JOHN MAYALL Back to the Roots SUPERB UK 1971 EX+ LPs + SCARCE BOOK, SUPERB SOUND

	£		106
	$		140

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: JOHN MAYALL

Album Title: Back to the Roots

Producer(s): John Mayall

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Prisons on the Road; My Children; Accidental Suicide; Groupie Girl; Blue Fox.

Side 2: Home Again; Television Eye; Marriage Madness; Looking at Tomorrow.

Side 3: Dream With Me; Full Speed Ahead; Mr Censor Man; Force of Nature; Boogie Albert.

Side 4: Goodbye December; Unanswered Questions; Devil’s Tricks; Travelling.

Label/Format: Polydor – matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: All four very clean, fresh and attractive with minimal traces of any spindle marks to any. This superb first issue pair plays beautifully as well.

Cat Number: 2657005 (this is the set number, the label numbers are 2425062/63.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Records: 139 / 115 grams. Pressing weights for this set always seem to vary, this being a case-iin-point, ranging from the lower to higher end.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce and this copy includes the quite rare book which is one of the best ‘inserts’ or ‘extras’ I have seen with any album (I have photographed several sample pages). ‘The Record Collector’ guide still makes no reference to this book and it’s one I have not seen many times. I actually wonder if this 24-page book was withdrawn to the fact it includes a very risqué cartoon picture inside that certainly would have been frowned upon by many at the time – sorry but it would be sensible to show it as it would likely be removed – it lies next to the lyrics of ‘Mr Censor Man’. This cartoon has it’s reference to that track where Mayall asks why is sex censored and war and violence allowed. It includes colour pictures of the musicians that play on this album including: Harvey Mandel, Jerry McGee, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Johnny Almond, Larry Taylor, Steve Thompson, Keef Hartley, Paul Lagos and the brilliant Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris on violin as featured on the Frank Zappa masterpiece Hot Rats. For those familiar with the aforementioned Zappa album, this set has many moments in a similar style and this features several impressive solos by Harris. The fact this book gets no mention in the guides remains a mystery to me, and this one in very fine, fully intact condition. Also worthy of mention, is the very delicate soft main cover to this double set. It has to be one of the most wear-prone covers of its era, they are seldom found without heavy rubbing, ring wear, creasing and even tears – this one, as seen, is impressive as well. And lastly, the hardly played records offer fantastic sound throughout. A genuine complete copy like this is getting harder to find.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: 2483009 A // 1 420 1 1 3 & 2483009 B // 1 420 1 1 5 & 2483010 A // 1 420 1 1 3 & 2483010 B // 1 420 1 1 3 (the figures pre-A or B are struck thru with ‘error’ corrections) The label numbers are included in ‘script’ type.

Brief Info: John Mayall at his very best and is here joined by some top quality musicians. Brilliant instrumentals and vocal songs too that tackle some more sensitive subjects including sex, censorship, TV advertising, traffic congestion and groupies, not too dissimilar to the subject matter Frank Zappa was often noted for. Mayall and Frank were great friends after he visited him in the late 1960s, his ‘Blues from Laurel Canyon’ featured a tribute song to the man and clearly his influence is strong on this superb double set that features all new material. Talking of Zappa, some songs included on this album would not be out of place on his Hot Rats album, with Sugarcane Harris’s blistering violin present, this can be no great surprise. Although pigeon-holed as ‘Blues’ this Mayall double set will please rock fans as well and is truly an essential album – it’s fast becoming a favourite of mine. The inclusion of the book which is only a little smaller than the album cover (with an almost identical front cover) is a massive bonus for Mayall fans. It includes Mayall’s family tree of musicians that have recorded with him since 1963 to 1971, an acknowledgement of appreciation by John and all the pictures of the musicians included on this set and blurb all about them. A wonderful book and no copy is ever anything like complete without it. Again, special mention must be made to the cover, I truly regard it as one of the most fragile and wear-prone ever. Made with ultra soft and textured card, which feels more like thick paper being honest, this is rarely seen devoid of heavy rubbing, ring wear, creasing and damage. This one is a lovely example with most wear confined to the upper and lower edges – the main faces, including the spine have fared very well indeed. All four sides play superbly and this was a joy to hear again after what had been too long.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): I think this more than reasonable for one of rock’s most intolerant and fragile covers. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt surfaces, made with very soft, thin card and all parts quite heavily textured. A gorgeous cover seen near it’s best, but few ever survive as such, this only marked down for edge rubbing top and bottom. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group, this includes the scarce original large format book and both original inner sleeves.

