ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £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 – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details 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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: JOY DIVISION

Album Title: Unknown Pleasures

Producer & Engineer: Martin Hannett.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Disorder; Day of the Lords; Candidate; Insight; New Dawn Fades.

Side 2: She’s Lost Control; Shadowplay; Wilderness; Interzone; I Remember Nothing.

Cat Number: FACT 10.

Label/Format: Factory – one side black, one side white, these have matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with barely any spindle traces at all.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate: but harder to find with the early fully textured cover and still being in super condition. Some covers on this album are ‘more’ textured than others, some shallower and almost smooth, later ones were totally flat and not textured at all. This one is more deeply textured with impressive patterning of the card as I hope my pictures show. This copy pressed on NON-translucent vinyl e.g. light does NOT pass through this copy when held to light, it is a regular black record.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 130 grams. A little heavier than many.

Original Year of Release: 1979

Matrix Nos: FACT 10-INSIDE - 1 A / FACT 10 - OUTSIDE - 1 B

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘STEP’ ‘A PORKY PRIME CUT’ [on white label side] / ‘THIS IS THE WAY’ ‘A PORKY PRIME CUT’ [on black label side]

Musicians: Ian Curtis – vocals, guitar; Bernard Sumner – guitar, synthesisers, bass; Peter Hook – bass guitar, guitar; Stephen Morris – drums.

Album/Band Information: Now recognised as a bona-fide classic, this was Joy Division’s debut album and few first albums have hit the mark quite like this. Both the band’s only two proper studio releases are definitive gems that should be included in any serious collection. Fronted by the tragic Ian Curtis, a man whose vocal intensity made them so unique. Rarely has a singer sounded more troubled, moody and at times, desperate. All his emotion on this album was real which makes both their albums all the more haunting and chilling. But amongst the darkness their is a stark beauty to the band’s music and the listening experience is never bleak. Joy Division had an original sound with drum and bass high in the mix, and they often lead, being more dominant than the guitar and keyboards. The lyrics are deeply troubled and complex and Curtis would not discuss their meaning. Clues of his desperate plight went ignored until it was too late. This timeless record proudly stands up there with the all-time greats and always features in any list compiled by critics and buyers alike – not all classics have to be from the 1960s or 1970s. A masterwork of near unrivalled intensity, power and darkness, it did not sell well initially, charting at only 71 in the UK and not at all in the US, but after the success of the hit single ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, more interest was shown. This album has not aged at all and with several modern bands sounding quite similar. I recommend the younger vinyl fan to listen to Joy Division, but be prepared for an unsettling experience. As groundbreaking as the likes of The Doors, Velvet Underground and Patti Smith’s first albums. Ian Curtis, one of the last truly great vocalists, a desperate man demanding to be heard, tragically taking his own life after the conclusion of their second album, ‘Closer’. I still remember the day: I was listening to John Peel’s 10 o’clock radio show when he announced his death. John was almost too choked to talk and just played the music with no interruption. He was really that great, both their only studio albums demand to be heard and enjoyed forever. Joy Division’s legend and popularity fails to diminish, their records are much sort-after and even a full length feature film (‘Control’) was released covering their formation and works up to Curtis’s death, and now more recently a full documentary film too. Like their music, this was a very moving experience. This is an early pressing with the more deeply and pronounced cover texturing, but NOT a translucent record which are becoming increasingly rare. The record has a few surface marks – mainly scuffs probably from the hard card inner, that never surface friendly and more copies seem to have blemishes than not. But this plays beautifully and without issues – that the most important thing for me. The next paragraph was written by Colin Larkin about this groundbreaking release, it features in the Virgin top 1000 albums book, it was voted No. 111 best album of all time:

“Joy Division’s music inhabits an eerie, twilight world. Decay and alienation envelop singer Ian Curtis, whose cavernous, but dispassionate, voice belied the intensity he brought to bear. Rolling drum patterns, thudding bass lines and uncluttered synthesizer combine to create a dank, brooding atmosphere, chillingly supporting the songs’ bleak lyrics. Yet listening to Unknown Pleasures is not a depressing experience. The group generate a terse excitement, emphasizing individual strengths and avoiding unnecessary embellishment. Their sense of commitment is utterly convincing and few debut albums can boast such unremitting power”. – A perfect description I can add nothing – simply listen to this record whenever possible. Regardless of era or age, this for me, is one of the greatest albums ever made and I strongly recommend it.

