THE KINKS Arthur - VERY RARE Orig UK 1969 MONO EX++ LP

	£		506
	$		670

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 KINKS

Album Title: Arthur (or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire).

Producer(s): Ray Davies.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Victoria; Yes Sir, No Sir; Some Mother’s Son; Drivin’; Brainwashed; Australia.

Side 2: Shangri La; Mr Churchill Says; She’s Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina; Young and Innocent Days; Nothing to Say; Arthur.

Label/Format: Pye – Rare original black and blue MONO format.

Label Conditions: Both in magnificent condition: ultra clean, fresh and attractive. Spindle marks are few, light and very faint and all evidence, including pristine sound quality, suggests plays very little.

Cat Number: NPL 18317.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 144 grams. A very good solid weight for this, and any record.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity & Overview: Rare: using the term correctly. Firstly, this record did not sell well, which even today remains a total mystery. Also by 1969, the mono format had declined as the stereo mode had largely taken over. Most new titles were not even issued in mono, and if they were, they were almost ‘special orders’. Hence a first issue mono copy of this classic album is now a major and highly sort-after rarity. And one further thing: finding this record in hardly played condition is even harder. For those few who purchased this record from issue day in mono did so for two reasons. First, a mono record was in most-all cases chosen to be played on a mono record player, and the majority of collectors will know what that meant in terms of wear. Second, loyal fans of this legendary band usually played their records to near destruction, and on a mono record player, that usually meant this happened sooner rather than later. So many examples rendered unlistenabled with deep penetrating scratches and invisible groovewear and poor sound. All traits of the mono format I’m afraid. These old machines tracked at vast weights, 10 grams was deemed normal and even then, many put coins atop the arm to allow the stacking of singles. It hardly takes an Enstein to realise the horrendous wear inflicted on delicate and complex grooves that carried all that wonderful sound information. Badly aligned, wore inferior sapphire stylus, often chipped simply stripped the groove walls and now render them unlistenable. So when the geniune rare classics in mono are sound hardly played, they are like gold-dust. Finding this record largely intact with a reasonable cover and insert is difficult enough in it’s own right, let alone with a record that offers supreme sound. One that retains a superb shine and freshness, just a couple of light surface marks that have NO sound at all and the sound fully focused, clean and quiet. This beautiful piece delivers, even on a highly revealing stereo system for which it was never really designed for. Okay, the cover has wear, one of the most fragile covers of the late 60s, few even survive intact, let alone with a fully readable spine (please see my close-up picture). The superb ‘Victoria’ insert has the pull-tab missing above the crown, so this not perfect, but at least present. So many examples are missing this intricate lyric insert altogether and the pull tab is hardly major as it carried no real artwork, just the word ‘PULL’. So often this fragile insert is badly torn, often with far more crucial pieces missing like the crown and even the head areas. For fans, the record especially could prove to be a massive upgrade, it’s a beautiful piece. Far, far rarer than say ‘Let it Bleed’ in mono from the same year, that sold well, even in mono (while stocks lasted), whereas this record all but flopped. A record that is getting harder and harder to find as each year passes, this record will never prove easy to find better than this.

Original Year of Release: 1969.

Matrix Nos: NPL 18317 A-1 *T / NPL 18317 B-1 *T. [typically deeply punched and very pronounced Roman type]

