PRETTY THINGS SF Sorrow & Parachute N/M UK Harvest LPs

	£		57
	$		76

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: PRETTY THINGS

Album Title: S. F. Sorrow and Parachute.

Producer(s): Norman Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: S.F. Sorrow is Born; Bracelets of Fingers; She Says Good Morning; Private Sorrow; Balloon Burning; Death.

Side 2: Baron Saturday; The Journey; I See You; Well of Destiny; Trust; Old Man Going; Loneliest Person.

Side 3: Scene One; The Good Mr. Square; She Was Tall, She Was High; In the Square; The Letter; Rain; Miss Fay Regrets; Cries From the Midnight Circus.

Side 4: Grass; Sickle Clowns; She’s a Lover; What’s the Use; Parachute.

Label/Format: Harvest (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: All four in stunning conditions that truly remind of new. Ultra clean, fresh and highly attractive with just one or two tiny, super-faint spindle traces each side. A once played set that offers truly incredible sound that more than matches the first issues.

Cat Number: SHSP 4062.

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 these Records: 133 / 134 grams. These about average for it’s era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce and try to find one in better condition than this. Two sublime albums that offer pristine mint sound and you can imagine what originals would cost in this type of condition – ‘you pays your money… you takes your choice…’ – an old English saying.

Original Year of Release: 1975

Matrix Nos: YAX 3738-1 / YAX 3739-1 / SHVL 774 A-2 / SHVL 774 B-2 [side 4 error corrected]

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 H / 1 P / 1 GA / 1 H

Musicians: Phil May - vocals; Dick Taylor - lead guitar, vocals (S. F. Sorrow); John Povey - organ, sitar, percussion, vocals; Wally Allen - bass, guitar, vocals, winds, piano; Skip Alan - drums; John Alder (aka Twink) - drums; Vic Unitt - guitar (Parachute).

Brief Info: Two of the greatest albums from their era are reissued and packaged on Harvest. This was The Pretty Things sounding very different to previously with the issue of the near legendary ‘S. F. Sorrow’. An album that sold very poorly on Columbia and now massively sort after by collectors and it commands huge prices. Pre-dating The Who’s ‘Tommy’, this was the first ‘rock opera’ and it’s status within rock and progressive music has soared. ‘Parachute’ is more progressive still and was issued on Harvest from day one, this is an equally excellent album. This double set is simply stunning: played just once on all the evidence and both discs and cover would practically pass for new. Now many may think a reissued set would have lesser sound quality compared to an original. Well, forget it! – in these cases, both records offer absolutely stunning sound. ‘S. F. Sorrow’ simply blew me away, I could hardly believe the sound values within these totally unworn, barely even run-in grooves. It would be no exaggeration to say, if anyone wants a first issue of this album in this type of condition they would have to fork-out a huge sum. I am NOT advocating this reissue is better than a first, but believe me, with a blind listening test, no-one would ever know the difference – except this has NOTHING to fault whatsoever. Most originals would have been played on less than wonderful vintage equipment that left their marks freely and often ruined the fragile sound. Both records explode out of the system with clarity and quietness the originals can only dream [of in most cases]. Two mini-masterpieces that almost left me aghast. The revamped gatefold artwork cover is equally stunning and both inner sleeves are like new too. For rock and music fans who want to experience the two best Pretty Things albums (by a distance) in practically perfect analogue sound without the massive expense of the originals – look no further – they are here.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High: very dark gatefolds with no laminate protection are highly prone to all forms of wear and few avoid it.

Cover Grade and Format: MINT(-): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt finish. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse.

Cover Front & Back: Very clean and fresh looking with lovely rich colour retained with no rubbing. Minor record impression and odd tiny surface mark, tiny crease or handling trace, but try finding this better.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little short of pristine as made.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four unworn and very straight.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with barely wear and both guaranteed untrimmed. The odd tiny burr trace on what is very thin card. Records entered on these right outside edges.

Spine and Text: Absolutely pristine Mint as made: solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up perfectly together. All text is near perfect and unworn, this must never be taken for granted on such covers.

Corners: All crisp and very sharp and again will remind of new.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this very fragile mid-70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please most-all collectors.

The Inner Sleeves: MINT & EXCELLENT(++): these are the EMI unlined solid white inners. One has mild crease on the back, that apart, both like new. Still very white and unaged with all edges secure with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): a superb visual pair that are super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Any surface trace blemishes are ultra fine, few and faint and without any doubt both have hardly seen light-of-day. Visually super records that should please most-all 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: Both records play even above their high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is immensely high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and these are exceptional clean pressings for a fairly challenging albums. The production by Norman (‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn) Smith is sublime with incredible detail and stereo separation. All clear, sharp and precise, even that sound at the very end of ‘Parachute’ as the frequency starts low and ends up going up the scale until the human ear cannot even hear it, is pin-sharp and focused and devoid of unwanted break-up or noises. Few copies will match, let alone outperform this early Harvest issue I feel sure. I am certain both records have been played no more than twice, including my play-grade, and have been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing whatsoever spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these outstandingly well-pressed records. This set will prove immensely difficult to find better and merits my highest possible recommendation – as I said further up… ‘you pays your money, you takes your choice’ – no original will better these and that’s a promise.

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 QED Silver 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.

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.

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 stiffners 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

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 (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (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 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’.