THE BEATLES Rubber Soul UK 1965 MONO Super EX+ LP

	£		89
	$		118

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: THE BEATLES

Album Title: Rubber Soul.

Producer(s): George Martin.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Drive My Car; Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown); You Won’t See Me; Nowhere Man; Think for Yourself; The Word; Michelle.

Side 2: What Goes On; Girl; I’m Looking Through You; In My Life; Wait; If I Needed Someone; Run for Your Life.

Label/Format: Parlophone – first press format with ‘Sold in the UK’ and ‘Gramophone’ rim text. The matrixes however are for the second press, as both end -4/-4. Side two has the embossed ‘KT’ tax codes which are practically as made (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive but with moderate spindle marks – in terms of Beatles albums, these are more the norm, but have NO fears, this record plays superbly (more information on that further down). The plain fact-of-the-matter, many used the labels as guides to locate the spindle to the hole. Back then, buyers did not have any real inkling their purchase was going to be a future music ‘antique’ with scrutiny put on conditions. These things were bought purely for entertainment and enjoyment. Thus another reason why these vintage popular records are more often than not seen trashed. This early mono record has been played several times, but with the utmost care and there lies the difference. I am absolutely convinced these moderate spindle marks – that are fine, but spread, and show little – do not tell the real truth. This is superb example for looks, sound and the cover is exceptional too. A copy from a quality, well looked-after collection. Although there are a number of spindle marks, those embossed letters on side two are in superb condition with no flattening, scuffing, thickening and retaining full ink retention. There is no wear of any note around the hole rim and the spindle marks show little with normal viewing but can be seen under angled light of course. Their freshness and fine good looks with minimal traces of finger use on the revealing matt surfaces, more than convince me the spindle marks are not accurate in number of plays – this reitterated by magnificent clean sound throughout – including the impossibly difficult ‘Michelle’.

Cat Number: PCM 1267.

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: 148 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Few Beatles standard issues can ever be deemed rare with a small few exceptions. All sold in vast numbers and most titles can be found without too much effort – even the black and gold ‘Please Please Me’s if really wanted. What makes the difference is condition – as stated above, most were played to destruction on vintage old record players with their often worn stylus that tracked at scary weights, that inflicted groove wear and damage very quickly. Possibly the most loaned and played band of all-time and only small percentages were ever looked after for the long term. Most seen with grubby, badly marked, deeply scratched, greyed vinyl and labels swathed in heavy, penetrating spindle marks, finger impressions and scuffs. Covers written-on, torn, edge splits, shredded flipbacks, often with chunks missing. The laminate dulled, creased, peeled and the backs more brown that white. Inners missing or in tatters – we have all seen such copies. Very lightly played and more carefully stored examples are far harder to find. Although the mono versions are more abundant than the stereos – neither are that hard to find – they are MUCH harder to find in top quality playing conditions. This is simply being honest – ignore all hype about ‘mega rare’ and all that nonsense. Beatles albums are NOT rare, they sold by the millions, so how can they be rare for goodness sake? Collectors are not fools and I will not insult their intelligence by stating otherwise. Conditions are the paramount factor and this copy really delivers.

Original Year of Release: 1965

Matrix Nos: XEX 579-4 / XEX 580-4 [these are second issue matrixes]

Mothers / Stampers: 48 GPH / 48 G0P such mothers and stampers just prove to what extent these Beatles albums were pressed – in VAST numbers – Rare? – Get real.

Musicians: John Lennon - lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, six and twelve string acoustic guitars, harmonium, tambourine, cowbell, maracas; Paul McCartney - lead and backing vocals, bass, lead and acoustic guitars, fuzz bass, piano; George Harrison - lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, twelve string electric guitar, sitar, lead and backing vocals; Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine, maracas, lead vocals on ‘What Goes On’, Hammond organ.

