GRACIOUS Very Rare 1970 Orig UK Vertigo Spiral Prog LP.

	£		81
	$		107

Hi, I am Mike, now 50 – yes the big FIVE-O! Old enough to remember the golden era of original, high quality music, bands, artists.

Also records from the 1960s and 70s bought from the shops from new, I have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 37 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and elusive items now. 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 reader – 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 one hundred percent is exact colour matching for covers - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. 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 Ortophon 520 Mk II cartridge (tracks at 1.75 grams). Amps: Arcam 2 x 125W Pre-Power. 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.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with 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 TWO massively thick stiffners for even extra protection and bubble wrap if deemed necessary. These stiffners are the thickest possible and custom supplied for ‘Oneadayrecords’ – these are NOT commercially available and you will not have seen thicker protection anywhere. The 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. Printed address labels are used as well as ‘Fragile’ tape for that extra professional touch for the packet. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the cheapest and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 3,500+ items sold in over 5 years of Ebay trading (I am now one of most established sellers via Ebay) and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

Album Title: Gracious.

Producer(s): Hugh Murphy.

TRACK LISTING:

Side 1: Introduction; Heaven; Hell.

Side 2: Fugue in D Minor; The Dream.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Original Full size spiral format with large spiral on side two. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both still in clean and attractive condition even though there is a little minor and small writing on each side which is clearly visible on my label scans. Spindle marks are only light and show little.

Cat Number: 6360002.

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: 131 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 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: one the more elusive and seldom offered Spiral titles that sold in tiny numbers. Although this copy is somewhat below pristine, its a very solid copy and importantly the record plays beautifully for most all of its duration with hardly any unwanted sounds and NO tracking problems whatsoever. The almost impossibe cover is also highly respectable [more details on both further down].

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: 6360002 1Y 1 420 1 1 4 / 6360002 2Y 1 420 1 2 2

Musicians: Paul Davis - vocals, 12 string, tympani; Martin Kitcat - Mellotron, piano, electric piano, harpsichord, vocals; Alan Cowderoy - guitar, vocals; Tim Wheatley - bass; Robert Lipton - drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: One of personal favourites from the highly collectable Vertigo Spiral label. Like so many in the swirl series, this is a very rare record and up there with the most difficult to find. Brilliant and very original progressive rock that has some classical elements within their complex blend of prog-rock. Only the second time I have had this title to offer on Ebay and although it has blemishes, mainly on the cover, nothing is serious and this remains a very solid copy indeed. Many classic and rare Spiral covers are found with huge sticker tears and worn into submission due to most all having no laminate protection and few wear much worse than this one. With both outside edges being white and very heavily textured, few survive worldwide devoid of grubbiness, stains, damage, deep ringwear or sticker pulls. Overall, this looks very decent with little of the aforementioned (more details below). The record has some surface marks but barely anything sounds and this rare prog-gem plays with great clean sound and I feel that is the most important factor, it includes the Spiral inner too. With many collectors now trying to put together a full run in the Spiral series, this is a great opportunity to acquire one of the most elusive titles. With so few of these around or available, not too many will probably better this significantly anyway. I feel many collectors will enjoy it but not the perfectionist this time.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+: [Unlaminated covers are always the most vulnerable for rubbing, fading, sticker tears and ringwear, gatefolds are more prone still and the darker they are, the more this type of wear occurs and shows. Some sleeves have a textured finish or die-cut shaped edges or ‘windows’. These are even more delicate and the hardest to find in top condition. Fully laminated covers are more resistent to wear but often the laminate ages with dulling, creases and blistering. Many 60s covers have outer flipback construction, these are very vulnerable to damage]. (US covers are the most fragile of all, very rarely laminated and made with thick brittle card that rubs and ringwears badly. Seams and edges split more easily). Please see format below to access this cover’s potential for wear and damage.

Cover Grade and Format: At or around VG(-), this has very little actual wear at all but has a liquid stain near the top but not too bad overall, my best guess is tea from the long distant past. A gatefold format, unlaminated with a heavily textured front and back with a complex mini-bubble like finish. One of the most difficult ones to ever find even VG and that is no exaggeration. Printed and made in England.

