THE POETS, I Am So Blue (RARE 1965 DECCA 45 EX/EX)

	£		21
	$		28

This is a collectable & rare original 1965 pressing of The Poets 45 ‘I Am So Blue’ / ‘I Love Her Still’. Have a listen to the cool  60’s Garage-Beat style b-side (burnt from the actual record for sale here) on this listing and get a taste of a seriously under-rated sixties band. Their original records are collectors items that rarely turn up for sale, especially in this kind of condition so don’t miss out...

Year of original release: 1965

Year of this pressings release: 1965

Label: Decca

Catalogue No: F.12195

Matrix No’s: XDRF-36115-T1-1C / XDRF-36116-T1-1C

Country of Manufacture: England

 Mode: Mono

RECORD CONDITION

Labels: EXCELLENT

Both of these labels are in a fine, unblemished state with no writing on either side no marks or any kind of defacement. The round push out centre remains completely intact and the spindle area shows only a very small amount of wear, clearly showing that this record was played a little but in no way over-used or abused by the one previous owner.

Visual: EXCELLENT

This is clean looking vinyl that has maintained a wonderful glossy appearance with absolutely no damage or wear. There isn’t much to report here at all really, just one or two of the faintest totally non-sounding paper scuffs. There is no warping and there are no scratches or defects in the vinyl at all, it looks like you’d expect a very occasionally handled, well look after 1960’s 7” to look like and that’s certainly a fine standard for original and rare vinyl to be at!

Play: EXCELLENT

The run in grooves are close to silent and that is exactly the standard of audio that is maintained across both sides. It’s a crisp and clear sound that stands up well to high volume play without any distortion or crackling. Literally the most there is to mention here is the occasional, isolated and faint background pop that does not penetrate the music and in no way would spoil your enjoyment; have a listen to the sound clip taken directly from this record for an idea of the great vinyl sound on offer here! 

COVER CONDITION

Record company paper sleeve: EXCELLENT

The whole cover remains completely intact with no serious defacements, only very light creases and the records catalogue number written on the sleeve by the original owner.

ABOUT THE POETS - ‘I AM SO BLUE’ / ‘I LOVE HER STILL’ 45

Although they only released half a dozen singles, these were enough to firmly establish The Poets' status as the best Scottish rock group of the mid-'60s. It's true that this is akin to being a big fish in a small pond — not many Scottish bands recorded in the 1960s, and not many of them were at all notable. But that shouldn't detract from the genuinely high quality of their records, which still remain known only to a relatively small band of collectors.

The Glasgow group differed from most other Scottish combos of the time in that they concentrated almost exclusively on original material, which alternated between mournful, almost fey ballads and storming mod rockers. Critics have compared the melodic, minor feel of much of their work to the Zombies, a comparison that holds water to a certain point, although the Poets were far more guitar-based. A minor hit single right out of the gate and a management deal with Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham seemed to spell probable success. But the Poets fell victim both to subpar promotion and numerous personnel changes, which had gutted the core of the band by the late '60s.

Oldham came across the band by chance on a trip to Scotland in 1964, quickly signing them and arranging a recording deal with Decca. Their first single, a characteristically moody original called ‘Now We're Thru’, made number 30 in the U.K. Yet that was to be their only taste of commercial success, despite a flurry of fine singles over the next couple of years. The Poets were never given full opportunity to develop their unquestioned skills. Oldham took the group with him to his independent Immediate label in late 1965 for a couple of singles, but ultimately the Oldham association may have worked against them, as he was naturally inclined to focus most of his energies upon the Rolling Stones. The Poets were getting lost in the shuffle and discouraged, and by 1967 not one original member remained from the lineup that had first recorded. (Allmusicguide)

POSTAGE & PACKING

UK:

Basic option – FREE / Recorded Delivery (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) £3.50

EUROPE:

Basic airmail - £4.00 / Insured delivery £8.00

REST OF WORLD:

Basic airmail - £7.00 / Insured delivery £12.00

We will always ensure that our records will be well packed in a secure manner. We do everything we can to provide a safe delivery and ensure that your records arrive in the same condition that they left us in. We use professionally packed heavy-duty mailers. We are also happy to accommodate pick up in person.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

If you are unhappy with your purchase, for any reason, we are not going to get into a long dispute with you about the items merits. We offer a no nonsense money back promise including postage upon return of the item. Obviously we do ask that you raise any issues within 7 days of delivery. Just get in touch, we can work it out.

GRADING

‘Record Collector Magazine’ have for years promoted a grading system that has been accepted as the all round standard amongst dealers and collectors. We too use that system but just in case anyone’s not sure here’s my basic interpretation:

MINT: Only ever used if a record is totally un-played and therefore can be classed as brand new. Even if a record has only had one play it can no longer be Mint.

NEAR MINT: This grading applies to a record that has no visible faults and no lessening in sound quality. Other than perhaps a little dust and in some cases the lightest of totally non-sounding paper scuffs visible under strong light, vinyl graded Nr.Mint will be extremely well cared for. Sleeves graded Nr.Mint will have no damage and only the vaguest suggestion of any handling or use.

EXCELLENT: Records graded thus will essentially be in a very well cared for condition and play without any problems. Excellent records have been used but they will have been well looked after and the worst you can expect with the audio will be the odd light pop or click and perhaps a little bit of light background noise in a couple of places, but certainly nothing that will spoil your enjoyment of the music. Covers graded Excellent have no damage or defacement to the artwork , their evidence of handling will only be in minor details like a few faint creases, tiny edge scuffs or a small amount of writing or sticker residue but certainly no serious damage.

VERY GOOD: Records graded VG will be totally satisfactory to all but those looking for total perfection. They will be used but still fully playable and only show the kind of wear you would expect to find on a second hand record that has had a few plays. The odd light scratch may be evident as well as general spindle wear and paper scuffs but nothing to cause any overall problems with your enjoyment of the record. Basically, be realistic in what you’d expect a used record to look and sound like and you won’t have any disappointments with a record that is graded Very Good. Covers graded VG may show a bit of general wear or scuffing around the edges, there could be some light ring-wear, a few creases and perhaps a little bit of writing (1960’s record owners seemed to always write their name somewhere on the sleeve) but they will still be fully intact and certainly not abused in any way.

GOOD: Vinyl graded as Good should be approached with a little more caution, as most dealers will tell you in record collecting terms ‘good’ means ‘bad’! We try and keep our items above this standard, however Good does have some saving graces and is not the lowest grading vinyl can be given. A record graded thus will still be just about playable although it will clearly have been played a lot by previous owners. You can also expect light scratches and definitely some surface noise. Covers graded as Good will be just about holding it together although you will inevitable find plenty of creases, maybe a few rips and seam splits as well as possibly chunks missing, writing or stains and indeed any other kind of defacement that it’s possible to find on record sleeves without them being totally destroyed.

FAIR: Don’t bother bidding!

NB. There may be occasions when we add a + or a – to a grading. The reason for this is fairly self explanatory but essentially, if something is VG+ that means it is a seriously strong example of that particular grading and potentially worth a higher grade. Please also remember that there are variables within all of these gradings (for example, it is not impossible for a Nr.Mint sleeve to have a tiny bit of writing present) but we’ll always endeavour to mention any especially relevant points within the bulk of the main description text