AARDVARK Original UK 1970 Deram Nova EX++ LP

	£		356
	$		471

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: AARDVARK

Album Title: Aardvark.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Copper Sunset; Very Nice of You to Call; Many Things to Do; The Greencap; I Can’t Stop.

Side 2: The Outing – Yes; Once Upon a Hill; Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It.

Label/Format: Deram Nova (Please see my label scan and pictures).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only very light, few and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. All evidence, including two immaculate playing surfaces and pristine sound quality confirm this record has been little played. Another piece from a small collection of beautifully looked after, and modestly played records.

Cat Number: SDN 17.

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: 137 grams. Average for it’s era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare – bordering on very rare. This prog classic is seldom seen or offered. Issued on the Nova subsidiary label of Deram which were pressed by Decca. A small progressive spin-off that was around too long and few albums on it sold well, including this one.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ZAL-9459.P-1W / ZAL-9460.P-1W

Mothers / Stampers: 1 U / U (the second letter very faint and I cannot see any figure on side two)

Musicians: Stan Aldous - bass; Frank Clark - drums; Steve Milliner - organ, piano, celeste, vibes, marimba, recorders; Dave Skillin - vocals.

Brief Info: A one-off album from Aardvark, that when formed included Paul Kossof and Simon Kirke that left to form Free before recording this very rare Deram Nova album. Kossof’s guitar was not replaced, so the band’s lead instrument was Milliner’s organ that was heavily treated to almost sound at times like a fuzzed guitar. A brilliant prog album that deserved to sell more – Nova were only a small part of the Decca group – it probably received scant promotion and it sunk almost without trace – even with a lovely cover. Musically, elements of early Floyd and ELP, fans of which will enjoy this one. Not only is this album rare, try finding this stereo mix copy in better condition. Both playing surfaces are incredibly clean and barely marked, any fine surface traces seen under light are minuscule and this challenging album plays with immaculate sound with nothing to fault. Even that delicate, quiet and fragile passage in the middle of side two is practically silent, the ultimate test for this demanding record. Truly audiophile quality, this leads you directly into the recording studio itself. Even the most serious progressive rock collectors can apply, this is simply fantastic.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High: the backs of these Decca-style covers always fair badly.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: or very close to. A single format, the front is Clarifoil laminated. This covers the closed edges and ends on the back via the spine. The back is unprotected with a matt smooth finish, it includes the mono/stereo peep-hole. This one has the blue polylined inner to fill this hole to denote a stereo copy. Yes, even in 1970, this was issued in mono which is even harder to find. Printed and made in England by Clout & Baker.

Lamination & Front: I really like this front’s artwork, the model of the figure with his pet aardvark is seen in close-up on my picture. This one retains shiny, quite fresh and very clear laminate. Mostly devoid of the usual issues these thin card Decca covers suffer. All is fully adhered with no lifting at all – this makes a considerable difference to the appearance on the darker covers especially – and the lack of friction rubs or dulling enhances it still further. Only two half moon type surface creases away from the sides and any edge creases are mostly few, fine and faint. Marks are very few indeed and this classic, rarely seen cover front sets a high standard with just enough to gently remind of it’s considerable age.

Cover Back: The back has aged a little with some light darkening and traces of grubbiness, but for a 41-year-old cover, this is all pretty minor. A few hairline creases on the spine edge but few others at all. Minimal rubbing and no ringwear. The peep-hole is pristine.

Top Edge: Barely any wear at all and still very straight.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear and no feathering or trimming. Very slightly thickened with one or two small burr traces viewed end-on with a small few tiny chip traces on the front near the very bottom. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Quite solid, reasonably straight with some mildish compression in places. The ends are naturally tapered in manufacture. Three or four fine surface creases but all text is present and totally unworn under the secure and clear unpeeled laminate.

Corners: Small tip rubs is the least to be expected from a fragile cover like this. All retain fine to very fine to near excellent shape.

Cover Summary: Overall, a strong all-round example of this very fragile rare early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better – finding one at all will prove hard enough – this is seldom seen or offered. This still attractive item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a Decca style polylined inner in blue to denote a stereo copy. This has some creasing to one corner, and lesser to one other, little else. Both window circles are pristine with the line solid and very clear with barely even any crinkle. All edges unsplit with no repairs, this has a UK Patents application number and is British patented with ‘Foreign pentents pending’ text. It it date coded 1-70.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and this being very critical indeed. A supebr visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, ultra light and faint – little short of of a full Mint(-) grading and without doubt only very lightly played with utmost care. Visually a super record that should please most-all 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 brilliant somewhat ‘lost’ prog gem plays even above it’s high visual grading with nothing 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 barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing (as you would hope and expect from Decca). Few copies will match let outperform this original stereo pressing I feel sure. A tiny few were pressed in mono for the declining mark for this mode in the early 1970s. But most new album titles still made in mono post-69, were usually mixed down from the stereo versions, hence the mix was not intrinsically different to the stereo in terms of detail. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly carefully handled – the record probably not seen light-of-day for decades. Nothing whatsoever spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record that leads you directly into the recording studio itself with audiophile quality sound throughout. As stated above, even that delicate passage mid-way through side two plays superbly without crackle, surface noise, pops or clicks. A magnificent example of this elusive and highly-prized Nova classic. Although the cover has very lightly aged, the record itself is stunning and will prove near impossiblet to find significantly better and this alone merits my highest possible recommendation.

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’.