ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World £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. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

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 ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: BLACK SABBATH

Album Title: Vol 4.

Producer(s): Black Sabbath & Patrick Meehan.

Track Listing:

Side 1: Wheels of Confusion; Tomorrow’s Dream; Changes; FX; Supernaut.

Side 2: Snowblind; Cornucopia; Laguna Sunrise; St Vitus Dance; Under the Sun.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Original and very first Spiral format with no ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ at the 2 o’clock position on side two. Second swirl issues included this text.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, still fresh and attractive with around moderate, but very fine spindle marks as seen under angled light. Side two is incredibly white and looks superb, so often found ‘greyed’ and grubby, for those who bought these early Spiral Sabbath albums at issue time, most played them heavily, often on less than worthy equipment.

Cat Number: 6360 071.

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: 115 grams. This is seldom heavily pressed and a typical weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce, and getting harder to find all the time. Although a popular Spiral album, this is never easy to find in anything like decent condition. The cover especially is highly elusive devoid of ring wear and heavy rubbing and this one includes the fixed inner gatefold book which again is often torn, creased, sometimes even missing. This example has a few light blemishes, but is still a highly respectable example. The record is very clean and plays beautifully for most-all. Although known for their loud heavy music, they also included some quiet songs on most of their albums, these being the more challenging. Few are more critical than ‘Changes’ that so often crackles and breaks up if played too many times or on heavy tracking record players from the past. This example has little to fault – a small few sporadic ticks near impossible to avoid totally – and even ‘FX’ and ‘Changes’ play impressively, and will better most around.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: 6360071 1Y // 1 1 1 1 5 / 6360071 2Y // 1 1 1 1 8

Etchings: ‘PORKY’ and ‘PECKO’

Musicians: Ozzy Osbourne – vocals; Tony Iommi – guitars, piano, mellotron; Geezer Butler – bass guitar, mellotron; Bill Ward – drums, percussion.

Brief Info: As the title suggests, the fourth Black Sabbath album and all issued on the legendary Vertigo spiral swirl label. This is real heavymetal with massive power riffs and deep grinding doom-laden basslines. Fronted by the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, this set must be a contender for their best and heaviest album ever – but I usually say that for any of the Sabbath Spiral titles I offer – I love them all and all four are essential. A fantastic record that offers immensely powerful sound especially when the volume is cranked up. Although predominately heavy, this does have a few quiet songs notably ‘FX’ which is a minimalist instrumental that sounds like percussion through an echo box and the very difficult and challenging ‘Changes’ – later reissued as a single with Ozzy and his daughter Kelly. This so often has distortion and clipping from the intensely recorded Mellotron, few copies escape but this one plays this difficult song clean and impressively with no distortion, and the whole album plays with clean focused sound which must never be taken for granted. No pressing noises, minimal surface sound, just a very small few sporadic ticks on the few quieter moments, almost the least to be expected being honest as pressing quality on these can vary immensely. With a little-worn cover and spiral inner, a copy that delivers on looks and sounds (unless perfection is the only option), good luck with that for this challening record and sleeve.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): an incredibly difficult cover as all matt black covers are. An unlaminated gatefold format with smooth very matt surfaces, it was printed and made in the UK by Howards. It has the 4-page booklet attached to the inside of the gatefold that, was later changed as loose insert.

Cover Front: A nice looker overall with the odd light issue. A couple of fine surface scuffs, one appears very gently improved and shows little. Very few creases at all, a few ultra fine edge types and a light one near the bottom left corner. Including the back also, I have seen few retaining so much of the original ink with such fine colour depth. No sticker issues, a common flaw on Vertigo covers, and any other marks very fine and faint, not for the perfectionists, but this front sets quite a high standard. This one really takes no prisoners for wear and is uncompromisingly difficult.

Cover Back: The back I consider near exceptional – the lack or rubbing, creasing and especially ring wear is seldom seen. The odd minor mark or rub traces near the sides and most of any marks gentle and faint.

Cover – Inner Gatefold & Booklet: The inside front and back are superb with little to fault at all. The booklet is still very solidly attached with just the odd light mark, gentle surface crease or light blemish, nothing really major and this still looks very nice – I have shown all the pages in my pictures, so hopefully they show what you need to know. As stated, later copies had this fixed booklet as a loose insert, finding these early covers with the book as solid with few issues is harder.

