LOVE - Forever Changes RARE 1967 UK ELEKTRA ORIGINAL LP

	£		216
	$		286

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World in 2010.

Artist or Band: LOVE

Album Title: Forever Changes.

Producer(s): Arthur Lee with Bruce Botnick.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Alone Again Or; A House is Not a Motel; Andmoreagain; The Daily Planet; Old Man; The Red Telephone.

Side 2: Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale; Live and Let Live; The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This; Bummer in the Summer; You Set the Scene.

Label/Format: Elektra – original deep orange and black format with textured surfaces. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: ultra clean and highly fresh and attractive with only a couple of very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Two of the most astonishing original Elektra labels I have ever seen on a classic album.

Cat Number: EKS 74013.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 137 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 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, many 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 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare as an original and even rarer in stereo. Finding the earliest pressed copies that play well too is extremely difficult and that is no understatement. This is a record that was not recorded or mixed with any great volume and combine that with the fact some of the music is delicate and fragile, it’s a record that needs to be played with the volume control turned up. Thus any unwanted sounds or blemishes will be emphasised and louder than usual. Well this could be the ultimate copy for the audiophile listener. I have had a very limited few copies of this album as an original but never one that plays to perfection from start to finish. Although this fabulous record has some light surface scuffs, NONE AT ALL sound and without any doubt whatsoever, this stunning example has barely been played. I truly consider this one of rock’s most difficult albums. That ultra quiet introduction will rarely ever be heard so clean and blemish-free as this and the standard throughout is the same. There are copies that play ‘well’, but few will play exceptionally well, and this one plays to practically to perfection. I never thought I would ever be able to state this on a 1967 original copy of this fragile, but immensely beautiful album. Playing this record left me in a swathe of goosebumps and gave that rare tingle-factor on countless occasions. What an absolute thrill this is, and not only does the record hit the mark perfectly, the cover does too. The cleanest, purest white example with no damage or wear of note at all. One of the greatest albums ever made in sublime playing condition with a gorgeous cover, it hardly gets better than this. Rare? I should say so.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: EKS 74013 A1 / EKS 74013 B1

Musicians: Arthur Lee – lead vocals, guitar; Johnny Echols – lead guitar; Bryan MacLean – rhythm guitar, vocals; Ken Forssi – bass; Michael Stuart – drums, percussion, vocals.

Brief Info: In the whole history of popular music I can think of few more beautiful albums than ‘Forever Changes’. Previous to this and since, there were only slight clues this band could make an album of such stunning brilliance and its status as a ‘Masterpiece’ is rarely disputed by anyone. Beautiful song structures with lush orchestration and meaningful lyrics – a timeless piece of work that will never age. Arthur Lee was truly inspired here and all bar two songs were written by him. It took the music critics by storm but incredibly failed to sell well in their native US but did fairly well here in the UK. High in my personal list of all-time-greats, I never tire or fail to be moved by the sublime songs and lyrics – this man and band never could live up to this masterwork again and this album alone will mean most music lovers and collectors will know the band ‘Love’. As stated in my rarity paragraph, this is also one of the most delicate and fragile of records and beyond difficult to find worthy originals to listen too. As stated above, there are a few light paper scuffs but without any doubt whatsoever, this record has barely been played and that will be immediately obvious to any winning bidder. I have seen this album only a few times and have rejected the vast majority simply because they are not up to standard I want. Even offering this copy is not proving easy for me, this is exceptional and for those who have been waiting many years or far too long for a quiet original to come along with a gorgeous cover, the wait could now be over. I feel positive this copy has not seen light-of-day for decades. An indispensable work of genius.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-) and without any doubt, the best I have ever seen. A fully laminated single cover that was printed and made in England by Polydor Records Ltd, London.

Lamination – Front & Back: One of the definitive cover fronts of the entire 60s – as famous as the wonderful record inside and you won’t find this much better than this. The laminate both sides is very clear, fresh and shiny and has not aged at all. Even though laminated, this cover does yellow and tone, often nicotine the culprit. This has avoided this totally and the white is still pure snowy white and looks stunningly magnificent. The laminate is near fully adhered also with just a sliver on the very edge of the spine front, being pure white, this barely even shows and finding one neater than this will prove nigh-on impossible. The beautiful psych artwork can be enjoyed to maximum advantage here as there are barely any traces of friction rubs or dulling and the general lack of creasing is unusual and very pleasing. Any surface marks or fine creases are tiny and faint with just one fine semi-half moon on the front being the only real one of note (but look hard). This has the correct EKS Cat. No – this was also issued in mono for a while and has its own mono cover. Both sides show little record impression and there is little rubbing around its shape. Even under light, the incredible shiny surfaces show few blemishes, even hairlines. So smooth and fresh, it almost appears sprayed-on, what a difference to most seen these days. The opening edge on both sides sees the laminate end a fraction short of full width, these exposed strips are also clean with no grime-line formation or toning. One of the greatest album covers of this period, you will want a really superb one – well it’s here.

Top Edge: No wear.

Bottom Edge: No wear.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Ultra clean, very sharp with no wear or feathering, guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with slight compression and looking very neat and still very white. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate – and even this retains a lovely fresh shine and pristine clarity. The ends are tapered in manufactured.

Corners: All four in superb, ultra neat condition with barely any traces of wear. The odd tiny, faint tip semi-crease being crazy critical. All retain lovely pointed shape.

Cover Summary: A beautiful all round example of this classic 60’s cover, one that will prove immenely difficult, if not near impossible to find much better. This beautiful item should please most-all collectors, it will take something extraordinary to better this beauty. I just hope my cover pictures do this one justice.

The Inner: The original unlined inner is included in very fine condition.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: A visual grading of EX does not do this stunning, barely played record any justice at all. All evidence suggests hardly played and it has pristine sound. It simply has a few very light surface paper scuffs that have NO effect on the sublime sound at all. I truly doubt if this record has been played more than a couple of times and if any example still exists that matches or dare I say, betters this for audio quality, I sure would like to hear it. A very fine visual copy that is clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. These minor paper scuffs are merely superficial and probably inflicted in packaging within the factory when made. With immaculate labels and very clean playing surfaces, it will be obvious to any winning bidder just how ‘unused’ this classic record is.

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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This rare record plays above visual grading with nothing to fault – something I could hardly ever think about saying on one of rock’s most fragile records. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. However, not the loudest cut record ever made and not so unusual for Elektra at this time. The early Doors albums were quite similar. Hence a clean-pressed and little played record becomes more critical and few ever make the grade these days. For those familiar with this album, and I guess most rock collectors will be, will know what I mean. A record that needs the volume control turned up higher than average to get this album to really kick-in. Any surface sounds, pops or clicks ruins this beautiful music but this copy has avoided them. A very rare original that plays beautifully and way above average, the minor surface marks are totally ignored. The only owner of this album has a supreme turntable and high-end valve system, most all of his records are pristine and to find one with a few minor marks was unusual to say the least, hence I am certain they were present from day of purchase. As soon as my stylus made contact with this record, it was clear this was going to be something very special. Instead of the usual crackle and sporadic clicks most seem to inherit, this has practically silence, that fragile intro never sounded better to my ears. Even barely played records can hide unwanted pressing sounds and distortion - not this one. Even that ultra critical trumpet on the final songs is fully focused and sharp and the tingles just kept coming. What a wonderful experience this timeless piece is when heard so clean. Even in these early days of 2010, this lays down the gauntlet to be beaten and already could be one of the greatest I offer into the new decade. If the minor surface blemishes are an issue, do not bid but for those wanting a snowy white, practically unworn original cover and a record with gorgeous, practically blemish-free sound, do not hesitate or lose this piece of classic vinyl history.

End Piece: An album of stunning beauty, totally unique and original – nothing compares to ‘Forever Changes’. Immensely daring and inspired, this ticks every box. If anyone owns or claims to have a ‘perfect’ copy of this album as an original, well cherish it, because most will not play silent. I truly think it’s a near impossible ask and this truly is the closest I have ever heard. This album has to be played with the volume higher than normal or it will simply be a whisper and the beautiful details lost, this one is up to the job, an album that demands to be heard from its original source with no tweaking or the original sound. The music so rich and beautiful, this really is ‘timeless’ – I enjoyed this immensely and I feel sure most collectors will too. One of THE albums of the greatest year in music - 1967 - the ‘summer of love’ - there can be few better recommendations. Beautiful is far too small a word for this one.

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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

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

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

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

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

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’.