BID WITH TOTAL CONFIDENCE . YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED: COMPLETE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE IF NOT TOTALLY SATISFIED

SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. WE HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING AND A 100% TRACK RECORD OF OFFERING GREAT PRODUCTS, SERVICE, COMMUNICATION AND DELIVERY – GUARANTEED!!

GENTLE GIANT - THREE FRIENDS

THIS IS AN EXTREME RARITY OF VINYL COLLECTING IN STUNNING, 1 PLAY CONDITION. 

A GENUINE FIRST EVER UK PRESSING OF THE FANTASTIC ULTRA RARE EARLY SEVENTIES MASTERPIECE, ON THE ICONIC VERTIGO RECORD LABEL. THIS GREAT ALBUM IS COMPLETE WITH IT'S ORIGINAL POLY-LINED VERTIGO SWIRL INNER SLEEVE AND GATEFOLD COVER. 

  Great Playing Record! Great Audio and Great Cover. Original UK PRESS Labels and stunning clear audio throughout. Complete with original press inner sleeve, all in great condition.  

A brilliant package, and a great collectable, getting rarer by the day!

CAT NO:....

VERTIGO - 6360 070

LABEL PRESS DETAILS:

ULTRA RARE  1st Ever Pressing - BLACK & WHITE LABELS WITH SWIRL LOGO ON SIDE 2. With MADE IN ENGLAND text. First pressed 1972.

This is a rare and COMPLETE UK pressing of the great THREE FRIENDS. Finding a complete 1st pressing in this wonderful condition is very rare indeed and makes this a very special chance to own a genuinely rare original press with brilliant clear sound.

Finding a clear sounding pressing in great condition is near impossible, and this 1st press is an outstanding example. 

MATRIX NOs. ON RUN-OUT GROOVE

Side 1. ''  6360038  1 Y // 2   '' 

Side 2. ''  6360038  2 Y // 2    '' 

MOTHER STAMPERS:

Side 1. ''  1         1      1   2 '' 

Side 2. ''  1         1      1   2 '' (One of the first ever pressed, with ultra rare matching 1 1 mother stampers)

TRACK LISTING…

SIDE ONE

1. "Prologue" Phil Shulman, Kerry Minnear 6:14

2. "Schooldays" Phil Shulman, Kerry Minnear 7:37

3. "Working All Day" Derek Shulman 5:12

SIDE TWO

1. "Peel the Paint" Phil Shulman, Derek Shulman 7:31

2. "Mister Class and Quality?" Derek Shulman 5:51

3. "Three Friends" Ensemble 5:26

A great complete 1st pressing of this iconic and rare 20th century album!   

ALBUM PLAYED FOR GRADING:

Yes – brilliant! - TOP AUDIO 

Three Friends is a complex collection of songs and is also a very sensitive piece of vinyl with many very quiet sections. Worn copies can have a lot of surface sound even on musically complex and busy tracks like ‘Schooldays’. It is so hard to find a 1st pressing with great audio performance. 

I am pleased to say that this ULTRA RARE pressing plays through with great, undisturbed audio. Strong sound free of any loud pops or clicks, the channels are clean and unstressed. There is some light occasional static (as found on all vinyls) but it is light, and the audio is brilliant, strong and clear, it's is a great listen. I will give a detailed account below:

This great sounding 1st press starts with very little detectable static in the run ins and intro to 'Prologue', a varied track that can be plagued by crackle, hiss and static. There's just one tic in outro and barely any light occasional static. Great clear sound, the track plays superbly with not a single loud click or pop. The audio is superb. Again the intro to 'Schools Days' also sounds very clear and the whole of the first side really plays with superbly clear audio throughout. There are not clicks or pops, light static and certainly not even a hint of distortion, juts four or five random tics during the ultra quiet instrumental section. There is hardly even a noticeable static at all. 'Working All Day' sounds superb, with clear audio, just one small tic in the outro and one in between tracks.

'Peel the Paint' brings in side 2. with amazing clear audio and very quiet run ins. 'Mister Class and Quality' also plays superbly, still with no pops or clicks, and absolutely minimal static. I'm very happy to say that the same goes for the intro to 'Three Friends'. There is one small tic during the intro and barely any light static. So often heavily distorted and affected by clicks and hiss, it plays through with amazing clarity and superb bright sound. An amazing audio performance. '

This great 1st press record plays with staggering power, great audio nothing obtrusive to distract from the over all enjoyment of this great record. There is very little surface or static noise between the tracks, even in the long quiet sections it is clean, crisp and rich. 

The music jumps out, with definition and clarity, particularly on the percussion instruments, and vocals, which come through with tremendous power and clarity. As is the same with the keyboard layering and drums, whilst the guitars come through crisp and clear. On the whole this lp plays with superb, clear bright rich audio.  

The sound quality is consistent and extremely high on this rare 1st pressing. I would give an overall audio grading at EXCELLENT PLUS to NEAR MINT!

THE RECORD – Visual Grading

A stunning piece of glossy vinyl, this rare 1st press is really thick and chunky, with amazing deep clear grooves.  In daylight it looks unmarked. A couple of faint whispy paper handling marks. A stunning example! 

Graded at MINT.  

VINYL TESTED FOR ANY SIGNS OF WARPING:

Yes, NONE visible what so ever when tested be sight and on a moving turntable.  

THE LABELS

This ultra rare pressing comes with the 1st Vertigo labels, in GREAT Condition, no marks or writing, no discernible  spindle wear, and virtually NO discernible spindle traces. Making this a true rarity, especially in this condition.  

A lovely set of labels. No spindle traces. Absolutely no marks or writing what so ever, and NO brush marks that these labels seem prone to, and no spindle wear. Great all round examples! 

