As stated a little ‘extra’ taken from the Old Masters Box One set. Great fun they are too and the originals are ultra rare – I have only ever seen them once before and that was many years ago when I at school (YES, that long ago!) These kind of make this album appear ‘complete’, but as stated already, the UK versions of this album never included them. The record comes with a plain white unlined inner, lightly aged, barely any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(–): a very clean record with fine shine and very solidly pressed. One small mark on ‘Fountain of Love’ has half-a-dozen very light and faint ticks, I feared worse, but this one more noticeable mark has minimal audio affect and could even almost go unnoticed on less sensitive equipment. Under bright angled light, some fine, whispy surface marks and a little ‘mottle’ seen within the pressing. But for a mono record of this type, it has largely gone unscathed and sound quality remains high. With many records of this type totally trashed and unlistenable (or even playable), this is light years better than that. Clearly played and enjoyed a few times (but not many I would suggest), the audio quality remains generally impressive. Again, like the cover, not quite ‘perfect’, but still a lovely Zappa classic that can be enjoyed for many years to come.

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.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This genuine original mono record plays above it’s visual grading with little to fault. The mono mix is still unique to vinyl and is likely to always be so in an official capacity. It offers mostly very clean and enjoyable sound with minimal degrading at all – this being played on a highly revealing LP12 stereo turntable for which this record was hardly designed. The one more noticeable mark, as mentioned above, has minimal sound for six revs, any other blemishes are very few and minor and tracking effortless. I did a direct comparison to my own personal copy, the sound was near identical. I simply cannot stand that 1984 and subsequent remixed and overdubbed CD versions and have not listened to it for years. All the original bass and drum parts are of course included here and nothing comes close. All the superb percussion throbs and pulsates throughout this recording – all missing on the pre-2010 CD versions that simply sounds ‘too modern’ and obviously ‘fake’. So not quite perfect, but still very enjoyable and importantly it’s the real thing. The odd minor blemish to remind you are listening to a 45-yera-old mono record and not a squeaky clean digital version is more than acceptable to me, and on such a record, it actually adds a little something (it can be argued). Zappa’s idea to record this 1950s pop parody was little short of inspired – if you fail to ‘get’ his ideas for this album – you simply do not understand or ‘get’ Frank Zappa at all. One many fans will cherish and enjoy and even with minor flaws, this is still a lovely example of this ellusive Verve classic.

End Piece: Few could have predicted the fourth Mothers of Invention record, the final original album they made on Verve, would have sounded like this. But clues for Zappa’s fondness of ‘Greasy Fifties Love Songs’ were on Freak Out! with a few of these songs included on that classic debut, albeit different versions. I was initially taken-aback myself as a schoolboy years ago when I first heard it, but when the shock passed, it did not take long for me to love it like the others. Ruben and the Jets in mono is for the connoisseur collector, this copy really rocks just like it should. 1950s music was purely a mono era, so it can be argued it is the only way Ruben should be heard anyway. With the original sound and mix – for those who have never heard it, well they have never heard it for real? Zappa produces an immaculate parody of the music from his younger days with astonishing authenticity, proving again what a versatile band the early Mothers were. This is genuinely getting hard to find, thus I have no qualms in offering one with relatively minor blemishes. With it’s unique single cover, repro inserts and overall very fine mono sound with little unwanted, this is highly worthy of consideration – SNAT! – bop bop bah bop bop bah.

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’.