JOHN LENNON Two Virgins ORIG UK 1968 MONO LP

	£		570
	$		755

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VERY IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ THIS DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY.

Album Title: (Unfinished Music No. 1.) Two Virgins.

Producer(s): John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Two Virgins.

Side 2: Two Virgins.

Label/Format: Apple (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Firstly side two, this is in super condition with only very light spindle marks. Side one however is a different story: apparently this originally had two, quite large promotional stickers attached. These were removed, or better put, pulled-off, taking some of the labels surface away with them. The eventual owner of this record was a very fussy connoisseur collector who aims to own all important albums from 1963 to 1976. Not liking the look of the damage to the label decided to enhance it to make it more visually pleasing. Tipping-in the white areas and even patching up the text from another similar label. Yes it does look better but is clearly a factor on this record of course.

Cat Number: APCOR 2 [this number is unique for the mono copy. The stereo pressing was SAPCOR 2 / Track 613012].

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm. Yes you read right, Mono.

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: 132 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Overview and Rarity: To say this record is rare would be something of an under-statement. This is without any doubt one of the world’s rarest records for a major recording artist. Sure there are rarer items around for relative unknowns, but John Lennon is undisputely one of the biggest names to be put on to any record label. An album of near legendary status but mostly for the wrong reasons. This was the first of three albums the pair made that featured no real music, instead it was was an avant garde collage of tape recordings made within a house. Weird sounds and noises with screams and minor dialogue. Bass hum and experimentation that sounds more like an 80s industrial band or Krautrock at its most uncompromising. Not what Lennon fans either wanted or expected in 1968. This was produced very quickly and included, again arguably, the most infamous cover ever made. It featured the pair totally naked, the front cover from the front and the back, yes from the back. It caused outrage and many retailers refused to sell it, in the US it was sold inside a brown paper back to hide the offending artwork. Clearly a landmark cover and the first to feature such a high profile artist revealing all and unashamed.

Now what makes this copy so incredibly rare is the fact it’s a mono version with the APCOR 2 number. Only a tiny handful were ever initially made in mono and it’s widely believed none were sold in shops, but a mere few were distributed by Lennon as demos for promotion. They are near impossible to find in mono and the previous owner of this one searched 10 years just to find one. The mono mix appeared somewhat before the stereo version and only a few were put out before any distribution and copyrights were agreed on. The reason the mono version was not seen in shops was because the Apple corporation did not want to sell or publish this record. Only afterwards did Apple create their ZAPPLE series in order to promote more experimental material. So only after some time did Apple actually make an agreement with Track Records to issue this, and then in stereo; not their preferred choice, but Track were the only company which dared release it.

Now this record is NOT in great condition (but more on that soon). Only after considerable years did the owner find (at massive cost), a high grading copy to upgrade this one, hence this one has been made available to sell. After the tiny few mono ‘demos’ were produced did the stereo version come along and these were indeed put into the shops, but failed to sell. With a figure of just 5,000 UK copies reputedly pressed, most all were stereo. A total commercial disaster, this album was almost universally ignored making stereo copies elusive also – but compared to the mono original, they are almost common, of course, it failed to chart here, but did briefly enter the US charts, simply based on the name rather than the content. The stereo version differs from the mono, the mono being totally Apple records. The stereo, commercially available set was distributed by Track (part of Polydor) and has the Track logo on the labels and different matrixes. The mono cover has the text on the front, but a few stereos used the leftover mono covers too, but mainly the stereos have the text on the back. The reason?, well most-all shops would not display this cover’s front (for more than obvious reasons, hence my cover-up to comply with Ebay rules). The back was accepted a little more so the text was switched over, but sales flopped and the album was deleted. This is a true original mono cover with the front credits and includes the ‘Made in Merrie England’ text and has no photograph by John Lennon credit. The US version has non-punched matrixes which are totally different.