Cover Front: Grubbiness is the main enemy of this and other similar covers. Here any is modest and terms of this cover relatively light. I have heard horrendous stories of people actually bleaching white covers, a practice I have never and would never do. I hate to think what they would look and smell like! This front retains a fairly high degree of whiteness and any actual wear is minimal. There is a very small sticker pull near the top left but being white, any visibility is much dimished. The aforementioned liquid spill here is very small and light and just confined to the top left corner area. The actual Vertigo logo and exclamation mark logo and text are close to perfect. No creasing and the texturing is very pronounced and complex, the very mild grubbiness which is consistent and really does little to spoil this front actually brings it out so it can be seen to better effect – a small advantage of minor discolour for a change I guess..

Cover Back: The back again has the mild stain near the right corner area, only small and really not that bad at all actually, this has run very slightly down the centre but is fine and only faint. In terms of grubbiness, it’s pretty much the same as the front again and I would say it’s very light overall. The original owner has put times in neat, small pen next to song titles. This type of ‘personal’ blemishing I do not include in my gradings as it’s a) a subjective opinion and b) it’s not wear. I let any interested bidder decide if this degrades and to what degree for them. Again barely any creasing to be seen and no ringwear. The boxed VO price code (top right) is pristine as is the actual text. This includes the original ‘Warning’ text which states: ‘WARNING Copyright subsists in all Vertigo recordings’.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Minus the lovely textured finish the outside faces would be a little bland I suppose but the inside is as spectacular as any in the Vertigo catalogue. A cartooned very saucy girl looking magnificent in this amazing centrefold. The only blemish of note is the liquid spill that has left a smallish stain near the top centre foldline and spreading left and right to less than halfway across each face. This does not go deep and a depth of approximately an inch of covered. There are a couple of small pull marks on this area but overall visibility remains fairly modest and the eyes are not really drawn to this area (if you see what I mean). Bright vibrant colour and this spectacular and risque centrefold still looks fantastic.

Top Edges: Light rubbing, mild darkening but being white, any wear is far less apparent.

Bottom Edges: Moderate surface rubbing with comments as above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear or feathering. Record enters on this back edge.

Spine and Text: Again darkened and fairly consistent with the rest of the outer cover but wear is minimal overall. Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up perfectly together and parallel. The really good news is all text is present and unworn which on this cover is almost remarkable.

Corners: The corners have rubbed again consistent to the edges. Respectable shape is retained by all and again being white…

Cover Summary: I would never lightly offer any cover with a stain but this is such a rare one and the affected area is only small and visibility only modest. All considered, I feel I have possibly undergraded what is still a very sound, minimal worn and still quite attractive Spiral cover. It’s tariff of difficulty is very high and with that considered, I rate this is a very fine example – not for the perfectionist, of course not but most collectors will enjoy it. It’s rarity must be considered also, this will not be seen or offered often and on that basis, I certainly recommend it highly. However, if in doubt, do not bid.

The Swirl Inner: Around EX, this has been lined with a Japanese anti-static super-soft inner. Little wear at all but the edges have darkened with age around the gum lines. Hardly any creasing and no edge splits and the window is very neat and untorn.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX(-), A fine visual copy that is clean with good shine, intense black and very solidly pressed. There are surface marks and hairlines and odd faint paper scuff but the great news is barely anything sounds and this remains a very strong copy. Again not for the perfectionist but most collectors seeking this elusive title in great playing conditions will love it.

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 Spiral record plays above its very respectable visual grading with very little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal and no major pops or clicks were noted and this is generally, a clean pressing for a fairly difficult album. The lack of groovewear or distortion is great news and this is a challenging recording. Superb stereo imagery and well produced, this copy has lost none of its audible clarity and focus and my enjoyability factor on play-grade very immensely pleasing and enjoyable. Few copies will outperform this significantly I feel sure with the marks, most all being only light anyway, being pretty much ignored throughout. Little, indeed if anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful rare prog record. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better for sound and can be very warmly recommended.

End Piece: Some records due to their rarity should be considered with lower gradings. They do not get seen or offered often and when covers still look attractive to most eyes and records, with only light marks that still play really well, as this does, still make them very desirable. This album sold in very small numbers and there are only modest numbers in circulation, most locked away within valuable collections. Near perfect examples do exist, I have had just one before (quite some time ago) that was just that but they are immensely rare and command very large prices nowadays. It can be suggested this is a ‘compromise copy’ but it’s far better than that, it’s a copy that will give the more ‘average’ collector a chance. Audio quality is paramount over relatively minor visual blemishes and this record plays superbly well throughout and I feel sure this will please the majority of collectors. I know I regularly offer near mint albums but this is not one of them visually as my gradings clearly state but the sound more than compensates. Again I reitterate, if any collector has doubts about light record marks or stains, blemishes, and writing on covers, do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. US; Australia; Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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’.