TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN - CAT STEVENS 1st UK PINK ISLAND

	£		156
	$		207

CAT STEVENS – TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN

ORIGINAL UK 1st PRESSING - FULL PINK ISLAND LABEL - White ‘I’

RARE AND HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE UK LP, FIRST ORIGINAL PRESSING  E/X+  E/X+

“I have decided to sell my record collection which has been accumulated over many years”

I am not a trader or record shop. I am music fan who has collected vinyl records over many years and over the coming days/weeks I will be offering rare, and much sought after vinyl records including Prog Rock, Blues, Folk, etc from collectible labels such as Pink Island, Blue Horizon, Deram/Decca, Atlantic plum, Vertigo swirl etc etc..

Artist:  Cat Stevens

Title:   Tea for the Tillerman

Catalogue No:  ILPS 9135

Release Year:  1970

Country of origin:  UK LP - original Pink Island label White ‘I’, guaranteed first pressing/issue.

This LP is in truly EXCELLENT CONDITION+ and is genuinely a reluctant sale.

There are absolutely no obvious visible scuffs, no sticking or jumps or breakfast frying sound. Both sides of the vinyl and sleeve visually clean.

This classic LP is a beautiful example of Cat Stevens at the pinnacle of his distinguished song writing career. If you’re looking at this sublime LP featuring some of the most unforgettable songs ever written, ‘Where Do The Children Play’, ‘Hard Headed Woman’, ‘Father And Son’, ‘Wild World’ et al… then it’s likely you are already aware of how brilliant and inspiring it was and still is! This LP is now highly collectible, especially in this condition! This UK pressing on the beautiful Pink Island label of Tea for the Tillerman LP is becoming rarer by the day! Usually it turn up with some flaw or other which depreciates their value – however, this one will not depreciate because it is in Excellent+ condition!

Discerning and serious collectors and particularly Cat Stevens devotee’s know that to have this LP on this original Pink Island label in their collection is a ‘must’, and an indispensable addition to their catalogue – This rare and highly collectible original UK Pink Island first pressing of Cat Stevens greatest legacy, Tea for the Tillerman, is greatly sought after! It is still hard to believe this LP is 40yrs old!!

Record Grading

Before I offer for sale I play grade to check my LP’s and I have just played both sides on an upmarket deck.

The LP plays excellent+, with just some very minimal background (static??) sound underneath the instrumentation on just a couple of the quieter songs. I include the previous comment only in case someone with more adept hearing than me and their expectations exceeds my own very high standards, but I can assure you the audio crispness and clarity of this LP is in tip-top condition! Even the ‘run-out’s are virtually silent! – The winning bidder will be thrilled!

The vinyl is gleaming! And you will very hard pressed to find another in as stunning and beautiful condition as this, if ever!!

As always, I am being genuine and highly critical, but honest in my evaluation of the LP; You’d be thinking I’m doing myself an injustice with my description but I treat others the way I wish to be treated myself so I am describing it to the best of my ability. (Also, I have not attempted to thoroughly clean the record in case of damage to the LP and because it’s in such outstanding condition it doesn’t require any object or cleaning agent applied, in fact the only implement this LP requires is a stylus!)

There are no ‘jumps’ or sticking, absolutely no breakfast frying whatsoever and the audio quality is truly amazing!

The winning bidder will be overjoyed!!

LP Cover

Outer gatefold sleeve - laminated outer gatefold sleeve, lyrics print on reverse.

Inner gatefold sleeve - fully textured.

No rips, tears, unwanted ink, blemishes...etc. The LP cover is in excellent+ condition and still retains bright colours and a solid structure. Square spine and absolute minimum feathering on the opening. No cracks or splits and just the odd very minimal creases. All laminate is in excellent condition! The inside of this gatefold LP is beautifully textured and is truly immaculate – no unsightly blemishes whatsoever!

Labels

Both Pink Island labels are free of unwanted ink and are bright and clean. Both labels are free of blemishes, rips or tears - truly stunning labels! Both are visually spotless and the printing and clarity on both labels is as the day they were printed. (Excellent+) See images.

Inner Sleeve

Plain poly-lined inner sleeve. British patent numbers and, ‘Made in England’ print. No rips or tears or unwanted ink – Excellent+

Please take into consideration that I am not a photographer or a professional salesman. What you can be certain of are the descriptions of all the LP’s I shall be offering for sale, and that they are all critically evaluated.

I will do my best with any further images you require and, if you have any questions about the LP please email me.

Contact is to be made within 3 days of winning bid and payment to be made within one week of winning bid.

Postage and packing within the UK = £3.50

International worldwide postage = £7.00

(If the winning bidder requires further postage security on the LP please email for price – see details below)

Thanks and Good Luck!

I am a private seller gradually disposing of my vinyl collection.  Please note that whilst it is rare for items to be lost or damaged in the post, I am unable to accept responsibility for any loss or damage by the postal services. Whilst I am happy to provide assistance, advice, and proof of postage, all such claims remain the responsibility of the buyer. All items sold for more than £39 will be subject to an extra charge for 'signed for' posting (This is not usually very expensive) if the purchaser requires package to be covered for compensation to cover the unlikely loss/damage in the post an extra charge will be necessary. If compensation cover is required buyers should contact me so that the full cost can be invoiced for insurance purposes.

Album Review

Mona Bone Jakon only began Cat Stevens' comeback. Seven months later, he returned with Tea for the Tillerman, an album in the same chamber-group style, employing the same musicians and producer, but with a far more confident tone. Mona Bone Jakon had been full of references to death, but Tea for the Tillerman was not about dying; it was about living in the modern world while rejecting it in favour of spiritual fulfilment. It began with a statement of purpose, "Where Do the Children Play?," in which Stevens questioned the value of technology and progress. "Wild World" found the singer being dumped by a girl, but making the novel suggestion that she should stay with him because she was incapable of handling things without him. "Sad Lisa" might have been about the same girl after she tried and failed to make her way; now, she seemed depressed to the point of psychosis. The rest of the album veered between two themes: the conflict between the young and the old, and religion as an answer to life's questions. Tea for the Tillerman was the story of a young man's search for spiritual meaning in a soulless class society he found abhorrent. He hadn't yet reached his destination, but he was confident he was going in the right direction, travelling at his own, unhurried pace. The album's rejection of contemporary life and its yearning for something more struck a chord with listeners in an era in which traditional verities had been shaken. It didn't hurt, of course, that Stevens had lost none of his ability to craft a catchy pop melody; the album may have been full of angst, but it wasn't hard to sing along to. As a result, Tea for the Tillerman became a big seller and, for the second time in four years, its creator became a pop star.