Now many, if not most Beatles, Lennon, record collectors and even dealers have never even seen a mono copy of this record, in real terms its as rare, if not more so than the stereo gold original of ‘Please Please Me’, these seem to crop up fairly regularly, but how many mono copies of this ever surface? The Record Collector Price Guide, who we all seem to recognise, under-value just about everything, put a massive £3,000 valuation on this record in ‘Mint’ condition - do any really exist? Even this is considered conservative for a record that was pressed in such small numbers. The actual number made is known to be small but varies in different people’s opinions ranging from less than 100 to several hundred, but any record the ‘Collector’ values so highly must be ultra rare and I feel the former is more like correct. Of those made, how many survive? Now I have to state here and now, this record is not in very good condition and can only just be graded Fair to Fair+. In normal circumstances I would not even offer such a record and it’s easily the lowest grading record I have ever offered. So-much-so, I had to check and read the ‘RC’ grading guides to get this correct. I rarely even offer Very Good records let alone Fair ones. But such is the immense rarity of this mono record, it of course has to be put on to the open market. Many collectors, as the last owner, wants to own all albums by the major artists and labels and felt compelled to purchase this, as then, the only copy he had ever seen or had the chance to own. As stated above, it took many years for him to even find one and then even longer to find a better one for an upgrade, at substantial cost (remember the Cat value). A rare original mono that will fill that elusive gap in an Apple collection, but do NOT expect it to sound good because, quite frankly and honestly, it doesn’t. This has the hallmarks of a record left outside the cover on a table top (or floor) and moved around probably in the factory of manufacture. We have all seen old singles that have been left lying around and accruing swathes of surface marks and scratches and this has what has happened on this massively rare record. What I would say to any collector, if this is wanted to fill a collection, that’s okay, but if you want to listen to the album, find a stereo copy or buy the CD. I cannot be more honest and fairer. This record is dulled and marked with vast amounts of surface marks and light to medium scratches and they DO sound. The good news, well it tracks all the way through with no sticks or jumps but has considerable surface noise and many regular clicks ranging from light to moderate. There is no music and most would not want to play it many times anyway, it’s a rarity that outweighs the word’s definition and it’s a great piece to own, but for sound its very lo-fi and has clearly lost its looks. The rare cover however is quite nice and has only minor wear and visual blemishes and has the black inner too. If anyone wants just to own what may well be a ‘bargain’ priced mono copy, this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for, but for the collector who wants a record that looks and plays well with two perfect looking labels, forget it. I would usually say, wait for another to come along’, but in this case, will one ever show up? Well it’s possible I suppose, but don’t hold your breath. In terms of genuine rarity, this has to be the rarest album (by some distance) by a major artist I have ever held and offered. A shame for sure the record is not better but I will not over-cook what is only a Fair to Fair+ record at best. It’s ultra rare, it’s here and you make the choice. PLEASE, if you have any doubts whatsoever, DO NOT BID. One that's great just to own and probably not to play.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: APCOR 2 A-1 / APCOR 2 B-1

Mother & Stamper Codes: Under a magnifier at the nine o’clock position appears to be a single question mark (?) each side. But these are somewhat unclear and I can see no stampers numbers.

Cover Grade and Format: EX(-) a single, fully laminated cover with the text printed on the FRONT. Most all of the stereos had this text printed on the back but a tiny few used up the left-over mono originals that were almost made redundant by the lack of records. The reprinted covers with the text on the back were intended for display as the cover front was deemed too offensive for public taste. The US copies had a brown bag to cover up the cover almost in its entirety, it is suggest by many that these were not used in the UK. This text includes the ‘Made in Merrie England’ as seen in my close-up picture. Clearly to confirm to Ebay rules on nudity, I had to cover up the naughty bits of the famous pair. Printed and made in England by Technink Ltd and includes a black inner.

