COLOSSEUM Valentyne Suite RARE ORIG 'PHILIPS' UK 1st PRESS VERTIGO SPIRAL EX+ LP

	£		94
	$		125

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: COLOSSEUM

Album Title: Valentyne Suite

Producer(s): Tony Reeves & Gerry Bron

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Kettle; Elegy; Butty’s Blues; The Machine Demands a Sacrifice.

Side 2: Valentyne Suite Theme One: January's Search; Valentyne Suite Theme Two: February’s Valentyne; Valentyne Suite Theme Three: The Grass is Always Greener.

Label/Format: Vertigo – original and genuine first issue with ‘A PHILIPS RECORD PRODUCT’ seen at the 6 o’clock position of side two, along with the large swirl above the hole. These have matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both in magnificent condition: very clean, fresh and highly attractive with only light, very few, fine and faint) spindle marks. Considering this is the oldest and earliest of the Vertigo albums, this record is in super condition with sound to match.

Cat Number: VO1 847900 VTY

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 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: 138 grams. An impressive weight for this first issue.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Quite rare as a genuine first issue with all the correct criteria met on side two as seen in my close-up picture. From VO 1 to VO 7 (there was no VO 5 issued), all six albums as first pressings included the ‘A PHILIPS RECORD PRODUCT’ seen at the 6 o’clock position of side two. When repressed, this text was dropped and all other Swirls after VO 7 ‘Cressida’ did not include it either. Also with records seen in this lovely condition and offering stunning sound quality, they become rarer still, especially when included with a lesser worn cover which is yet another from the catalogue that wear badly. So a lovely very early example and elusive as such.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 886775 1Y*1 420 1 1 1 1 & 886775 2*Y* 1 420 1 1 1 3

Musicians: Dave Greenslade - Hammond organ, vibraphone; Dick Heckstall-Smith - saxophones; Jon Hiseman - drums; James Litherland - guitars, vocals; Tony Reeves - bass guitars.

Brief Info: The first ever Vertigo Spiral album that got the legendary catalogue going. A blistering jazz-rock set that sold fairly well and set the standard for this label. The musicianship of Colosseum was up there with the very best within this genre and the entire set fizzes – Hiseman’s drumming is simply sublime. A man I saw several times live with his wife Barbara Thompson in Paraphernalia. The man is a percussion genius. Only well looked-after examples do the complex sound full justice and this superb first issue Swirl does exactly that. A lovely cover as well – one of the Spiral classics – with all the main areas in great condition. Yes, some wear to the bottom storage edges, and few will avoid that as a minimum. Few of the ‘PHILPS’ label credit originals will better this for looks or sound.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: mainly for bottom edge rubbing. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces, includes a polylined Swirl inner sleeve.

Cover Front: One of the most iconic of the Spiral covers, setting the trend for the others that followed. A lovely example with most all of any light wear near the very bottom edge with only gentle very patchy rubbing here and there. Clean and fresh looking and lacking the usual rubbing, creasing and fading the majority are seen with. In fact, hardly a crease to be seen, even on the corners, that have only small tip rubs. Any marks or blemishes are tiny and very faint indeed, and no sticker issues for which this is highly intolerant.

Cover Back: The back is largely the same again, small tip rubs and a little small edge rubbing here and there. The lack of creasing and especially ringwear is a massive plus.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Superb – practically as clean and fresh as when made, rarely seen like this. The deep brown surface totally lacking in the chips and marks this is usually found with.

Top Edges: A little fine rubbing on the paler back, so registering less and little. The front has little wear at all. Both are very straight and flush.

Bottom Edges: At least moderate rubbing to both, but largely confined to the actual edge surface. Meaning it has hardly spread to the main front and back surfaces, so largely seen as viewed end-on. Hard to find these storage edges without some wear.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both the closed front and the storage back edges are still quite sharp with any thickening or burring light to very light as seen more critically viewed end-on. All are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Very solid, straight with no compression. There moderate rubs to the ends, but the actual main surface is impressive with minimal traces, this including the folds which retain virtually all ink with no scuffs. Possibly a trace of fading being ultra critical, and again so hard to avoid all these years. Good news already, but the best is all the text is fully present and unworn, that including the fragile fine VO 1 number near the bottom area.

Corners: Mostly moderate tip rubbing, less on the top right pair. Fine to very fine shape retained with no bashes, hence hardly any traces of tip creasing.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this classic Swirl cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. Bottom edge rubbing apart, this is impressive for a cover that often does not wear well. This attractive item should please many collectors but not the highly discerning who only want ‘perfection’ at any cost.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): over time, it is harder to guarantee all Swirl inners as ‘originals’. This one has a 0470 date-code and is early. A little seam adhesive darkening as per usual, but less than many. Two crisp undamaged window circles and the polylining very clear and fresh. Hardly any creasing and no edge splits or repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): this being somewhat critical for a record that appears little played and with any surface marks mostly very fine, whispy and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. Just one small scuff on the first track is seen a little more and does NOTHING. A super visual copy that is very clean with excellent shine and very solidly pressed on top-quality vinyl. No penetrating stylus marks and few available ‘PHILIPS’ credit originals will better this visually or for sound, it should please many, if not most 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 snippets 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: Very first pressings of most albums offer the very best in detail and usually pressing quality as well – that is why the discerning audiophile listeners and collectors treasure them. This vintage Swirl, the first in the legendary series, offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. Audio quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound with no tracking issues*. Any surface sounds registered little and this has fantastic dynamic audio quality and production. Complex, sometimes blistering music, this sounds wonderful and all is fully focused, even Smith’s rasping reeds. Certainly one of the cleanest sounding copies I have yet heard and sadly not always the case. This has suffered no abuse from old heavy-tracking record players and few copies will outperform this quality copy. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It is likely to prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

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, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. 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. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

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 (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

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

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an 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: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

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 necessarily 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’.