JEFF SIMMONS Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up VERY RARE ORIG UK STRAIGHT EX+ LP.

	£		130
	$		172

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Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. 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: JEFF SIMMONS

Album Title: Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up.

Producer(s): La Marr Bruister and Chris Huston (La Marr Bruister is a pseudonym for Frank Zappa, as two tracks were written by the same Mr Bruister which are Frank Zappa compositions (‘Lucille’ and ‘Wonderful Wino’).

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Appian Way; Zondo Zondo; Madame Du Barry; I’m in the Music Business; Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up.

Side 2: Raye; Wonderful Wino (incorrectly spent Wind on label); Tigres; Aqueous Humore; Conversations with a Recluse.

Label/Format: Straight - Original UK matt, smooth format (please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Beautiful clean examples of one of my personal favourite labels. Spindle marks are minuscule and being honest, hardly even a trace. An astonishing pair of Straights that will rarely been seen this clean again.

Cat Number: STS 1057.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 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: 115 grams. About average for it’s era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: quite possibly the rarest UK Straight album of all, a commercial non-starter, and that’s no lie, one of rock’s ‘lost’ titles and best-kept secrets. I have only ever offered one before on Ebay, that way back in 2007. Many would not have even heard of this man which is a shame, because ‘Lucille’ is a fantastic album and some time ago, it was voted the second best album ever on Straight – after Beefheart’s masterwork ‘Trout Mask Replica’. It was quickly deleted and was out-of-print for many years. Also, finding clean copies is equally difficult. The cover is very prone to all forms of wear and is rarely seen devoid of heavy ring wear and rubbing. Lastly, this copy has clearly hardly been played and it plays with fantastic, ultra clean sound with practically nothing unwanted, never something to be taken for granted on Straight. Put simply: this is a fantastic mini-lost-classic in impressive condition and it will seldom be seen or offered, especially as a UK pressing.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: STS-1057-A1 / STS-1057-B1

Stamper Codes: A3 / A1

Straight & Bizarre: Straight and Bizarre were two record labels formed by Frank Zappa and his business partner and manager Herb Cohen, they were manufactured and distributed by Warner Bros in the United States. Their intention was to promote and issue albums by very alternative and non-commercial artists (chosen by Zappa) and give himself and them the freedom to release their music without restriction and censorship. Straight was initially chosen for more accessible acts and Bizzare for the less mainstream, but it only briefly worked out with all but Lenny Bruce, Wild Man Fischer and The Mothers of Invention ending up on Straight. All except The Mothers albums issued in the US on Bizarre are rare and elusive with a few exceptions – Captain Beefheart’s classic ‘Trout Mask Replica’ surprisingly sold reasonable well, but few others did. Most were simply too weird and out-there for most people’s tastes or simply unknown acts (including Alice Cooper in the early days), and these artists’ albums were now highly sort-after by collectors. Straight album bands and artists were: Captain Beefheart (2), Alice Cooper (3), Tim Buckley (2, his most experimental). Jeff Simmons (1), Lord Buckley (1), Judy Henske & Jerry Yester (1), The GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) (1), Tim Dawe (1), The Persuasions (1) and Rosebud (1) on Reprise/Bizarre. Both Straight and Bizarre folded in 1973 when Zappa’s new label Discreet label emerged.

Musicians: Jeff Simmons - Electric bass, piano, organ, accordion and vocals; Frank Zappa - lead guitar; Craig Tarwater - Guitars; Ian Underwood - Saxophones; Ron Woods - drums, percussion and John Kehlior - drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: So who was this afro-styled Jeff Simmons? Well he was briefly the bass player in Zappa’s Mothers of Invention circa 1971. He made just one album on the Straight label and is a prized title for any fan of Zappa. Frank plays a brilliant spindering lead guitar on the title song and ‘Raye’ and wrote two of the songs. He also produces under the pseudonym La Marr Bruister and it also includes that other great Mothers member, Ian Underwood. This is a brilliant album and one of the most highly regarded on this very collectable label. Blues-based rock with elements of psych, this album deserved to do well, but like so many on Straight, almost disappeared into obscurity with few even noticing. UK copies are especially rare and seldom surface. This is supreme record, hardly played and beautifully pressed. The cover also in very fine condition with just the usual edge rubbing, but little to the main surfaces that look impressive. For those still yet to discover ‘Lucille’, well it merits my highest possible recommendation and finding this record better could prove near impossible.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made by the E. J. Day Group.

