BREAD, LOVE & DREAMS The Strange Tale Of Captain Shannon 1970 UK 1st press EX+

	£		163
	$		216

BREAD, LOVE AND DREAMS - The strange tale of Captain Shannon and the hunchback from Gigha

A gorgeous condition copy with gleaming, jet black sheen and sparingly played vinyl, brilliant pitch-perfect stereo audio quality, and beautifully intact outer sleeve, of this extremely rare and sought after 1970 UK 1st press rock/folk gem on the Decca label, SKL 5048

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   ZAL - 9694.P - 1W with stampers "1" and "U" at 9.30 o'clock and 3.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2   ZAL - 9695.P - 1W with stampers "1" and "U" at 8.30 o'clock and 2.30 o'clock respectively

Both sides of the vinyl gleam with the original jet black lacquered sheen fully intact. The vinyl is flat and in normal daylight appears to be in as good a condition as when it was originally purchased. Under a bright light, and with very close inspection with the vinyl tilted to the right angle, it is just possible to identify a few extremely faint superficial paper scuffs - otherwise perfect. Clearly this record has been only sparingly played. Excellent plus (EX+). 

The labels are also excellent plus (EX+). All silver text upon the smooth dark blue background perfectly intact , as is the iconic boxed Decca logo (there was no release on the "unboxed" Decca label). There are x3 faint spindle trails on the side 1 and none on side 2...otherwise perfect.

The front-laminated Clout & Baker outer sleeve is a solid excellent (EX). All edges, including the spine, remain firm with no scuffing at all (remarkable for a 51 year old antiquity such as this!), all spine text remains perfectly intact, each edge remains a perfectly defined right angle with no rubbing, the opening edges remain firm with no fraying or feathering, and all colours, photos, beautiful art work, and text remain rich and vibrant and with perfect definition. The only blemishes (too strong a word) are a few very faint 1cm crinkles adjacent and perpendicular to the edges on the front side, some extremely mild ring wear towards the top edge on the reverse side, and just the merest hint of a little ageing/discolouration towards the top and bottom edges on the reverse side...each very trivial. Gorgeous!

The audio quality is truly excellent plus (EX+).  Great tone and clarity throughout with no distortion even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No sticks, jumps, repeats, sticks, clicks, interference or background crackle - just great stereo audio reproduction throughout, with some real standout tracks. Such an underrated and long lost rock/folk gem, completely "under the radar" when first released 51 years ago, with every track making for a great listen. No wonder these 1st pressings are now so highly sought after.

The track listing is :

Side 1:

1. HYMN FOR SYLVIA

2. MASQUERADE

3. SUCKING ON A CIGARETTE

4. HE WHO KNOWS ALL

Side 2 :

1. THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE

2. BUTTERFLYLAND

3. PURPLE HAZY MELODY

4. SING ME A SONG

5. THE STRANGE TALE OF CAPTAIN SHANNON AND THE HUNCHBACK FROM GIGHA

Comes complete with original poly-lined blue and white Decca inner, in great condition with no tears, seam splits or age discolouration and remaining fully functional. NOTE : I always insert the vinyl into a brand new plain white poly-lined inner sleeve for shipping purposes and in order to protect the original.

A  real "must" for any serious rock/folk collection - beautiful glossy vinyl with brilliant audio reproduction and great songs, and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 66 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard mailer, along with extra protective flange edges, with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class, signed for; 

Continental Europe £13, and Rest of the World £17 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler