THE BEATLES Hard Days Night 1964 EARLY UK MONO EX++ LP

	£		320
	$		424

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

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: THE BEATLES

Album Title: A Hard Days Night.

Producer(s): George Martin.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: I Should Have Known Better; If I Fell; I’m Happy Just To Dance With You; And I Love Her; Tell Me Why; Can’t Buy Me Love; Hard Day’s Night.

Side 2: Anytime At All; I’ll Cry Instead; Things We Said Today; When I Get Home; You Can't Do That; I’ll Be Back.

Label/Format: Parlophone – This has all the criteria for the ‘first pressed’ format. The word ‘pressed’ has little relevance taken strictly on definition of the term but really means first pressed ‘format’, meaning these are first design labels which is different from actual pressing. The Beatles albums were ‘pressed’ a multitude of times but the label and cover designs changed slightly to give a more accurate indication of time of manufacture. This example is clearly very early and the labels have the ‘First published 1964’ text. Also ‘The Parlophone Co Ltd’ text on the label rims and ‘Sold in UK’ etc text above the hole. Side one appears to have just one embossed letter, which looks like a ‘J’, this is pristine with no rubbing or chipping. It could conceivably be the more familiar ‘T’, but has no ‘K’, the regular pair seen, but this really does look more like a ‘J’ to me. All text and press registration is spot-on, sometimes there is a shift in the plates which give a burred appearance but not on these, is sharp, crisp and precise, in fact this pair are amongst the best I have ever seen on the album. (Please see my label pictures for all information needed).

Label Conditions: Both in amazing conditions are I hope my pictures show. Ultra clean, fresh and highly attractive, and without doubt, this vintage mono Beatles classic has hardly been played. Just one spindle mark and the odd tiny trace on side one, and barely anything at all on side two. We all know what these incredibly popular early Beatles mono records usually look and sound like these days, and both labels, playing surfaces, sound, inner and cover all come close to reminding of new. YES, this supreme example really IS that good.

Cat Number: PMC 1230.

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: 145 grams. A typical heavy pressing from this label and era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity & Overview: The album itself is never hard to find, it sold in vast numbers, but like always, it’s the conditions that make the difference. Any copy of this record that looks hardly played and offers clean, distortion-free sound is a different matter. Far fewer examples are seen or offered that have avoided over-use and abuse on Dansettes or similar vintage record players that stripped away the delicate groove walls and now make them unlistenable. Often used at parties, loaned to friends, plastered in writing or played to destruction with worn out, chipped and non-aligned stylue – this was very much the norm for such popular records. The covers are usually tatty, grubby, badly creased, torn and written on. Finding clean and undamaged examples is much more difficult and, and this one is sensational. Even on my highly revealing LP12, for which these mono records were never designed, this record gave a remarkable account of itself. A loud and dynamic mono sound with the utmost detail and barely anything to fault at all. Just look at the cover, both sides are exceptional, the back is little short of reference standard and almost as white as when issued with pristine flipbacks. Cover-protected from the day it left the shop and I doubt if record, inner or cover has seen light-of-day for decades or even been handled much at all. All elements of this set could prove to be a substantial upgrade for many, I can hardly imagine finding one a great deal better. I never offer Beatles albums lightly, they have to be of a certain standard, this beauty makes my near mint grading and how many available ones ever will?

Original Year of Release: 1964

Matrix Nos: XEX 481-3N / XEX 482-3N

Stamper Codes: 3 GLP / 4 RGL

Brief Info: The Beatles third album and another classic, it includes music from the film of the same name which was their first, it was also the first to included all self-written material. Most will know this album well enough, so I will not waste time with further information with such a familiar title. I feel what is more important is the condition and what is actually on offer and this is all detailed below.

Cover Grade and Format: MINT(-): a single format with front laminate that wraps around all closed edges on to three large rear flipbacks. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse which includes the ‘Patents pending’ text. Also included is the original tracing paper style lined inner sleeve.

