FAMILY Music in a Doll's House RARE ORIG UK 1968 EX MASSIVE 186g LP, PLAYS GREAT

	£		58
	$		76

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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be signed and trackable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers 100% reliable service without it.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take longer 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.

ANY ITEM or ITEMS TO BE PAID WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF 6 DAYS or they will be cancelled – NO EXCEPTIONS.

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. Please only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: FAMILY

Album Title: Music in a Doll’s House

Producer(s): Dave Mason

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Chase; Mellowing Grey; Never Like This; Me My Friend; Variation on a Theme of Hey Mr Policeman; Winter; Old Songs New Songs; Variation on a Theme of The Breeze.

Side 2: Hey Mr Policeman; See Through Windows; Variation on a Theme of Me My Friend; Peace of Mind; Voyage; The Breeze 3 x Time.

Label/Format: Reprise – Original tri-coloured steamboat format with matt, very gently textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both clean, still fresh and attractive with only a tiny few spindle marks and no wear around the hole. This record plays superbly.

Catalogue Number: RSLP 6312

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Up and Down Movement: A light trace. Few vintage records will ever be perfectly flat, any issues with significant movement or tracking will be mentioned in detail if applicable.

Lateral Movement (Side-to-Side): Slight on side two.

Weight of this Record: 186 grams. A stunning weight for any standard record, even by Reprise standards at this time, this is a super-heavyweight record.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce as a first issue. A few originals included a graphic band insert sheet. This copy on offer did not have it – so I include a superb reproduction taken from an original.

Original Year of Release: July 1968

Matrix Nos: RSLP 6312 A-3G / RSLP 6312 B-3G (scratched). The tiny stamper codes are: H 2 / C 2

Musicians: Roger Chapman – lead vocals, harmonica, tenor saxophone; John Whitney – lead guitar, steel guitar; Jim King – tenor, soprano saxophones, harmonica, vocal; Ric Grech – bass guitar, violin, cello, vocals; Rob Townsend – drums, percussion.

Brief Info: Issued in 1968 to great acclaim, but it only peaking at 35 in UK, and it failed to even chart in the United States at all. ‘Doll’s House’ is a classic album and one of the greatest UK debuts ever. Blending powerful rock with psychedelia and superbly produced by Traffic’s Dave Mason. Fronted by the slightly eccentric Roger Chapman with one of rock’s most powerful and expressive voices, his vibrato voice remains distinctively unique. A highly inventive and thrilling debut, the use of saxophones, cello, Mellotron and violin at this time was highly creative and gave Family extra profile – an album that thrills from beginning to end and still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did on issue. This a fine original stereo copy and possibly one of the heaviest ever pressed. A few fine and very faint surface marks, but superficial and non-penetrating, this complex record plays superbly. The cover also impressive and even including the original inner sleeve. A few originals included an insert picture of the band, it is rare and seldom seen or offered. Hence I include a lovely repro taken from an original to make this one like ‘complete’. The insert is full size and well worth having as originals can sometimes command high prices on their own.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): arguably better. One of my favourite covers of the 1960s, this one does it fine justice. A single format with front laminate that wraps around the folds on to three large external rear flipbacks. The main back panel is matt and smooth. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and this has the original ‘Patents pending’ text with a VLP (mono) catalogue prefix. Initially, no stereo versions were made, so some stereo copies included a sticker obscuring the mono catalogue detail, this one has it on the back top right. The original Reprise company green inner sleeve is also included. The insert is a lovely repro taken from an original and is a free bonus to any winning bidder.

Lamination & Front: Not only one of the greatest albums of the late 1960s, one of the greatest covers too – and that’s front and back. The lamination retains very fine shine and clarity with any dulling very gentle and light under light. No lifting, but some surface laminate creases on towards the right, even these have minimal visibility when the cover is viewed normally full-on.

Cover Back: The actual unlaminated matt panel is impressive with little wear or creasing, the doll on the tricycle looks lovely as seen in close-up. All three flipbacks are solid and neat with minimal end burring or wear, there is a crease on the bottom right corner. The stereo RSLP sticker is original and has not been removed, this also neatly impressive, and quite scarce as these tend to dry out over time and fall off.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both quite straight, just a very small chip to the top towards the left and small tip rubs on the right, the laminate remains smooth and solidly intact.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both have some thickening seen viewed end-on with minimal feathering. A cover that seldom avoids thickening on the these edges mainly due to the thick heavy record inside that puts more ‘stress’ on the opening – and this has a super-heavyweight inside.

Spine and Text: Solid, quite straight with minimal traces of compression, the ends nipped in manufacture. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and clear laminate. This also beautifully centred for even better good look as-seen in the picture, again this has the mono prefix as all originals do.

Corners: Light to moderate (right) tip rubs with fine shape retained with no knocks. Mild rounding on the top right.

Cover Summary: A fine example of this classic vintage mono prefix cover. Later ones were constructed without the flipbacks making the first issues unique. Not for perfectionists, but it should please many collectors.

The Family Insert: NO GRADE: because its a reproduction. Originals are immensely scarce and seldom seen or offered, when they do surface they are invariably in poor shape and still command high prices. Briefly available with some copies for a very short time. This quality repro is impressive and of course gives that more ‘complete’ satisfaction.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: the Reprise company unlined inner sleeve is clean and unusually naturally intact. Mainly marked down a little for corner creasing on the left corner areas.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or close to. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and massively pressed on very thick, deep-grooved robust vinyl – indeed this is one of the heaviest standard records I have ever held (excluding gimmick picture discs). A copy with some light surface marks seen under light, but no penetrating stylus scratches and appears only very modestly played. Very well pressed and plays very impressively clean. This very complex album was a joy and it 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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This brilliant album plays mostly above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – audio quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Including superb production and engineering, this copy does it very fine justice. An album that often suffers variable pressing quality, but this one has no inherent pressing noises and tracking is effortless*. Very difficult to find copies without often major flaws or sound issues, this proves a delightful play-grade and this should please many collectors again.

* 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 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

I am one of the most established sellers on Ebay, trading since 2001 and offering the finest 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 all elements of the items I offer for sale. You may notice I only submit records quite 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 story. I will try to 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 near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. I hope the item below is to your liking – any questions can be emailed and I will do my best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, major 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 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Nessie 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 D7500 DSLR 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.

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 bid retractions. 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 only 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 2 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive – if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund if the item is returned in the same condition is was sent e.g. as per the listing pictures.

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, 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.