I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.

Budgie : Bandolier  A-2U / B-1U 1st Press MCA Rainbow Label 1975

This first pressing plays to a superb standard with hardly any background.  In fact the only intrusion is one click on 'I Can't See My Failings' caused by a tiny speck but the rest of the album plays with real quality.  As per the other Budgie LPs I am selling the sonic quality is so impressive, the clarity of sound in particular is stunning.  The vinyl has clearly been very well looked after down the decades.

The cover is excellent shape with only minimal wear and the inner sleeve is in excellent condition also.

The first pressing has either an A1/B1 or A2/B1 matrix, MCA rainbow labels and the cover is matte textured.  George Peckham's 'etchings' are on the run offs also.

MCF 2723 // A - 2U  GA 1 // B - 1U  RH 1 // A PORKY PRIME CUT & PECKO etched on the run offs

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T3 Near Mint)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint-)

The cover is Ex

The labels are Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex+

Visual description

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still has a very strong glossy sheen and no scratches.  Under a bright light I can only see a small number of faint hairlines and a couple of minor scuffs on S1 but these really are very faint.  One tiny 'speck' on S2 also that will not be moved!  The MCA rainbow labels are very clean with only a little spindle wear.

Play grading  

'Breaking All The House Rules' plays with superb audio with no sign of any interference.  There is not even a single dust tick let alone anything more.  The clarity is comparable to that of a vinyl pressed yesterday not nearly 50 years ago!  It plays with that familiar deep Budgie sound and has to grade as Mint as it just could not play any better.

The acoustic intro on 'Slipaway' plays beautifully with no background and Shelley's first vocal is just as clean.  Bourge's mid solo is perfect as is the next vocal and to the end it plays with genuine quality.  Flawless clarity for a quieter track. Mint

The quiet intro on 'Who Do You Want For Your Love?' has only the lightest of background static and is in no way intrusive.  The opening vocal is nigh on perfect with only a couple of very quiet ticks (easily missed!) and the powerful instrumental section that follows is 'as new'.  The next 'raw' vocal from Shelley is equal to that and it continues to play with impeccable quality.  There are a couple of light ticks towards the end so overall I think Near Mint is fair here.  The long fade out has no background at all.

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The intro on 'I Can't See My Feelings' is faultless and the opening vocal is so strong and clear with zero intrusion.  There is just a hint of mega light static during the solo bass section but so quiet and hardly worth a mention!  There is one click during the next instrumental section due to that tiny 'speck' but from then on it plays without background.  The power and depth of the audio is stunning Near Mint- seems about right.

The cover 'I Ain't No Mountain' may not be typical Budgie (a sign of things to come?!) but it nonetheless plays with exceptional audio through every vocal and instrumental section.  There is no background and Mint is well deserved.

The quiet intro / opening vocal on the classic 'Napoleon Bona-Part One' plays with STUNNING clarity and it continues in the same way.  There is not even a solitary dust tick and MINT is an easy grade to give.  As Part Two kicks in there is no let up in quality and I love the juxtaposition between these 'two tracks'.  The gentle nature of the opening section and then the raw power of both the music and Shelley's vocal during Part Two.  Bourge's work here is legendary and whilst there are a couple of minor static 'moments' during the brief quieter passage it can hardly be deemed intrusive.  The remainder plays with great clarity and power and Mint- is a fair assessment.  There are a couple of static / scratch sounds immediately after the track has finished, just after Shelley's Hmmm! but it hardly matters at that point obviously.

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The matte textured cover is in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear.  The top edge has a couple of minor rubs only and the bo0ttom edge remains very clean.  The thin pinched spine has barely any wear and the corners are in great shape with only minimal rubbing on the right hand ones.  The opening edge has only light handling wear near the top, very slightly wavy here.  The front cover is in superb condition, it is unmarked and has just a few of the usual faint edge creases nnext to the spine and the back cover is the same with a couple of minor specks also.

The plain white die-cut inner is in superb shape with no side splits or marking and only minimal creasing.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine

MCF 2723 // A - 2U  GA 1 // B - 1U  RH 1 // A PORKY PRIME CUT & PECKO etched on the run offs

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!