MARTHA VELEZ Fiends & Angels Again UK Blue Horizon EX+

	£		138
	$		183

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: MARTHA VELEZ

Album Title: Fiends and Angels Again.

Producer(s): Mike Vernon.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: I’m Gonna Leave You; Swamp Man; A Fool For You; In My Girlish Days; Very Good Fandango; Tell Mama.

Side 2: Feel So Bad; Drive Me Daddy; It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry; Come Here Sweet Man; Let The Good Times Roll.

Label/Format/Condition: Blue Horizon – Two stunning examples of the most famous of blues labels. With hardly a spindle mark to be seen, both could almost pass as new (Please see my label scan).

Cat Number: S 7-63867.

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: 140 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: one of the most sort-after albums on this famous blues label.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: S7-63867-A1 / S7-638670-B1

Musicians: A special mention for the artists appearing on this album – quite possibly the greatest gathering of blues-rock talent ever to appear on any proper record excluding compilations. They were: Eric Clapton; Jack Bruce; Mitch Mitchell, Rick Hayward; Duster Bennett; Dave Bidwell; Andy Silvester; Stan Webb; Christine Perfect (later McVie); Peter Shelley; Paul Kossoff; Jim Capaldi; Chris Mercer; Johnny Almond; Jeff Condon; Chris Wood; Honk, Mick Weaver; Brian Auger, Keef Hartley; Gary Thain, Spit James; Terry Noonan; Bud Parkes; Derek Wadsworth.

Brief Info: Born Martha Carmen Josephine Hernandéz Rosario de Veléz, an American born of Puerto Rican descent. She has a classically trained voice and her vocals on this legendary album are quite extraordinary, at times sounding very similar to Janis Joplin. Highly charged and with great soul and emotion, this lady does not hold back and more than holds her own with the incredible backing line-up. Special mention for the short song, ‘Very Good Fandango’, where she sings unaccompanied in the most blistering, shrill operatic vocal you will ever hear on a non-classical record. This will prove the utmost test on pressing quality and more to the point, if the record has been subjected to damaging worn stylii in the past because this immensely intense and complex passage of sound will be easily destroyed by less than worthy equipment. I can state here it plays to perfection and totally controlled and pin-sharp. As does the rest of the album in fact, this has clearly been barely played and should delight all Blue Horizon collectors and blues connoisseurs. The only issue apart from minor cover wear is an original shop price-coded sticker (PRICE H). This looks to have been slightly picked at and maybe the owner decided against it. These matt finished covers were highly prone to sticker damage and it’s even possible it was removed and put on again. As I do not know the full history of this vintage album, I truthfully cannot say. My close-up of this sticker, allows this to be seen in detail. The codes were used in some shops instead of pricing the albums, the letter’s system had bands of value and could be changed globally instead of repricing individually. One of the greatest female blues albums ever issued and highly elusive, this is a very fine example with the record exceptional and it will never prove easy to find better.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+

Cover Grade and Format: An attractive EX(-) and of course featuring the original artwork, CD versions have a different design. This is an unlaminated single format cover and it was printed and made in England by Shorewood Packaging Co Ltd and has the patents pending text.

Cover Front: Another delicate gem and this one has a little wear and small blemishes but does still look very nice. Forty-year-old covers I feel have the right to show their age a little and few will look brand new these days, let’s be honest. The big issue is the sticker on the front, top right, I have taken a close-up of this. As stated, I think a removal was possibly tried and aborted or it was removed and then reapplied – I do not know. The main thing is, this front looks attractive and has far less wear than most that surface. With normal viewing, there is little to fault and the general lack of creasing is a major bonus on this slightly flimsy cover. A tiny few fine edge type only that barely even show. Light marks and minor rub traces are can be seen under light but normal viewing reveals little at all the this retains excellent colour with no ring marks from the record.

Cover Back: The back has a long scuff mark that has chipped the surface at the very beginning and end. The main length of this line mark shows very little with normal viewing but does under light again. There is some mildish grubbiness near the top edge and rub against the inside flipback. Again light surface blemishes under light and a trace of ringwewar near the top. Very little creasing or rubbing however and this back also looks fine all considered.

Top Edge: Moderate rubbing.

Bottom Edge: Less than moderate, more light+ rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear and no feathering, guaranteed no trimming. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine: Solid, straight, just a little mild compression. All text is perfect and unworn and it remains a good white colour with minimal ageing, the odd hairline crease only.

Corners: The tips have rubbed in context with their respective edge but all retain very decent shape.

Cover Summary: A highly respectable all round example of this fragile (and rare) early 70’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better. This still attractive item should please many collectors but clearly not the more discerning or perfectionists as my grading should make clear.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX+, A super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Just faint surface blemishes, a couple of ultra faint paper scuffs odd hairline or two – nothing sounds. A copy very lightly played on all the evidence. Visually a lovely record that should please most collectors. The record includes its plain white inner in lovely EX+ condition. A little age toning around the edges but little else to fault.

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 snippetts 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: One of the greatest white female blues voices ever put to record: this truly beautiful record plays even above its high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. 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 barely even registered and no noteworthy pops or clicks were noted. Few copies will outperform this ultimate first pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly. Nothing really spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This record will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. If the lower-grade cover or the uncertain sticker is an issue, do not bid, I have clearly mentioned what is in front of me, I can do no more.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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. 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 offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £12. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.