Brief Info: Album number six for the world’s most popular band and for me, one of their very best – for many fans and critics, one of the greatest popular music albums in recording history. The album that started the progression from pure pop to more complex music and song structures with greater use more varied instruments, styles and sounds. An absolute masterpiece in sound and content and this super mono copy does it nigh-on maximum justice. This copy from a quality collection of well looked-after records – sure, it’s been played a number of times, but as stated, in the case, the spindle marks do not tell the real story. The record players of era, often meant locating the spindle to the hole was more difficult, and owners of the day did not consider spindle marks on labels to an issue five decades on, so used them as guides. Thus counting spindle marks on a label to guess the number of plays is pure folly and speculation. It’s the playing surfaces and sound quality that counts and without doubt this has been played with real care and only with better equipment that was well maintained. The cover is very attractive as well, and almost exceptional by the standards so many others are seen in. I do not intent tapping out hundreds of words and spaces about this record because most fans and collectors will know more than enough about this evergreen classic already. I prefer to offer more details about the sound and condition of this copy which I feel is far more important.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single format with front laminate. This wraps around the closed edges and ends on three external rear flipbacks. This is the true dedicated mono cover with the PCM 1267 number. It was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and has the ‘Patents pending’ text. Includes the tracing paper style inner sleeve.

Lamination & Front: The front is very impressive indeed and grades little short of Mint(-). This has aged little with shiny, fresh and very clear laminate, even under angled light, barely any friction rubs or dulling at all. Any record rim impression is minuscule and barely even registers even with close scrutiny – with a near 150 gram record inside for best part of 45 years or so, this is a remarkable achievement, reitterating how carefully this copy has been stored. All is fully adhered with no lifts or blisters and the lack of deep creasing is fantastic news. An ultra fine vertical trace on the spine edge and a tiny few light ones on the edges that few, if any will avoid totally. Just a couple of ultra tiny and faint half moons that are incredibly low-level, they barely even show viewed normally. A tiny corner tip chip on the bottom right (but look hard). The Fab Fours portraits look fantastic as seen through laminate this clean. Any chipping to the right entrance edge is minuscule and overall, this front sets the bar very high indeed and will take a lot of beating – this is hold and enjoy.

Cover Back: The back is equally impressive, a few small blemishes, sure, but how many will not have any? This is a cover dating back to the mid-60s and for all the reasons outlined above, few avoid major issues. Firstly, the main unprotected back panel: this has aged little, and although not snowy white, it is still white, not browned or yellowed. Any toning spots are few and very small, the most noticeable is a small one on the left edge about two inches from the top corner, any others are tiny, few and very faint. The odd faint surface crease just seen if viewed up point blank but no ringwear or record impression again. Even under light, the revealing panel has barely any hints of fingermarks or handling at all, once moist fingers apply their marks to a surface like this, they are near impossible to remove. The flipbacks have naturally darkened a little – well more a palish cream colour really. These are all solid with neat ungrubbied ends and practically devoid of burring. With ends ungrubbied by grime-lines, worthy of mention, this makes the back look even nicer. Being ultra critical, super-fine toning traces on the tiny thin ends where the laminate ends, but again this is being almost crazy-critical. Another that makes these flipbacks exceptional is the lack of hairline creases. Just one on the top and spine and none on the bottom. That is something you will rarely see on any Beatles flipbacked cover, especially the older ones. Stating the obvious, NO writing or press marks on either side, this very careful owner had no intentions of loaning out his records and kept them well protected into six decades and I for one, tip my hat to him for giving this record the due care and attention it merited.

Top Edge: Dead straight and practically unworn with full laminate cover that is totally unscuffed and smooth to the fingertip test.

Bottom Edge: As above with a small chip to the right corner tip.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with practically no real wear, feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. This has a more rustic rim in manufacture – e.g. the ends are not ultra sharp but this is how these ones were. Beware of razor sharp edges with dead parallel and overly white exposed card on front and back, most of these had the edges not dead flush (as these) and the type of card used on this cover were rarely ever precision cut in the factory. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Stunning nigh-on pristine: solid, straight with any compression minor with just minor tilt to right (being critical), but absolutely NOT crushed. I am sure this is exactly the way this was made and it looks fantastic. The ends are very gently tapered in manufacture. All text is pristine perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate that remains very white, fresh, smooth with no scuffs.

