DAVID CROSBY If Only I Could Remember My Name LATE PLUM

	£		31
	$		41

Artist or Band: DAVID CROSBY

Album Title: If Only I Could Remember My Name.

Producer(s): David Crosby.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Music is Love; Cowboy Movie; Tamalpais High (At about 3); Laughing.

Side 2: What Are Their Names; Traction in the Rain; Song With No Words (Tree with no leaves); Orleans; I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here.

Label/Format: Atlantic – Original red and maroon (‘Plum’) format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both are highly attractive with only a very few light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Very faint handling traces if being critical.

Cat Number: 2401005.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 101 grams. One of the lighter Atlantic plums I have held but ironically this is the best pressed copy of this record I have yet heard.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce especially in lightly played condition. This was a very late ‘plum’ issue with the label design and catalogue number changing within the same year. Prime condition examples on this original label are at a premium and this record is truly exceptional. This example included the Plum record inside a new Kinney cover that has the new catalogue number of K 40320 and the record would have been one of the very last copies ever issued on the original format. Clear proof of this lies in the record’s weight which is around 30 grams lighter than a very first pressing I offered some months ago. Ironically, as stated above, this is probably the finest and cleanest pressing of this delicate title I have yet heard.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: 2401005 A1 1 1 1 6 / 2401005 B1 1 2 8 [probably one of the last Plum records ever made].

Brief Artist & Album Info: One of the greatest albums ever and possibly one of the last ‘Plum’ copies ever made. Peaking at 12 in both the US and UK album charts this Dave Crosby classic was justifiably popular and remains his finest ever moment as a ‘solo’ artist. Not that solo is really the correct term here because he is joined by the cream of San Francisco artists of this era. In no particular order; Crosby performs with all the following: Graham Nash; Neil Young; Phil Lesh; Bill Kreutzmann; Jorma Kaukonen; Grace Slick; Gregg Rolie; Joni Mitchell; Mickey Hart; David Frieberg; Henry Diltz; Paul Kantner; Michael Shrieve; Gary Burden; Stephen Barncard; Robert Hammer; David Geffen; Ethan Crosby; Laura Allen; Jerry Garcia; Jack Cassady, Ronald Stone and Elliot Roberts – as you would expect the backing and performances are nothing less and immaculate, a blend of musical brilliance seldom bettered on an album of this type. Vocally, Crosby was inspired and never sounded much better than here, spiritual, powerful and convincing, a man at the peak of his powers. The backing musicians are allowed space to perform and this is an unselfish record. This is a strong copy too, not the heaviest of pressings but it plays beautifully throughout despite a mark on first song on side two – either a superficial pressing blemish or a paper scuff – whatever, it is totally ignored when playing. The cover too is way above average and looks fantastic with minimal wear and with fantastic artwork. So often seen blighted by ringwear and rubbing, again no laminate was used on this one and the card is very soft. This example was produced so late within the Kinney transition period, this cover has the new K 40320 number on the spine and back but that apart, its the same as the first made. If this is an issue, please do not bid.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++ wiih little more than corner rubs. A gatefold format and unlaminated with a very flat matt finish, with the closest of examination, it appears ever-so-slightly textured, certainly the card is not dead smooth. The card is very soft and fragile and is seldom seen with so little wear. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press which is the same as the first made. As stated, this one has the brand new Kinney number.

Cover Front: This front looks exceptional and rarely will be seen so clean and fresh. A very delicate cover all round, this beautiful ‘sunset’ cover has barely anything to fault wtih no grubbiness, rubbing, creasing, sticker marks or ringwear. Small cornertip wear does encroach into view but that apart, there is nothing else to fault.

Cover Back: Practically the same as the front, a very faint rub on Crosby’s forehead is the only minor blemish. The lack of ringwear, which this often suffers badly, is highly refreshing and a huge bonus. This back as the K 40320 Cat. No. (as mentioned several times already).

Cover Inner Gatefold: Perfect, as new with pictures of all the players on view. They rarely get seen better than this.

Top Edges: Ultra faint patchy rubs if being somewhat critical. The corners have rubbed however.

Bottom Edges: Light patchy rubbing and corners have rubbed again. Being this soft, this is no real surprise.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with no wear or feathering. Record entered on this right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: Ultra delicate and again in great condition overall. Very solid, straight, with minimal compression and square, both right edges meet up closely together and near parallel. All text is pristine, unworn, bold and sharp (with Kinney number, just to mention for the last time), just lightish rubbing to the corner ends that few will ever avoid totally.

Corners: All have rubbed but not a major way with most retaining fine definition.

Cover Summary: Actually very surprised to find a ‘Plum’ format original inside this Kinney cover proving how late this actual pressing is. It appears this record was pressed just prior to the transition and included in the new sleeve. Whatever, this is a great example of one of the most fragile classics made, it will please most collectors.

The Inner: This copy includes the Polydor style lined inner which is a fine EX.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: To grade this lovely lightly played record as EX is hardly doing it full justice. As stated above, it has a light surface mark on ‘What Are Their Names’ which has NO sound whatsoever. Any other surface blemishes are ultra fine and faint and this copy looks lovely. A superb visual example that is super clean, shiny, intense black and fairly solidly pressed – lighter than average for a Plum copy. Being such a late pressing the company possibly skimped on weight but this has NO deterimental effect on sound, as stated it plays beautifully and will match or better most. Visually a super record that should please 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 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: This fantastic record plays even above its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Clear, precise, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound, beautifully produced by the man himself. Any surface sounds are minimal to none and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album that has many quiet and delicate passages. Few copies will match or outperform this final Plum pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Dead silence is near impossible on such a record but this gives an incredible performance that was a delight to listen too and this too on a highly revealing system that hides nothing. A beautiful recording and a gateway into the recording studio itself, nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove close to impossible to find better. For sound quality, this is as close to perfection as they get.

End Piece: A collector’s dream-piece. Recognized by critics and fans as one of the genuine all time greats this was Crosby’s debut ‘solo’ album, and a very busy time for the man after first producing Joni Mitchell’s debut and teaming up with Stills, Nash and Young for other albums. This record is an extraordinary work by any standards and essentially a mood piece with Crosby using vocal and guitar chords to stunning effect, the final song even has an eerie Gregorian chant feel, an amazing finale to a sublime release. This album is a real treasure and I am delighted to offer such a beautiful all round, still very early copy. Remember the Kinney orange and green labelled copies were only just around the corner when this album was issued. A host of stars make this record very special – as well as being a late Plum album, it should appeal to scarce vinyl collectors anyway. For those who originally thought Dave Crosby is not really for them, think again, give this one a try, you WILL discover a man inspired, this is as uplifting as music gets. Unreservedly recommended to all, do not let this sublime classic slip the net again.

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: I usually post on Fridays, most will arrive Saturday to make signed-for delivery easier. 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 thick stiffners for even extra protection. 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 and well as 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 NOT surface mail abroad. I never make 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, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

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 Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

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’.