Cover Front: A front to match my own copy meaning it has little wear at all. Any traces of rubbing near the very edges, but little else at all. Clean, fresh, attractive with deep unfaded colour and barely any creasing. Also no sticker issues or tears and this is one that could be badly affected if applied.

Cover Back: Of the tiny few of these I have seen, most have ring wear and it seems particularly prone. So the lack of on this one is significant good news – any traces are tiny and faint. Overall, largely the same as the front with just a little more rubbing on the very bottom edge and corner tips.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Jeff, armed with his hairdryier, is practically as made with nothing to fault.

Top Edges: Moderate, slightly patching rubbing on the back edge, much finer and less on the front.

Bottom Edges: Moderate rubbing again, a possible neat split repair on the back central area.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear at all. Record enters on the back edge, and both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Solid and straight with any compression slight. Also folded straight so the edges meet up closely together and parallel. A little rubbing to the ends and there are a few small tip-in traces but show little on the black. The fine fragile text is mostly present and intact. A little clipping and light rubbing mostly on the word ‘SIMMONS’.

Corners: All corners have moderate rubbing with generally fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: A difficult cover and rarely will the main areas be sound better. With most of any wear confined to the edges and corners, this is still splendidly attractive. Visual pleasure for vintage covers usually rests with the front, back and inside – and slightly less, the spine. And this cover largely delivers strongly on these. Also bearing in mind, this will rarely even be found as a genuine UK printed example, it should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: only marked down for fairly gentle discolouration. A plain white open unlined inner with a date stamp of 25 APR 1970 and printed text ‘PATENT APPLIED FOR’. Minimal creasing and no edge splits or repairs, both window circles pristine.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): and side two even better. A lovely visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Any surface marks or blemishes are few, very light and faint as seen more critically under bright angled light. All superficial and non-sounding, this record plays superbly well – that never to be taken for granted on this label. Pressing quality on Straight could be variable – this I know to be a fact as I have heard most of them several times – clearly most-all were ‘loss-leaders’ and sold poorly. This is a top pressing and sounds superb and visually a very fine record that should please many, if not most collectors needing this long ‘lost’ mini-classic.

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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This original UK Straight classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and detailed sound. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted, few copies (if you can find one) will play better than this. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and the actual record has been very well looked after, and going by label evidence, hardly even handled or played at all. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this rare Straight album. Zappa’s guitar when present is superb, none-more-so than so than the splintering bursts of his lead on the title song – an early version that was later used on his ‘Joe’s Garage part one album in 1979. Also the track ‘Wonderful Wino’, incorrectly spent ‘Wind’ on the label, later featured on ‘Zoot Allures’. This wonderful record will prove very difficult indeed to find significantly better and is strongly recommended.

End Piece: Truly a rare item, all UK Straight albums are elusive with most of the artists or bands that recorded on it obscure and very poor sellers with only ‘cult appeal’. Zappa founded the Straight and Bizarre labels to help promote artists that ‘Were a Little Different’, few had any commercial potential at all, and all but a couple went on to become famous and actually sell well later (Alice Cooper [very well], Buckley [moderate only] and Beefheart [strong cult following]). Lucille - later to appear on Zappa’s Joes Garage I album - is one of the best of the Straight albums, that said I personally like most of them. Simmons certainly wont be known to all, or even that many, as stated already, it’s always been one for the Zappa completist to seek out but it should appeal to any rock lover. Of course it has a heavy Zappa influence and sound quality, Frank’s heavy lead guitar is unmistakable. The best song for me though is ‘I’m in the Music Business’, where Jeff sings about life as a fringe musician who can hardly make ends meet and has to subsidise himself by turning to erotic movies (possibly based on fact?). All those I know who have heard this album rate it very highly and this is an album I can strongly recommend to all collectors, if this title is missing from your collection, dont miss out again.

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’.