DONOVAN Greatest Hits RARER ORIG UK 69 + BOOK COVER

	£		54
	$		72

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: DONOVAN

Album Title: Donovan’s Greatest Hits.

Producer(s): Mickie Most.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Epistle to Dippy; Sunshine Superman; There is a Mountain; Jennifer Juniper; Wear Your Love Like Heaven.

Side 2: Season of the Witch; Mellow Yellow; Colours; Hurdy Gurdy Man; Catch the Wind; Lalena.

Label/Format: Pye – original black and blue labels (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive, just two or three spindle marks on side two, barely a trace on side one. Just a fine mild scuff around the rim as can be seen on my scan.

Cat Number: NPL 18283.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 172 grams. A stunning weight for any standard pressed album. This almost feels like pressed on marble and even by Pye standards, this is a super-heavyweight disc.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The early pressed copies of this album are scarce, this was later reissued in a very plain cover but the first editions are very special. Beautifully packaged in a very flimsy gatefold cover that has an eight page book inside (see some pictures of these I have included). The inside back is where the record is stored making this cover even more prone to damage and wear. The cover’s front is single thickness and soft. Most are seen torn and tatty, to find a copy of this in mono that plays so well with a cover in super condition with minimal wear is a challenge and such examples are quite rare.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: NPL 18283 A-2 *T / NPL 18283 B-1 *T

Stamper Codes: I 1 / U 1

Brief Artist & Album Info: Born Donovan Leitch in 1946, was he the UK’s answer to Bob Dylan? – who really cares?, this man made some of the most fabulous folk songs of the 60s and early 70s and this sublime Greatest Hits album proves that beyond any dispute, all eleven songs are classics. Apart from the brilliance of the material included here, this album is beautifully packaged too – but only when found as an original. A gatefold cover that includes a lovely book showing an infant Donovan developing to a boy and teenager – clearly this is a personal and important album to the man himself as well as his fans. Later copies omitted all this altogether and only had a far more basic single cover. This cover and record simply defy their great ages and are in very fine condition. We all know the state so many mono records are found in these days but this is lovely copy that without doubt, has hardly been played. I rarely get too excited about compilation albums, but this is truly exceptional, any 60s record looking and sounding like this is extra special and the packaging makes it extra special, most collectors will treasure this item.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a gatefold format, laminated front and back. Includes an 8 page colour book and double flipbacked inside ‘wallet’ for record storage. Laminate wraps around flipbacks and right edge into the cover. The book is actually secured by three staples, two of which are driven into the outer spine, the third reinforces the book’s centre. This is the genuine mono original cover. Printed in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. A truly beautiful sleeve for the 60s connoisseur collector.

Lamination – Front & Back: A very delicate cover, not too disimilar to the Kinks ‘Village Green’ and ‘Arthur’ albums and when was the last time you saw those two in decent condition? The front being so flimsy it usually has considerable laminate issues. Well this has lovely fresh shine and clarity with barely any dulling at all, even under light. The lack of creasing is a massive bonus too. The rear spine edge has a moderate lift and a smaller one further down, but the good news is, they have minimal visibility with normal viewing. The cover design seems to camouflage the lift which remains uncracked, so still solid. Both sides are impressive and will prove very difficult to find much better.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Pure classic – the book includes pictures of Donovan from an infant (a chubby nude toddler in a basin bath) through childhood to adult - fantastic packaging. The book is still rock solid, double stapled into the spine, clean and untorn or creased. The ultra fragile entrance edge on the back inner is perfect, crisp and sharp and totally unfeathered. Both the white faces on the inside back are ultra white and clear, bar one small light smudge near the top right corner. The flipbacks are in fantastic condition, both clean, hardly aged and undamaged. No end grime-lines and any tone traces tiny and faint. The manufacturers and printers’ imprints are printed inside the storage area which is hardly obvious and only experience from the past led me to remember this fact.

Top Edges: The back is practically unworn. The flimsy front has minimal traces of thickening or burring and few will survive much neater.

Bottom Edges: Both very similar again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any traces of wear, even the delicate front flap is razor sharp, this is now slighty short of flush due to the almost unavoidable tilt of the wafer-thin spine. Record entered from inside the gatefold near the fold hinge area.

Spine and Text: Solid, mainly straight with a little mild compression and tilt to left. Barely any wear apart from a small and minor scuff near the top corner. All text is perfect and unworn under the uncracked laminate. Both book staples are rock solid and perfect (and original). Totally unloosened and very secure.

Corners: Top right has minor wear, the others are in fantastic shape with hardly any wear at all. These retain very impressive, neat shape. For a cover like this, hugely unusual.

Cover Summary: A really strong all-round example of this fragile late 60’s mono cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. To remind: this is very similar in design to the Kinks ‘Village Green’ and ‘Arthur’ and equally as flimsey and delicate, few survive with this little wear. This strong, attractive item should please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): only marked down from Mint(-) due to a fairly light corner crease. This done (apparently) to stop the record moving inside. That apart, it’s almost like new. A heavy-duty polylined inner that is UK patents with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text. Both window circles are pristine and the lining little short and very clear. No other creases and all edges unsplit with no repairs. This is still very white indeed and barely aged at all.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: and this hardly does this super record full justice. A very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, jet black and massively pressed with an almost freak weight of 172 grams. Side one has a surface scuff mark that has no sound. Any other surface marks are small, light and faint and mostly superficial. I consider any popular mono record in this condition to be fairly exceptional and clearly it has largely avoided mono record player abuse that wore out or destroyed the fragile sound on such titles. I feel certain it has hardly even been played. Visually a very fine record that should please many 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 impressive mono compilation plays even above it’s visual grading with very little 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. These wonderful singles sound stunning in mono and what a joy to hear them so clean. Practically devoid of surface sounds and no pops or significant clicks were noted. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played little and has been generally well stored and looked after, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. The mild surface marks are largely ignored, Pye vinyl was tough and when this thick and heavy, the grooves penetrate just that bit deeper allowing any minor marks to be ignored by modern-day ultra fine stylus. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this beautifully made compilation. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better and merits strong recommendation.

End Piece: Eleven of the very best, every song a pure classic and on vinyl they will never sound better than this in high quality mono. The cover packaging makes this extra special, a truly beautifully designed and manufactured sleeve from a bygone era, this just exudes class, such a shame only a small percentage will be found in strong little worn conditions. If only one Donovan record is wanted in your collection, this must be the one.

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’.