Cover Condition and Type: EXCELLENT(++): a single format with very matt surfaces, both sides being textured as can be seen on my pictures. This one being more pronounced and defined compared to many I have seen. Slightly later ones became less sharp to the point of almost disappearing. Later ones still were manufactured totally smooth with a semi-shiny surface and they were uncredited. First textured ones have the Garrod & Lofthouse imprint as also seen in close-up. Includes the card graphic/text inner sleeve.

Cover Front & Back: Clearly this cover is prone to all forms of wear and is seldom seen clean and without significant rubbing and ringwear. This one has very little, a very fine and faint surface scuff trace on the front being critical with any blemishes minor, very few and faint. This one being incredibly fresh and intensely dark, the texturing is superb, clearly defined and deep. As stated already, later ones become shallower and the pattern almost lost. Hardly any creasing and minimal speckle to the raised areas of the patterned surfaces. The lack of ringwear is especially a massive bonus on a cover that rarely seems to avoid it. The cover may appear a little ‘basic’, but nothing could be further from the truth. The beautifully textured surfaces and the sparse graphic and text makes for a dark, almost mysterious cover and experience – it is simply perfect for the record and content inside. Later smooth ones simply do not compare, this will rarely be seen better and indeed could prove a significant upgrade for many.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both almost as made and very straight with barely any hint or rubbing at all.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Very clean, mostly sharp to very sharp with any burring or thickening bordering on minuscule, even viewed end-on. Record entered on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: The spine is in very impressive condition and again has minimal traces of any rubbing. Solid, straight with barely any hint of compression, again these are seldom seen like this. The text is little short of perfect and unworn, never take this for granted on this unforgiving cover, this seen on my close-up picture. Some of the lettering is very fine, but still fully intact. Also notice how well centred this is on quite a narrow depth.

Corners: All very crisp, neat with any tip rubs tiny, no dinks or creasing. Better than excellent shape retained, most-all as made.

Cover Summary: These early textured version covers are INCREDIBLY difficult to find like this. Really deep intense black with fantastic texturing definition. All surfaces – spine included, are near exceptional. This should please many, if not most collectors and a really fine example that will take some beating.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): an unlined hard card inner with ALL edges unsplit or repaired - this is so unusual, many were split on purchase with the sharp rimmed vinyl often knifing through in transit to the retailers. Generally clean, still fresh and attractive, devoid of the usual grubbiness and hardly a mark or rim trace to be seen. Pretty certain the record was not stored inside it long. The odd tiny and light toning spot, this often from a manufacture adhesive smear trace, as most collectors know, seam adhesive browns with age. But any blemishes on this inner are minor and faint.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: arguably better. The white label side has a surface scuff that is purely superficial and non-sounding. Also the odd minor surface mark, this album seldom seen pristine often due to the inner sleeve which is less than friendly to the record’s surface. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with fine shine and solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence and impressive sound to match. Not pristine perfect visually, few ever will be, still an impressive fresh looking record that should please many collectors again.

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 very clean Factory record plays even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a record of the more ‘modern’ era (well ‘modern’ for me anyway). Few copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. The vinyl experience of this album surpasses any other version I have heard with really powerful delivery of Curtis voice and dynamic punch of the instruments, especially drum and bass. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. I state again, for those who only selectively read parts of my listings – this is NOT a translucent pressing – a standard solid black copy, but sounds wonderful. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this quality record. It will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be 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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.