THE NICE Thoughts of Emerlistdavjack RARE UK MONO N/M

	£		190
	$		252

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE NICE

Album Title: The Thoughts of Emerlistdavjack.

Producer(s): Glyn Johns.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Flower King of Flies; Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack; Bonnie K; Rondo.

Side 2: War and Peace; Tantalising Maggie; Dawn; The Cry of Eugene.

Label/Format: Immediate - original pale lilac format with embossed ‘K T’ tax codes on side one (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both near immaculate, side one one is just that with barely a spindle trace to be seen and the embossed letters as made. These rub and flatten so easily, but not on a record that has barely been played. Side two has just three or four light marks, there is not a trace of wear around the hole rims. I have never seen a mono copy of this title quite like this before.

Cat Number: IMLP 016.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 141 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. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare as an original on the lilac label, in mono very rare indeed and to make this statement even more prevalent, this very first pressing has the 1 G / 1 G mothers and stampers and has barely been played. Only available briefly on the mono format, most seen are stereo pressings, of those, most are pink label examples. This was not a big seller, far too new and groundbreaking for most listeners of the day. Another major factor is the cover: very wear-prone indeed, few survive even a solid EX, but this one is almost as good as new bar a very little light edge rubbing near the bottom corners. Personally, I have seen so very few mono copies of this groundbreaking issue, all have been in lesser conditions, some bordering on worn-out, I will not offer such rubbish. Chalk and cheese, this is one of rarest and most beautiful originals I h ave ever seen for almost any title from the greatest year in music – 1967 – the summer of love. For me, a five-star classic and if I searched for the rest of my life, I can never imagine finding another quite like this. Rare?, I should say so.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: IMLP 016 A-1L / ISLP 016 B-2L

Stamper Codes: 1 GL / 1 G [within the first 300 ever pressed]

Musicians: Keith Emerson - organ, piano, harpsichord, vocals; Lee Jackson - bass, guitar, vocals, tympani; David O’List - guitar, trumpet, flute, vocals; Brian Davison - drums, tubular bells, tympani.

Brief Info: A world-class copy of an understated rarity, a mono copy of this landmark transition from psych to prog. This blends together the two genres and came up with something very new and different and introduced us to Keith Emerson. Formed in 1967 by Andrew Loog Album as a backing band for P. P. Arnold but they established themselves in their own right. This was their first album, the title being constructed from parts of the band members. The Nice were amongst the very earliest pioneers of ‘progressive rock’ and this 1967 gem blended psychedelia with jazz and classical influences around a rock sound. A highly talented band with musicianship much higher than average, they made five albums before splitting at the end of the decade – Nice while it lasted. Emerson then formed ELP with Greg Lake (King Crimson) and Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster) and developed The Nice sound still further. This groundbreaking debut is regarded as a mini classic and its importance in the development of rock music is beyond dispute. The sound of the day was psychedelia, this Nice debut advanced this further and invented a new sound and opened the dawn of the prog-rock era. This very important release is never to easy to find on the original label, the number of barely played, near mint mono copies that will surface will be very, very few indeed. I can never imagine finding this album like this again, this is connoisseur, audiophile territory. A mono record probably played no more than two or three times, visually it could pass as new and sound-quality-wise the same. It almost seems unfair to expect a 42-year-old mono record to play on a high-end stereo turntable with anything approaching perfect sound – BUT THIS ONE DOES – YES TRUE. A remarkable example time has overlooked, as I guess the original owner did too. One that will stick in my memory long after its gone and even offering this one is not proving easy for me. Nice?, this is REMARKABLY NICE, this stunning album must be heard IMMEDIATELY.

Cover Grade and Format: To grade this, one of the most wear-prone pre-1969 rock covers less than Mint(-) would not being doing this remarkable example full justice. But as there is a little rubbing on the bottom edge, I will critically grade EX++, but if a better mono original can be found, I sure would like to see it. A single format and unlaminated with an unforgiving matt finish, and with the correct original IMPL 016 number. Printed and made in England.

Cover Front: Made within the very first batch ever printed and looking little short of the same. If anyone has seen this mono cover looking better than this, I sure would like to too. This front lacks any of the usual wear seen on most all. Very prone to rubbing, ringwear, creasing and heavy fingermarks that once applied, are near impossible to remove. Any on this one are ultra faint and few, this is near reference standard and simply blows away its great age. There is barely a rub trace to be seen and no ringwear, any rubbing around the record’s rim outline is minuscule and faint, the merest hint near the top edge only (but look very hard). One small and faint semi-crease on the bottom edge, again look hard. All the sides, including the spine are devoid of even the finest of hairline creases that no cover ever avoids. The artwork is breathtakingly clean, fresh and unfaded, as is the black areas. The white spine ends seen from the front viewing are the pinched ends that retain great definition. Even with the most critical viewing under light, I am struggling to see any, even ultra fine surface marks. This has been incredibly carefully stored and barely even handled, I am sure this has not seen daylight for decades. This front will remind those of a certain age, what a new cover once looked like. Almost too beautiful for words.

