KING CRIMSON In The Court of the Crimson King RARE CONTRACT PRESS TEXTURED LABEL

	£		112
	$		148

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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: KING CRIMSON

Album Title: In the Court of the Crimson King

Producer(s): King Crimson

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: 21st Century Schizoid Man (including Mirrors); I Talk to the Wind; Epitaph (including a: March for No Reason and b: Tomorrow and Tomorrow).

Side 2: Moonchild (including a: The Dream and b: The Illusion); The Court of the Crimson King (including a: The Return of the Fire Witch and b: The Dance of the Puppets).

Label/Format/Info & Rarity: Island, with the rarer heavily textured pink rim format. Also a heavier contract pressing by Pye. An elusive early variant that was pressed in relatively small numbers. This was a one-off pressing by this company – a textured pink i pressing also exists, but the matrixes confirm a Philips pressing. Philips and EMI pressings of this album are relatively common, even the first pink i issue – this album sold well. This particular, and far more elusive pressing, in my opinion has more detail and clarity than others. The Mellotron on the title song that kicks in after the quiet flute passage then drums, seems more forward in the mix, clearer and pronounced. You can hear the eerie keyboard synthesiser more clearly and more upfront – the mix itself may even be slightly different – that a subjective opinion, and not definitive. It still includes the E. J. Day imprint on the cover that was soon dropped or changed to Robor on the standard pink rim repressings. Combine that with a copy appearing little played and offering very impressive clean sound – even on the impossibly difficult ‘Moonchild’, that plays as well as I have heard in ages. The deeply coloured artwork cover also in beautiful condition as-seen. A massively difficult album, and one of the greatest, classic pioneering prog-rock albums of all-time, this largely invented the British progressive rock scene. Do not under-estimate the rarity and significance of this pressing that is seldom seen of offered.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only very light, equally few, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Any traces of handling minimal. Note that very deep inner ring ridge and the detail on the heavily textured deeply coloured surfaces.

Catalogue Number: ILPS 9111

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: 155 grams. A heavyweight pressing, way heavier than the EMI and Philips pressings. Pye pressings can be variable, but this one plays very well indeed with ultimate dynamics and detail stored within these deep grooves.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: The album’s rarity is arguably over-blown, even first issues are not that hard to find. Condition is the main factor for any copy. This is a massively complex album with the information and varying volume of the music easily damaged by vintage heavy-tracking record players – often trashed by worn old stylus, often thick mono ones. It is ruthlessly unforgiving, thus many have unlistenable levels of surface noise, groove wear, pops and clicks. Loss of clarity is common, even on copies that appear clean. This heavyweight Pye pressing looks little used, the sound fully intact and has amongst the least contact or surface sound I have heard for some time. Yes, a copy that can be played and enjoyed somewhere very close to the maximum. For the more sensitive listener who own higher-end hi-fi systems, this particular pressing carries more detail and openness from the deep wide grooves. Avoiding the odd sporadic tick or crackle trace on the very quiet passages – which just so happens to be almost the entirety of ‘Moonchild’ – is nigh-on impossible. But this has few and then light, with no repetitive clicks, distortion or pressing noises. You will be aware it’s a vinyl record being played of course, the odd polite reminder of the fact is almost the very least to be expected. But this was a joy to play-grade. As stated, the sound on this pressing seems more forward and detailed – not all copies of this record are the same – fact. Not only do the heavily textured labels look gorgeous, this is a unique pressing variant for fans and serious collectors. The intensely coloured E. J. Day cover was also only available for the earlier copies – this one from 1970 – only for the briefest time in very limited numbers. The smooth, lighter EMI pressing was soon to follow. These do not surface often, and rarely much bette these days.

Original Year of Release: 1969. This Pye heavyweight textured label variant in 1970.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9111 + A3 / ILPS 9111 + B3 [these machine punched and distinctively different from the other manufacturer’s style as shown in close-up].

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘PORKY’ / ‘PECKO’ [these quality credits also rarely seen on both sides of the run-out grooves]

Musicians: Robert Fripp – electric and acoustic guitars, production; Michael Giles – drums, percussion, backing vocals; Greg Lake – lead vocals, bass guitar; Ian McDonald – woodwinds (saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet), keyboards (Mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ), vibraphone, backing vocals; Peter Sinfield – lyrics.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Subtitled: ‘an Observation by King Crimson’, this was arguably the birth of British progressive rock and rarely, if ever, was this pioneering album ever matched or bettered. Issued back in 1969, this actually charted at 5 in the UK and it’s rarity on the pink label is so often exaggerated. An album of musical brilliance, nothing had been heard quite like this before. Even the cover design and artwork was quite radical and visually stunning, it can hardly go unnoticed. It was designed and created by Barry Godber. A somewhat sad story, it was his only record cover, as he died at the age of 24. His legacy to the world of rock, is one of the most famous and visually stunning covers of all-time. It just makes you what other amazing covers he could have produced?