Stamper Codes: C 1 / A 1

Brief Artist & Album Info: By 1969 The Kinks had largely fallen from public grace in the UK, a bizarre fact made even more inexplicable as Ray Davies was at the height of creative brilliance. Still receiving high critical acclaim, this album, and the previous masterpiece Village Green Preservation Society failed to capture the imagination of record buyers. Still writing honest pop songs about everyday events no longer appealed to early Kinks fans and both albums flopped with minimal sales. Arthur is a brilliant concept album, it was up against The Who’s Tommy, but neither Davies or Townshend knew about each other’s works. The beautiful (but ultra flimsy) packaging did little to help sales either. Playing this album brings home that fact again of just how could this album fail to do well, every song is a classic, perfect songs performed – well – perfectly. Maybe the album should have been retitled: Arthur, the decline and fall of the one of the greatest popular bands of the 1960s [in sales terms, not quality, they were seldom much better than this]. Rarely ever has there been such an injustice of two albums failing to sell in the quantaties they clearly should have done. Now some 41 years after issue, there are hardly enough vinyl copies to go round for the collectors who ignored this all those years ago and new fans wanting them too. Finding a hardly mono original is a huge achievement these days. This is so elusive I would even consider offering a Very Good example, but this gorgeous record grades Excellent(++) with just one surface mark each side that have NO sound at all. The playing surface still almost remind of new with a sheen and lustre of a barely played record that both labels more than emphasise. Importantly, the sound is wonderful, even my LP12 failed to bring out any hidden nasties simply because there are none present. The delicate cover has a few issues, how many will not have? – the ‘Victoria’ lyric insert has the pull tab missing, but that apart, infact if lightly aged. But for me, the record is always of paramount importance, you cannot listen to a cover, and on that basis, this is a superb copy. Fans missing this mini-masterpiece in mono, well the actual record will prove hard to find better.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+: just like ‘Village Green’, an immensely flimsy, fragile and delicate cover. Ultra thin, this sags in the middle when held and bends badly if held in one had, this best avoided of course. Many, from day one, were cellotaped for reinforcement of the edges and finding one simply intact is kind of an achievement alone. Many are torn, badly creased with vast laminate issues including peeling, creasing and massive lifts – often severe. Intact spines with all the text present are rare too. This one on offer is far from perfect, but still one of the better ones I have seen for some time.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD(++): this being ultra cautious and very critical. In terms of this cover, this is a VERY nice one. A gatefold format with front and back laminate. The inside is matt finished and smooth. Storage is via the centrefold, hence this very thin card is prone to all forms of damage and laminate issues. The spine fold always hugely vulnerable when the record is stored or removed. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. Includes the rare original ‘Queen Victoria’ lyric insert.

Lamination & Front: I often use the term ‘wafer thin’, but in this case, a wafer would be thicker than this ultra thin flimsy card. Laminate has little chance of long-term adhesion on such a fragile foundation. But all considered, this one has survived well and this front truly looks attractive and almost impressive. A couple of blisters on the spine edge, one around moderate in size, the other much smaller, a small few tiny subsidiary ones too. There is some light to moderate burring on the bottom edge, but little elsewhere, including the right edge. The lack of creasing is very good news and highly unusual too. Just a light one on the bottom right corner and a few hairlines on the spine edge. Overall, the laminate retains a very fine surface shine, clarity and even freshness, the graphic still looks strong and eye-pleasing. Any dulling is minimal with few marks and this front sets a very high standard in context of how fragile this front truly is.

Lamination & Back: The back is very impressive indeed, although double the thickness (two pieces of card of course) this is still very flimsy and delicate. Just one lift on the spine that hardly even shows due to the white backdrop and barely any noteworthy creasing. Still clear and shiny and the artwork is pristine. Mildly darkened I suppose, but negligible. The main issue are the spine corners, the ultimate areas for potential damage due to the storate of the record. Not too much wrong with the top but the bottom has rubbed and softened – few will ever avoid this as a bare minimum, and in real terms, this is not too bad. The lack of dulling to the back’s laminate or even rim marks is incredible hard to find and I rarely, if ever seen this back better.

Cover Inside: Here is where the main issues lie: firstly, the right edge. This has pull marks, I suspect tape was applied on this fragile side to avoid the record knifing through. Some of the surface has pulled, mostly near the top and bottom corner areas and a few smaller marks elsewhere. This is pretty much the only area affected with just a couple of small pulls on the left top edge which are far less significant. Minus these marks, this cover would have hit the heady heights of an Excellent(+) grading (at least). The bottom of the spine fold and storage area has nibbled a little, the top far less so, any tears or splitting is modestly small, this volatile entrance area is generally neat and mostly intact, just the bottom has eroded a little. The wonderful kangeroo graphic looks magnificent, clean and vibrant and the lack of creasing or marks if a huge plus. With the pull marks on the extreme right edge, these do not catch the eye too much, and overall, this centrefold is colourfully impressive.

Top Edges: The back edge is in super condition, still retaining full laminate and even very straight with super-smoothness to the fingertip. The incredibly thin front edge has minimal burring or thickening with any feathering small and minor. These fragile edges have survived looking generally neat and probably as solid as possible.

