The Kinks Village Green Preservation Society RARE ORIG.

	£		235
	$		311

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE KINKS

Album Title: The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society.

Producer(s): Ray Davies.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Village Green Preservation Society; Do You Remember Walter; Picture Book; Johnny Thunder; Last of the Steam-Powered Trains; Big Sky; Sitting by the Riverside.

Side 2: Animal Farm; Village Green; Starstruck; Phenominal Cat; All of My Friends Were There; Wicked Annabella; Monica; People Take Picutres of Each Other.

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

Label Conditions: Clean, attractive and only showing light spindle marks, most have little visibility – in context for a Kinks album, these are exceptionally light really. (Please see label pictures).

Cat Number: NSPL 18233.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 157 grams. Another massive Pye pressing. [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: Rare in both mono and stereo formats, I have never found either format easy to find as this record did not sell well. Massively indemand these days, there simply are not enough originals to go round. The cover is one of the most fragile ever issued and just finding in intact is a bonus. This one on offer is fully intact but has the usual laminate problems but even so, it’s still one of the better ones I have seen. More information on this further down. Any cover issues are more than compensated by the record, yes it has marks, but NONE of them sound at all and this superb stereo copy plays beautifully from start to finish. So a rare record that all collectors can consider if they simply want superb sound and not worry about visual blemishes. If ‘perfect’ examples were waited for forever, this album probably would never be seen or offered. The Price Guide values on this album are now soaring and at last getting realistic. With so far sales and those that sold being played into submission, finding any copy that plays well is hard enough. Now regarded by many as one of the greatest albums ever issued, a sentiment I totally agree with, available copies are almost getting rarer by the day.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: NSPL 18233 A-3 * T STEREO / NSPL 18233 B-4 * T STEREO

Stamper Codes: A 1 / F 1

Brief Artist & Album Info: By 1968 The Kinks had 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, totally failed to capture the imagination of most record buyers of the time. Still writing beautifully honest pop songs about everyday events no longer appealed to Kinks fans and it simply failed to sell. The attractive (but flimsy) packaging did little to help sales either. Playing this album makes its relative failure all the more confusing: every song is a classic, perfect songs performed - well perfectly. A similar fate awaited the equally wonderful ‘Arthur’ album that followed. Rarely ever has there been such an injustice of two albums failing to sell in the quantaties they clearly should have done. Now after 42 years, there are not enough original copies to go around for the collectors who ignored this all those years ago (myself very much included). I think as collectors and music fans get older, they look back on the nostalgia of pieces like this, helped of course by inclusion of TV programmes like ‘Heartbeat’, a series set in the 1960s and using music from this, and other similar albums to help set the scene for the storylines – it clearly gets more people interested in these bygone classics. Hence I have no hesitation in offering a relatively lightly marked record that plays to near perfection with a reasonable cover. To say this cover is fragile is something of an understatement: even within a short time time, this flattened and creased. Even with modest use and handling, the edges got burred and torn. As the spine weakened, the laminate problems really got started and most all seen are badly creased and often showing massive lifts and blisters. This one has little blistering, but some has peeled which (arguably) looks better than large lifted areas. Most Kinks albums got played heavily, for those who did buy them initially, most did so freely and finding clean playing copies is always a huge challenge. For clean sound, this is certainly one of the best examples I have ever heard. The marks on the playing surfaces are non-penetrating and have no sound or effect on the audio quality which is very high and totally enjoyable. The lack of groovewear distortion is always a massive bonus and this plays with none. Also pretty much devoid of surface sound and no significant pops or clicks were noted. All the available evidence points to a very modestly played record and most collectors will enjoy this. I now for a fact the one and only owner played his records on a stereogram – a piece of furniture which a record player inside. The front pulled down and often marks were applied to records searching for the spine that remained unseen when the record was placed inside. I know all this because my parents owned one too. The cover is okay, but below my normal quality but for this title, this is actually above average as so many are a tatty, wornout mess, often being held together with cellotape. So not visually perfect but still a highly respectable visual copy – the quality of the sound more than compensates. So not one for the perfectionists or highly discerning connoisseur collector but a great chance for the more ‘average’ collector to own one of the most desirable albums ever made.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High Indeed – Almost off-the-scale in fact: a truly beautiful cover but unfortunately one of the flimsiest and most damage-prone covers from around this period ever. So-much-so, many are seen with reinforcing tape around the edges to try and hold it together from the early days. The same goes for ‘Arthur’, the follow-up album to this one, again with another very similar delicate sleeve. The front is only single thickness card and to make matters worse, the very thick and heavy Pye record was stored via the inside centre which put enormous pressure on the lightweight, thin spine. Most of these delicate spines were badly torn and sliced by the record’s edges and this has been avoided here (and NO tape was applied to this one). Few escape major laminate issues and this is a fairly typical cover for this album – I have seen far FAR worse believe me and put into context, this really is not bad – simply being intact is a bonus on this one.

Cover Grade and Format: VG++, my front picture may flatter this a little as the flash reduces the creasing visibility. Slightly difficult to grade overall as some faces are better than others. So to grade this I have averaged out the three major page areas: the front for me is VG(-), the back EX(-), the centrefold EX+. Taking the edges into consideration too I have averaged out an overall grading of VG++ and for this cover, not bad at all. It’s a gatefold format with front and back lamination. The front is single thickness card and the record enters via the centre putting immense pressure on the spine and particularly the top and bottom ends. The unlaminated inside has top and bottom external flipbacks on the right side. A mono cover with a stereo sticker placed on top to cover the word ‘Mono’, printed and made in England

Lamination: Unless kept in cottonwool, the laminate does not survive in good shape and usage make this lift. If, like most, the record is stored inside, the cover is always opened and closed and this puts pressure on the laminate especially around the spine area. Most are seen with enormous blisters and these eventually crack and peel - as this has done. The lower front spine has peeled and there is some creasing too with a moderate one just above centre from left to right. Two other lighter ones too show far less. The back has faired better and has almost escaped peeling but some lifting on the spine. Being paler in colour, this shows little and the back itself looks very nice indeed. Somehow the back has survived with hardly any creasing, thus it’s in highly attractive condition. A few marks yes, but only small. There appears to be no more imminent peeling and the laminate is now solid and with care should remain the same. Clear and even retaining a fine shine - the issues on the laminate on this cover are well-known to collectors and few will ever avoid none. This is a typical front and the back actually being above average.

Cover Front: The artwork is undamaged and no cellotape has been applied, the highest crease is moderate and shows, that apart, the front is quite attractive.

Cover Back: Being a thicker double thickness back, this had a better chance of surviving in better shape and has. It looks really nice with blemishes less apparent. The original stereo sticker is in fine condition and has never been tampered with or removed.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Brilliant artwork and this will remind more of what this looked like from new. Both flipbacks are solid and neat with only minimal creasing on the bottom one. The odd light crease from the front just shows but only modestly faint. The unprotected artwork is clean and fresh and highly attractive. There is minimal traces of wear or damage to the vulnerable entrance area, just a tiny amount of ‘erosion’ to the very bottom of the spine, no splits and no repairs which is unusual here.

Top Edge: All considered, both very neat indeed with just minimal traces of burring to the thin front with this odd tiny nick split (but look hard).

Bottom Edge: Similar again to the front, the back has a smallish rub to the central area.

Right Edge(s), and Type: This is sealed, the centre has a light rub but no split.

Spine and Text: As close to impossible to find unworn or flattened as they get. This has mostly flattened but the great news is wear is minimal and ALL the text is present and practically unworn. The majority of laminate remains intact and only light peeling near the bottom. The text areas are still laminate covered, there is one crack across the word ‘Society’. The very top and bottoms are a little ragged but how many are ever not?

Corners: The right sets are really quite neat with any wear relatively modest, the front pair very neat indeed (and guaranteed untrimmed). The spine top is pretty decent, the lower more ragged but this does not spread upwards very far, just a couple or three millimetres at most.

Cover Summary: A very reasonable all round example of this ultra delicate, wear-prone late 60’s cover, sleeves of this era rarely came much more flimsy or delicate than this. When picked up one handed will bend quickly and severely crease and ruin before you have time to support with the other hand. When all is said and done this is around the average found - I would strongly argue better. As stated, I have seen this and ‘Arthur’ literally falling apart, split and creased into submission with the laminate actually hanging off and all edges split to shreds. This is why cellotape was often applied, even from new. Now over forty, its aged but in a reasonable kind of way and many realistic collectors will know what this is like and many will be happy to accept it for what it is. A rare item and looking still quite attractive to the eye – but not for the perfectionist for sure. The original polylined inner is also included in fine close to EX condition.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VG++ to EX(-), a highly respectable looking record but it has several marks as mentioned above. These are non-penetrating surface marks that have NO sound and this truthfully is one of the cleanest sounding copies I have yet heard. It’s clean with a fine shine, intense black and heavily pressed. The marks are mainly paper-type scuffs with lesser ‘needle’ marks. Being played on a highly respectable system with a light tracking weight, these marks have not caused audio-spoiling damage. They do not sound and there are not very many anyway. The label evidence suggests this has not been played many times and the owner verified this emphatically. When a few mild marks are present but have no sound, it is something I can easily live with – audio quality is always the priority factor and few will beat this for clean and focused sound.

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 record plays way above its solid visual grading with fantastic sound that left me aghast, I really did not expect this to play quite this well and that’s being totally honest. I am always ultra wary of any marks on records and I rarely offer below EX conditions and even very clean playing surfaces can hide the dreaded ‘distortion-factor’. One chipped or worn pickup and the damage is done, this does not show but can be heard with devastating, irrepairable results. This has sharp and focused and quite beautiful stereo sound which is totally distortion-free. All frequencies are sharp and clear with no clipping or echo on the high frequencies - sound quality is superb with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Barely any surface sound and no noteworthy pops or clicks were noted. These thick, heavyweight Pye records were tough and it takes a really bad arm drop to penetrate deep enough to affect sound. The mono copies were more as risk for this as tracking weights were usually so much high. The wonderful songs and stereo imagery makes for a highly enjoyable listen, this is priceless song-writing of the highest calibre with sublime lyrics. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this beautiful album, those surface marks are simply ignored. The perfect pop record that even has hints of psychedelia and tons of nostalgia. This copy will match or beat many copies that appear cleaner (but what is hidden in the grooves?). A great listening copy for the collector who prefers not to spend a king’s ransom on a near mint visual copy (if you can indeed find one). For the right collector, it’s one I can still strongly recommend. If any of the issues I have mentioned on condition are a problem, please do not bid.

End Piece: For some reason, Kinks albums when they do show up, are often more played into submission more than even Beatles or Stones albums - the reason, obvious, the people who did buy them adored them and justiably played them a lot, it’s what they were bought for let’s face it. I have tried to be as honest as I can on this copy. Sure I would love to say all is near mint, but in this real world, not every 42-year-old album ever can be. For pure fine 60s sound quality, this easily makes the grade and proudly exceeds its more modest visual grading. I am always happy to offer the rarest records in lower visual grading condition as long as they play well - that’s the difference. The cover is just typical of this one and I have no qualms whatsoever in offering it. For the collector who wants this classic album badly but does not wish to spend a vast sum on a near perfect one, this is a fantastic opportunity. With such a lovely sounding original stereo record inside, this is not a compromise – it’s an opportunity. It’s a copy I can offer with pride and I hope the winning bidder enjoys it as much as I did. I start my bidding low to let any interested collector decide its worth – good luck.

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 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: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). 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 VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. 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 for clarity as well as a sender label. 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 ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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 & 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).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £12. (insurance 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 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’.