FREE - RARER ORIG UK 1969 TEXTURED ISLAND PINK, 158g PYE PRESS LP. CLASSIC ALBUM

	£		80
	$		106

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 will now be blocked 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: FREE

Album Title: Free

Producer(s): Chris Blackwell.

Track Listing:

Side 1: I’ll Be Creepin’; Songs of Yesterday; Lying in the Sunshine; Trouble on Double Time; Mouthful of Grass.

Side 2: Woman; Free Me; Broad Daylight; Mourning Sad Morning.

Label/Format: Island – Original Pink i format with rough textured finish and very deep large inner ring ridge, these have matt surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both in lovely attractive conditions with a really deep and real pink hue to the labels. Spindle marks are mainly quite fine and less than moderate in number.

Cat Number: ILPS 9104.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 158 grams. A heavyweight Pye pressed record.

Rarity: Scarce: this very heavy record with the textured labels is the least-seen Free album. Most of the so-called ‘first’ pressings on the pink label have the smooth surfaces or were pressed by other manufacturers including Philips and EMI, there are several versions of this early pink label album. Indeed this one seems to have bypassed the excellent Island book by Yuri Grishnin.

Original Year of Release: 1969.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Matrix Nos: ILPS + 9104 + A2 / ILPS + 9104 + B2. These large, punched Roman type matrixes are pronounced and sharp. No scripted matrixes on this one.

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘PECKO’ / ‘PORKY’

Musicians: Paul Rodgers – vocals; Paul Kossoff – lead guitar; Andy Fraser – bass guitar; Simon Kirke – drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Free’s second album and one of their most cherished. A band in high demand and why not? Featuring their most famous line-up of Rodgers, Fraser, Kossoff and Kirke this classic British blues-rock band had a wonderful unique sound and hearing them via their original format is a real pleasure. Their albums were beautifully recorded and produced with the basslines at the front of the mix giving a solid and punchy, rhythmic sound. Free saw the band progressing with a more individual sound with powerful songs and Kossoff’s stinging guitar coming more to the forefront - Rodgers bluesy vocals are sublime. This album features a very daring cover for the time - a girl viewed from way down and the centrefold is erotically morbid – both beautiful in their own way. NOTE: this copy, although in very fine overall condition, has a very small scratch almost the end of side one, this emits a dozen very audible clicks. The rest of the album plays very well indeed with little else of real note unwanted. So a small flaw which will mean it will not be perfect enough for the highly discerning collector or listener. But this rare very early made copy has more positives than negatives and with the blemish being only brief and all other songs sounding great, it will please many for sure. The small mark is a shame truth be sold, but there is no way I cannot offer this brilliant album with only the one relatively brief sound issue.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: or very close to, this very wear-prone cover has little. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by E. J. Day, this one having the wide spine. Includes the polylined inner sleeve.

Cover Front: This cover has always been a challenge to find really nice, and this one is exactly that. A famous, and arguably one of the best of the early Island covers with the daring and clever graphic. Very little to fault on this wear-prone front that has no sticker issues and hardly any creasing or rubbing at all. A little toning to the spine edge which is minimal and it retains lovely deep colour. With a vintage pink record inside, this original ‘Day’ cover front will take a lot of beating.

Cover Back: Even harder to find decent, this is almost exceptional compared to most. Again a little toning to the spine edge fold with a gentle semi-crease near the centre. Minor discolouration or grubbiness traces to the predominately white surface that few can hope to avoid totally. Any pressing from the heavy record minimal and very faint indeed.

Cover Inner Gatefold: One or rock’s greatest centrefolds: looking stunning with nothing to fault bar a hint of discolour to the edge left edge. The girl is seen blowing dust from Rodgers’ square stone amid the sparse gravestone scene. Marvellously morbid and more than a hint of eroticism, this will not be seen much better than this either.

Top Edges: Both straight and flush, any rubbing minimal and very faint.

Bottom Edges: Light to moderate rubbing, somewhat typical for storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The closed front edge is very clean and sharp. The back entrance edges are also sharp and crisp with minimal traces of any thickening or burring. All edges are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Solid, robust and thick, this predominately white spine has darkened with age but has little real wear. Folded square with barely any compression, so all edges meet up square and flush. All text present and unworn.

Corners: The corners are all impressive with minimal tip rubbing with no knocks or dinks. Excellent shape is retained.

Cover Summary: One of the best covers ever put around a rock album and a genuine Island classic. Overall, an impressive example that does it high justice – this a cover that does not wear well and finding one so clean is never easy (to say the least). This one should please many collectors with only reasonably gentle hints of ageing. The plain white polylined inner is included in strong Excellent++ plus condition. Aged little with two perfect window circles and clear lining, all edges unsplit and hardly any creasing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Quite hard to grade a very clean record that has a small scratch. But visually this has to grade EXCELLENT (and side two better). As stated further up and highlighted with a red note, this record has a very small, but penetrating mark almost at the end of side one. This emits a dozen moderate and very audible clicks. I seldom offer many records with such marks, but as this is quite a rare album these days and the rest is so nice, it has to be offered. A pure fact-of-life – vintage popular records will often have the odd small sound blemish – wouldn’t it be so wonderful if everything could be ‘perfect’? Still a strong and visually pleasing copy with any surface marks few, light and mostly faint. The small mark can be seen and hopefully my picture of side one shows it – but look quite hard. If this record had escaped this small flaw, I would have graded it (++). So NOT for the visual or audiophile purist, but the clicks are quite brief and visually it still sets a high standard, for sure, it more than merits being offered as there are always records for all types of collectors and vinyl hunters.

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 fantastic Free album plays even above it’s visual grading with very little to fault bar the aforementioned dozen or so very audible clicks almost at the end of side one. It offers mostly clean, strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - audio quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Some fairly quiet songs on this one, but any surface sounds registered little. Even with the small scratch, this will not prove to find a great deal better overall, I have heard a number of copies of this in the past that crackle badly sometimes with inherent pressing sounds. Very thickly pressed with deep grooves, I am sure too it offers even more detail, clearly with these block punched matrixes, this copy is ‘different’. Remember, I play-grade ALL my records put to auction on an LP12 and the equipment listed further down - ruthlessly revealing - nothing escapes. And being honest, little else spoilt my enjoyment of this timeless classic bar the brief few clicks. Throughout, the sound is fully focused and sharp with no groovewear distortions or tracking issues*. If the clicks are acceptable, this is a lovely copy those apart, but not for the more discerning or intolerant listener. With eight of the nine songs playing great, and only a tiny percentage of ‘Mouthful of Grass’ with clicks, this should still please many fans and collectors.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Blue 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 programmes. 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 Blue 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’.