Cover Back: Exactly the same and even more prone to handling marks with most all being so dark. A couple of faint fingertip marks but only an unhandled example with better this – real likely isn’t it? This is unworn, not even a hint of any ringwear or rubbing and retaining the freshness of a new cover. What a joy, any winning bidder could possibly have the best mono example still in existence – and I do know how bold that sounds – but this unforgiving, wear-prone cover is truly unlikely to be found better. Most of this quality will be locked away in valuable collections and not be made available.

Top Edge: Practically unworn as made, any rub traces are so light and faint, they are barely worthy of mention.

Bottom Edge: Light, somewhat patchy rubbing, more near the very ends but no touch-ins. Minus this, a close to Mint cover, but light rubbing on black resting edges is rarely avoided.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear or feathering, guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A stunning, snowy white spine, and looking little short of as made again. Solid, straight, fresh and clean, just a tiny trace of minor compression near the centre. All text is perfect and unworn and the ends are nipped in manufacture and both retain perfect shape and definition with no bends or distortions.

Corners: The bottom pair have rubbed but retain superb shape and definition. The top pair have practically nothing to fault and have stunning sharpness.

Cover Summary: In terms of vulnerability, they do not get too much toucher than this. A 1967 matt black unlaminated cover. Forty-three years old and looks hardly even touched, one that deserves to be framed. A high percentage of covers from this era were laminated and flipbacked for more robust construction and longevity. This had no such protection and is a flatback. The perfect recipe for heavy wear and shabbiness - one in many hundreds will survive like this, but seeing is believing. A truly beautiful all round example of this very fragile psych 60s era cover, one that will prove close to impossible to find much better (or like this again). The ravages of time, bad storage and heavy handling have forgotten this beauty, it will please most-all collectors, even the most discerning connoisseur. The light bottom edge rubbing the only blemish on what is near perfection.

The Inner: Mint(-). A plain white unlined inner, not the most exciting inner ever made but in supreme condition just like the record. Still very white and with no creasing or edge splits. Any seam gum darkening is tiny and faint and this has barely aged at all. Made in Great Britain and including the original ‘Patents applied for’ text. This is guaranteed the genuine article and not substituted from another album.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: If it were not for three or four light spindle marks on the side two label, I would be t tempted to grade this astonishing record as full Mint. Mint(-) does not do this unmarked record justice but that is how critically I try to grade my records. This vintage record is reference standard and simply blows away its vintage. The psych-prog classic time has forgotten and in mono, I doubt if this record has been removed from the cover since the 60s and has never been subjected to mono stylue abuse. We all know what these types look and sound like these days, but this is a copy of dreams and looks new. A supreme visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy played once or twice only on all the evidence, reinforced by immaculate pristine sound. Visually, up there with the very best 60s monos I have yet seen, it will please all 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 snippetts 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: Historically, one of the most important records ever within the development of ‘rock’ music. Up their with the early groundbreaking classics like Floyd’s ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn’, ‘The Doors’, ‘The Velvet Underground and Nico’ and Zappa’s ‘Freak Out’. This groundbreaking, pioneering prog classic plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free mono sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Just listen to ‘Rondo’ with its pulsating and driving sound, this was way ahead of its time and remains, for me anyway, The Nice’s greatest ever track. No surface sounds, no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly challenging and complex album. All Nice albums are somewhat ‘difficult’ with quiet passages and intricate sound. So many were ruined by less than worthy equipment from the past – the monos especially so – and what a joy to be able to offer what clearly is a hardly played copy. The mono mix is incredible with amazing sonic power and punch. To hear one as it was first pressed is a privilege not to be dismissed lightly and it remains unique to the analogue format. Few examples will get close to this, let outperform this early pressing I feel certain. Both channels are clean and sharp and devoid of mono noise from one speaker, the result of uneven wear, too heavy tracking or cartridge mislignment. I am certain this record has been played very lightly, barely even run-in in vinyl terms and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, my first mono example of this album for ages (and none have come close to this for quality). This record will prove near impossible to find better and is unreservedly recommended. The winning bidder will not believe their eyes or ears when this beauty shows up, try to find another like it.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). 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.

POSTING & PACKING: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with 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 TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty 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. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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. 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 offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); 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]) = £12. (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 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. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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’.