FAIRPORT CONVENTION (1st) V.RARE ORIG MONO UK 68 EX+ LP

	£		237
	$		314

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Artist or Band: FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Album Title: Fairport Convention.

Producer(s): Joe Boyd & Tod Lloyd.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Time Will Show the Wiser; I Don’t Know Where I Stand; If (Stomp); Decameron; Jack O’Diamonds; Portfolio.

Side 2: Chelsea Morning; Sun Shade; The Lobster; It’s Alright Ma, It’s Only Witchcraft; One Sure Thing; M1 Breakdown.

Label/Format: Polydor (please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very attractive with real freshness retained. Very clean and highly attractive with light spindle marks on side one and less than moderate on side two. With lovely shiny and vibrant and little marked playing surfaces, this is a very rare mono copy that has survived the potential ravages of old vintage record players.

Cat Number: 582035.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 145 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare in mono and far harder to find than the scarce stereo – the guides hardly begin to tell the true story. A massively important record that blends psychedelia with folk-rock and few did it better than this landmark Fairport Convention debut classic. Not a big seller and the mono format rarer still, of the few that did sell, many are in poor conditions and sound terrible especially when played on modern stereo equipment. The mix, sound and song delivery is different and many of the connoisseur collectors prefer it. This one plays with lovely clean sound and was enjoyable from beginning to end and this record will prove hard to find much better, a rare opportunity indeed.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: 582035 A 1 420 1 1 1 & 582035 B 2 420 1

Musicians: Judy Dyble – lead vocals, electric and acoustic autoharps, recorder and piano; Ian MacDonald on vocals, jews harp; Richard Thompson, vocals, lead electric and acoustic guitars and mandolin; Simon Nicol, vocals, electric 12- and 6-string and acoustic guitars, banjo and violin; Tyger Hutchings, bass and Martin Lamble, percusssion and violin. Clare Lowther guests on cello.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Still the definitive band for the genre - and this is where it all started. This is not quite the Fairport folk-rock formula we came to love on the three Sandy Denny era masterpieces that followed this incredible debut. This has strong psych elements embedded into the songs and has been featured in the Record Collector monthly magazine’s features on the best UK psych albums of all time. This almost lost masterpiece justifiably received rave reviews from the magazine’s writers. Never an easy record just to find on vinyl, most offered are reissues, and it’s the only album this wonderful band made on Polydor. It was reissued in the early 70s (only in stereo) with a very different, somewhat drab cover that simply does not even compare to this lovely original. Judy Dyble makes this album special - only the wonderful Sandy Denny was worthy of replacing her after this sublime debut. This folk-psych masterpiece should appeal to most serious music fans, not just folk collectors, it’s one of the most desirable albums to own within its field, but goes way beyond specialist territory. Even in these early years, Thompson’s song writing and guitar skills were way ahead of the rest. The album is beautifully produced by Joe Boyd and Tod Lloyd, the production is quite wonderful, it does exactly what is intended. Issued when folk and psych were truly in vogue and even ‘fashionable’, this album remains one of the most important. Judy’s vocals are pure class and on the wonderful cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Chelsea Morning’ it even matches Miss Mitchell’s standards. One of the leading transition albums that took psych into folk and this groundbreaking album will rarely be experienced with clean mono sound as here. So many of the few that sold were trashed and ruined by piledriver thick heavyweight stylus from yesteryear. As stated, the record looks superb and plays beautifully with practically nothing unwanted. Although the cover was fully laminated, it’s rarely seen looking really nice as it always seems to suffer friction rubs and dulling and most rife with heavy creases. Being so dark, this is hugely revealing of all blemishes. This has a few creases and one on the back is very noticeable and moderate, luckily it lies on the bottom of the opening edge (left) and not where the eye naturally looks. Any dulling is fairly light and only shows with angled viewing. Importantly, it’s attractive but with blemishes, it will take a rarely impressive one to better it. This came from the same collection as the gorgeous ‘Unhalfbricking’ original I am currently offering and this was again purchased very early after issue. The Polydor polylined inner is included.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderate in theory, but only a very few escape major (often very heavy) creasing, severe dulling and laminate lifting. I have seen some very sorry looking examples of this before making this one look almost exceptional.

