FOREST The Full Circle SHVL784 A2G/B2G 1st press RARE Harvest 1970 UK acid folk

	£		157
	$		208

Forest - The Full Circle

You are bidding on an original UK first pressing of 'The Full Circle', the second album by Forest from 1970 with the 'unboxed' green Harvest label.

 This is the second rarest Harvest LP (the rarest is Tea and Symphony's 'Jo Sago'), as well as being one of the very first releases on this very collectable label.

Catalogue: SHVL 784

Matrix: 784 A2G / 784 B2G

Stampers R 1 (both sides)

UK, stereo, 10 track LP

Tracks

Hawk the hawker/Bluebell dance/The Midnight hanging of a runaway serf/To Julie/Gypsy girl and rambleaway/Do not walk in the rain/Much ado about nothing/Graveyard/Famine song/Autumn childhood

VINYL: EX - the vinyl is in excellent condition and still shiny and bright with no marks or scratches apart from the slightest of 'removal marks' from the poly-lined paper inner bag,

 which has protected it well for the last 40 years! It plays very well indeed, with absolutely no clicks or pops and virtually no surface noise.  A great listening copy! 

Both labels are bright and clean and unmarked, with virtually no centre hole wear or spindle marks.

SLEEVE: VG - the textured matt gatefold sleeve is in very good + condition (see pictures).

  There is some very slight edge shelf wear, some visible wear to the top of the outer gatefold spine, and the top left gatefold seam has come unglued

 (but both sides of the card are fully intact and this would be easily repairable).  There is also a small (1/2 inch surface 'tear' which is superficial only,

 and barely noticeable) on the top front cover (see final 'pencil' pic; the pencil is just 3 inches long, to indicate the scale).

The original Harvest 'advertising' inner bag is still intact, very clean and in great shape, although there is a side split to the inner poly liner (but not to the paper inner itself),

 and features ads for albums by fellow acts on the label.

Otherwise: no added writing anywhere, no sticky labels, no scratches, no 'mustiness' & comes from a smoke free household... this is a copy that has been cared for.

If you've read this far, you'll doubtless be familiar with Forest; major success eluded them back in the day, despite John Peel's support and being managed by Blackhill Enterprises.

but current appreciation for 'Wyrd Folk' (or 'Acid Folk' if you prefer), has mean that their reputation is considerably greater today.

Forest were an English psychedelic folk trio from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, consisting of  brothers Martin and Adrian Welham, and Dez Allenby   They formed in 1966 as the Foresters of Walesby, with an early unaccompanied traditional folk style similar to The Watersons or The Young Tradition.  After a name change to Forest, and a move to Birmingham, their musical direction became closer to that of their contemporaries, the Incredible String Band.

They signed to Blackhill Enterprises, were frequently played by John Peel and were among the first acts to sign to EMI’s new ‘progressive/underground’ Harvest label.  Readers who were around at the time may remember them for the inclusion of ‘A glade somewhere’ (a track from their first, self-titled, album for Harvest in 1969) on the Harvest double label sampler, ‘Picnic’.

This is their second album, ‘Full Circle’ it’s even less commercial than the first, and sold hardly at all.  It is reputedly the second rarest album on the Harvest label (the rarest being Tea and Symphony’s ‘Jo Sago’). 

Dez left in 1971 and the band continued with a slightly different line up before finally disbanding in 1972.

The album is co-produced by the band and Malcolm Jones (who also produced Syd Barrett's early solo work).

This second album owes a little to the Incredible String Band, with a touch perhaps of Comus or Doctor Strangely Strange;

 it sold very few copies and original first pressings such as this are very hard to find today!

I'm putting this one out at a low starting bid, with no reserve, despite its scarcity -  there is sure to be plenty of interest, so happy bidding!

A note on postage: I will ask that any non-UK buyer pays the cost of International Signed For postage - this will add an extra £4 to my quoted overseas postage,

 but I don't make any profit from this - I simply want to make sure that the item reaches you safely!  If you've any query about this, or any further questions about

 the condition of the item or whatever, please do ask!

Photo shows actual item.

Fully guaranteed.

Properly packaged.

 Please contact me via eBay messaging if you have any query regarding this item.