SWEENEY'S MEN The Tracks of Sweeney 69 NM LP

	£		115
	$		152

Hi, I am Mike, now 48 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 34 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and elusive items now. 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, 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 (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Album Title: The Tracks of Sweeney.

Producer(s): Bill Leader.

Track Listing: Side 1: Dreams For Me; The Pipe on the Bob; Brain Jam; Pretty Polly; Standing on the Shore. Side 2: A Mistake No Doubt; Go By Brooks; When You Don’t Care; Afterthoughts; Hiram Hubbard; Hall of Mirrors.

Label/Format: Transatlantic – Original purple and white format.

Label Conditions: Both very clean and highly attractive with only a couple of ultra faint and light spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Any other tiny marks are manufacture blemishes.

Cat Number: TRA 200.

Mode: Stereo.

Weight of this Record: 125 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Very Rare, make no mistake about this one, not just that, this copy has clearly hardly ever been played and sounds fantastic. A record that would have sold a mere handful of copies and few will be found in this supreme condition. Another title for the folk connoisseur.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: STRA 200 A1 / STRA 200 B1

Stamper Codes: A 2 / A 2

Musicians: Terry Woods and Johnny Moyniham.

Brief Info: A legendary album within folk circles and near impossible to find. Sweeney’s Men were the first Irish folk rock band formed in 1967. Sweeney’s Men, the name was taken from a character in Flann O’Brien’s book ‘At Swim Two Birds’. Originally a trio, Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, guitar, harmonica) left to tour Eastern Europe. Johnny Moynihan was the first to use the bouzouki in Irish music. Now a duo, this was their second and last album and rare it is too, even harder to find than the debut which is also highly elusive. This is a brilliant album and a copy worthy of the folk connoisseur. Beautiful acoustic traditional folk music – this record exudes class and its status is highly justified. For those who seek this classic set, it’s a very rare opportunity and not one to be overlooked – I doubt if I will ever find another quite like it.

Cover’s Potential for Wear & Damage: High, the back is very vulnerable and this is a thin, flimsy sleeve and many like this are in shocking conditions.

Cover Grade and Format: EX at least for this very fragile cover. A single format with a laminated front. Yes this has a record printed on the cover. It was printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd.

Lamination & Front: Actual wear is minimal indeed – the top right corner has taken a low impact dink with a resulting small crease and laminate blister – bar far the biggest blemish on this splendid cover. The laminate is still very shiny indeed with practically no dulling or friction rubs. Rock solid with no peeling or other blistering at all, crystal clear with very few creases, any present are very light and small. No indentations and a very clean end-line with no grubbiness on the right edge that is left exposed for several millimetres. Still overall very white with just a light toned area near the bottom left corner area - very minor indeed. A great front with such little wear will not be seen often on such a rare cover.

Cover Back: Highly vulnerable to ringwear and rubbing, also fingermarks to the matt black surface and this does have a few light handling traces. The lack of ringwear is unusual and refreshing and overall wear to this ruthlessly revealing back is very light indeed. A reciprocated left corner crease from the dink is pretty light as are any marks on this back and any delicate cover this age has done very well to be kept this well overall.

Top Edge: Practically unworn.

Bottom Edge: And again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear and no feathering. Record entered on this right outside edge.

Spine and Text: Solid but quite fine, quite straight with only mild compression. All text is near perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate but some is slightly low with the slight compression.

Corners: Tip rubs and a mildish dink as stated on the top right but all retain very fine shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A strong all round example of this rare and delicate late 60’s cover, one that could prove very difficult to find much better. This elusive folk cover should please many collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-) an unbanded original copy. A superb visual example that is super clean, shiny, jet black and quite heavily pressed. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence. Visually a super record that should please most collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This rare folk record plays up to its high visual grading with practically nothing 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. The vocals and acoustic instruments have in-the-room quality and sound superb. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, practically none in fact and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album. Few hiding places for unwanted sounds on a delicate folk album but not necessary on this one, a superb pressing and in supreme condition. Few copies will match or outperform this first pressing significantly I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy could prove near impossible to find significantly better and is truly a record for the folk connoisseur.

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’.

My Terms For Bidding

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions for payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions.

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. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I buy quality single items and collections also (I am regularly told I offer the best prices – please Email me if you have items for sale).

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3 or Special Delivery (Next day, fully insured), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured & Signed For: £8.00.

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured & Signed For (where available) = £11.00. Doubles add extra £1. Reductions for multiple items for all.

Any item that sells for over £75 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £100 get the same service Overseas. This gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£30).

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOT profit on postage, in fact I lose money on most packets (my packing standards are very high and the package weighs a little more - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR proper stiffners for extra protection (if space allows). More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new inner, but will include the original inner if available.

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal or IMO’s from overseas bidders.

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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer.