FREE Tons of Sobs SUPER SOUND UK Island Pink Rim N/M LP

	£		43
	$		57

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: FREE

Album Title: Tons of Sobs.

Producer(s): Guy Evans.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Over the Green Hills Pt I; Worry; Walk in My Shadow; Wild Indian Woman; Goin’ Down Slow.

Side 2: I’m a Mover; The Hunter; Moonshine; Sweet Tooth; Over the Green Hills Pt II.

Label, Format & Conditions: Island – Pink rim format with smooth finish (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive and struggling to find any spindle marks at all.

Cat Number: ILPS 9089.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 125 grams. About average for this one on the smooth pink rim label.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The first pink pressing is now rare and the others are fast catching up. The Island label design from 1969 to 1970 was changing almost month-by-month, so this album was briefly available on all formats up the smooth pink rim style as per this. Hence I never have any qualms in offering near mint pink rim copies that still offer superb sound. These are never easy to find with attractive little-worn covers as they are immensely prone to all forms of wear. Such copies that are still early, are also challenging to find like this.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9089 A-3U / ILPS 9089 B-3U.

Stamper Codes: 2 RT / 2 AR

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

Musicians: Paul Rodgers - vocals; Paul Kossoff - lead guitar; Andy Fraser - bass guitar; Simon Kirk - drums.

Brief Info: The debut album from one of the UK’s most respected rock bands. This is probably the only album in their catalogue that can truly be classed as ‘blues-rock’, with quite a few of the songs being slow tempo and fairly dark – even sombre. All the four members were under 20 when this classic set was recorded and although highly-rated this failed to chart in the UK and only just scraping into the top 200 in the US. With such few sales, all the pink Island pressings are elusive, even rare and few survive in decent playing conditions with even fewer with respectable covers that are highly prone to wear. Therefore I am always happy to offer a superb pink rim copy in near top conditions and offering pristine audio quality. Although it has a fairly raw, not particularly polished production, it still has immense power and detail and this copy sounds fantastic and plays with nothing unwanted. This copy was owned by a very discerning high fidelity buff, but just missed out on the first issues being a little too young at the time (a guy of similar age to myself actually). The very challenging cover which was never laminated in the UK, has the least wear I have yet seen and varies little from the late 60s version except it was printed by Robor instead of E. J. Day. This sufficiently early not to include the blue inner but the original unlined white one, soon to be replaced. If superb looks and immaculate sound is preferable to vast expense on often less than perfect earlier issues, well this gem will more than fit the bill.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+, nigh-on impossible to find in top condition.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a very dark unlaminated gatefold format with matt finish, highly vulnerable to friction rubs, storage damage and most of all, ringwear. This Robor printed cover is no less sensitive to wear than the ‘Day’ version.

Cover Front: An exceptional front by any standards, I have truly rarely seen one this fresh and clean. The only blemish of any real note is a press line near the bottom edge, this I feel sure was done in manufacture, but that is opion rather than fact. This has not removed any ink and has very modest visibility as does the ultra faint rub trace near the top edge. There is barely a crease to be seen or any other rubbing. For pure good looks, this front will take some beating.

Cover Back: Given all the facts I consider this intolerant back exceptional, rarely have I seen one with such little overall wear or looking better. There is a light and faint ‘thumb’ semi-crease’ on the left entrance edge and a little corner rub on the bottom left tip, but little else to fault being clean with barely any rubbing to the whole face. Devoid of marks and no dreaded ringwear that only a tiny percentage will ever avoid. Even under angled light, both faces show barely any marks, hairlines or even pressmarks and totally scuff-free. A lovely cover that most fans will treasure.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little short of pristine, one time has largely overlooked.

Top Edges: Both look practically Mint as made, both very straight too.

Bottom Edges: Any light rubbing is towards the corners, mostly on the back. Being the resting edges, this can justifiably be considered very light indeed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Record entered on the back edge, the front edge being totally sealed.

Spine and Text: Again the spine is exceptional and few will show less wear of which this has barely any at all. A very solid, straight, uncompressed spine, folded squarely so all edges meet up very squarely and flush. A very fine natural central line has lightly formed from opening but there is hardly any wear at all to the design and text and that, to say the very least, is unusual.

Corners: All corners are incredibly neat with any tip rubs tiny and faint, most on the back bottom left, but even that is minor. All retain excellent to practically near mint shape.

Cover Summary: Most serious collectors will know this cover well enough to know just how intolerant to wear and abuse it is. Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw this at a record fair or even in anyone’s collection that had this little wear? – all the early examples wear badly and is one of the most intolerant Island covers ever issued. This is certainly one to view and enjoy and not hide away waiting for a better one to come along soon – they probably won’t and in this case, the wait will probably not be necessary. I feel most collectors will enjoy this one.

The Inner Sleeve: MINT(-): aged very faintly with light edge darkening but little else to fault. This is the original plain white, solid unlined inner that pre-dated the blue ones that followed a few months later. A great example with barely any creasing, secure, unrepaired edges and few marks at all.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): and the temptation to grade full Mint was high. This is a supreme visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. All evidence suggests a copy hardly even played and this record is just the way discerning sound enthusiasts (audiophiles) want them. Visually a lovely old record that should please most-all 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 wonderful record plays up to it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Powerful, sound, with punchy dynamics, this record gives a stunning account itself and was a real pleasure to listen to. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and tracking was easy and effortless. A top quality Island pressing, and that could not always be taken for granted, this offers a faultless display of this evergreen classic. Few of the early copies will outperform this top-drawn pink rim pressing I feel sure. Nothing whatsoever spoiled my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, the music does the business and the early qualities of this legendary band still shine through. This copy will prove nigh-on impossible to find better as a full pink or pink rim pressing, and a reminder I play-grade on an LP12, still one of the world’s most revealing turnables that many consider to be the best ever made.

End Piece: Be under no illusion about the rarity of this early pink rim copy, all the non-charting Island pinks are scarce this one is fast becoming one of THE most challenging to find – the out-of-touch Price Guides still undervalue such titles. With a very attractive cover and record that plays beautifully, this still early copy is highly worthy of strong consideration and it merits my highest possible recommendation – for those who simply want to listen to a gorgeous record without the massive expensive of an original, this is it.

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.

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.

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 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 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: 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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 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 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’.