Top Edges: A smallish scuff on the back edge that has been improved sometime in the past, the neat other enhancement on the front mentioned already apart, there appears to be no others – certainly obvious anyway. Both edges have only very light and faint patchy rubbing and are still very straight.

Bottom Edges: Both ends have rubbed, but little elsewhere and are mainly straight.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has a real tucked and folded edge that is straight with hardly any wear, just a rub near the top corner. The back entrance edges are clean, mainly sharp with little wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Any thickening or burring very light indeed, even viewed end-on.

Spine and Text: The spine is exceptional and strong. Solid, straight, uncompressed and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. Barely a trace of any wear which again is unusual on a black unprotected spine. All text is unworn, clear and sharp, probably the best ever seen on this unforgiving cover, so many seen threadbare, rubbed with no text at all.

Corners: Moderate rubbing on the bottom right corners, the others have small tip rubs with very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: Generally, a very fine all-round example of this difficult and highly uncompromising cover, one that could prove difficult to find significantly better. Not perfect and not for the cover purist, but an eye-pleasing item that should please many collectors – a cover I know well, and seldom are they seen even this nice.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: no damage, just a small pen marking on the back. Moderately aged with toning around the edges along with glue browning for which these Spiral inners often acquire over time. But with two immaculate crisp circle windows and clear lining with all edges unsplit, a splendid inner for this album. This is date-coded 0671, which is earlier than album issue, so likely not the original.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): and very arguably, worthy of the second (+), both playing surfaces (and labels) are very clean indeed. A super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and quite solidly pressed. The spindle marks may indicate several plays – I take that evidence with a pinch-of-salt, as many used the labels as guides to the hole. For sure, this record has been played with utmost care and certainly on a quality system.. The playing surfaces have only very few ultra fine and faint surface traces that few records into their 43rd year will rarely avoid – there are no penetrating scratches with practically any minor blemishes proving superficial and only really seen with scrutiny under bright angled light. This was and still is (justifiably) a popular Spiral album and most were heavily played – also they are becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially as very first early issues. Visually a super record that should please many, and even most collectors. Indeed this disc could prove a significant upgrade for many.

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: This fantastic Spiral album plays up to, and most even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault – do not underestimate just how hard this title is to play really well. This has powerfully strong, totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a full dynamic range and fine detail too – but play it LOUD! An intensely heavy album at times with grinding basslines, classic power-riffs, awesome drumming and of course Ozzy sounding young and fresh – this guy in his younger days was awesome. His charismatic doom-laden vocal style was never bettered as much as others tried. For a change, any surface sounds on the quieter passages are minimal and very light and I feel silence is near impossible being honest. The track ‘Changes’ is especially difficult and many copies will distort and crackle badly – Ozzy’s vocal with loudly mixed Mellotron is a huge test for vinyl and many clip with groove-wear or inground debris. Like all my records, this has been professionally cleaned on my VPI. The short echo laden ‘FX’ is almost as difficult and here this minimalist instrumental sounds fine. A small few sporadic tick on the album are near impossible to avoid totally, and pressing quality really can be a lottery on this title (and Vertigos in general). The lack of any distortion or pressing noises always good news and refreshing, few copies will play better than this overall. Little of any real spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this metal masterwork. This copy will prove very difficult indeed to find significantly better. An album to be played loud, as loud as possible. The Spiral four are often critised for not being terribly well produced, all I can say to that is these listeners haven’t heard them on decent equipment. These have an in-built power and quality brings it out (as well as volume). Total silence on the quiet songs is almost unrealistic but this is almost as good as it ever gets. The bass grinds and rattles with awesome power, even testing out larger systems - it can shake the foundations. The drums pound and the cymbals crash, the guitars soar into sheer manic nirvana and of course Ozzy’s blood curdling screams speak for themselves - oh yeah!!! Forget your lightweight soundalikes, nobody does it better than vintage Sabbath. This stunning lesson in gloom was rarely bettered, even by them, Ozzy was, and still is – Lord of the heavymetal World.

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 programs. 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.

Equipment Used for Play-Grading: I now play-grade ALL the records I offer (unless clearly stated to the contrary) on the following equipment:

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 Terrarium Black 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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 2 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). 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 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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced 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 [£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’.