Cover Grade and Format: I would be very reluctant to grade this lovely rare cover less than EX, all surfaces are better but the back does have that moderate edge crease. My flash has washed it out somewhat but it’s present. It’s a single fully laminated format that was printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day Ltd, London. This one has NO stereo references making it a rare mono original. A cover unique to the earliest pressings before being reissued in a more budget looking, bland effort in the early 1970s. This original is in a different league of course with supreme artwork of the earliest incarnation of this remarkable band.

Lamination: Front & Back A hugely challenging cover to find in high conditions mainly due to quite thin card and the very dark artwork that emphasises blemishes and marks so freely. Firstly, and I consider this a massive bonus, this has little unsightly laminate lifting. I have seen huge blistering on this cover before and it really does spoil the appearance somewhat. Here there is just a fine blister on the front spine edge, but it does not encroach over the dark areas, thus it hardly shows. Any other lifts (or better stated as ‘non-adhesion’) are tiny and minimal. Creasing the next most important factor, the front has four fairly light ones, three on the edges and one half moon. Just one on the back of note, but moderate and very visible, as stated, it’s on the left edge near the bottom corner area. Although moderate, it has NOT lifted the laminate at all, this is the most significant blemish on this lovely cover but few will ever avoid some surface creasing, let’s be honest. The third most important factor is friction rubs and dulling: Under light, the front has mild traces around the rim and label shape, but normal viewing reveals little at all and is way less than ‘average’ for this revealing sleeve. The back has a little more but even this shows little with normal viewing. The laminate still retains a lovely lush and rich shine with good lustre. Also very clear so the lovely artwork of the young original Fairports can be enjoyed to the maximum. Actual surface marks are minuscule and both sides (bar the one moderate crease) are very impressive and attractive – few will better this significantly I feel sure.

Top Edge: Totally unworn.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering, guaranteed, untrimmed. The fine exposed strips where the laminate ends a little short of full width are practically unworn or chipped and very clean too. Record entered on this right outside edge.

Spine and Text: A superb spine that is practically as made again. Constructed quite thin but very solid, straight and uncompressed, all text unworn and all the laminate solid and intact with superb shine, clarity and no peeling. Few will get close to this one.

Corners: All four practically as made again with superb pointed definition retained and barely even a tip rub.

Cover Summary: A lovely example that most collectors will treasure. Okay a few minor blemishes but nothing in life (or record covers) are ever quite perfect. If the moderate crease on the back edge is an issue, do not bid, if a mono cover is wanted ‘perfect’, well the waiting game will have to continue. Sometimes a few small compromises have to be made for the really rare items.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX to EX+ and a hugely impressive looking 1968 mono record. This has unusual run-out grooves: side one has eight compact ones visible whereas side two has only three much wider ones. This I don’t think I have seen before on any other record (only this once before on the only other mono copy I have had). It is very clean and retains a lovely rich shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A few light surface marks or hairlines but how many of these will escape these minor superficial blemishes? There is nothing on view I deem a proper scratch and this plays beautifully throughout. No damaging old needles have been near this record and visually this will please most 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 snippetts 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 rare mono record plays even above its high visual grading and that is near perfect with nothing to fault. Incredible sound with no distortion, never take this for granted on any mono record, all frequencies remaining sharp and clear. Sound quality is very high indeed with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound with barely anything unwanted. The mono mix is lovely and gives a solid, richer and more dynamic sound. Tracking is effortless and no pops or clicks were noted, this has master-tape clarity and quality. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful original record. This copy will prove near impossible to find better and is a great opportunity for the discerning vinyl collector to own this gem. Do not lose this beautiful record that justifies my highest recommendation for top quality sound.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). 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 heavy duty 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 [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2 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]) = £12. Add £3 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’.