NICO Marble Index ORIG UK 69 MONO EX++ LP

	£		110
	$		146

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.

Artist or Band: NICO

Album Title: The Marble Index

Track Listing:

Side 1: Prelude; Lawns of Dawns; No One is There; Ari’s Song; Facing the Wind.

Side 2: Julius Caesar (Memento Hodie); Frozen Warnings; Evening of Light.

Label/Format: Elektra - Orange format with silver text and textured rough surfaces. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with any spindle marks tiny, few and faint. Another quality rarity from a collection of barely played records recently purchased.

Cat Number: EKL 4029.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 140 grams. A very good weight for this and any record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Very rare: this did not sell at all well and mono copies are near impossible to find especially in near mint condtion. Rarely have the price guides looked more ridiculous in valuation, when was the last time you saw one of these in mono that looked and played almost like new? By the end of the decade, the mono format was in major decline with few new titles making issue in both modes. Few of these would have been sold and this title rarely gets seen or offered as an original.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: EKL 4029 A2 / EKL 4029 B1

Musicians: Nico: vocals, harmonium; John Cale: electric viola, piano, bass, electric guitar, glockenspiel, bells, mouth organ.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Is this a ‘Lost Classic’?, maybe, but was it actually ever found? What to classify this one under - I really do not know - the former German beauty queen and singer on the masterpiece The Velvet Underground & Nico. Her debut album was Chelsea Girl issued in 1967 in the US, it was an underground folkesque gem, backed by her former colleagues. Few could have predicted what was in store on this follow-up album. This is a strong contender for the darkest and scariest album ever made. It possibly invented the term ‘Goth’ in music. The lady herself too had changed visibly: check out those early pictures in her glamour days and on the cover of the aforementioned Chelsea Girl. On here, Nico had almost transmogrified into a ghostly figure - the heroin addiction had clearly kicked-in with considerable effect. ‘The Marble Index’ is very dark, bleak and compelling - not one for pop music listeners - it’s truly scary and intense. But amongst the dark gothic tones there is beauty: an album of haunting, sparse songs. She is joined by John Cale who is only credited with arrangements, but plays backing instruments too, his electric treated viola is distinctive. Nico plays harmonium, which gives the eerie soundscapes - this album should have been a big hit in Transalvania. Only my second experience of this album in mono, the sound is richer and more details seem apparent - I have heard the stereo version a few more times and the presentation of the music is quite different. The sound is fantastic, devoid of mono worries, I doubt if this has been played more than 2 to 3 times and certainly avoided abuse on vintage record players. The front cover is scary enough, and gives a stark warning of what to expect. It’s also a good advert to stay off drugs because this beautiful girl had changed almost beyond recognition - a sign of those heady days and the company she kept. For collectors of the rare (and in my opinion the essential) this record cannot be recommended highly enough. An incredibly rare album in mono with I am certain few were even pressed. Any fan of the early Velvet Underground will adore this record. Even Lou Reed at his darkest best never, ever came close to the blackness of this Gothic masterpiece. A daring, brave record that simply was doomed to fail and rarely surface to be offered as an original.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++) with one reservation: this has a moderate size laminate lift on the spine edge and the only other one I have had was exactly the same. A good friend has this album too and his is just the same - it seems all examples of this cover has this area of non-adhesion. A single format, laminated front and back. Printed and made by MacNeill. This has the important and rare ELK number on the back and spine.

Lamination – Front & Back: This is a superb example of one of the bleakest and stark covers ever issued. In terms of wear and blemishes there are few to mention. The only issue is a moderate crease on the back near the top right corner area but little else. With laminate ultra clear, fresh and shiny, I do not even classify the lift on the front to be ‘wear’, it’s simply a trait of this cover where it seems the norm. The back has a only a fine sliver on the spine edge, the front has a moderate blister near the top and a very small one further down. Neither have cracked or broken, hence no peeling and in no danger of getting any bigger with careful storage. Very faint friction rub dulling traces seen critically under light, being a dark cover, emphasises how light these really area. No other noteworthy creases and this cover retains the freshness of a near new example.

Top Edge: Unworn and very straight.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear and guaranteed untrimmed. The laminate ends a little short of full width, this black exposed strip is nigh-on pristine, clean and unchipped. Record entered on this edge.

Spine and Text: Great spine too: solid, straight with any compression mild and light. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate.

Corners: Any tip rubbing is minuscule, just one equally tiny tip crease being critical. All retain superb crisp shape.

Cover Summary: A very impressive all-round example of this very rare late 60’s cover. The non-adhesion of the spine edge appears to be a trait of this cover and will it ever be found without it? The rear crease which is quite fine anyway, if the main issue for the perfectionist. A scary and uncompromising cover and one that should please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: the Polydor-style lined inner has aged a little with the usual adhesive browning on the seams that all remain unsplit. Both window circles are neat and crisp and the lining clear. Any creasing light and very minor.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and this being ultra critical on a 42-year-old mono record, a Mint(-) is mere whisker away. An astonishing copy with just the odd faint surface mark or hairline, but look hard - anything is superficial, tiny and nothing sounds. Super clean and shiny, intense black and pressed on quite thick vinyl. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. What a joy to find something so rare and in such stunning condition. One for the discerning collector.

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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: What an experience this is: a mono record that plays almost like new, the odd sporatic light click apart, this has nothing else to fault. The lack of surface sounds, groovewear and pressing noises worthy of note, this is unlikely to be bettered and few will ever match it. For those who still bought mono records at this late period, they most likely did so to play on mono equipment, not to experience a different presentation of the sound. A record of high intensity sound and content. My play-grade left me aghast, I actually had to stop tapping this advert until it has finished, I simply could not concentrate on what I was doing. Groove wear is zero, this plays like a virgin copy, all the complex, high intensity sound is crystal clear and devoid of distortion or high frequency clipping, a trait mono records often are left with after abuse from worn or chipped stylus from the distant past. Visuals never give a true reflection of what to expect. But this one plays right up to it’s stunning looks - as close to perfect as they get. I must mention the final track ‘Evening of Light’ which is incredible: Cale plays what sounds like a fuzz bass, it grinds and growls through the speaker cloth with Nico’s deathly vocal desperately trying to keep atop of it. This comes close to an industrial sound later to develop into the 70s. The previous song too is achingly haunting and has real beauty. The sound here has to be heard, this is a fairly short album and the groove widths are quite wide which always is a sure sign of real hi-fi sound. A pure collectors and connoisseur piece and a very rare opportunity to own what is an outstanding copy. Unreservedly recommended unless the minor cover blemishes are an issue.

End Piece: You want rare, you have it here. A commercial non-started and more so in mono. This is a super rare item and often, new late 60s releases like this had to be specially ordered. A non-charting obscurity would probably never have been stocked in most record shops. Just how many of these exist and will be offered - with a nigh-on NEAR MINT record and cover - few, if any? Over time this album has gained a cult following, as stated it almost single-handedly invented the Goth sound, at times this almost reminds me of one of my favourite bands - Dead Can Dance, Nico is no Lisa Gerrard, but the musical overtones at times are fairly similar. I was amazed to see this album actually made into a highly regarded list of all-time greats as voted for by the buying public, not critics - so there may just be a little more interest in this than I first thought. Good luck to anyone with an ear to listen to a dark masterpiece - hear it once and you will immediatly want to hear it again - the mono experience is here and it might be one of the few chances you ever get.

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.

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: Please as me first.

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.

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: 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’.