KILLING FLOOR - 1969 - "Killing Floor"

$

26

OVERVIEW

SYNOPSIS

The principal players in the South London-based band Killing Floor originally met while playing in a blues band called the Loop. During the British blues boom of 1968-1969, lead guitarist Mick Clarke and vocalist/harmonica player Bill Thorndycraft decided to form a "straight blues" group, recruiting prospective members from the classified pages of Melody Maker. Joining them were piano player Lou Martin, bassist Stuart MacDonald, and drummer Bazz Smith. Taking their name from Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" (Wolf's cover was itself a version of Robert Johnson's "The Lemon Song"), the band played just one gig before ex-Radio Caroline DJ and ardent blues fanatic John Edward offered to manage them. Edward's connection with the Southern Music publishing company led to them signing with Southern's Spark Records imprint. The band was booked into Pye Recording Studios and withEdward aboard as "producer," they recorded their self-titled debut in 12 days' time. Most of the material was re-configured Chicago blues classics, except for a cover of Willie Dixon's "You Need Love."Killing Floor was released in the U.S. on new London subsidiary Sire. Meanwhile, Edward booked the band gigs at Dunstable's California Ballroom, where they supported Ten Years After, Jethro Tull,Chicken Shack, and the Herd, to name a few. He also helped them get gigs at the Marquee, where they supported Yes and the Nice, and in 1969, they also toured with Texas bluesman Freddy King on two U.K. tours, which helped further their growing reputation.

The band also appeared on all the contemporary British radio rock shows and toured solidly around the U.K. Lou Martin left after the release of Killing Floor and a handful of BBC Radio sessions and the group continued as a four-piece band. There were additional lineup changes in 1970-1971, at which point the group included ex-Juicy Lucy vocalist Ray Owen, drummer Rod D'Ath, and bassist Mick Hawksworth (ex-Fuzzy Duck/Andromeda/Ten Years Later). A second Killing Floor album, Out of Uranus, was released in 1971 on Penny Farthing Records, this time with executive producer/label honcho and the Troggs' manager Larry Page overseeing the sessions. By mid-1972, Killing Floorhad disbanded. The various members became Toe Fat and began backing Cliff Bennett.Thorndycraft retired from music and Bazz Smith continued to play in jazz trios. McDonald formed a band called Peace (with ex-Free vocalist Paul Rodgers) before returning to his native Wales and playing in local bands. Former piano player Martin joined Rory Gallagher's band, toured with Chuck Berry, and later played with Blues 'N' Trouble. In 1974, guitarist Mick Clarke formed legendary pub rockers S.A.L.T. with "Little" Stevie Smith. In 1983, he had his own group, the Mick Clarke Band, who have released numerous LPs. Both Killing Floor albums have been reissued by Repertoire Records and See for Miles (the first album was retitled Rock the Blues). In 2002-2003 the original 1968 lineup of the band reassembled to record the album Zero Tolerance (the first new Killing Floorrecording in over 30 years), released by the Appaloosa label in 2004. They have appeared in concert in Europe since then, and started work on their fourth album in 2011..*

* per AllMusic.com

PAYMENTS

Payment Process: Following auction's completion, eBay will forward a draft invoice to the buyer. If there is only one purchased item from this transaction then the buyer can make payment from this draft invoice. If there are multiple items purchased then the seller will need to initiate a revised invoice that will reflect the lower combined shipping costs for the buyer. The buyer should advise the seller of this situation so it is not inadvertently overlooked. 

Payment Method: PayPal is the required payment method as it is the quickest and most efficient process for both buyer and seller

Payment Deadline: Seller has thoughtfully committed to ship within one day following payment so it would be appreciated if buyer would reciprocate with payment by one day following receipt of invoice. A final payment deadline is 72 hours from delivery of invoice.

SHIPPING

Shipping & Handling (S&H) Fee Disclosure: A transaction fee of $1.40 is applied for the safe delivery of your purchase. It is solely for reimbursement for (1) specialized mailers, (2) polyurethane jacket sleeve and inner sleeve if needed and delivery confirmation. Please keep this in mind when considering the total shipping costs.  

Postal Calculation: I use the eBay/USPS postage calculator tool to determine postage costs. This tool determines postage based on destination, shipping type, weight, options, and S&H fee.

