PINK FLOYD Meddle RARER ORIG UK 1971 NO EMI 1st PRESS EX+ HARVEST LP – SUPERB

	£		207
	$		274

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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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible.

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.

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: PINK FLOYD

Album Title: Meddle

Producer(s): Pink Floyd

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: One of These Days; A Pillow of Winds; Fearless; San Tropez; Seamus.

Side 2: Echoes.

Label/Format: Harvest – matt, gently textured surfaces. This a first issue copy with ‘The Gramophone Co Ltd’ text on the rims. Second issue copies changed this to ‘EMI Records’ text.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle traces tiny and faint, barely even registering. This record appears hardly played and offers superb clean sound with (very unusually) very little unwanted. This a record with some very quiet passages and very inconsistent pressing quality, as most will know. Another from the one owner collection who usually put his initial ‘P’ on the labels as here (tiny, neat and very discrete at the 6 o’clock position. He bought the records, usually stored them in brand new Decca soft-lined inners, and protected the main sleeve in plastic protective covers. Most appear hardly played, then with utmost care, this another gem.

Country of Manufacture: England

Catalogue Number: SHVL 795

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: 137 grams. Above average, and very well pressed – a fact never to be taken for granted on this somewhat notorious record.

Rarity : UK copies are not hard to find per se, this proved a popular album. But this is no ordinary ‘first’ format issue. It includes the rarely seen A-3 and B-3 matrixes and side two has the highly prized ultimate first 1 G mother/stamper. Also hardly played copies and covers protected from new by one owner are rare.

But the main factor has always been condition and pressing quality. Variable would be to simplistic: a well-known factor for most collectors, especially ones of a similar age to myself who remember trying to get a decent pressing from new back in the day. Originally issued in the time of the great oil shortage of 1971, thus many records were pressed using recycled (label and all) or ‘mixed’ new and old vinyl. Thus sound quality suffered alarmingly with pressing noise and constant unwanted crackle. I remember clearly to this day, the first copy I ever bought had persistent moderate surface noise throughout the entire album, this was returned to the retailer and changed. The same result, this happened twice more – all were similar. I simply gave-up, the shop told me all were going to be the same from the batch available at the time. I have heard the same story from other buyers as well. This is not heresay or rumour, it is a stone-cold fact – this album is incredibly difficult to find that will offer clean sound throughout, the type more discerning and audiophile listeners want. So it is always with caution and trepidation I play-grade any copy of this album (and ALL I offer), no matter what pressing or how it looks. This one did not disappoint, and these days my analogue equipment is massively more revealing than back in the early 1970s when I was a prog-rock loving teenager. A first format label copy as seen, this one appears not to be pressed with inferior or recycled vinyl. I will never state any copy of this album plays ‘silent’, that would be foolhardy and ambitious, but this lacks the ruinous crackle many offer. Just the odd sporadic tick here-and-there, very few indeed, this off-the-scale better than most copies I have heard before. I will never offer any record I am not happy to enjoy myself, and this I certainly did enjoy. Most of the cleaner ‘Meddle’s’ I have offered over the years have been later copies that were very thinnly pressed. But a first issue format copy this clean is just so difficult to find like this. Not only that, the one owner from new cover protected the main sleeve, thus that is exceptional as well. Again, most of these are seen tatty, rubbed, badly aged and ring worn – just look at the pictures, this is superb and a contender for the one of the very best I have ever seen. For collectors wanting a ‘Gramophone’ rim pressing with weight and mostly very clean sound, look no further. Both record and cover could offer major upgrades and a rare opportunity.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: SHVL 795 A-3 / SHVL 795 B-3 [deep, quite large and clear machine punched matrixes, these are rarer and less mass-produced than the other ‘first’ issue variants, of which there are plenty]

Mothers / Stampers: 3 RP / 1 G [yes a 1 G very first mother and stamper on side 2, that rarely seen on any Pink Floyd album]

Musicians: David Gilmour – guitar, bass, lead vocals, harmonica; Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals and guitar; Richard Wright – hammond organ, piano, vocals; Nick Mason – drums, percussion, vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Most interested Floyd, Harvest and prog collectors will know all about this classic album already, suffice to say, it’s a delicately beautiful record in all departments. Very quiet intros to both sides, equally quiet passages in the sublime ‘Echoes’, this record takes no prisoners in hiding blemishes and defects, so a cleaner pressed album becomes even more crucial. As stated above, these are something of a lottery, and the majority can, and often will disappoint, thus a full-play becomes even more essential. This has very fine clean sound and detail, any blemishes few and faint with little more than the odd minor sporadic tick here-and-there. Almost the least to be expected from a record that does not have a great reputation for pressing quality (at this time anyway). The fact both the record’s playing surfaces are so clean with any visual blemishes equally few – one light surface mark on side two does nothing. Also under light, its immediately apparent this is pressed with pure vinyl (e.g. no dulled or mottled visual impurities are present). Clearly that was a great start, but nothing is guaranteed until it’s played. Everything confirms this is pressed on high-quality vinyl and was a joy to listen to. Gone is the usual irritating crackle and contact sound many offer. Any pressing sound minuscule, practically none. Pressed considerably above average weight, this is a lovely record. The famous cover is superb as well, this textured outside, smooth inside – the consensus of opinion regards that format the very first – some were then fully textured. Soft, thin, textured card, a sure-fire recipe for all forms of wear and damage, this has hardly wear at all, even including the edges and especially the spine. For me, this is one of the greatest albums they ever made – still experimental and ‘progressive’, before they became all a little too commercial towards the end of the 1970s. If the odd tiny blemish is acceptable, and few will have less, this should please many, if not most collectors. It even has high upgrade potential, I have rarely seen a better cover or heard many few blemishes, that’s for sure.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): just a mild crease on the back bottom left stops Mint(–) grading. An unlaminated gatefold format with texturing on the outside, the inside is smooth. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and includes the Harvest promotional inner sleeve.

Cover Front & Back: The front is simply stunning, practically as-made with barely even a trace of rubbing, grubbiness or creasing. Unfaded graphics on both sides with no writing or sticker issues. The back especially lacking ring wear means a thing of beauty. The only blemish as mentioned above, is a fairly light crease near the bottom left corner of the back. This is not present on the inside, so this could have only occurred during manufacture, so a natural blemish, as is a very fine adhesive trace smear to its left which registers little. It is so rare to see these two surfaces with barely any real wear and both are truly exceptional as-seen.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little short of as-made, even lacking set-off where black ink rests upon white, there is no creasing or ageing to these splendid smooth surfaces.

Top Edges: Quite thin, but still straight, flat and parallel. The only tiny rub on the centre of the back.

Bottom Edges: Almost unbelieveably for storage edges, even better, both nigh-on perfect. Even the card end panels are crisp without burring or thickening, I doubt if any will be seen like this.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The closed front is clean and mostly very sharp. The back opening edges are also very neat indeed with any thickening minimal and light. All are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: A magnificent spine as-seen, this has no fading whatsoever, and retains the same deep colour as the main faces. A little wider spine than later versions, hence even more perilous. More often seen badly rubbed, flattened, even threadbare or split. This has barely any trace of wear or ageing at all. Uncrushed and quite upright with just a gentle hint of tilt to left, the surfaces and folds unrubbed, clean and fresh. All text present and nigh-on fully intact and unworn. I regard the spine on this cover exceptional, even the ends are barely rubbed.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and light, hardly any at all really. Superb near mint shape retained with no knocks or dinks.

Cover Summary: A fantastic example of this classic, and prog-rock’s most uncompromising covers. With so many seen grubby, torn, threadbare and tatty, this one on the other side of the cover spectrum, one to hold and enjoy. I have rarely seen one so fresh and clean, this totally defies its years. Yes, a light crease on the back, but little else to fault, it will please many, if not most collectors – definite upgrade potential for some.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): also in impressive condition with less ageing than most seen these days. Yes, this Harvest promotional inner sleeve has the usual darkening of the seam adhesive but not a great deal else. The polylining still intact, barely creased and no edge splits or repairs. A little light natural crinkle only. These were only quite briefly included with the early copies of this album, some had plain white inners.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++)/(+): a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite heavily pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface traces few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright light. Just one more visible fine mark on side two does nothing. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, little even registers. Visually a super record that should please many, if not most 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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quality, and better pressed -3/-3 pressed album 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 is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Certainly exceptional by many examples I have heard over time, I will not offer the typical crackly and noisy ones. Yes, it has the odd sporadic tick here-and-there, but with no many quiet passages and its known pressing inconsistencies, this is a lovely example. Few available copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. A ‘1 G’ mother/stamper never lies, it was the earliest in the EMI pressing order, these are seldom seen on the bigger selling albums. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored (cover protected) and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will 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. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. 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. 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 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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 17­ 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. 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’.