G. F. FITZ-GERALD Mouseproof 1970 UK EX++ LP

	£		138
	$		183

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: G. F. FITZ-GERALD

Album Title: Mouseproof.

Producer(s): G. F. Fitzgerald & Roger Watson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: April Affair; New Lodger; Country Mouse; It Takes More Than A Clear Day To See It; May Four a) Ashes of The Empire b) The End.

Side 2: Under And Over The Waterfall; Movement Lost In Twilight Stone; Political Machine; Opal Pyramid Drifting Over Time.

Label/Format: Uni (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and highly attractive with only very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Just two or three each side, this genuine rarity looks hardly played and has fantastic sound.

Cat Number: UNLS 115.

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: A very impressive 156 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Very Rare, seldom seen or offered and this record is in wonderful condition with just a very few ultra fine surface marks that have no sound. The rare insert is also included. The cover does have some wear but the record more than compensates, this almost impossible to classify record did not sell at all well but within the psych-prog-underground genre it has almost become legendary. The price guides have little clue and undervalue this classic by some distance, this is a very rare opportunity to own one of the most unique albums ever made.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: 7-222-1 / 7-223-1

Stamper Codes: 1 B / 1 U

Musicians: G. F. Fitz-Gerald - Vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitars, electric banjo, piano, bass guitar, gifflid, percussion, Moog; Rod Herman - guitar; Alan Place - guitar; B. J. Cole - pedal steel guitar; Rik Kenton bass; Ian Andrews- bass; Geoff Leigh - saxophone; Tony Turnbull - drums. Various vocalists include Judy Dyble, the original singer in Fairport Convention but is uncredited on the insert.

Brief Info: I feel sure many reading this will not even know this man or this amazing album. As the 60s ended and entered into the 70s, there were many unusual and bizarre acts recording within the ‘underground’ scene, but this strangely unique one-off album is up there with the very best. Impossibly to really classify, this includes a host of different styles including pop, rock, avant garde, progressive, folk, experimental and jazz influences. Similarity can be made to early Zappa I guess but not in an obvious kind of way. This simply twists and turns and at times is incredibly catchy like the sublime ‘Ashes of an Empire’ where ex-Fairport lead singer Judy Dyble features strongly. The mood is very different on the very dark and haunting ‘May Four’, another amazing track. Then some way-out progressive instrumentals that sound superb in a brilliantly produced mix. Regarded by connoisseurs of the underground scene as a ‘lost’ classic, I consider this one of the rarest albums I have ever offered on Ebay. Why would a record be valued less than artists like The Beatles and the Stones when they sold in massive numbers and are very easy to find anywhere (albeit in various conditions). This obscure gem will rarely be seen or found and for those few who did shell out on a copy, most would have played into submission and were rarely hi-fi connoisseurs if you see what I am saying? This copy has a somewhat flimsy wear-prone cover that I can only grade as VG but the insert, which is guaranteed origina,l is almost like new and the record a superb EX++ and plays practically Mint. For those seeking the original, obscure and unique treasures of this creative period of music, this will thrill. They simply do not make albums like this anymore, truly a wonderful piece of work and copy. Do not miss this idiosyncratic piece of underground rock history.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Grade and Format: VG (more to do with grubbiness than actual wear). An unlaminated gatefold format that includes the ORIGINAL lyric insert. Printed and made in England by The E. J. Day Group.

Cover Front: Black and white and unprotected, few of these will ever be found looking wonderful these days (if indeed you can find one at all). Little in the way of ‘wear’ but some moderate grubbiness mostly around the edges. A few mild rub traces and a few light surface marks but hardly a crease to be seen. Overall, not too bad and being a fairly basic design, I feel many will like it.

Cover Back: Same again really, grubbiness or ‘set-off’ around the edge areas, mostly near the top edge which has the effect of ringwear. Few creases but not clean.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Much better and looking nice, some mild tone stain traces near the top edges on the white areas but the actual artwork picture is near perfect.

Top Edges: Some light rubbing and I will not rule out some mild touch-ins, if so, they are superbly done.

Bottom Edges: As above.

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

Spine and Text: The spine has rubbed in places including the centre where some text has eroded. Still solid with modest traces of compression, a fine centre fold has formed and the bottom end has moderate rubbing. Not the greatest of spines but intact and more than decent.

Corners: Some rubbing and minor wear, again possibly touched-in on the black surface - I am guessing really, it’s far from obvious if it’s the case and I am simply being honest in my opinion.

Cover Summary: Not one for the connoisseur but the record is. Clearly not stored in a protective cover and darker covers have ‘set-off’ on the white areas - hardly unusual. A delicate enough cover in its own right and near impossible to find, this is simply an average non-laminate from the period. For those whose priorithy is a superb rare record, the cover must take second preference but it’s hardly terrible to say the least. No real damage or even that much wear, just relatively mildly grubby. If this is a problem, please do not bid.

The Insert: Mint(-) and guaranteed ORIGINAL. Whereas the cover has aged the contents have not. This rare insert is little short of perfect and clearly little handled. Almost makes me wonder it the owner even knew it was inside? Clean and crease-free, all edges sharp. This includes details on musicians and credits and includes the song lyrics.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ with just one surface mark on side two, totally superficial with NO sound and faint hairline traces, a better copy of this elusive record will prove incredibly difficult to find. A very fine visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. Uni were part of MCA and many MCA records were pressed by Decca at this time and this has all the hallmarks of a Decca record. Heavily pressed, clean sound and smooth rims. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. 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 brilliant record plays even above its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Superbly produced and engineered with wonderful stereo imagery and sound. Devoid of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing but as you would expect from this company. Few copies will outperform this original pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been carefully handled, slight shame the cover wasn’t protected but you can’t always have it all can you? Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – and I mean WONDERFUL – I love this album and never tire hearing it. This record will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. G. F. WHO? Fitz-Gerald, that’s who, listen, learn and enjoy - truly magical.

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 now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. 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’.