COLOSSEUM Those Who Are… ABSOLUTE 1st UK 69 Fontana LP

	£		42
	$		55

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

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Artist or Band: COLOSSEUM

Album Title: Those Who Are About to Die Salute You.

Producer(s): Gerry Bron & Tony Reeves.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Walking in the Park; Plenty Hard Luck; Mandarin; Debut.

Side 2: Beware the Ides of March; The Road She Walked Before; Backwater Blues; Those About to Die.

Label/Format: Fontana - matt silver and black format (Please see my label scan).

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

Cat Number: STL 5510.

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: 140 grams. Above average.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity & Overview: This is a scarce record and this copy made so for two good reasons. Firstly, this is an ultimate first pressing with all ‘1’s on the matrixes as seen below. Secondly, and yes, even more importantly I feel, this supreme example has barely any trace of the notorious watermark that blights this album so often. This title, like my currently on offer ‘H. P. Lovecraft II’ is rarely seen without a substantial dulled pattern mark on the record’s rims. These often encroach way into the playing areas and will in most cases, sound. Indeed I have seen such examples of this one that have had massive watermarks, this potentially serious flaw in manufacture usually affects the audio quality with hissing sounds as the stylus makes contact. I have had this album only a few times and this is the very first one I have had that shows barely any visual evidence of any watermark on either side. An ultra faint trace on the side one rim is just evident with almost paranoid scrutiny which I did as so few, if any, will have zero evidence. Almost undetectable and NO encroachment on to the playing area, so faint it could almost be deemed as no watermark at all. Combine that with a barely played genuine first pressing and you have a stunning clean audio experience from a very challenging album. One other factor that makes this a rare find is the cover. Also like the ‘H. P. Lovecraft II’, this has an incredibly flimsy gatefold cover, but this is a beauty and shows the least wear I have yet seen on one. Often seen held together with cleartape to protect those fragile seams, this bends and creases so easily and only the most carefully stored examples will ever look this good. So I consider this a rare album with all these factors taken into consideration. This is little short of connoisseur standard and finding a better all-round example really will prove difficult.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 886765 1Y // 1 420 1 1 1 & 886765 2Y // 1 420 1 1 1

Musicians: Dave Greenslade - Organ, Vocals; Dick Heckstall-Smith - Saxophones; Jon Hiseman - Drums; James Litherland - Guitar, Vocals; Jim Roche - Guitar, Vocals; Tony Reeves - Bass Guitar.

Brief Info: Classic jazz-rock debut from one of most gifted bands within this genre. With some inspired solos and technically complex music, what an absolute joy to hear this via an ultimate first pressed copy that has so watermark interference on either side. This is unusual and highly significant. A record plays like brand new and has absolutely nothing to fault with flawless sound to delight the audiophile sound connoisseur. The cover too is hugely impressive and one that retains all it’s laminate with no blistering or creasing worthy of note. If this pioneering music is your thing, a better example will prove elusive to find.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+. Even though the front and back are laminated, this is such a flimsy cover and holding it by the edges, it still sags in the middle. Made with the thinnest of thin card, few will survive the test of time better.

Cover Grade and Format: Critically graded EX++ but only mild bottom edge rubbing on white surfaces stops a full Mint(-) grading on this truly beautiful cover. A gatefold format with front and back laminated and printed on the most delicate and thinnest of card possible. The back feels little thicker than paper, no wonder many owners reinforced it with protective tape on the fragile edges and so many are seen in tatters. Printed and made in England and including the original copyright warning for Fontana Records.

Lamination: Front & Back: I can only tip my hat to the one and only original owner of this gem. A near impossible find in such stunning condition and this has never had any protective tapes adhered to it for protection. Both front and back look astonishingly fine with ultra clean, fresh, clear and shiny laminate. This being FULLY adhered on both sides with no flaking, dulling or friction rubs worthy of note. Even the back has somehow avoided any record impression and that is a near impossible ask. The lack of creasing is almost beyond belief on such a thin cover, but there is barely one of any note, including edge hairlines. Quite honestly, the main four faces could almost pass for new and this beautifully designed cover is little short of reference standard.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Both sides very clean and unworn, any creases, ageing or grubbiness is minuscule.

Top Edges: Both unworn, fully laminated with no scuffing or peeling.

Bottom Edges: The laminate does not cover the inside edge card thus a little rubbing or mild scuffing has occurred. You can imagine how fragile and delicate these resting edges are and few, if any will avoid a little friction rubbing here. This is relatively mild and mainly on the back edge, but there are no splits and being white, any abrasion shows little and any evidence from normal viewing front and back is virtually zero.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on the back edge, the front being sealed. Again amazingly preserved which tells me this record has barely made the trip out.

Spine and Text: Again, beyond fragile but incredibly well preserved. Very solid but also vulnerable, straight, minimal compression and folded square. Very slight tilt to right only. The fact it’s still erect and uncrushed and retains full laminate makes this exceptional and all text is perfect and unworn [Please see this in my close-up pictures].

Corners: All incredibly are in superb condition with barely any traces of wear and all retain near immaculate shape and definition with no feathering of the soft card.

Cover Summary: A truly beautiful cover that will almost remind of new. Most are seen badly creased with flaky laminate and often split or torn. If this incredible example fails to please, I can hardly imagine one that would.

The Inner Sleeve: The inner has toned on the edges but that’s the only real clue to it’s great age. Little creasing and all edges intact. The window is very neat and crisp and the lining clear and solid.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Again critically graded EX++ but Mint(-) is a mere whisker away as the odd ultra fine and faint surface mark can just be seen under light. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence and try to find a 40-year-old record much better than this. Visually a super record that should please most-all collectors.

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 classic jazz-rock record 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 astonishingly high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound - a true audiophile recording and copy. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will match let alone outperform this first pressing I feel certain. 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. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove near impossible to find significantly better and merits my highest 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 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’.