PAUL McCARTNEY The Family Way. Rare 67 Unboxed Mono LP.

	£		362
	$		480

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. 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, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

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. 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. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: PAUL McCARTNEY (Music composed by) [Supervised and orchestrations arranged by George Martin]

Album Title: The Family Way (Original Soundtrack Recording).

Track Listing: Although banded, this album has no track titles.

Label/Format: Decca (early unboxed format) This has the ffrr (full frequency range recording) with ear logo.

Label Condition: Beautiful vintage red Deccas, rarely are these seen this clean. Spindle traces are very light/light and there is not even a trace a wear around the spindle hole. There is a very small manufacture blister on side two, but few other blemishes at all. The lovely vintage pair of labels. (Please see label scans for all information needed).

Cat Number: LK.4848 .

Mono or Stereo: Mono (this was issued in stereo too, in terms of rarity probably the same but as we all know finding superb clean mono albums is far, far harder).

Country of Manufacture: England, UK

Rarity: Very rare, I regard this in all honesty as one of the rarest albums I have ever offered on Ebay. Sales of this would have been very sparse, even taking into account it has McCartney and Martin’s name on the cover. Finding a copy too in such lovely condition in mono makes this Beatles related item even rarer.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: XARL-7598-2A and XARL-7599-2A. The stampers appear to be 1U / 1 11

Brief Artist & Album Info: All music from this 1967 film composed by Paul McCartney. The film starred the beautiful young Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett - also Avril Angers; Liz Fraser; Wilfred Pickles; John Comer; Barry Foster and Murray Head. My first ever hearing of this rare jewel, the music is truly lovely with a catchy repetitive theme that is quite haunting at times. An obvious item of interest for Beatles collectors and soundtrack fans but it should appeal also to any music lover, this is a beautiful recording and for sure it will rarely be found in better condition (if indeed you can find one at all). The cover is in superb condition, the actual record looks like new and plays pretty close to new too. It even has its original lined inner sleeve with its unique Patent Application No 40904/61. This like the rest of the set is close to perfect with a tiny nick tear near the front window, carefully repaired my myself, it hardly even shows now. The die-cut window is superb, the lining is strongly attached and crystal clear. How many inners survive 37 years looking like this will be few and it just puts that extra piece of icing on what’s already a rich cake.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-), I think this is very fair for a cover this age with a white unprotected back. Its a single format, laminated on the front, this has mono printed on the front, back and spine. It was printed in england by Clout & Baker Ltd. A remarkably clean cover with so little wear, maybe to be fair the back is more EX+ but the rest is so near perfect I still think my original grade is more than fair.

Lamination: Very strong and clean with lovely rich shine. No peeling or dry areas, a few small, light creases but few even show under normal viewing conditions. A faint pressmark from the very thick record but again as light as they get. No indentations and even surface traces are almost zero. This laminate is really quite superb.

Cover Front: This looks quite amazing, album covers like this so clean and fresh are a pleasure to offer, I would guess many Beatles collectors have probably never seen this one. This really has little to fault, were covers ever really expected to last looking this good for this long - well the proof is here, with TLC they can.

Cover Back: Black and white and no laminate at 37 years old - well again this pretty much defies all its vulnerability. This is just a shade below its original white I would guess with the odd faint mark but I have seen back like this a light shade of brown or horribly yellowed - not this one - any age toning is very mild indeed, I would feel very confident this has not been stored in a smoker’s house. There is no rubbing or ringwear and there is only the mildest of mild end of laminate trace line. Like the front a very mild pressmark from the record. But overall this back will better most with this typical 60s design.

Top Edge:Unworn.

Bottom Edge: Unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear, very faint trace of feathering on the back if being ultra-critical and a very tiny nick tear (approx 3mm - yes that small, but it has to be mentioned of course, nothing I notice gets ignored however trivial). Record entered on right outside edge.

Spine and Text: A stunning spine which is always nice to say on the rare vintage covers. This is near perfect, all text pristine under the uncracked laminate.

Corners: All four show little wear at all. All still nicely shaped - magnificent.

Cover Summary: A gorgeous all round example of this rare 60’s cover, one that could prove near impossible to find much better. This super strong item should please most if not all collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Tempted to put mint on this one, but I could just make out a faint surface trace on the first trace, but look very hard to see it and of course no sound at all. A superb visual copy, if this record can be found better, especially in mono, well you have a super rarity. Immaculately clean, shiny, jet black and very heavily pressed. This looks really lovely and simply ignores its age. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Visually a stunning record that should please all collectors.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays up to its high visual grading with little to fault. Strong, undistorted sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing crystal clear sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, a very brief trace near the beginning but as light and minor as it ever gets, few copies will play better than this and that’s a promise. Both channels are clean and sharp, and the lack of distortion is so important and almost unusual for a mono record this great age. I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and looked after, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little, if anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this major rarity - my first ever experience of this one. This copy could prove near impossible to find significantly better. Please read my paragraph below to put such a remarkable record into its true context.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: A record for the connoisseur, one that will rarely be seen or offered. Its a little different for McCartney but its all his own work and that’s vitally important for any collector of this man’s work. What makes it so extra special too is the fact it was all written in the active Beatles period - not post. A truly lovely work it is too, it will be immediately apparent to Beatles fans that George Martin’s help is included in the sound too. So a rare Beatles related item on a huge label in fantastic condition - any collector who needs this major rarity should look no further – Mike.

Having the Powerseller Logo: This is recognition from Ebay for the highest possible customer services, satisfaction and quality, it should reassure any potential bidder that all items are described, graded and shipped to the highest standards possible. Customer care of the highest order is a standard feature here and I am proud to have achieved this recognised standard of excellence from Ebay with help from collectors and buyers from all over the World - I thank you all.

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3.00; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £5.50 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOTprofit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more and I often actually lose money on this part of service - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be worthwhile.

I can accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders OWN risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear 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. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.