Cover Front: To be clear: if I was just grading the main front, back and inside – and possibly even the spine – I would grade this cover more excellent(+). Even with the usual edge and corner tip rubbing, this is one of the finest I have yet seen. The front is superb as seen, a little rubbing to the corner tips and one small tip crease (bottom left). But the main surface is truly splendid, clean, fresh and attractive with hardly any rubbing to the surface away from the very sides. Hardly creased and retaining rich deep colour with no fading or sticker issues. This will prove hard to find better.

Cover Back: The back is largely the same again – the lack of ring wear to either side is almost remarkable. Double sets in a cover like this without ring wear will be immensely difficult to find.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Just as fragile again and also textured, this has little to fault. Any hint of grubbiness or set-off minimal and faint.

Top Edges: Both straight, flush and flat with light to moderate rubbing, patchy on the front. Both are unsplit and have no repairs – this the same for all edges – worthy of note for such delicate thin, soft card.

Bottom Edges: Moderate+ rubbing on these storage edges, it can be no real surprise really, this have scant chance of avoid wear.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and actually quite sharp in terms of this ultra soft card with little overall wear. Viewed end-on, a little thickened I suppose but with little burring and both these storage edges are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Firstly, the bottom corner end has a moderate rub, the top only quite light. Then one of the best spines I have ever seen on this cover. Yes, this actually retains all its text as seen, that is some achievement. It remains solid, straight without compression. The main surface avoiding wear apart from the ends as stated. Even the folds have escaped lightly as well with minimal ink loss. Given the format and facts, this spine is in very fine condition.

Corners: I hardly really have to state the corners are extremely fragile and vulnerable, hence wear is almost the norm. Here ranging from fairly light to moderate+, but this is more seen viewed side-on rather than on the main faces. So there is less visual impact on the business parts of the sleeve. Given the format again, fine to very fine shape generally retained with no bashes and any dinks quite mild.

Cover Summary: A beautifully designed cover but unfortunately not built for longevity and few survive even respectable. This is way better than ‘respectable’, this still looks highly attractive, and who wants to view edges when the rest is far more interesting? ‘Difficult’ hardly explains this unforgiving cover, this could and is indeed likely to prove hard to find much better and should please most collectors – especially those familiar and know what it is like.

The Inner Sleeves: Both NEAR EXCELLENT: arguably better still. A near matching pair, one has grey ink, the other a dark blue – one date coded 0371, the other 0571, the same as the last copy of this I offered around 4 years ago. All else the same and both are originals. Gently aged with a little toning of the seam adhesive but little creasing and two very clear linings as seen through four crisp window circles. No splits, no repairs, both look just right for their 45 years of age.

The Book: EXCELLENT(++), again printed by E J Day Group. A 24-page full colour book held together with two staples, still strong and fully intact with minimal tarnishing. Generally clean with a little mild handling evidence on the matt black areas that is so hard to avoid, unless gloves are worn. No noteworthy creasing, tears or splits, this is a very fine example and highly elusive. Crisp edges with no folding and modestly handled I feel. So why do price guides fail to mention it’s existence? The cartoon inside leaves nothing to the imagination and somewhat took me by surprise when I first saw it – was this book actually withdrawn and if so, was it because of this cartoon?, or maybe copyright for some of the artists employed here or even cost – who knows? This book makes this early pressed album complete and what a great opportunity – the detail and quality of pictures inside are superb – this book is worthy of the price alone and Mayall fans and collectors should treasure it. It’s a very important piece of blues history with so many major names inside – almost indispensable for discerning blues fans.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): arguably better. A very fine visual pair that are very clean with excellent shine and solidly pressed. A copy very lightly played on all the evidence reiterated by fantastic clean sound – a lovely audio experience form all four sides. Any surface marks, very light, few and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. There merest hint of dulling from the polylined inner – on a scale of 1 to 10 – barely even a 1 and hardly even registering with NO audio affect whatsoever. Visually a great set that should please many, if not most 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Both records even exceed their high visual grading with practically nothing 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. Virtuoso performances from top quality musicians that will be familiar to many – I always enjoy Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris’s violin work – my regular buyers will already know my passion for Frank Zappa’s music and Harris features heavily on his classic Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasel’s Ripped My Flesh albums, and here that sound is again present with other quality musicians including the masestro, Eric Clapton and many others. Any surface sounds barely even registered. Overall an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly challenging album with no tracking issues*. Reeds, strings, percussion and vocals are all fully focused, totally sharp and clear with no clipping or sound degrading and this will test out even the quality systems, this album deserves the best. Few copies will match or outperform this early original pressing significantly I feel sure. I am certain both records have been played only lightly. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these two vintage records. This set will prove difficult to find significantly better and merits strong 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 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’.