Bottom Edges: The back edge is almost as per above. The front has thickened in places with some modest burring and mild chipping. These impossibly delicate resting edges have again withstood storage and time well – all considered.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The back folded edge is also in very fine shape, Some laminate chipping or peeling, but a high percentage, against the odds, still firmly attached and the surface have little wear at all. The front is very neat indeed with no thickening or burring, As the spine compressed – as most-all will – this retracting backwards actually protects this most fragile of edges which is guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Along with ‘Village Green’ contender for one of the most delicate spine ever, not helped by the thinness, the storage area and the weight of the record – all puts huge stress and strain on this single thickness card that is thinner than most made. Against the odds, not only has this spine survived, it still as a semblance of shape and not flattened like most found. The very ends are a little scuffy with small splits and erosion at the bottom, but largely intact. The main area even retains most-all of it’s laminate and hugely important, ALL the text retains unworn and fully infact, every letter and figure present, clear and sharp – please see my close-up picture of the long title. Still quite solid and reasonably straight and with decent shape and not flat. The ends apart, this is a very fine spine on a cover that that gives no quarter to the owner.

Corners: The right ones are very decent with fine to very fine shape retained, some rubbing but neat. The spine pair less so, these have worn and eroded with a small split on the top.

Cover Summary: With all considered, this is a reasonably impressive example – my grading is possibly over-harsh – both the outside faces look lovely. The inside right edge and the spine tops are issues, but how many will be found with much less or none? Clearly not for the perfectionist, but many, or even most collectors will enjoy this genuine, rare mono original cover. Any doubts, do not bid.

The ‘Victoria’ Lyric Insert: EXCELLENT(-): never easy grading an item with some damage, but I am grading on the visual of this impressive and quite famous insert. A large format, shaped lyric sheet that has one manufactured fold. The damage is the loss of the pull tab above Victoria’s crown, this a common fault on this elusive insert (if that makes sense?) The small tab protrudes from the inner gatefold so it could be removed, as the insert with the record inside was tight, this tab often pulled off altogether as per here. The really important factor is the main graphic is fully intact and present, the top of the crown has some creasing with also one on the back of the lower half. Any other creases are lighter and show little. Song lyrics are printed on the back and ageing is modest - the main fold strong with just a small split to one edge and the edges crisp. Any marks few and light and with so many examples missing this insert totally, this is a fine example. Again, not for the perfectionist, but a mostly solid and attractive example.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: or close to. A plain white polylined heavy-duty inner that has two corner creases but minimal traces of discolour. Both window circles are pristine and the lining very clear with barely any crinkle. All edges unsplit with no repairs and minimal adhesive discolour on the seams. This is UK patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): with just a couple of visible surface marks that have no sound. Any marks or blemishes are few and very faint indeed and this superb mono record retains the sheen and lustre of a barely played record. What a delight to view and hear this classic in such lovely condition. Ultra clean and retains an impressive shine with an intense black finish and heavily pressed. None of the usual dulled and grey looking vinyl that has clearly been played a vast number of times, this could pretty much pass for new bar the minor surface marksand will thrill Kinks vinyl lovers. This diamond of a copy will please most-all 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 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This beautiful Pye record plays even above it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. No surface sounds worthy of note were noted and no pops or clicks either and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album. Few copies will match or outperform this near faultless pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly little handled. Devoid of those mono noises that often emit from one of the two channels when played on stereo equipment, all the music and vocals are pin-sharp and focused with a clarity and silence of a new record. No arm drops or jolts have been inflicted on this one – a real survivor and looking as good as it sounds. This could be a massive upgrade for many and will potentially offer this fantastic sound for many years to come if treated with the due respect it deserves. 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.

End Piece: For some reason, Kinks albums when they do show up, are often more played into submission than even Beatles or Stones albums - the reason is obvious, the people who did buy them adored them and justifiably played them a lot, it’s what they were bought for let’s face it. This copy is an exceptional, its looks hardly played at all. The reality of owning an original mono copy that has avoided the perils and abuse the mono era inflicted on less refined equipment is hugely difficult and uncertain. Even clean lookers can disappoint, groovewear and distortion the hidden dangers of the format. This record still sounds as good as the day it was pressed and remains ‘audiophile’ quality. I would doubt if this record has seen light-of-day for decades. If you simply want your classics looking and sounding great and can live with a little modest cover wear, this is simply the copy you have been waiting for. This record and band simply exude class.

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.

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 prompt payment is a problem, please do not bid.

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: 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 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. If you cannot pay, DO NOT BID.

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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, 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’.