Packing Procedure & Precautions: Many buyers inquire about product packaging which is understandable. My process is as follows: (1) Remove vinyl and inner sleeve from jacket, (2) Insert jacket into polyurethane sleeve, (3) Insert inner sleeve with vinyl into the polyurethane sleeve outside of the jacket in order to prevent seam splits caused by movement in transit, (4) protected item is then packed & shipped in a 200 lb. test "bend resistant" corrugated cardboard mailer along with any material necessary to ensure that movement of record does not shift inside the mailer. 

Shipping options: Buyer decides which shipping method he desires. For domestic shipping it normally is either the less expensive media mail or the more dependable, quicker and traceable Priority Mail. In the situation of International shipping factors are still the same with the choices being the less expensive First Class International or the more dependable, quicker and traceable Priority International Mail. 

RETURNS

Buyers have fourteen (14) days, from delivery date, to exercise return option of a return. Vinyl collectors & enthusiasts are well aware that grading is an extremely subjective determination and in the end is simply just one persons opinion. A difference of opinion on a vinyl's "Proper" or "Correct" grade (e.g. a listed VG++ item thought to be a VG+ by the buyer) is a difficult to agree on. I make a concerted effort to avoid this situation, and grade conservatively in order to avoid this situation. I grade with absolutely NO intention of misleading or taking advantage of any buyer. 

That being the case, returns are normally accepted for objective reasons such as: (1) advertised as sealed but was received as an opened item or (2) advertised as original release yet identified as a reissue. For these provable claims I gladly accept returns. In a situation where the buyer believes that there was a grave error in the grading of an item, I am still open to an amicable resolution as we are all in this game together. 

For any return, as noted in the "Returns Policy", the buyer is responsible for the cost to return any item to to the seller with return being made in the same box that was used to ship to the buyer. After the product return is validated then I will initiate applicable refund.  

If an item is not received, please check with your local post office as in a majority of cases these items can be found there. If the item is delivered damaged, it is imperative that you address this issue with YOUR local postal service.

GRADING SCALE

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please remember that any record graded below a Mint, or Near Mint, will obviously have marks on the vinyl and/or jacket . otherwise they too would be graded Mint, or Near Mint. Marks on a piece of vinyl can be disturbing but on the other hand they can be unheard. If I see any marks that may impact a listeners sound quality I will play grade the vinyl to ensure that the marks do not result in any deterioration of the sound quality. My priority, for all buyers, is to ensure a pleasant listening experience and that you are content with your purchase. I will advise if there are marks that absolutely do not impact the sound quality so that you can rest assured when you open the album. Please keep in mind that I could also miss something but I surely will not leave you hanging. My feedback record obviously reflects that I work with everyone successfully. 

Vinyl is normally visually graded, except for above, primarily due to time constraints and the sheer volume (thousands) of records being graded. I am selling off my personal collection as this is NOT a business where I buy and sell. I use very bright lights & magnifiers to search for flaws ensuring that no over-grading occurs. The grading scale is as follows:

Mint (M): Still Sealed, if opened the grading should not reflect Mint.

Near Mint (NM):  Looks as though it just came from the retail store and was opened for the very first time (i.e. nearly perfect). Shiny vinyl with no visible defects such as writing, stickers, markings on either jacket or vinyl. Near Mint records do not have to be one that has never been played because used record that have been played multiple times can also be Near Mint providing that they have been properly cared for during its' life.  

Excellent (EX) Looks like a Near Mint at first glance but upon thorough exam a minimal blemish or mark may be noted. As a Near Mint is in perfect condition, this grade is just a small step down in the grading scale. An jacket saw cut. corner cut or punch hole will result in the nicest looking jacket having to be downgraded to Excellent due to these flaws.

Very Good Plus (VG+): Shows slight signs of wear, including scuffs or light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound and minor signs of handling will fall into this category. Telltale marks around the center hole, from repeated playing may have enlarged or damaged the hole and may be visible. Light ring wear or discoloration, can be noted but should not be overwhelming. Very Good + jackets should have minor wear such as a very minor seam wear or split (less than 1"long) at one of the seams (normally the bottom seam which is most vulnerable. A Very Good + may have some jacket defacing such as cut-out markings which can be either a circular hole punch, a cut corner or a saw cut. 

Very Good (VG):  Shows more obvious flaws than the above. They may lack the original gloss found on factory fresh records, groove wear is evident as are light scratches that may be deep enough to feel with a fingernail. The Very Good record could have minor surface noise and some scratches may be audible most likely in the intros and the empty space between songs but not at a level that would overpower the music. Minor writing, tape or sticker may exist on the jacket and/or label. These records will still remain a fine listening experience.