KEVIN AYERS Bananamour SCARCE Orig UK Harvest 1973 LP

	£		57
	$		76

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: KEVIN AYERS

Album Title: Bananamour.

Producer(s): Kevin Ayers.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Don’t Let it Get You Down (For Rachel); Shouting in a Bucket Blues; When Your Parents Go to Sleep; Interview; Internotional Anthem.

Side 2: Decadence; Oh! Wot a Dream; Hymn; Beware of the Dog.

Label/Format: Harvest – original format with ‘The Gramophone Co Ltd’ on the label rims. Also ‘The Gramophone Company Limited’ text at the 9 o’clock position. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only one or two very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: SHVL 807.

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: 133 grams. A very good weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Originals are moderately scarce especially in fine condition. The cover is incredibly wear-prone and is rarely seen without significant wear – this is one has some light rubs on the back which my camera flash has actually over-empahsised. Special mention must be made on a booklet that (possibly) came with a tiny (TINY) few initial pressings. This seems a little uncertain due to it’s massive rarity. It may have even been a promotional booklet or only available with ‘demo’ copies. For sure it remains one of rock’s rarest ever inserts and will be rarely ever seen or offered. It had 16 pages and it’s a lovely item. Although listed in the price guides with the book at crazy, almost ridiculously low values, making such a copy seem achieveable, the truth is, the book is one of the rarest inserts ever made. Just about everyone I have asked about this have never seen one before and many even doubt if it even exists. Well it DOES, I actually acquired one around three years ago (at vast cost) and decided to make a repro for myself. I know of only two people, both very serious collectors who actually own an original, and the times I have seen this album on ‘wants lists’ with the book is almost countless, proof itself this book is close to impossible to find. So with this very early-pressed copy of this record I include a repro of the original booklet as a FREE example to the winning bidder to make this album like complete. You, the collector are bidding on the album itself, nothing else, this is a giveaway book, made very slightly smaller than the original. Finding the original book is truly a near impossible task, and that is using the word ‘impossible’ in it’s correct context. Why the price guides are misleading people into thinking a ‘Bananamour’ book is only a scarce item is beyond me. A couple of dealer friends have told me this book can now change hands for £1,000+ should one ever be found. When was the last time anyone actually saw one?

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: SHVL 807 A-3 / SHVL 807 B-3

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 M / 1 A [a very early pressing]

Musicians: Kevin Ayers – Guitar, Vocals; Archie Legget – Bass, harmony vocals; Eddie Sparrow – Drums; Steve Hillage – Lead Guitar; Mike Ratledge – Organ; Robert Wyatt – Harmony Vocal; David Bedford – Orchestral Arrangement; Howie Casey – Tenor Saxophone; Dave Caswell – Trumpet; Tristan Fry – Cymbal; Lyle Jenkins – Baritone Saxophone; Ronnie Price – Piano; Barry St. John – Vocals; Liza Strike – Vocals; Doris Troy – Vocals.

Brief Info: The former Soft Machine man, this was Ayers fourth ‘solo’ album that ended his first series of Harvest titles. This being slightly more accessible than his more experimental early works and including some lovely haunting songs that pays tributes to Nico (Decadence), the pivitol track on the album and ‘Oh! Wot A Dream’, for Syd Barrett (both featured in the book). Now with a new band, this has a different sound but Ayers distinctive vocals are dominant throughout. This copy does NOT include an original book and only one in many thousands (or less) ever will. What is included is a FREE repro version taken from the original, just a little piece of icing on the cake for the winning bidder. The book has pictures of Nico and Syd Barrett with some interesting artwork. This is superbly printed to professional standard and stapled but is made slightly smaller than the original – and I think it actually looks better than the real thing.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High++. Within the Harvest catalogue, few are more wear-prone than this. The deep purple ink is totally unforgiving and most seen are badly rubbed and ringworn. This one is not perfect as explained below, but still above average.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated matt gatefold format with the front and back quite heavily textured. The inside is smooth. The outer card is quite soft and intensely coloured thus prone to just about everything time and bad storage has to offer. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. Includes a superb reproduction of the impossibly rare book.

Cover Front: An attractive front with incredible deep, rich colour. This has very little to fault with minimal traces of marks or rubbing and hardly a creasse to be seen but the odd ultra fine and faint edge hairline or two. Any tiny rub traces are seen (just) hear the very edges and the lack speckle and sticker marks is always a bonus.

Cover Back: The back is even more prone to wear as the record rests against the back card. Hence ringwear is so often rife on most examples. This has minimal traces with only very mild rim impression near the top edge area. There are a few light rub marks here and there but these are very over-emphasised by my camera flash and seen for real, they show very little. Again, few creases and retaining rich colour and even a high degree of freshness. For such an ungiving surface, both sides look quite impressive.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Apart from small corner tip rubs, there is little else to fault.

Top Edges: Any rub or chip traces are tiny, very few and faint, both remain straight.

Bottom Edges: Very small and light traces of patchy rubbing. Given these are the usual storage edges, few will show much less wear than this.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The closed front is near perfect, neat and crisp. The back entrance is a little thickened with minor burr traces as seen viewed end-on. Quite neat for a difficult working area and both are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Solid, quite straight with any compression mild but a little tilt to the right that few will avoid totally. Folded quite straight, any misalignment of the edges is tiny. There is hardly any rubbing to this vulnerable edge, the odd small chip or two and even the folds retain nigh-on full ink cover – and there are NO tip-ins. One of the few I have seen with all the text fully present and unworn – please see my close-up picture.

Corners: Mainly small tip rubs which on a cover this intensely coloured with soft card will rarely ever be avoided. Fine to very fine shape is retained and the vulnerable spine pair both quite neat especially.

Cover Summary: Not perfect, few ever will be, but still a nice looking example. Not for the perfectionist but many collectors will enjoy it. This includes the plain white unlined inner which has aged little and has little creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

The Book: Originals are rare beyond belief and command huge prices (if you can even find one). This is NOT an original but made from the original but at a slightly smaller size. You are NOT bidding on this book, it’s FREE to the winning bidder and it’s fantastic and actually looking better than the original. Sixteen pages and the perfect enhancement for this impressive record. Being honest, if I did not state this is a repro, many would think it was the real thing, it is really that good. Stapled and made to the highest standards, this repro book is probably as near as you will ever get to seeing the genuine article. Quite why so few of these were ever put out with the records I do not know, but most-all of the few that were printed have been lost in the vaults of time.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: under bright angled light some very fine and faint surface marks are seen but NO penetrating scratches at all. Hardly unusual for a record this great age. Still a very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy modestly played on all the evidence. One that will please many collectors but not the visual perfectionists.

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 very enjoyable Harvest record plays even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. 1973 was not a vintage year for quality pressings with many companies recycling vinyl and pressing very thin records to save oil, often resulting in noisy inferior sound. This sounds impressive with 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 very gentle and very infrequent, no pops or significant clicks were noted and overall, a very fine pressing. Kevin Ayers albums are critically revealing and often they have surface sounds or even mild distortions, this has avoided these issues and is superbly produced by the man himself. Even the heavy brass parts are fully focused, precise and sharp with no clipping. Few copies will outperform it to any major degree I feel certain. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this possibly still under-appreciated album. This copy will prove difficult to find better and merits strong recommendation. The book is a super plus for the winning bidder and as finding the a real one is nigh-on impossible.

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 Terrarium 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 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 stiffeners 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 8,000+ items sold in over 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 2 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). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, 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 and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). 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] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 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 (£17 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’.