JACK BRUCE Songs for a Tailor RARER ORIG UK 69 EX+ LP, LAMINATED, SUPREME SOUND.

	£		103
	$		137

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: JACK BRUCE

Album Title: Songs For a Tailor

Producer(s): Felix Pappalardi

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Never Tell Your Mother She’s Out of Tune; Theme For an Imaginary Western; Tickets to Water Falls; Weird of Hermiston; Rope Ladder to the Moon.

Side 2: The Ministry of Bag; He the Richmond; Boston Ball Game, 1967; To Isengard; The Clearout.

Label/Format: Polydor with matt surfaces with a very gentle texturing.

Label Conditions: Both in super condition, very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle traces very few, fine and light. This is a beautiful record that plays with little short of pristine sound and includes the very best original, laminated cover I have yet seen.

Cat Number: 583058

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: 140 grams. Above average for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: First press copies of this classic, that included a laminated cover, are harder to find than the non-laminated second run pressings. In this condition, they are quite rare. The cover often suffers major laminate issues, usually problems with adhesion and crinkle. Most often seen with mottling, lifting and creases, this one has avoided these manufacturing problems, and apart from a tiny few dot press marks, this is by a distance the very best I have yet seen.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 583058 A//2 1 1 9 & 583058 B//2 1 3 5

Musicians Include: Jack Bruce – bass guitar, vocals, piano, organ, cellos, guitar; Dick Heckstall-Smith – saxophones; Chris Spedding – guitar, John Hiseman – drums; Felix Pappalardi – guitar, vocals; Harry Becket and Henry Lowther – trumpets.

Brief Artist & Album Info: After the split of Cream, the legendary bass-player and now multi-instrumentalist, issued this mini-classic. Short quirky songs with brilliantly bizarre and surreal lyrics by Pete Brown, a combination that was heard to great effect in Cream’s classic records. Still sounding as fresh and vibrant as when issued back in 1969, this famous album still sounds wonderful. It includes the brilliant ‘Theme For an Imaginary Western’ and this a lovely clean example with superb sound. Backed by highly accomplished musicians, this was a shift to more jazzy material which Bruce was so fond of. First press copies with the outside laminated cover are rarely seen looking or sound better than this.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): Even with a tiny few small press dots on the front, I cannot grade this fantastic original cover lower. This gatefold format has front and back laminate, the front single thickness card. Very quickly, the laminated was omitted, these are a fair degree rarer than the non-laminates. And when seen without manufacturing adhesion issues, its a thing of genuine beauty. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd with Polydor Records credits. Includes the original date-coded inner sleeve for November 1969.

Laminate – Front & Back: It may sound strange, but first printings of this cover are often ruined by the laminate. Adhesion seemed an issue in manufacture, this is often seen with huge lifts, creases and mottling – tiny bubbles that give a grey look where the laminate does not stick fully or properly to the card – it was quickly dropped. Well this cover has no such manufacture issued, the laminate is fully adhered with no lifting or unstuck areas at all. A cover I have had a few times, but never looking quite like this. Yes, it has a tiny few small press dots that show little when viewed full-on, but that is just about it. These outside faces looks stunning. The laminate with fantastic shine, freshness and clarity, as stated, with no lifting with just one light half moon crease on the front, none on the back which is simply immaculate. Even the several exposed edge strips where the laminate ends naturally short of full width are unworn, clean and fresh. Gleaming surfaces, the artwork with no light fading and minimal hint of friction dulling. Even with the tiny blemishes, this is the very best laminated original I have possibly seen to date.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A little gentle set-off traces where black type rests upon white are seen on the left side, that apart, nothing else of note to fault.

Top Edges: The back edge fold is immaculate. The single thickness front has slight light thickening here-and-there only. Both straight, flat and parallel, so often the front curls or bows which this has avoided.

Bottom Edges: Similar again with a little patchy thickening to the single card ends. Rarely avoided as the barest minimum on storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The first thing to state, the front edge is folded around 4mm wider than the back edges, some allowance made for a little tilt of the spine, but not accounting for all this ‘overhang’. It was not quite folded in the middle, the inner sleeve not quite fitting inside of the back. This quite unusual, but even being longer, this front edge remains very sharp indeed, lacking any thickening or burring. Also naturally protecting the back opening edges, they are also immaculate. All are clean and sharp to very sharp with no thickening of any note. Record enters on this back edge and all are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. The absolute proof of this is the width of the exposed strips where the laminate ends naturally short of full width, this still quite wide. As stated, this has several panels where the laminate does not cover the cover’s ends, the spine edge folds the only one fully protected.

Spine and Text: The spine has a tilt of around 45 degrees, thus making the right edge appearing even longer. That apart, its immaculate, solid, straight with no real compression. Being honest, I think this was folded like this, but purely opinion, not definitive. What is certain, it was folded square, so the edges meet up close to parallel. Tilt on this spine is common, again, I have rarely ever seen one fully upright. The text is pristine, the surface white under the ultra smooth and uncracked laminate. Even the laminate on the folds is smooth and unscuffed.

Corners: Any tip rubs or creases are tiny and light, those proud right front corners are just about as vulnerable as they could possibly be, but any tip softening or blemishing is minuscule. The others retain better than excellent shape with no bashes or dinks.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this original 1969 cover, a few tiny blemishes, but the laminate is beautiful and rarely seen as such, the shine and adhesion is exceptional. One that will prove difficult to find much better. This attractive rarer original should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a Polydor polylined inner that has aged little as all, generally lacking the usual paper toning or discolouration, any traces fine and light. Two pristine window circles and clear polylining. Barely any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with fine shine and quite heavily pressed, especially for this album. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, barely anything even registers. There is a little inner sleeve dulling which usually emphasises the record has not been removed from the inner for many years. In terms of this common trait for records with polylined inners, this only very mild, it has no affect on the supreme audio quality of this disc – it plays with stunning, little short of pristine sound. Visually a super record that 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, highly original album plays even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything to fault. Offering 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 barely even registered and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. My play-grade was a genuine thrill, this copy has that extra X-Factor with ultimate detail and clarity only the earliest pressings seem to offer, no all records are not the same, some just offer than little bit more. Few available copies will outperform this very early pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been very well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and merits my highest possible recommendation.

* 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 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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’.