TYRANNOSAURUS REX Unicorn RARE Orig UK 69 Blue Label LP

	£		46
	$		61

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Rates.

Artist or Band: TYRANNOSAURUS REX

Album Title: Unicorn.

Producer(s): Tony Visconti.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Chariots of Silk; ’Pon a Hill; The Seal of Seasons; The Throat of Winter; Catblack (the wizard’s hat); Stones for Avalon; She Was Born to be My Unicorn; Like a White Star, Tangled and Far, Tulip That’s What You Are.

Side 2: Warlord of the Royal Crocodiles; Evenings of Damask; The Sea Beasts; Iscariot; Nijinsky Hind; The Pilgrim’s Tale; The Misty Coast of Albany; Romany Soup.

Label/Format: Regal Zonophone – Rare Original blue format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with only light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Cat Number: SLRZ 1007.

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: 134 grams. A very solid pressing typical of the era.

Rarity: This copy on the original, short-lived blue label format is rare and even more so as an ultimate first pressing with the 1 G / 1 G mothers/stampers. This within the first 300 made, most copies of this album are seen on the more familiar red Zonophone label which are second issues.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: TCARC 51-2 / TCARC 52-2

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 G

Musicians: Marc Bolan - vocals, guitar, harmonium, lip organ and fonofiddle; Steve Peregrin Took - bongos, vocals, African talking drums, bass guitar, piano, drum kit, assorted percussion, pixiephone and gong; Guests: Tony Visconti - piano; John Peel - vocals on ‘Children’s Story’.

Brief Info: Third and penultimate album under this band-name before changing to the more familiar T-Rex and the glam years – and huge success and popularity. The early Tyrannosaurus Rex were entirely different: hippy acid-folk music with sparse instrumentation and mildly eccentric vocals – far more limited sales and available copies in top conditions are very hard to find. Practically ignored in the United States and only with a moderate cult following at the time within the United Kingdom. The cover is in superb condition, the record has a few light surface marks but are ignored. Ultimate first issues on the blue label are seldom seen and are far rarer than the red format. A copy that should delight most Bolans fans, do not under-estimate the rarity of this splendid album.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++. A gatefold format with laminate on the front and back. Printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day.

Cover: Front & Back: Both sides are very attractive with the laminate still very fresh, clean and clear. This has minimal traces of any friction rubs or dulling and practically all is fully adhered, the only tiny exception, one tiny corner blister on the front, bottom right corner. The artwork is lovely and seen to almost maximum advantage with barely any creasing. Just one half moon on the back, any others are fine edge types and very few of them either. One light scuff on the front right edge, dead central but barely even showing with normal viewing. The entrace edge both sides sees the laminate end short of full width, but the exposed strips are practically as new with no grime-line formation or wear. Minimal rim impression on the back and overall, this is a superb cover now over 40-years-old.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside, which has the song lyrics, has nothing of note to fault at all.

Top Edges: Barely any traces of wear at all and both very straight, almost as made.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear or feathering, both guaranteed untrimmed. Record entered on the back edge, the front is closed.

Spine and Text: Very solid, straight with any compression modest and folded square, both right edges meet up quite closely and very near parallel. All text is present and unworn but the laminate has peeled as most do on this one.

Corners: All are very neat and show little wear, with very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: A very strong and highly attractive all-round example of this very scarce original cover. This beautiful item should please most-all collectors. The unlined plain white inner sleeve is included in strong EX condition.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: A Very Good++ grading does this scant justice, without doubt, played little and retaining high audio quality. Side one has a few surface marks or minor paper scuffs but these are ignored and have no sound. Side two has few blemishes at all. This is still a super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Compared to many records seen from this era, especially by this band, this is still a gem. Most early ‘T Rex’ albums I see are heavily played with hugely disappointing sound. The complex vocals and intense production mean they are less tolerant of early equipment and the results are obvious. A copy with minimal plays I feel sure. Visually still a lovely record that should please many collectors. If the few light surface marks are an issue, do not bid.

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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This rare original blue Zonophone album plays above it’s visual grading with very little to fault. The only blemish of note I heard was some ultra brief crackle traces on the first song on side two. This has nothing to do with wear or any marks because there are none present on this song. It’s entirely within the pressing, the minor sound is almost lost within the volume of the song anyway. I reitterate again, the surface marks seen on this record are superficial and non-sounding, they cannot be felt and have no sound. Tracking effortless and given the vintage and style of this album, it’s an exceptional one, the grading is harsh to say the very least. It h as strong distortion-free sound (bar a tiny few ultra brief crackles on ‘Warlord of the Royal Crocodiles’ as stated previously. So brief, it’s more than possible to miss them entirely, in fact when I heard them, I thought they were part of the music, only verification via my Japanese CD copy proved it was not the case. All frequencies are sharp and clear with sound quality very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any other surface sounds barely registered and this is a very fine pressing overall. Very very rarely have I heard a better example of this title, most do seem to have minor pressing blemishes and this will prove hard to find much better for clear, detailed sound. The quality you would hope and expect from a 1 G / 1 G first issue. Practically nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – the stereo mix is fantastic and very pronounced. Even the John Peel narration slides from channel-to-channel and has an in-the-room presence. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better for sound on the blue label and is strongly recommended.

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 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 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’.