MANFRED MANN's EARTH BAND Solar Fire SCARCE ORIG UK 1973 EX++ LP. SUPERB EXAMPLE

	£		78
	$		103

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 will now be blocked 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: MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND

Album Title: Solar Fire.

Producer(s): Manfred Mann.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Father of Day, Father of Night; In the Beginning, Darkness; Pluto The Dog.

Side 2: Solar Fire; Saturn, Lord of the Ring – Mercury, The Winged Messener; Earth, The Circle Part 2; Earth The Circle Part 1.

Label/Format: Bronze – The ‘Age of Man’ format with the original Island ILPS prefix number. These have matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both little short of immaculate: ultra clean, fresh and attractive with just one or two very faint spindle traces, look hard to even see them. This a top pressing as well with superb, practically perfect sound.

Cat Number: ILPS 9265.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 135 grams. A very good weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderately scarce: ILPS copies with superb sound, cover and inner are far harder to find.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9265 A-2 / ILPS 9265 B-1U [punched and clear]

Mothers / Stampers: 1 RR / 1 H

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘Bilbo’ [on side two]

Musicians: Colin Pattenden – bass; Chris Slade – drums and vibes; Manfred Mann – organ, synthesiser, vocals and Mick Rogers – vocals, guitar.

Brief Artist & Album Info: After 1960s pop and psychedelia, and then a brief excursion into jazz-rock on Vertigo, Manfred Mann formed his Earth Band that now played progressive rock and this album is his true classic. A brilliant album based on the planets, this has always been my personal favourite within this man’s catalogue – but he did a host of gems with the band. From the very opening seconds of the first track the brilliance of the album is apparent: the delicate, haunting choral vocals for Dylan’s classic ‘Father of Day: Father of Night’ fades in before the full band kicks-in hard. No progressive rock lover can fail to enjoy this fabulous album. The Dylan song is totally reworked into a lengthy prog-rock classic. When reviewed in the ‘Record Collector’ monthly in the Island (and related label) reviews, the critic rated this album as his favourite of all time. I can hardly believe myself the age of this album, but yes, it’s over 41 years old. This is a very strong copy, the wear-prone cover has hardly any, the inner sleeve unsplit and the record offering nigh-on perfect sound. Manfred Mann clearly more at-home with rock rather than jazz, this album more than proves that beyond any dispute.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): and in real terms, it looks even better, this only marked down a little for record impression on the back (but this has NOT rubbed). An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Manufactured and distributed in England by Island Records Ltd, included the graphic/lyric inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Beautiful with deep vivid colour that just oozes freshness. Ultra clean with barely even a hint of rubbing or creasing, a gentle hint or record impression seen under light, this being critical on a magnificent looking cover front.

Cover Back: There is record impression, but this has NOT rubbed to form ringwear, so this back looks almost as lovely as the front with barely any real wear at all. The lack of creasing again very good news. Just a tiny burr on the left opening edge near the top.

Cover Inner Gatefold: In terms of wear or ageing, barely anything again, just very slight record impression again.

Top Edges: Both barely worn and still quite straight.

Bottom Edges: Largely the same again, a fine rub on the back near the right corner.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front is tucked and folded with a real edge, this is unworn. The back entrance edges are sharp with barely a trace of any wear and are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. Just the aforementioned tiny burr on the back.

Spine and Text: Solid, not quite straight with no compression and folded square. All text present and unworn and the surface and folds unrubbed and ultra clean, also unfaded. I know for a fact this cover’s spine is prone to fading, so it’s avoidance is a considerable plus. Not being quite straight is the only minor issue of any note at all, this is a lovely spine.

Corners: Any tip rubs are very small and excellent to practically mint shape retained.

Cover Summary: Lovely cover, and in terms of real wear, this has barely any and certainly the least I have seen for many years. Just the unrubbed record impression on the back stops a Mint(–) grade, this one will still take a huge amount of beating.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): light rim impression again but little else to fault. This also has the matching ILPS Island catalogue number prefix, printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd. An unlined thin card inner sleeve, never too surface friendly for records. This with a matt finish, hence the black lyric side is very prone to fingermarking, but has barely any at all. Hardly creased, clean and fresh, also ALL edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): very clean with fine shine and very solidly pressed. Slight light dull areas are seen (critically) within the pressing under bright angled light, but have no fears, this record is superbly pressed with brilliant sound throughout. Quite possibly the cleanest sounding example I have had to offer. Any surface traces ultra fine, few and faint and without any doubt a copy barely even played. As stated, the unlined card inner never surface friendly, but this has little to fault. Visually a very fine record that should please many, if not most collectors again.

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 prog classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong sound and production, devoid of distortion with all frequencies sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very rich and detailed sound. Any surface sounds hardly even registered and one to give your system a good workout. The very opening to side one is ultra delicate and quiet with a gentle choral opening and this plays beautifully before the band kicks in. I have in the past seen this delicate intro with scratches from careless stylus placement which would ruin this ethereal opening. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this prog-rock classic. Titles do not have to be ultra rare or worth a fortune to be good – on the contrary – the better albums sold more and this one justifiably did well. That said, this copy will prove very difficult to find better and can be strongly recommended. All elements of this ILPS-Bronze set will be hard to find better.

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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 ask 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] = £4.75

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]) = £12.50 (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]) = £16.50 (£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’.