PETE BROWN & HIS BATTERED ORNAMENTS A Meal You Can Shake Hands With… RARE UK LP

	£		210
	$		278

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 arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing 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 ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to 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.

Artist or Band: PETE BROWN and HIS BATTERED ORNAMENTS

Album Title: A Meal You Can Shake Hands With in the Dark

Producer(s): Andrew King & Dick Heckstall-Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Dark Lady; The Old Man; Station Song; The Politican.

Side 2: Rainy Taxi Girl; Morning Call; Sandcastle; Travelling Blues.

Label/Format: Harvest – original first issue format with no EMI logo, Gramophone text on the rims. And the most important, ‘Solid in UK…’ text near the top left in four lines (Please see my label scan and picture).

Label Conditions: Both look fantastic: very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle marks very few, light and faint. This rare early Harvest gem appears very little played.

Cat Number: SHVL 752.

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: 144 grams. Above average for it’s era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity & Special Notes: Rare: it’s debatable which is the rarest Harvest rock album from the very first 1968 Deep Purple ‘Book of Taliesyn’ onwards. Most would say ‘Jo Sago’ by Tea and Symphony and that is probably correct. But this first album by Pete Brown, the famed Cream lyricist is not too far behind. It sold in small numbers and has always been elusive and difficult to find, the same goes for all his others being honest. Even harder to find in fine condition, this one appears little played and most plays terrific.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: SHVL 752 A-2 / SHVL 752 B-2

Mothers / Stampers: 1 M / 1 G [the ‘G’ stamper the most prized being the ultimate first in the pressing sequence]

Musicians: Pete Brown - lead vocals, trumpet, slide whistle, talking drum; Nisar Ahmed Khan - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, flute; Chris Spedding - lead guitar, slide guitar, piano, Portuguese chittarra; Charlie Hart - organ, mourth organ; Pete Bailey - congas, African drum, assorted percussion; Butch Potter - bass guitar, banjo; Rob Tait- drum; Dick Heckstall-Smith - tenor saxophones.

Brief Info: An absolutely brilliant and one of the earliest Harvest ‘rock’ albums made. It sold in tiny numbers and both label variant pressings are equally difficult to find, this being the ultimate first and most prized. Inventive and totally unique, no other album sounds anything like this. Brown, the famed Cream lyricist is let loose with The Battered Ornaments, but only briefly, he was dismissed soon after this legendary recording and joined Pibloko. No great singer, but his use of words is wonderful and at times amusing. His love of the word ‘baby’ for woman is very 1960s and he does he use if often. At times he sounds wonderfully spaced-out. The backing by the Battered Ornaments is superb with a really jazzy mind-fest and brilliant lyrics. ‘The Politician’ has to be the most bizarre song this label ever produced, it’s simply hilarious with very risque lyrics. A totally unique experience with Brown in overdrive and almost out-of-control, this is one of my favourite early Harvest albums. At least one in hardly played and mostly clean condition. A little impurity is seen within the vinyl and a little very gentle surface sound is heard on the first song on side two, but little else throughout the set. That purely within the pressing and many will be the same (or likely worse). I have had this album now four times in over 13 years of Ebay trading, none have ever been perfect. As far as these go for me, this is probably my best yet. One of the rarest Harvest albums, all three he made on the label are elusive and seldom surface, especialy this clean. I regard this as one of the ‘lost’ prog Harvest classics. Quite a long album too, but you simply will not want it to end – this is Brown at his excentric best and my personal favourite of his – YEAH BABBBYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and looks even better, this grading being very critical. A gatefold format with front and back laminate. The inside is matt, smooth finished. Printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day.

Lamination – Front & Back: Both sides retain superb shine, freshness and clarity and are fully adhered with no lifting or blisters. Just one quite fine laminate crease on the back near the top edge, but with normal full-on viewing, it hardly even shows. Any others are just very fine edge types and few of those either. Even under angled light, barely any friction rubs of dulling and that rich intense red front artwork will rarely be seen better. The very left edge of the back where the laminate ends naturally short of full width, is clean, but pale, possibly faded, hence my quite cautious grading, but little detracts from either side that for a cover at least 44-years-old, looks magnificent.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Again, very impressive with little to fault at all, any grubbiness to the white cartoon strip is very light and faint indeed, it retains fine freshness and high good looks.

Top Edges: Both appear very straight, neat and with hardly any wear. The back centre had a fine and neat movement split which I very neatly repaired to stop any chance of it widening. This repair went very well indeed, done by myself and it has minimal visibility, but being an honest dealer, I will mention any such issues.

Bottom Edges: Both practically as made, superbly straight and unworn without even a laminate scuff.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly quite sharp with little real wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on the back edge. Very lightly thickened with odd burr trace viewed end-on, but flat and flush.

Spine and Text: A fantastic spine: solid, very straight with no compression. This has not formed a central crease, hence the immaculate text has NOT sunken and looks terrific (as seen in close-up). Folded square so the edges are flush and parallel, the spine retains practically all it’s laminate with any peeling or chipping minuscule. They rarely will be seen better on any available copy.

Corners: Small tip rubs on the top right pair, little on the others. Very fine shape retained with no dinks or knocks (or tip-ins).

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this genuinely rare late 1960’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better with any blemishes light. This visually very pleasing sleeve should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a plain white solid unlined inner. Hardly aged and very neat with no creasing and minimal discolour. Just gentle natural rim impression and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: arguably better with any dulling within the pressing itself, and not so unusual on these poorer and potentially low-selling albums. Still a very fine visual copy that is clean with decent shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed. Maybe not the purest vinyl, but all would be same, but overall, sound quality is largely unaffected with just a little gentle surface sound on ‘Rainy Taxi Girl’. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface trace marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. 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 quite ‘out-there’ Harvest classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with little 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 are minimal, but some gentle heard on the first song of side two as mentioned a couple of times already. This being played on a very revealing Linn LP12 which leaves no stone unturned, overall this record plays very well indeed. Few available copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Few 1 Gs are seen or offered, the 1 M also very early and fourth in the sequence. 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, if indeed anything really spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, a little gentle surface sound is hardly unusual for a 44-year-old vinyl record, let’s be honest. With most of these rare classics ruined or written-off by old worn out heavy tracking stylus, few will survive better. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended unless perfection is mandatory – and good luck trying to find that on such titles.

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’.