JOY DIVISION Unknown Pleasures SCARCER ORIG UK 1979 FACTORY EX+ LP, GREAT SOUND.

	£		62
	$		82

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Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received if possible.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: JOY DIVISION

Album Title: Unknown Pleasures

Producer & Engineer: Martin Hannett

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Disorder; Day of the Lords; Candidate; Insight; New Dawn Fades.

Side 2: She’s Lost Control; Shadowplay; Wilderness; Interzone; I?Remember Nothing.

Cat Number: FACT 10

Label/Format: Factory – one side black, one side white, these have matt, smooth surfaces. The black label has some ‘rustic’ patches which is fairly common on this record.

Label Conditions: Both clean, still fresh and attractive with any spindle marks few and light.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: The early pressed ‘original’ Joy Division albums are now becoming increasingly scarce and still highly prized and sort-after. The first two albums have notoriously wear- and age-prone covers and finding very fine all-round copies is always difficult. Their albums were pressed in quite small numbers several times with subtle differences between 1979 and 1981. This copy is a standard solid black pressing (not translucent) which is correct for this pressing.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 145 grams. An exceptional weight for this album

Original Year of Release: 1979

Matrix Nos: S-11 FACT 10-INSIDE - 1 A / S-13 FACT 10 - OUTSIDE - 1 B

Mothers / Stampers: 1 / 1

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘STEP’ ‘A PORKY PRIME CUT’ [on white label side] / ‘THIS IS THE WAY’ ‘A PORKY PRIME CUT’ [on black label side]

Musicians: Ian Curtis – vocals, guitar; Bernard Sumner – guitar, synthesisers, bass; Peter Hook – bass guitar, guitar; Stephen Morris – drums.

Album/Band Information: Now a long-standing classic, this was Joy Division’s debut album and few first albums have hit the mark quite like this. Both the band’s only two proper studio releases are definitive gems that should be included in any serious collection. Fronted by the tragic Ian Curtis, a man whose vocal intensity made them so unique. Rarely has a singer sounded more troubled, moody, and at times, desperate. All his emotion on this album was real which makes their albums all the more haunting and chilling. But amongst the darkness their is a stark beauty and the listening experience is never bleak. Joy Division had an original sound with drum and bass high in the mix, and they often lead, being more dominant than the guitar and keyboards. The lyrics are troubled and complex, Curtis would not discuss their meaning. Clues of his desperate plight went ignored until it was too late. This timeless record proudly stands up there with the all-time greats and always features in any list compiled by critics and buyers alike – not all classics have to be from the 1960s or 1970s. A masterwork of near unrivaled intensity, power and darkness, it did not sell well initially – making the early pressings all the more rare and sort-after – charting at only 71 in the UK and not at all in the United States, but after the success of the hit single ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, more interest was shown. This album has not aged at all and with several modern bands sounding quite similar. I recommend the younger vinyl fan to listen to Joy Division. A groundbreaking set that continued into the follow-up ‘Closer’ (also on offer), Ian Curtis was one of the truly great vocalists, a desperate man demanding to be heard, tragically taking his own life after the conclusion of their second album. I still remember the day: I was listening to John Peel’s 10 o’clock radio show when he announced his death. John was almost too choked to talk and just played the music with no interruption. He was really that great, both their only studio albums demand to be heard and enjoyed forever. Joy Division’s legend and popularity fails to diminish, their records are much sort-after and even a full length feature film (Control) was released covering their formation and works up to Curtis’s death, and then a full documentary film. Like their music, this was a very moving experience. This copy on offer appears little played and was a pleasure to hear again. Only early copies included the textured cover as well, soon to be reprinted as their name grew with a smooth surface. Textured black surfaces will rarely avoid a little wear at very best, and this has only relatively light traces (and NO enhancements). The card inner sleeve also fine with any ageing gentle and light, and with no edge splits which is a bonus. The next paragraph was written by Colin Larkin about this groundbreaking release, it features in the Virgin top 1000 albums book, it was voted No. 111 best album of all time:

“Joy Division’s music inhabits an eerie, twilight world. Decay and alienation envelop singer Ian Curtis, whose cavernous, but dispassionate, voice belied the intensity he brought to bear. Rolling drum patterns, thudding bass lines and uncluttered synthesiser combine to create a dank, brooding atmosphere, chillingly supporting the songs’ bleak lyrics. Yet listening to Unknown Pleasures is not a depressing experience. The group generate a terse excitement, emphasizing individual strengths and avoiding unnecessary embellishment. Their sense of commitment is utterly convincing and few debut albums can boast such unremitting power”. – A perfect description, I can add nothing – simply listen to this record whenever possible. Regardless of era or age, this for me, is one of the greatest albums ever made and I strongly recommend it.

