GENTLE GIANT 1st. 1970 SUPERB N/M UK Vertigo LP & Cover

	£		90
	$		119

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: GENTLE GIANT

Album Title: Gentle Giant.

Producer(s): Tony Visconti.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Giant; Funny Ways; Alucard; Isn’t It Quiet and Cold?

Side 2: Nothing At All; Why Not?; The Queen.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Spaceship format with larage size catalogue numbers (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both little short of as made: very clean, fresh and attractive and I am struggling to find any spindle traces at all. Under light, a few tiny dull spots, that apart, immaculate. This another prog classic from the superb collection of very lightly played records, purchased from new by the one-and-only owner who played them very sparingly on a high quality system.

Cat Number: 6360020.

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: 118 grams. A little under average but not an era of heavy pressings due to the oil shortage. But rest assured, this album plays with supreme sound and was played no more than once from new.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce on either Spaceship or the original Swirl label. Being honest, I have seen far more of these on the Spiral label than the slightly later Spaceship format, but of course, the serious Vertigo collectors want the Swirl no matter what the cost. And cost is a major factor on this one: Swirl prices are Spiralling almost out of control these days and this is a perfect opportunity for the progressive fan to own this brilliant album without the huge cost of a first press. For those who just want the music with no concern of label design, this is superb example – both record and cover are practically like new. Same record – different label – the sound is identical as is the packing – your choice.

Original Year of Release: 1970. This one would have been pressed around 1972-73.

Matrix Nos: 6360020 1Y // 1 420 1 1 3 & 6360020 2Y // 3 420 05 1 2 6 DB

Musicians: Gary Green – lead guitar, 12 string guitar, flute, backing vocals; Kerry Minnear – keyboard, some bass, cello, synthesiSer, lead vocals, backing vocals, tuned percussion; Derek Shulman – lead vocals, backing vocals, bass; Phil Shulman – sax, trumpet, recorder, lead vocals, backing vocals; Ray Shulman – most bass, violin, some guitar, percussion, backing vocals; Martin Smith – drums, percussion, xylophone. Guests: Paul Cosh – tenor horn, Claire Deniz – cello.

Brief Info: Superb debut album from these complex progsters. This is probably the most accessible of their early ‘Spiral’ albums, but is still fairly challenging. Famed for complex music patterns with many time, structure and tempo changes - you either love or loathe them, but for sure they were original and had their own unique very polished sound. Highly talented multi-instrumentalists, they usually appealed to fans of Yes, King Crimson, van der Graaf Generator and similar bands. This 1970 first album included their famous Gentle Giant artwork that, like most from this Vertigo era, was highly wear-prone. Apart from the odd minor chip or small rub, this is almost as made and is a real work-of-art, I have never seen a better one ever. The record hardly played and sounds fantastic with nigh-on pristine sound throughout. One for the discerning vinyl collector who simply wants a near perfect record and clean cover and not shell-out on a Swirl original. Bar the label, there is no real differences of note and with first issues now going well into three figures for even less than excellent examples, this could prove to be the ultimate bargain buy.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): and this being somewhat critical. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Howard’s.

Cover Front: One of the most spectacular and recognisable covers in the Vertigo catalogue, all prog fans will know this cover design well and here it looks absolutely fabulous. This front is practically Mint and has little to fault at all. A tiny little faint mark on the forehead and one tiny rub trace on the bottom edge (look very hard). Any surface trace marks are ultra few and faint, even under light this has barely anything to fault and I am truly struggling to find even a hairline edge crease. Even though this is a spaceship repress, the cover retains the Spiral logo.

Cover Back: Almost unbelievably, the back is even better, almost like it just came out of the factory. One tiny chip near the bottom edge, so small I hardly know why I even mentioned it. That microscopic blemish apart, it’s almost like custom-made. How many of these do you see without ringwear, rubbing and creasing. Both sides show no grubbines or ageing at all.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A faint hint of small tone spots – a trait this cover seem to get. Here, super faint and registering little. Again, that apart, almost like new.

Top Edges: Barely any noteworthy wear at all and both remain very clean and straight.

Bottom Edges: A smallish central rub on the front, little else up to the very tips, both again, very straight.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both practically unworn again. The front edge is fold-and-tuck, so very neat indeed and unrubbed. The storage area back clean, very sharp with barely any wear and guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: A small few, very small surface chips on the top fold hinge, but they show little. Solid, thick and boxy. Straight, uncompressed and folded square, all edges meet up perfectly together and parallel. This makes for an ultra neat and visuall perfect cover, I think this makes a real difference for the more discerning cover collector. No text printed on this one, but the flow-around graphic is nigh-on perfect and very clean too.

Corners: All little short of stunning with barely even a tip rub and no creasing or dinks. All retain fantastic practically Mint shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A truly beautiful example of this classic prog cover, one that will prove immensely difficult to near impossible to find much better. This hugely attractive item should please most-all collectors and I can hardly imagine finding it better.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: the lined inner is included in very nice condition. Mild ageing with light discolouration. Both window circles very crisp and undamaged and the lining solid and as clear as when made. Minimal creasing and all edges unsplit. Some light to moderate adhesive darkening on the sides.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): and very tempted to put a full Mint grading on this one. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite solidly pressed. A copy, quite honestly, that could pass for new with any surface traces tiny, ultra faint and barely any. This has the shine and lustre of a new record, not one deep into it’s thirties. Visually a fantastic record that should please most-all collectors again.

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 snippets 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 superb progressive gem plays up to it’s 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. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a highly demanding album that has a fair number of quiet passages. Gentle Giant albums were superbly produced and offer audiophile sound standards when found at their very best – and this early Spaceship copy more than measures up. Few available opies will match or outperform this one I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly (if indeed at all) and has been carefully handled and very well stored within a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This record will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. All the top quality sound without potentially the very high cost, makes perfect sense to me.

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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. 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. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

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

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

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 necessarily 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’.