The excellence of the music lay within the band personnel with highly skilled and talented musicians. Comprising of just five songs, this groundbreaking, and at times ear shattering, rock masterpiece – an album that more than justifies this word – still sounds fresh and is still eagerly searched for as ever. It has to be a contender as one of the more difficult albums to find that plays well throughout, for me, far more significant than ‘rarity’. That said, all King Crimson albums are almost equally challenging. A record I have had several times on different label variations, imperfections are rarely avoided, some had varying degrees of surface sound and sometimes even pressing flaws – these are far from unusual, especially on the pink pressings – I will only offer clean copies, and this one easily qualifies. I have already described what this Pye pressed pink rim record offers. The sheer drama and power of the music excels. Wailing saxophones, delicate flute – wild guitar, then soft acoustic guitar – delicate cymbal work, then crashing drums and pulsating Mellotrons – manic distorted vocals, then gentle singing – this album has it all. Superb detail and resolution, this offers genuine excitement with little unwanted – but total silence is close to impossible. If that is demanded, the digital alternatives will offer that. But this is how the band wanted this classic to be experienced – and on a worthy system, it will leave you breathless.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): any wear slight, this more than merits this high grading. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by E. J. Day, includes a polylined white inner sleeve.

Cover Front: A strong contender as the greatest rock cover of all-time – it certainly attracts attention. Wear-prone and often ruined by rubbing, creasing, fading, ring wear, grubbiness and sticker damage – this cover has largely avoided such issues. This astonishing piece of artwork front looks fantastic with very little to fault at all. The colour is immense – there is no swapping for this record – it has the earliest E. J. Day imprint inside as seen in close-up, that cannot be altered. The odd small tip crease apart, there is hardly any other creasing on the front that also has no sticker issues. Barely rubbed, any marks or blemishes tiny, very few and faint with no pressing indentations. Take a look in close-up, this front withstands scrutiny and more than justifies the immense talent of the the late Barry Godber – one to hold and admire.

Cover Back: Again superb. Ring wear? – what ring wear? – this has totally avoided it, even rim impression has almost been avoided. The odd corner tip rub and very fine surface crease, that hardly register, this back will blow away most and is more than a match for the more dramatic front.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Gorgeous, there is barely anything to fault on either surface. More amazing artwork, again with lovely deep unaged colour as seen.

Top Edges: Both straight, flat and flush with hardly any hint of wear up to the right corner tips that have only tiny rubs.

Bottom Edges: Only light patchy rubbing, mostly on the back edge. Few storage edges for this original EJD cover will show less.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both clean, sharp (msotly very sharp) with very little thickening or burring, even as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on the back edge, all are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: A very impressive spine, possibly very gently lightened over time, but even that is debatable. Solid, straight with minimal compression and folded close to square, so the edges meet up very closely together and near parallel. Any tilt only gentle. All text is perfect and unworn, intensely black and very easy to read as seen. .

Corners: Mostly light, just one moderate, tip rubs with very fine to excellent shape retained with any dinks only light (bottom right).

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this unforgiving, classic cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a plain white heavy duty polylined inner, the typical ones used by Pye that are UK patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text. Two pristine undamaged window circles, the lining still quite clear. The paper lightly darkened to politely remind of age. Some crinkle and neat corner folds, these deliberate, often done to stop the record sliding out. All edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: arguably better, almost deserving the (+). A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and heavily pressed – few offer this substantial weight. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. Some wispy or fine superficial hairlines, there are no penetrating stylus scratches. The record very well pressed with no inherent faults, rasps or clarity loss. 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 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: This rare and elusive Pye pressed variant plays even above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality and production is immense with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed – yes, the odd sporadic tick or trace on ‘Moonchild’ or quiet passage – that is so hard to avoid totally, especially being played on very revealing equipment. Compared to many early copies, I consider this an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Few available copies will outperform this still very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Deep grooves, ultimate detail, this a rollercoaster ride in volume and intensity, the sonic delivery of the information will prove hard to find better. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Very little – and in context for one of rock’s most challenging albums – hardly anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* 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’.