FAIRPORT CONVENTION Liege & Lief – RARER 1969 ORIG A1/B1 UK ISLAND PINK EX+ LP.

	£		75
	$		99

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, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled 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: FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Album Title: Liege and Lief

Producer: Joe Boyd

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Come All Ye; Reynardine; Matty Groves; Farewell, Farewell.

Side 2: The Deserter; Medley: The Lark in the Morning, Rakish Paddy; Foxhunter’s Jog; Toss the Feathers; Tam Lin; Crazy Man Michael.

Label/Format: Island – original full pink format with matt surfaces that have a very gentle hint of texturing.

Label Conditions: Both in exceptional condition: very clean, fresh and highly attractive with just a couple of tiny spindle traces. Fantastic deep colour and a record appearing hardly played, reiterated by beautiful clean sound. Superbly pressed by Phonogram/Polydor, certainly one of the most reliable manufacturers Island Records chose to press their records. Not seen or heard a better copy of this classic for some time.

Rarity: The title itself moderate, but mostly found on later label pressings. First issues are far more elusive in better conditions. The cover is always difficult, this an excellent example. But the record is harder still, few originals survive hardly played, most degraded by heavy-tracking mono record players of the era – this album was no issued in mono, hence many badly worn with that gorgeous sound lost. No such issues on this one, this plays beautifully, even the difficult final song ‘Crazy Man Michael’ that more often than not has crackle or even pressing noises. An available pink original in this condition is fast becoming rare.

Cat Number: ILPS 9115

Original Year of Release: 1969

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: 128 grams. A very good and typical weight for Polydor-made Island records. Island records were pressed by various manufactures, most notably EMI, Phonogram and Pye. Over time I have found Polydor to be the most consistent for clean sound quality with Pye the more inconsistent. This is a superb cleanly pressed record and devoid of the usual crackle and pressing issues encountered on this classic release.

Country of Manufacture: England

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9115 * A//1 1 2 3 & ILPS 9115 * B//1 1 1 6

Musicians: Sandy Denny - vocals; Dave Swarbrick - fiddle, viola; Richard Thompson - electric & acoustic guitars, backing vocals; Simon Nicol - electric, 6-string & 12-string acoustic guitars, backing vocals; Ashley Hutchings - bass guitar, backing vocals; Dave Mattacks - drums, percussion.

Brief Info: Following the wonderful What We Did On Our Holidays and the sublime Unhalfbricking, Fairport Convention issued for me one of the greatest albums ever made. Forget any folk categories for this monumental album. For any listener who appreciates class music will love this classic set. This is top quality folk-rock and has some of the most sublime songs and performances ever recorded. Featuring the strongest ever line-up of this legendary band that still including Sandy Denny, arguably the finest female vocalist within this genre. Also Richard Thompson, certainly one of the finest guitarists and songwriters with his very distinctive style, Dave Swarbrick, violinist extraordinaire; Simon Nicol; Dave Mattacks and Ashley Hutchings – almost a super group. Every song on this legendary album is a classic - beautiful songs, including ‘Matty Groves’, a song of forbidden love and dreadful revenge ending in a blistering solo from Swarbrick. Also the haunting ‘Farewell, Farewell’ a song of such rare beauty it never fails to give me a lump in the throat, Sandy’s vocals are simply impeccable. The Polydor pressing is regarded as the very first and finding this much better for looks and sound will prove very difficult. All the vocals are focused and crisp as are the backing band including Swarbrick’s fiddle. At last a vintage pink copy that can be enjoyed to the near maximum, indeed this record could prove a major upgrade for some.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group, includes the Polydor-style inner sleeve which is date-coded from 1969.

Cover Front: Clean, fresh and attractive, a very impressive front with not a great deal to fault bar a couple of spine edge creases and a small crease on the top left corner tip. Any blemishes to the pale and challenging surface are small, few and light.

Cover Back: Largely the same again with the odd gentle crease and small tip rubs. The lack of ugly penetrating ring wear is always a positive on a cover that seldom seems to avoid it.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Little to fault inside with any blemishes or rub traces very fine and light.

Top Edges: Both straight, flat and parallel. A little patchy light rubbing mostly on the front.

Bottom Edges: The front has little to fault, both again straight. The back has more moderate consistent rubbing, but being quite pale surface, it has less visual impact.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both clean and largely sharp with any thickening or burring light as seen viewed end-on, all guaranteed untrimmed. Both edges are open, the front with only a fine adhesion line that could never hope to remain stuck long-term. This could easily be closed again using PVA glue, but this usually causes curl or waviness, and being honest, it is best left as-is.

Spine and Text: Solid, thick and straight with minimal hint of compression or tilt. Folded square so the edges meet up closely and parallel. Gentle small patchy rubbing with most text present and easy to read, slight clipping here-and-there. This has avoided fading and compared to some I have seen, it has fared fairly well.

Corners: Light to nearer moderate tip rubs with a small dink crease to the top left as mentioned. Very fine to excellent shape mostly retained.

Cover Summary: A difficult cover that seldom wears well, the lack of grubbiness, sticker issues, ring wear and major creasing are all positives, but a little general shelf wear, so not for the highly discerning. However, an early ‘Day’ example that should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): this record includes it’s original Polydor polylined inner sleeve that like the record has survived the years well. A little quite gentle creasing to two corners, two crisp and undamaged window circles and very clear, fresh lining. All edges unsplit with no repairs. The manufacturing date-code is 119 (November 1969). The old adage, clean inner = clean record stands up well here.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): and this hardly does it full justice, an extra (+) could easily apply. A superb visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and solidly pressed with a typical Polydor weight. A copy appearing little used on all the evidence and offering lovely clean, detailed sound. Critically viewed under bright angled light, some fine wispy surface traces but nothing even remotely resembling a scratch or penetrating mark. A better, cleaner or attractive example as a first issue will prove immensely difficult to find.

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: One of the greatest albums ever to adorn the gorgeous Island pink label (and others thereafter). This beautiful Island classic plays even above it’s fine visual grading with hardly anything to fault. This has strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound with no tracking issues*. This one has no distortions or pressing noises and barely any hint of the usual crackle and surface sound that blight many – this is far from guaranteed. Even the final song, the troublesome ‘Crazy Man Michael’ plays beautifully without the usual crackle or noise. This album is so often spoilt by considerable surface and pressing issues, or simply played to destruction on less than worthy equipment. It always amazes me how records from within a few months of each other, can vary so much in quality, but different batches really do. The audio quality remains very high, sharp and focused with even Swarbrick’s fiddle remaining crisp and focused – this critical instrument is often the first to break up if subjected to heavy wear on heavier tracking vintage equipment. Few available copies will better this one I feel sure. I remind I play all my records on a very revealing Linn LP12, still one of the most sensitive and critical turntables ever made. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this classic and it should please most collectors, my highest recommendation is justified for this timeless record – it could prove a major upgrade for some.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 programs. 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.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black 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’.