LOVE Forever Changes - RARER UK 1969 Red Elektra EX LP

	£		71
	$		94

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. This will invoiced on Monday 23rd.

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 – second press red EKS format. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Regardless of labels, this has to be one the cleanest, least-played and best sounding examples of this evergreen masterpiece I have yet heard.

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: 139 grams. An impressive weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare, and I truly consider this red label issue rarer than the orange label first issue. 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. We all know the state of so many classic records from this period and finding one of these that plays little short of perfect is a huge ask – but this one delivers and sounds great. I have been asked my several serious collectors for this title for upgrade purposes and very rarely does a suitable copy come along. This copy appears very modestly played with any surface marks fine and faint seen under angled light, these have no sound. This red label copy is no inferior repress, far from it, it includes the original EKS number and is heavier pressed than many oranges. Being available from 1969 to 1970 on this elusive label, it had a better chance of avoiding old mono record players that destroyed so many originals. Yes many used them on stereo copies as well as mono and few survive in this type of condition. This record has strong lustre and cleaness, the cover similar with any wear or ageing minimal – not perfect but still very attractive. For those wanting the analogue experience of this true classic, well this is more than worthy of consideration.

Original Year of Release: 1967. This one from 1969 to 1970

Matrix Nos: EKS 74013 A1 / EKS 74013 B1 (exactly the same as the first orange label copy).

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 it’s status as a ‘Masterpiece’ is rarely disputed by anyone. Beautiful song structures with lush orchestration and meaningful lyrics – a timeless piece of work that has, and 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 one of the most delicate and fragile of records and beyond difficult to find worthy originals to listen to. Only my second red label copy ever and these do not appear often. I have seen this a few times on the orange label in both mono and stereo, but have rejected the vast majority simply because they are not up to standard I want. I will NOT offer inferior, low-grading records, if they do not play well enough and fail to please me, why should they please others? Given all the facts, this is an impressive example and I enjoyed it more than my words can say. An indispensable work of genius.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a fully laminated single cover that was printed and made in England by Polydor Records Ltd. Again, this is identical to the ones that appeared initially with the orange label copies.

Lamination: Front & Back: One of the definitive cover fronts of the entire 60s – as famous as the wonderful record inside and this does it find justice. The laminate both sides is clear and shiny with only light traces of friction rubs or dulling under light. Even though laminated, this cover can and does yellow and tone, often nicotine the culprit. This has generally avoid any significant discolouration with just light hints near the edges of the back (this being somewhat critical). As so often on this cover, the laminate has lifted, here on the back against the spine edge, being on a white area, this has less visual impact, I do not really consider this wear, it’s a natural thing that happens as laminate tightens and many even had it from new. A few scattered light surface creases and fine hairline type marks again seen under light. One tiny chip mark on the front near the top edge towards the left corner (look hard). A little darkening on the corners with a little tip creasing and faint rubbing. The main two colour graphics look magnificent and are pretty much unblemished.

Top Edge: Unworn, and although reasonably thin, quite straight.

Bottom Edge: As above.

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

Spine and Text: Little short of ‘as made’: solid, straight, any compression minuscule and looking very neat and still amazingly white. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate.

Corners: Small tip rubs and an odd crease to one or two. Very fine shape is retained.

Cover Summary: An attractive all-round example of this classic 60’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find significantly better. This famous sleeve should please many, if not most collectors, but not the very discerning.

The Inner Sleeve: Difficult putting a grading on this original Polydor inner as the original owner wrote all the times of the songs on one top left corner. This has aged a little with the usual browning of the adhesive on the seams that do all remain intact. The original lining has been replaced with an ultra soft Japanese anti-static inner. One corner crease and mild discolouration.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: with very light, fine and faint surface marks that have no sound. A fine visual copy that is clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy modestly played and offering very impressive and unusually clean sound for this difficult title. Not visual perfection, but the sound certainly is very close, the odd gentle and light click or two is nigh-on impossible to avoid, this has a tiny few but few enough to be justifiably be labelled exceptional.

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 rare record plays above it’s visual grading with nothing of any real note to fault. I do realise what an incredibly bold statement this is for one of rock’s most delicate recordings, but this excels. 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 lesser played record becomes even 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 are gentle and few even that impossibly quiet beginning plays beautifully, and few ever will. Just a tiny few sporadic, very gentle clicks were noted that few records like this will ever avoid totally. Simply being realistic, this is quite a long album for it’s time with boths sides clocking in over 21 minutes, hence the groove widths are finer and more easily damaged. Any minute fragment embedded will hit the stylus to cause a click. The fine surface marks are totally ignored and this truly is one of the cleanest pressings I have yet heard. An enjoyable EKS pressing that almost takes you into the recording studio itself. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, one of the most sublime rock records ever issued. To hear that wonderful trumpet towards the album’s end so focused and sharp was a thing of immense beauty and throughout that wonderful sound is sharp and unclipped. This present on the most crucial and difficult area of the record where the tracking angle often means distortion and clipping, this can never be taken for granted on any example. This copy will prove difficult to find better for audio quality and merits very high recommendation, and unless an orange copy is non-negotiable, this should please most collectors, a truly wonderful record and listening experience.

End Piece: An album of stunning beauty, totally unique and original – few for me compare to ‘Forever Changes’. Immensely daring and inspired, this ticks every box. I will reitterated again, this album plays supremely well and few will get close. 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. 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 task and will offer stunning sound indefinitely if treated with the respect it clearly deserves. I enjoyed this immensely and I truly think most collectors will too. One of THE albums in the greatest year in music - 1967 - the ‘Summer of Love’ - there can be few better recommendations.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or prompt payment is a problem, please do not bid.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

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

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied. If you cannot pay, DO NOT BID.

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

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

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

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

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

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

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

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

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