Lamination & Front: Little short of STUNNING! The laminate retains a mirror-like shine, freshness and clarity with no lifting, blisters, chips or dulling, even when viewed critically under angled light. The surface so smooth, it appears more like glass and has no indentations or dinks. Any surface trace marks or creases are very few, fine and faint, and unusually, minimal hint of rim impression from the quite thick record – a gentle trace near the top right only. This one really does take you back to the 1960s when they were in the shops and seen at their best prior to the usual handling and abuses most soon suffered.

Cover Back: Jaw-drop stunning, and bar a couple of very fine, small hairline left edge surface crease traces, could grade full Mint. It just goes prove no matter the age and popularity, covers can still be seen looking almost new even into six decades of existence. The main back panel as barely aged or darkened at all with ring wear or impression, rubbing or issues of any real note at all. All three flipbacks have to be seen to be believed: put simply – they are pristine perfect – I struggled to fine just one mega-faint semi-hairline surface crease on the bottom one only. Seeing is believing, have another look at my pictures, this back is unlikely to ever be found better.

Top Edge: Straight, clean, smooth with no scuffs, chips or wear at all.

Bottom Edge: Same again up to the very tip of the right corner that has a microscopic rub. This edge rarely seems to escape chipping or cracking, rarely, if ever seen it better than here.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear and minimal thickening, no chipping or burring. The manufactured trim is a little ‘rustic’ and not clean-cut like some which is not unusual for these more mass-produced thicker card covers. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: As near perfect as they get: solid, mainly straight, uncompressed, all text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate that is silky smooth to the fingertip. A trace of bowing if being ultra critical as vintage laminate tries to contract, better this than large lifts – few will better it. The ends are lightly tapered in manufacturer and the entire surface still ultra white and totally unaged.

Corners: All four again almost as made: very neat and sharp with just the tiniest tip rub on the bottom right, again going beyond critical. All retain near mint shape with no enhancements, dinks or creases.

Cover Summary: A near reference standard cover, never an easy one and the general lack of wear and ageing on this beautiful example, more noteworthy. Yes, the odd small gentle surface crease on the front, but little else and it will take a remarkable example to better it. As stated already, this could prove the ultimate upgrade for many collectors and it truly does come close to reminding of new.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): this has the tracing paper type lining with is perfect, as seen inside two immaculate, crisp undamaged window circles. Only marked down from Mint(-) for a fairly gentle corner crease, but little else to fault. All edges are unsplit or torn and has NO repairs. Minimal traces of discolouration and this fragile inner sleeve has aged little – all good indicators the record has made few trips out.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+) / EXCELLENT(++): a very fine visual copy that is clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Thick vinyl with wide, deep grooves and looking very impressive. Viewed more critically under bright angled light, some very fine whispy surface marks are seen – without doubt, the owner dry-cloth cleaned his records and as such, these ultra fine and totally harmless surface traces are quite common. What is far less common is the total lack of penetrating marks, scuffs or scratches, these playing surfaces (and labels) are exceptional for a mid-60s mono record. It has avoided the perils of the Dansette era, genuine early copies rarely do so and there lies the difference. Unless an umplayed copy surfaces – which is pretty unlikely I feel – this will take some beating and it should please many, if not 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 splendidly preserved record plays up to, and most all, even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Another master-class in production by George Martin and this copy does it more than high justice. Any surface sounds are minimal to none and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no pressing noises, pops or clicks. No sound degrading was noted, and this being played on a very revealing stereo system for which this record was not really designed. Any old mono record that sounds impressive on such equipment is testament to it’s quality and this one delivers great, clean and precise audio quality with no high frequency clipping or focus loss. Remember, just one play on a worn stylus, and the sound is ruined. Just one arm drop or jolt on a typical mono record player, and there is a crator or deep scratch to potentially write-off another Beatles classic. This has avoided such trauma and both channels are clean and sharp, with no ‘mono’ noise from either channel when played in stereo. With such a lovely cover, inner sleeve and lightly played record, this copy sets a very high standard and it will please many, if not most collectors – as stated, the entire package could prove a significant upgrade for many, and these early Beatles albums do not come along as often as the later ones like this. Strongly recommended.

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’.