FAIRPORT CONVENTION S/T 1968 Polydor UK 1st press laminated sleeve 583 035 VG+

	£		46
	$		61

FAIRPORT CONVENTION - S/T

An impressive, rare and highly sought after copy of this 1968 UK 1st press folk gem on the POLYDOR label,  STEREO 583035

 Matrix Numbers :

Side 1  583035 A//1 420

Side 2   583035 B//1 420 

The appearance of the vinyl is very good+ (bordering on excellent). Nice jet black lacquered sheen, completely flat and an impressive gleaming appearance. There are, however, some light surface marks in the form of surface paper scuffs and small wispy hairlines, slightly more noticeable on side 2 and even then only really when viewed under a bright light. There is nothing below the surface, nothing nasty and nothing "feelable". A very impressive appearance, especially considering that this record is almost 50 years old!

The labels are excellent - the only blemishes are some very light, faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each side.

The laminated (front and back) Ernest J. Day outer sleeve is very good.  There is some sporadic and very minor scuffing on the bottom edge but the top edge and spine have no scuffing at all; the corners remain well defined right angles with just a little rubbing; the photos and colouring remain intact and vibrant. There is, however, some laminate lifting adjacent to the spine on both the front and reverse sides, some mild laminate creasing at each of the corners (more so on the front bottom right corner), a little laminate lifting in the middle towards the opening edge; a 10cm very light horizontal score line in the bottom left front-side quadrant, and the occasional 1-2cm laminate crease adjacent and perpendicular to the top and bottom edges and spine, three of which impinge upon the spine (but are minor). The spine itself is of the rarer "nipped end" format and although it is a thin spine all text is perfectly intact and perfectly legible. In summary yes, there are laminate blemishes but still very presentable and a definite VG.

Finally, the quality of the audio is an overall VERY GOOD+. Excellent tone and clarity throughout, with no distortion even at higher volumes. There is some occasional very low level, and very background, crackle but this really is minor and non-intrusive and even most of the interludes have no background crackle ("crackle" is too strong a word) at all. Just listen to "One Sure Thing" where the richness and clarity of Judy Dyble's wonderful vocals come over as clear as a bell with no interference whatsoever - beautiful, and I use this as just one example of many great moments on this LP - the album that started it all for Fairport. The only real audio blemish is two mild clicks on track 1 side 2, but even on close inspection I could find no obvious cause for these. A wonderful listen throughout.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. TIME WILL SHOW THE WISER

2. I DON'T KNOW WHERE I STAND

3. THE LOBSTER

4. DECAMERON

5. JACK O'DIAMONDS

6. PORTFOLIO

Side 2 :

1. CHELSEA MORNING

2. SUN SHADE

3. THE LOBSTER

4. IT'S ALRIGHT MA, IT'S ONLY WITCHCRAFT

5. ONE SURE THING

6. MI BREAKDOWN

Comes with original Polydor poly-lined inner sleeve with no splits or tears, in overall excellent condition and still fully functional. l  I always supply a new plain white inner as a matter of course.

In summary a VERY GOOD+ copy of this scarce and highly sought after 1968 UK folk (with a bit of rock and psych mixed in for good measure) 1st press classic - a must for any serious folk vinyl collection.

 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 48 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 over the years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. 

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 cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in removing the record from the outer sleeve in order to 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 Royal Mail 1st class  : UK £4.00, continental Europe £7, and Rest of the World £11. 

NOTE that for items selling for more than £40 I insist upon tracked and signed for postage which incurs a further £2-6 P&P costs, dependent upon location so, please, do not pay until I have invoiced you!!

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

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint

Description: The record 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

Description: 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

Description: 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

Description: 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, discoloration, etc.

Fair 

Description: 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 will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor

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

Bad

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