ROY HARPER Stormcock SCARCE Orig UK Harvest 71 EX+ LP

	£		185
	$		245

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: ROY HARPER

Album Title: Stormcock.

Producer(s): Peter Jenner.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Hors d’Oeuvres; The Same Old Rock.

Side 2: One Man Rock and Roll Band; Me and My Woman.

Label/Format: Harvest - original pre-EMI first pressing (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive. Any of the very few spindle marks, very light and faint.

Cat Number: SHVL 789.

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: 126 grams. An average weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Far harder to find as a first issue, that means without the EMI logo on the label. Still harder with a decent cover and this one includes the original lyric insert sheet. That is very elusive indeed and seldom seen, this one practically as made too. Also with it’s original Harvest promotional inner sleeve, these never easy in little worn conditions either. Lastly, inside this copy was found a very old Harvest promotional piece which I had never seen before. It promotes this album and other artists, including Bridget St John, that never actually recorded on Harvest – her eventual albums appearing on John Peel’s Dandelion label. This too with a very arty graphic. This was not part of the standard complete album, but it sure is a nice bonus ‘extra’ anyway and something you will very rarely ever see. Finding a complete original first issue of this classic album will never prove easy.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: SHVL 789 A-4U / SHVL 789 B-4U

Stamper Codes: 1 M / 1 M (very early indeed)

Musicians: Roy Harper – guitar and vocals; S. Flavius Mercurius – guitar.

Brief Info: For many fans of this great folk-rock artist, his best ever album, this title covers all aspects of what makes this man great – superb songs, expressive vocals and great guitar playing. Talking of guitars, the strange-named ‘guest’ guitarist on this work is no less than Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. The pseudonym had to be used for contractual reasons hence a well-kept secret for some time. More seldom seen as a first issue and rarely including the lyric sheet insert and all elements of the package in very fine condition, so a scarce opportunity.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold with matt textured surfaces on the outside and smooth inside, this being made with quite soft card makes it extra vulnerable to just about anything time, bad storage and heavy handling can offer. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. This includes the Harvest inner and rare lyric sheet which is guaranteed original. Also as a bonus, a lovely Harvest promotional sheet from way back.

Cover Front: My grading has to be taken into perspective, and I feel this is actually better than excellent. This is only marked down a little for some rubbing on the top edges towards the left that have been improved by the previous owner. That apart, it has little to fault and is one of the best Stormcock covers I have seen for some time. A very difficult cover to find in top conditions for all the reasons mentioned above. This front is impressive and has little to fault bar the touching in of the top edge towards the left spine area. This very neat, clearly the previous owner was very particular in his covers looking at their best, and I guess this is better than a white area on a very black cover. I will always mention anything like this if I even suspect it to be the case and here it is certain. The rest of the entire front is very impressive indeed being clean, fresh and devoid of the usual rubbing to the fragile textured black surface. This has even avoided speckle (rubbing to the raised area of the textured surface) and no sticker marks. There is NO evidence at all of any other enhancements on the front, back or inside. The odd possible chip maybe on the edges other than the top, but that’s it. Retaining a lovely deep blackness and hardly any creasing at all, this is a really splendid looking front.

Cover Back: If anything, even better, the lack of ring wear is unusual to say the least and again it retains a lovely blackness with no fading or lightening of the ink. One fine surface trace mark when viewed under light, but practically invisible with normal viewing. Again, the textured surface have barely any traces of surface speckle or rubbing and the lack of creasing is almost remarkable. A tiny tip rub on the bottom left corner and just a trace of enhancement again (only just) visible on the top edge near the corner.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside is smooth finished and has little of note to fault - both faces look marvellous and the strange artwork impressive.

Top Edges: As stated above, the edges towards the left corner had rubbed, these have been tipped-in and quite well being honest to avoid a white area appearing. Clearly the previous owner thought it better that way and I cannot really disagree to some extent. Not a practice I really like, but I do understand. I will always mention this if I even suspect it to be the case and here I am sure. But these edge do look quite neat and remain straight.

Bottom Edges: There appears to be little wear on these and again straight. If any improvements have been made they are quite subtle and less obvious.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering and both guaranteed untrimmed. Any thickening or burring to the thin card is quite modest and light as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, quite straight with minimal compression. Folded a fraction off-square with a small drop on the right top corner. All text is nigh-on perfect and any wear to the surface is tiny and light up to the ends that have small rubs – will any not have being honest? There appears to be no major tip-ins on this spine, maybe the odd tiny chip looking point-blank.

Corners: Any tip rubs are quite small on clearly a revealing cover. No tip-ins and fine to very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this very fragile early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. Most collectors will know how difficult this one is and even with a little edge enhancement, it sets a very high standard. This can at last be held and enjoyed without viewing ugly ring wear, rubbing and tattiness. All the positives outweigh any small negatives and many, if not most collectors will enjoy it – but not for the perfectionists.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): little real wear at all and only mildly aged by the usual darkening to the seam adhesive – here relatively modestly so. Few of these Harvest promotional lined inners escape this and here, little detracts from this solid and barely creased example. The lining still intact and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

The Lyric Insert Sheet: PRACTICALLY MINT: ultra clean, fresh and uncreased. The text printed only one side of this biscuit colour card, this is guaranteed original. This is rare and it appears it only distributed with some early issues, thus it is seldom seen and trying finding one better.

The Harvest Promotional Sheet: This was not part of the standard issue of this album and I have never seen one before. Conditionwise it looks superb but I know nothing about it’s history as such. My best guess a piece from a vintage magazine or maybe a flyer, and this possibly a copy of the artwork? Purely speculation but for sure it is a lovely FREE bonus to the winning bidder, I simply found this inside the cover and asked no questions. A very nice artefact for Harvest collectors and for sure it will not be seen often, if ever again. Notice the text at the top right ‘EMI willing’. Bridget St John did not record on Harvest, so this sheet when designed was clearly unaware of who or when these artists were to record on this label. Great artwork from the Harvest vaults.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a super visual copy that is very clean with fine shine, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with two impressively clean playing surfaces, any surface marks are very few, tiny and faint as seen (just) under angled light. This too with two very clean and attractive original pre-EMI Harvest labels. 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 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 classic album plays up to and most-all exceeds it’s high visual grading with very 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 few and gentle and no pops or significant clicks were noted and this is a much cleaner pressing than many I have heard for this title (as most first pressings usually are). Few copies will outperform this early one significantly I feel sure, and remember I play all my records on an ultra revealing LP12 and Naim amplification. Predominately acoustic, thus few places for unwanted sounds to hide, this offers impressive and mostly quiet sound, but light crackle traces or odd sporadic tick can rarely be avoided on albums like this. That said, it will take a fair amount of beating and little, if anything really spoilt my immense enjoyment hearing the genuine classic again. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played only lightly and with due care. The year of issue often means variable pressing quality and noise, the impending oil crisis was just about to bite. But barely anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful album – an artist heavily endorsed by Led Zeppelin – and can there be a better accolade? This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. Like the cover, not quite perfect enough for the perfectionist, but how many ever will be totally noise-free and ‘perfect’? A rare, and totally complete example that will rarely show up.

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 8,000+ items sold in over 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 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 as 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] = £4.25

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 (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 (£17 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’.