THE DOORS LA Woman SCARCE ORIG UK 1st Press 71 EX++ LP
£
98
$
130
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
Hi, I am Mike, now 51. Old enough to remember the golden era of original, high quality music, bands, artists.
Also records from the 1960s and 70s bought from the shops from new, I have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 37 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 elusive 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, 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 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 and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching for covers - 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. 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.
Equipment Used for Play-Grading: I now play-grade ALL the records I offer (unless clearly stated to the contrary) on what I consider to be the finest piece of hi-fi equipment ever made. The famous Linn LP12 Sondek is clinically revealing for what’s good (and sometimes bad) for vinyl and if any record sounds stunning on this gateway-to-the-studio deck, it will pass the ultimate test for most all others. One of the world’s most revealing decks with phenomenal sound quality, nothing escapes its clinical excellence.Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.
First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.
POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I post all my UK items on FRIDAY every week, most will arrive Saturday to make signed-for delivery easier. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO massively thick stiffners for even extra protection and bubble wrap if deemed necessary. These stiffners are the thickest possible and custom supplied for ‘Oneadayrecords’ – these are NOT commercially available and you will not have seen thicker protection anywhere. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used as well as ‘Fragile’ tape for that extra professional touch for the packet. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the cheapest and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 3,500+ items sold in over 5 years of Ebay trading (I am now one of most established sellers via Ebay) and I consider that pretty exceptional.
PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.
Artist or Band: THE DOORSAlbum Title: LA Woman.
Producer(s): Bruce Botnick and The Doors.
TRACK LIST:
Side 1: The Changeling; Love Her Madly; Been Down So Long; Cars Hiss by My Window; LA Woman.
Side 2: L’America; Hyacinth House; Crawling King Snake; The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat); Riders on the Storm.
Label/Format: Elektra – Original butterfly format (Please see my label scan).
Label Conditions: Both very clean and highly attractive with only a couple of very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.
Cat Number: K 42090.
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: 144 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).
Country of Manufacture: England.
Rarity: Scarce especially as an early pressed example with a neat cover, inner and lightly played record. So many of these original format ‘window’ covers get damaged and the inners are often ripped and torn or missing altogether.
Original Year of Release: 1971
Matrix Nos: K 42090 A1 / K 42090 B1
Brief Artist & Album Info: Between Christmas and the new year, I will be offering some of my personal favourite albums of all time, this true classic being one of my ultimate favourites. Without doubt one of the greatest US bands of the 60s/early 70s, lead by the vocal icon Jim Morrison. LA Woman was the final Doors album to feature this amazing singer. This remarkable release reaffirmed the quartet’s grasp of blues/rock. Beset by personal and professional problems, they retreated to a rehearsal room, cast such pressures aside and recorded a masterpiece that included several of their most memorable compositions. The musicianship is uniformly excellent, the interplay between guitarist Robbie Krieger and keyboard player Ray Manzarek exudes confidence and empathy, while the strength and nuances of Morrison’s voice - now very much deeper than on earlier albums - add an unmistakable resonance. His tragic death within week of the album’s completion inevitably casts a shadow over its excellent content, especially the eerie rain and thunder with the funereal electric piano of ‘Riders On The Storm’ - has any band ever ended their career on such a magnificently strong song? - I dismiss of course the two non-Morrison albums that followed. This stunning album surprisingly only made 28 in the UK charts whereas it peaked at 9 in their native US. A common album to find as a later UK pressing that had the solid cover and no inner, but the early copies are much different. The originals have a front with a real cut out window with a see through perspex type ‘glass’ with the band printed on it. The famous inner gives the yellow effect through the ‘glass’ and has the controversial crucifix illustration. The record for this copy is magnificent, heavily pressed and hardly played on all the evidence and it sounds stunning – what better way to break-in my new Ortofon moving coil cartridge and Naim amp? So a strong early copy that should please most collectors - The Doors are fast catching up the likes of The Beatles, Stones, Floyd, Kinks, Queen, Led Zeppelin and Hendrix in desirability on vinyl and finding any of their UK albums is getting ever more difficult now. I don’t think this actual record will ever be found better than this with reference sound quality.
