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Donovan – A Gift From A Flower To A Garden (Box Set)

**Produced by Mickie Most

**ORIGINAL BOX SET - COMPLETE WITH DONOVAN'S LYRIC PHOTO BOOKLET INSERT - LIKE NEW!!

STEREO 33 RPM. LP - NSPL 20000

ORIGINAL (UK) 1968 1st PRESS STEREO ISSUE

MATRIX NUMBERS: Side One: NSPL 20000 A-1 *G, Side Two: NSPL 20000 B-1 *G

Side Three: NSPL 20000 C-1 *G, Side Four: NSPL 20000 D-1 *G

Stamper Codes: C1 / E1 / A1 / F1

This UK first pressing has been with the same owner (my cousin Kenny) since new and has only been played once or twice as evidenced by a single light spindle trace only. The black vinyl still retains the original high gloss finish and is unblemished. SEE PHOTO'S!

Label/Format: Pye – Original black and blue format (Please see PHOTOS!!).

Label Conditions: All four in superb condition, All fresh and attractive with only a single light spindle mark which is good indication of played only once or twice. Great news on a delicate double set!!

Cat Number: NSPL 20000.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: Both substantial at 151 / 155 grams. Quality heavy pressed examples, way over average for this or most times.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarcer in stereo and very difficult in top playing conditions. This is a super set. The box so often seen flattened, badly scuffed, rubbed and grubby. This is not perfect, but a really nice looking example that remains fully intact with no splits or repairs. The icing on the cake is the inclusion of ALL 12 of the inserts in Mint condition and the same goes for the original wallet they came in. A complete copy of this album is never easy to find like this. Early Donovan albums are very special, very delicate and elusive in top playing conditions. Both records look barely played.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: NSPL 20000 A-1*G STEREO / NSPL 20000 B-1*G STEREO / NSPL 20000 C-1*G STEREO / NSPL 20000 D-1*G STEREO [sideS three and four are error corrected].

Stamper Codes: C 1 / E 1 / A 1 / F 1

Musicians: Donovan Leitch - vocals, guitar, harmonica; Harold McNair - flute; Tony Carr - drums, bells, conga, Turkish and finger cymbals; Candy John Carr - bongos; Ken Baldock - string bass; Mike Carr - vibraphone; Eric Leese - electric guitar; Jack Bruce - electric bass; Cliff Barton - electric bass; Mike O’Neill - organ, piano, harpsichord.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Donovan, an artist who does not always get the full accolades his music truly deserves. His comparison to Dylan is somewhat unfair; this highly individual and gifted singer is his own man. He wrote some of the most wonderful songs of the late 60s and his style suited the classic hippy-psych era perfectly. None more so than this stunning double box set, this for me is his greatest ever album with every song a gem. Gentle, haunting melodies with atmosphere and genuine beauty and sung with real passion – the male folk genre rarely gets better than this. Beautifully packaged with sublime acid-folk songs, this is fast becoming rare - complete copies in top playing conditions are becoming more elusive. This was lavishly packaged in a two piece box with printing on all the main surfaces. No compromising on quality, even the cards themselves are printed on top quality, watermarked paper. Finding the full set of 12 in practically mint condition in a mint ‘wallet’ will prove a huge challenge and these are the joy when found like. Most examples are seen missing the odd one or two or even all and rarely are they found in such pristine conditions – most will have creasing or clear handling defects. All 12 here look barely even touched with no finger impressions or noteworthy marks at all. The wallet that keeps them protected and together is even harder to find pristine, this one has even avoided creasing or bending and simply looks gorgeous. The Pye records are very heavily pressed and sound quality is practically as made. Even the heavy duty polylined inners are fresh and clean, PLS SEE PHOTOS! No yellowing, mild crinkle is the least anyone can expect.

Box Grade: Slightly difficult to grade this two piece, unhinged box separately so will grade per piece. The tray: Ex(+) and one the best you will ever seen. Rigid, firm, almost like new except one de-lam edge about 1.5 inch long and is visible in the photo, there is no appearance of aging. The lid: is more to prone wear yet the four edges exposed have only very light corner wear, this more EX(+++), no de-lam and no appearance of yellowing or aging. Given the perils it faced over it’s long years – most seen are flattened wrecks, rubbing into oblivion or torn and dirty, often seen with very crude attempts are repairing. Still hase original price sticker upper RH corner, much better than the usual often left residue outline stains or even tears. The outside back of the tray has a picture of Donovan with Maharishi Mahash Yogi and this paste-on picture atop of the textured trays surface is in superb condition with no wear, with an odd minor hairline mark only. The inside as a psych-style picture of Donovan and here record two’s tracks are listed along with the album’s credits, musicians etc., this surface is practically unworn. All the edges on this tray are solid with no splits and pretty much look new. There are NO repairs, all are totally rigid, erect and uncrushed or distorted in any way or form.

