STRANGLERS The Raven UK 79 RARER 3D in STUNNING MINT

	£		41
	$		54

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

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

Artist or Band: THE STRANGLERS

Album Title: The Raven.

Producer(s): The Stranglers and Alan Winstanley.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Longships; The Raven; Dead Loss Angeles; Ice; Baroque Bordello; Nuclear Device.

Side 2: Shah Shah a Go Go; Don’t Bring Harry; Duchess; Meninblack; Genetix.

Label/Format: United Artists – Raven customised format.

Label Conditions: Both in fantastic condition: very clean, fresh and attractive with just a couple of very small, light spindle marks on side two. All evidence, including pristine sound suggests only a barely played record.

Cat Number: UAG 30262.

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: 125 grams. Around average.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: This is the scarce limited edition 3-D covered version, a truly beautiful item and this example is the ultimate that simply looks as close to brand new as they ever get. The inner is the cartoon version also in supreme condition. The regular standard version of this album had a traditional printed version of The Raven and is far more common (to say the least) and not half as striking. One in this condition is very scarce indeed, one time has overlooked.

Original Year of Release: 1979

Matrix Nos: UAG 30262 A-3U / UAG 30262 B-1U

Stamper Codes: 1 MR / 2 OO

Etched Messages: ‘A BILBO BOPPA!’ / ‘PORKY’

Brief Artist & Album Info: Fifth and final album The Stranglers made on United Artists and this one is the limited edition version made with the most stunning of 3-D sleeves – worthy of a second look – it actually will remind of those days of genuine quality from the golden era. The Raven looks almost real and has a genuine eerie presence. Made in a similar style to the Rolling Stones’ Satanic Majesties Request, this quite stunning cover simply could not be found better. The cartoon style inner also is in near pristine condition, this often ringwears badly. Musically this album is less aggressive than their early works and blends their trademark sound with catchy electronics. Burnel’s grinding basslines still drives the songs brilliantly and the sound is fantastic and is superbly produced. The record will delight and the cover will thrill, this has to be one of the most stunning visual covers of the entire 70s.

Cover Grade and Format: MINT: a grading I will only ever even consider for the most sublimely pristine items. If I cannot use this word for this cover, I never will be able to ever. I simply hope my pictures do this full justice. A single format with the 3-D Raven and cartoon inner. Unlaminated but with a very glossy, varnished finish. A truly beautiful item with genuine eerie realism, if I had one custom-made for me specially, it could never be better than this.

Cover Front: Stunning, this has to be seen for real to be fully appreciated, this is without doubt my best ever. The actual 3-D picture is totally flat – no curling or bending, these types do suffer this problem unless kept perfectly, out of excessive humidity and moisture exposure. Just how many Satanic Majesties Request covers do you see wavy and bowed?, well this one goes just the same if not carefully stored. This one is perfectly flat with no distortion at all. Even with angled viewing, there are no marks or even fine hairlines to the pristine mint 3D graphic. This simply gleams with freshness with not even a trace of fogging or adhesive residues and finding this incredible three-dimensional graphic better will prove close to impossible. It retains a practically off-the-shelf sheen and is also stuck on perfectly square. The black ‘frame’ has an astonishing deep shine and is jet black (no pun intended). Devoid of friction rubbing or dull areas and crease-free too. This truly has to be seen to be believed and fully appreciated, one of the classic covers and in connoisseur condition. I almost dare anyone to have a better example.

Cover Back: Simply pristine with nothing to fault whatsoever, it’s that simple.

Top Edge: Totally unworn, uncrushed and dead straight.

Bottom Edge: Mint as made as above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Razor sharp, totally unworn with no burring or thickening, guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A perfect spine. Totally pristine Mint, what else can I add?

Corners: All four are little short of as made and very pointed. One tiny semi-crease on the top right front tip if being ultra critical – is anything ever 100 per cent ‘perfect’?, well not for this seller if you look hard enough.

Cover Summary: The ultimate example of one of the most striking covers ever made. As stated above, no bespoke custom-made example could ever be better, this is simply STUNNING!

The Inner Sleeve: MINT(-), the minus being minuscule, this is practically the same stunning condition as the main cover. It’s the rarer cartoon format and all lyrics are included, it was never lined. The only tiny blemish (if you can even call it that), is a faint record rim impression near the bottom edge each side. Nothing else to fault at all.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): the minus being a tiny few mega light and faint, even finer than hairline traces, seen with scrutiny under angled bright light. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. Visually a wonderful record 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This little short of Mint record plays even above it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong and powerful sound, totally distortion-free, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very intense sound. This sounded amazing on my LP12 with both channels clean and sharp. Clearly barely played or even handled and stored with utmost care within a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this magnificent Stranglers album. This quality ‘Porky’-pressed record will prove near impossible to find better. This record, cover and inner are simply top-drawer and my highest possible recommendation is mandatory.

End Piece: Great recording, fine music and sublime cover, this really is a work of art and it will never be found better than this. Any collectors of limited editions or Stranglers albums is sure to treasure this one. A great opportunity to get that elusive Raven in 3-D in true Mint, do not lose this one!

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 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.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 Moth 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These 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 stiffners 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 FOUR 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); 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 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. 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 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’.