Cover Grade & Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: which for this uncomprising cover, being a first format is highly respectable. A single format with matt surfaces, both sides being textured. This one being more pronounced and defined compared to many I have seen. Slightly later ones became less sharp to the point of almost disappearing. Later ones still were manufactured totally smooth with a semi-shiny surface and they are uncredited. First textured ones have the Garrod & Lofthouse imprint on the back bottom right corner area. Includes the card graphic/text inner sleeve with rounded corners.

Cover Front & Back: Delicate and wear-prone, clearly this cover is prone to all forms of wear and is seldom seen clean and without significant rubbing and heavy penetrating ring wear. Quite simplistic in design, but this has become one of the most iconic covers of its era, and now in rock history. This one is less flimsy than some I have had with the card being a little thicker which is just as well with a much heavier pressed than average inside all these years. Intense black with very clear and sharp texturing with minimal creasing bar a small dink on the top left corner tip. Any rubbing is mostly little and light (for a cover of this type especially) with just the odd tiny surface mark. The lack of ugly penetrating ring wear is always a bonus on this one. I state again, the record is of near exceptional weight and rarely will this cover avoid such modest and light rubbing. It being one of the finest I have had for some time with any clues to its now considerable age few and light.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both edges are straight, the top with minimal hing of wear. The bottom storage edge has some light to moderate patchy rubbing, NO enhancements guaranteed. Given the format again, this has fared quite well.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Mostly sharp with minimal thickening, a few light traces viewed end-on, tiny rub traces on the back. Record entered on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: An impressive spine with minimal rubbing as-seen. Solid, quite thin, but straight with minimal compression. More often badly rubbed with the text eroded or threadbare. The text here is solid and barely worn, also very nicely well centred, never take this for granted on this unforgiving cover, this seen on my close-up picture. Some of the lettering is very fine, but any ‘erosion’ minimal and faint.

Corners: Mostly small tip rubs with the aforementioned low impact dink on the top left. Very fine or better shape retained to the others.

Cover Summary: These early textured version covers are incredibly difficult to find without often major rubbing, ring wear or damage. Really deep intense black with lovely square-style textured definition. Only minor blemishes and few of these early ones will show much less wear these days. This an impressive example, slight wear yes, but compared to many around, attractive and still quite fresh, it should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlined thin card inner with all edges unsplit or repaired – this is quite unusual, many were split on purchase with the sharp rimmed vinyl often knifing through in transit to the retailers. This has very gently aged with mostly light traces of toning near the seam area adhesive. But in terms of real wear, this has little and hardly creased either. The top recessed opening crisp and sharp, the unprotected surfaces with few other marks. Overall just enough to politely remind of its now considerable age – personally, I have no qualms with that.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual copy that is clean with nice shine and quite heavily pressed (especially for this album that seldom exceeds 120 grams). Considering the majority of early copies were bought by younger record buyers of the time, with a high majority of originals not being played on better record players, this early copy has fared well. Importantly it still offers superb sound with little of note unwanted, that being the most important factor by far. A lovely black vinyl pressing (not translucent) that will again please many 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This magnificent debut album plays mostly above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal, little and very light, this does have some quiet passages. The vinyl experience of this album surpasses any other version I have heard with really powerful delivery of Curtis voice and dynamic punch of the instruments, especially drum and bass. Both channels are clean and sharp and no tracking issues*, I am certain this record has been played very little and has suffered no traumas or sound degrading. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this quality record. The odd sporadic tick or crackle trace on a very quiet segment I deem more than acceptable, and few available examples will better this I feel sure. This could prove difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 17­ 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. 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). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.