The lid’s top artwork, again a paste-on has little any traces of wear or dirt, rubbing or discolouration, this one has not faded either. There is barely discernible light scuff wear in the purle border area of lid. This fragile front still looks fantastic,witout presence of outlines or residues is quite unusual, but welcome. The inside is near pristine and has the word ‘MONO’ printed with NPL 20000. This is for sure standard on all copies as more were made in mono with stereo copies in less demand. Please be aware of this fact, I am pretty sure I have not seen this inside lid with ‘Stereo’ printed on it. The edges are all totally erect, solid and unsplit with no repairs. But clearly the outsides are vulnerable and there is a little friction scuffing with a couple of color absences on the bottom one and a little residue on the top one opposite. The left and right ones have only minor rubs, chips or scuffs and overall, this very fragile and unforgiving lid will prove quite hard to find better!!

The Wallet: Mint(-) a really lovely example in deep orange-brown with the artists name printed on the front. Printed on fairly thick matt finished card, the inside has two folded flaps that are shaped near the centre foldline. Both are pristine with no creasing and ultra clean. No creases, this is FACTORY FRESH! Be assured this wallet has barely been handled or ‘used’ and finding a better one JUST ISN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

The Inserts: STUNNING LIKE MINT FOR ALL – Yes true, ALL (12) LYRIC INSERT PAGES they are all practically ‘as made’. Beautifully printed and made on high class thick paper with a deep watermark which includes a hugely impressive crown and text. Easily seen when help up to light. The paper also has a deep weave pattern and a textured feel to the fingers. These are pure class and superbly illustrated by Mick Taylor and Sheena McCall. Twelve inserts, twelve different colours for twelve songs, they are titled ‘the first’ through to ‘the twelfth’ and are copyrighted ‘Donovan (Music) Ltd’. All are nigh-on spotlessly clean, fresh and devoid of any noteworthy marks (front or back), any present are tiny, few and faint and they are obviously unmounted and uncreased. All edges razor sharp, all exactly the same size, hence NO trimming or enhancements, all corners are perfect right angles with barely a tip blemish worthy of note. Practically specimen standard for all, these would seem impossible to find much better and all are gorgeous mini works of art that are simply impossible to fake.

The Inner Sleeves: Both in at least Excellent condition and still a superb clean shade of real white without discolor or visible aging, just some crinkle - no splits. Both polylined and heavy duty with sharp and crisp windows with the linings solid and clear. Any creasing light but some crinkle within boxed sets is almost the least can be expected.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading under window sunlight: M- to M-. Based on the LP's lustre and the single faint spindle trace, looks like Cousin Kenny bought this while stationed in England - played once or twice and then parked this box set 43 years until bequeathing after his passing. Any surface blemishes are ultra fine hairlines and very few of these. Two super records that are very clean, retaining a beautiful lustre and shine, intense black and heavily pressed. This set, without any doubt, has been little played and all four sides offer impressively high audio quality.

This album is superbly produced by Mickie Most and has a genuine in-the-room quality. The songs are simply wonderful with a truly haunting quality, a man at the peak of his powers, it’s no wonder this album is in such high demand. This is a work-of-art with all the original mix, sound and packaging (those beautiful inserts are worthy of any price alone), this is merits highest recommendation as a much better all-round example will prove immensely difficult to find. Only minor box blemishes are my only slight reservation for the very discerning collector.

Label Conditions: All four in excellent++ (NM) condition, please judge for yourself as PHOTOS PROVIDED! All fresh and attractive with only very light to light spindle marks which is good indication of very light usage. Great news on a delicate double set and I can quickly state, this double album plays beautifully throughout.

Here's the reality: THIS IS A GORGEOUS NMINT ORIGINAL 1968 DONOVAN U.K. BOX SET.  How often can you really get this? Go back and visit a better time gone past; by bringing in the real music of the day in the original format.

Private seller, not a "record store." My Cousin Kenny left these to me as his muscial legacy and all listings are the very Original Pressings, carefully preserved for 4 decades until now!

$18.00 USD shipping for most of Europe & Asia. Other locations, just ask. Returns only if not as shown, buyer pays shipping back.