This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+: [Unlaminated covers are always the most vulnerable for rubbing, fading, sticker tears and ringwear, gatefolds are more prone still and the darker they are, the more this type of wear occurs and shows. Some sleeves have a textured finish or die-cut shaped edges or ‘windows’. These are even more delicate and the hardest to find in top condition. Fully laminated covers are more resistent to wear but often the laminate ages with dulling, creases and blistering. Many 60s covers have outer flipback construction, these are very vulnerable to damage]. (US covers are the most fragile of all, very rarely laminated and made with thick brittle card that rubs and ringwears badly. Seams and edges split easily). Please see format below to access this cover’s potential for wear and damage.
Cover Grade and Format: EX+, arguably better and this has no damage and very little wear either. A single unlaminated format with the original round corners and see-through window. The white ‘DOORS’ text is embossed. The rare yellow crucifix inner is included too. Printed and made in England by Shorewood Packaging Co Ltd with the scarcer ‘Patents pending’ text. This has the dual cat number K 42090 and EKS-75011 numbers on the back. This record was issued on the Butterfly label as an original but later copies were thinner pressed.
Cover Front: Any die-cut cover front is highly vulnerable to wear and damage. Many tear and the edges burr and quickly lose their crispness and good looks. Well the edges of this window have no damage and the edges are in very fine condition with any edge burring minimal to none. The perspex window is in supreme condition with no marks or scuffs. Even surface hairlines are miniscule and ultra faint, the band’s portraits all look superb. This fragile window often crinkles and waves and again this has none and lies almost dead flat. The embossed text at the top is in fine shape with just a couple of fine pressmarks and mere traces of any ‘set-off’. The dark claret ink often rubs badly and chips easily but this has been avoided and any creasing is little and very light, most of any present confined to the edge areas. A very attractive example especially when the yellow inner is insertws (please see my front cover picture), it will take a fair amount of beating, the lack of damage to the cut-out window is unusual and a real bonus.
Cover Back: Often spoilt by ringwear as many dark coloured covers are but this one has avoided any. A few light surface marks and a very few light creases but this intolerant back will also take some beating. Fresh and attractive with minimal wear, this again is way above average.
Top Edge: Barely any wear at all with neat sharpness and crisp corners.
Bottom Edge: Similar to above with just a small surface chip near the right corner.
Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering. Record enters on this edge.
Spine and Text: A terrific spine but manufactured very thin, this is practically as made. Solid, straight, uncompressed and square. All text is perfect with no wear and nicely centred on the fine width.
Corners: These are very fragile and vented in manufacture. Mostly in great condition with only slight creasing inside the circle arcs with minimal burring to any. These are near impossible to find ‘perfect’, but these really do look nice.
Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this very fragile early 70’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better. With so many damaged and tatty, this fully intact and attractive example sets a high standard. This lovely, but delicate item should please many, if not most collectors.
The Inner: Undergraded at EX, unlined with the only real blemishes being one corner ruffle crease and one edge having tape residue which is quite fine and not overly obtrusive to the eye. Just applied to one edge for reinforcement, this clear tape has now dried out and fell off, the residue left behind is modestly light and the inner being yellow helps disguise it. Ultra clean and attractive and all edges unsplit with no tears. The bottom corners were vented in manufacture. Clean, fresh and very attractive, the artwork has always been controversial. Just the one corner crease only and even with that, its one of the very best I have ever seen. Even this can ringwear but no traces on this one and bar the tape residue blemish, no other marks of significance, even the plain yellow back is immaculate.
Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Grading this beautiful record EX++ hardly does this justice, only missing Mint(-) because of one small, light surface mark on side one that has NO sound. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed, this my heaviest copy yet. A copy hardly played on all the evidence and almost certainly the cleanest looking and best sounding original I have yet had to offer. Visually a super record that should please 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 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 classic album plays up to its high visual grading with 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. Devoid of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing – this does have some quiet passages but all plays beautifully. Few copies will match or outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. The detail, quality production and atmosphere on this legendary recording will rarely be heard better than this – Morrison and the band could have almost been in the room and this clean-cut Elektra record is the gateway into the recording studio itself. This copy will prove near impossible to find better and can be strongly recommended.
NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.
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 unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. 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 – it’s always worth asking.
SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:
Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:
1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).
1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).
Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):
1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.
1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).
Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):
1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).
Posting & Packing: OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. US; Australia; Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):
1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.
1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).
* If Rules allow for that country.
PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.
Payment Conditions:
I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.
The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. 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 (£35).
Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 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. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.
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 neccessarily 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’.
price rating