Corners: The spine pair are little short of Mint as made with stunning pointed shape retained with no dinks. The right pair are little behind with just a small chip to the bottom right tip and a tiny hint of on the top one. These retain excellent or better shape.

Cover Summary: A very impressive all-round example of this massively famous mid-60’s cover, one that could prove very difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please many, if not most collectors. With a small tone mark on the back left edge the most significant blemish, this itself should tell it’s own story.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: only very slightly aged with minor darkening. A very fragile format inner with the tracing paper style lining that is fully intact, solid and incredibly neat, as seen through two very crisp window circles that are totally undamaged. The left corners have creases but the top entrance area – clearly the most vulnerable area – is generally neat. This reinforces my theory this record has not been so many times as the flimsy spindle mark evidence may suggest – this inner sleeve is guaranteed the one that came with the record. Barely any other creases and no edge splits or repairs. This delicate inner is in quite impressive condition for it’s vintage, type and housing a popular, heavy-pressed album all these years. This includes the ‘PATENTS PENDING’ text on both sides.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT / EXCELLENT(+): in real terms, this hardly does this splendid record full justice. A super visual copy that is very clean, fresh, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. A copy with only very light and fine surface marks seen under bright angled light. Mainly whispy traces with a small few hairlines and NO penetrating scratches at all. How many mono records of this immense popularity will avoid a few fine surface marks at the very least? Visually a super record that should please many, if not most collectors again.

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 superb mono cut record 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 very detailed sound. Another master-class in production by Martin, the mono presentation is simply fantastic. I usually state on my Beatles’ listings, almost every album they made includes one ‘difficult’ song. On this one without doubt it’s ‘Michelle’ – in fact, it’s arguably THE most difficult of them all. The inner-most band on side one and on the most critical tracking area where the angle becomes more crucial. How many old record players were set-up with protractors to get that angle correct for precise and accurate tracking? So very few copies will ever play this hugely testing track well. Most rife with often crackle and even distortion as those old (often blunt) stylus ground their way into the sensitive groove walls. Along with ‘Yesterday’ (‘Help’) and ‘She’s Leaving Home’ (‘Pepper’), this is one of the most intolerant tracks on any Beatles’ album. On compilations, it usually plays fine with no issues, but on ‘Rubber Soul’, possibly due to it’s position on the record, it rarely plays well. I am delighted to say, ‘Michelle’ plays really well on this record, as do all the other songs. Paul’s vocal is simply precise, clear and unclipped – the most beautiful of songs sounding very impressive – please, never take that for granted. On a mono copy especially, I have so very rarely heard this song sound much cleaner on this particular album. Any surface sound was incredibly gentle and minor, this too on very sensitive equipment. This mono record was not really designed to be played on such equipment, but when it offers sound this clean, it’s a thing of genuine beauty. I truly feel silence on ‘Michelle’ on a played mono copy of this album, is a near impossible ask, and in real terms, this will prove immensely difficult to find better. The play-grade was a revelation in clean sound and detail and no digital formats will ever match or better the real thing. Choosing which mode is best for Beatles albums (both modes essential of course) is purely a matter of choice as the presentation is so different. When produced by the genius George Martin who would expect anything less than perfection for both? Equally skillfully engineered and mixed by Norman Smith. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing as most Beatles albums were when made. I had the opportunity to try this copy before purchase – yes the spindle marks were a concern when first viewed – but I quickly I was reassured when I heard only a couple of songs. – the first being ‘Michelle’ – if any copy plays this song well, it usually means the rest will be very clean too. Mono records were always more in the firing line for bad sound, only due to excessive use, abuse and poor handling ruined their wonderful clean sound. Few copies will outperform this still early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp with no mono single-channel noises, I am certain this record has been played modestly and the spindle marks on the labels (in this case) deceive. Clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended to most fans – the exception being the ultra critical purist who want nothing less than perfection in all departments no matter what the price – no problem, I respect that too.

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 QED Silver 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as 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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.