Lamination – Front & Back: Both sides of this infamous cover are in far better condition than the record. The laminate protection clearly a factor here. This retains a lovely shine and clarity with minimal traces of any friction rubs or dulling. A few lightish creases and some lifting on the back. There is a sizeable blister on the spine edge but this has far less visibility than usual due to the white background, it has not cracked or split. The opening edges have a couple of small nick tears each side but are only minor really. The artwork of the pair is pristine and nothing is covered up – both are totally naked bearing all seen from front and back. Highly daring for any time, apparently Lennon shot the pictures on a time delay in Ringo’s abode. Apparently the other Beatles were not impressed and did not want this cover issued at all, but clearly McCartney relinquished and actually put a the line “When two great Saints meet is is a humbling experience. The long battles to prove he was a Saint.”on the text of the front. The originals include no photograph credit reference by John Lennon. In terms of wear, both sides have little and these two virgins will not be found looking much better easily on the far rarer mono, front text version.

Top Edge: Barely any wear, and mostly quite straight.

Bottom Edge: Largely the same.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Mainly sharp, a little edge creasing and minor burring with two small nick tears each side. No feathering or trimming. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: The spine looks similar to the top and bottom edges with no text and plain white, it retains all laminate which is solid on all close edges.

Corners: The corners all retain lovely pointed shape with minimal wear and just a crease on the top right.

Cover Summary: A strong all round example of this massively rare mono variant. Obviously the first made from the year of issue, being 1968 and one that will prove immensely difficult to find much better (if indeed you can find one at all). As stated a tiny few stereos were available in this cover just to use the remainders up. This attractive, and in its own way, beautiful cover should please many collectors.

The Inner: The black soft paper inner is around VG+ with some creasing and small nick tears on the top opening. It has no edge splits and no repairs. The one-sided window is neat and undamaged, it was never lined.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. Although this was not the most wonderful listening experience, I stuck with it for all its duration to make sure it tracked all the way through and on my turntable, it did.

Vinyl Condition/Visual & Sound Grading: FAIR, arguably FAIR+. Yes my first album graded this low on Ebay, but that’s what the grading system is all about. Again, I would never normally offer any record this low down on the ladder scale for looks and certainly never for sound. Although the spindle marks on the labels suggest modest plays, that may well be correct. But clearly this has spend a lot of time outside the cover and left lying around and moved face down. It has vast amounts of fine surface marks and numerous light to moderate heavier marks and scratches of which many sound as clicks. Clearly a record that has not been well looked after in its early years and only after purchased by the owner has it been more loved and cherished. All a bit too late in this case, but the sheer rarity of this major rarity means I can offer it with all the clear text stating it’s NOT been treated well. The considerable marks infer movement on surfaces not enjoyed by fragile playing surfaces, but at least the record DOES play through okay, or it does on my turntable anyway (I can make NO guarantees on this fact however). A budget deck may possibly find things different, that I cannot say. Visually a heavily marked record for sure, there are no really deep scratches or gouges and the clicks are light to moderate, not many louder clicks and no clunks, but obviously if these sounds are unacceptable, do not bid. There is constant surface noise and crackle and plenty of clicks throughout the duration of both sides. PLEASE BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. There is no music on this record, the content is outlined above, most would not want to play it too often. Better to keep this for its historic importance and the rarity of the mix and original cover (which is nice), if the avant garde content is to your liking, get the CD. But for any winning bidder, you will own what is likely to be the rarest Beatles related UK album ever made and I guess that means a lot to the right collector.

End Piece: Only bid on this record if its understood the record is a low grader that plays with crackle, surface noise and clicks - in pretty numerous amount. Most I feel who are interested, will want for its rarity and to fill that elusive gap in a Beatles or Apple collection. With one label damaged and ‘smartened-up’, the other is nice, that needs to be taken into consideration too. The cover is far better and itself is rare and being as famous as it is – significant. Be under no elusion, this is only a Fair record at best, some may say it’s below that, some maybe a little better. Grading is subjective and I find grading one like this a little alien and difficult. Read carefully the text above, digest and think before your bid. Without any doubt a hugely rare opportunity, but this is only the right copy to the right collector. Sensitive types need no apply. Any questions please ask and I will try my best to help.

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 2M moving magnet 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.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 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. 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners 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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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 stiffners 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 FOUR 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 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). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); 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]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (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. 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 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’.