Graded at  NEAR MINT. 

THE COVER 

The unlaminated covers of THREE FRIENDS are relatively prone to wear. These covers usually faired badly, with serious ring wear, scuffs along the edges, serious cracks and creasing and rubbing to the textured surfaces. The spines are nearly always flattened, worn and scuffed. 

This Ultra Rare 1st ever press cover is in great condition, with minimal scuffing to the corners, and virtually no rubbing along the edges, and that is virtually un heard of. The opening edges are very square and un frayed, again unheard of. There is a small dent any the top of the rear gatefold, as sen in the images.

All round, this is a really nice example, with some very minor handling wear. 

Graded at EXCELLENT. 

THE INNER

Original Vertigo inner sleeve in VERY GOOD PLUS condition. No tears, stains, just some light creasing and NO seem splits at all!

And don't be fooled, these are completely different to all other inner sleeves from the UK pressings. These inners are themselves rare and so hard to find with out heavy wear, graffiti, tears and splitting.

RARITY

THREE FRIENDS was produced in a small run, and has not been re produced in large quantities. It is now considered a truly iconic album of the 20th century. Finding an original UK early pressing in great condition is unbelievably rare. It is an extremely rare collectable, it is so hard to find an original pressing with even an decent audio performance. There are so many quiet passages, it is undoubtedly one of the hardest pieces of vinyl from the early 1970's to find with great audio.

The cover is almost impossible to find without serious wear, even modestly worn examples are scarce and this one is a brilliant example. Finding a great cover like this, with a great piece of vinyl, rare 1st press inner sleeve, fantastic!.

A 1st pressing in this type of condition is impossible to find. The vinyl is so often played so much, heavily marked, scratched, with noisy, poor and distorted sound. Any 1st press examples with a record in this type of condition, that plays superbly are incredibly rare. An ORIGINAL UK press, with ORIGINAL press cover and ORIGINAL inner sleeve, all in great condition, makes this very rare indeed! 

RARE COMPLETE CLASSIC ORIGINAL VINYLS WITH TOP AUDIO AND GREAT CONDITION THROUGHOUT

AT TRADE MARK RECORDS AND GUYANJ7 WE SPECIALISE IN RARE COLLECTABLE PRESSINGS - WITH GREAT SOUND UNINTERRUPTED BY INTERFERENCE. NO LOUD POPS OR CLICKS, JUMPS OR REPEATS - GUARANTEED!

GREAT ORIGINAL COVERS WITH NO SEAM SPLITS, TEARS, WRITING OR STICKERS!

VINYL

We sell high quality examples of Classic Vinyl. Large format art work covers with the best original sound and mix unique to the original pressings, giving the highest audio depth and performance. Vinyl prices have soared over the last ten years, making classic examples a great financial and cultural investment.  

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VINYL SOUND - PLEASE NOTE:

Highest quality vinyl with clear sound is rare, and what we always aim for. We sell records that play with TOP AUDIO performance; clear sound uninterrupted by hiss or interference. Even with the cleanest vinyl pressing you will find occasional static or occasional light tics during playback, caused by a build up of dust and dirt in the wide vinyl grooves. This is clearly different from the distortion, loud pops, repeating tics or clicks that are found on heavily played and worn pieces of vinyl. Static build up can reduce when played, and we advise a clean between plays for optimal performance. 

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SCRUPULOUS EXAMINATION and TESTING:

All our records are play tested on highly sensitive equipment to ensure the sound quality and accuracy of description. We aim to give a precise and concise description of the sound, pointing out defects so that you know exactly what you are buying. We aim to describe our records as accurately as possible, and offer a full refund on return if for any reason you are not completely happy with the item description.

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IMAGES and INFORMATION

We use photographs of the item for sale taken with professional digital cameras. The images are designed to be as clear as possible, giving an accurate representation of the item. We aim to give sufficient and accurate detail as possible so that you know exactly what you are buying. Please let us know if you need any further information and we will be happy to oblige.

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SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST, QUALITY ASSURED. WE HAVE A 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK RATING.

SOME EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK –

BRILLIANT LP MINT CONDITION, AWESOME SELLAR, 1ST CLASS PACKAGING, NO PROBLEMS A+

Absolutely fantastic! Worth every single penny! Trust you are in careful hands!

ITEM RECEIVED.. AS DESCRIBED... PACKED GREAT...MANY THANKS..RECOMMENDED.. A*******

Great LP from a great seller. Thanks !! Very well packaged. AAA+++

Item arrived quickly, well packaged and in excellent condition. Very pleased.

fast delivery, superb communication, good item, great ebayer AAAAA+++++

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RETURN POLICY:

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed ; - returns accepted without question. If you are not happy then any item can be returned, we cant say fairer that that!

WE ONLY SELL RARE RECORDS THAT ARE IN GREAT CONDITION. IF THERE IS ANY SLIGHT DEFECT, IT WILL BE CLEARLY STATED.

If in the unlikely event that you may want to return an item, or that we have missed something in the listing, we offer a no quibble returns policy. Items must be returned within 12 Days of receipt, and returned in the same condition that they were sent out in. Return postage will be paid by buyer, unless there is a particular fault with the item, and then we will pay the full postage costs!

RECORD GRADING SYSTEM IS AS FOLLOWS - ( BASED ON RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE U.K. )

MINT: Virtually unplayed. The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. Cover is pristine.

EXCELLENT: 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.

V.G PLUS: The record will still be nice and shiny, but may have a few light marks, and will play well. Slight wear and tear on the cover.

V.G: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items.

GOOD: 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, etc.

FAIR: Fair. It is noticeable that the record has been played so much that the sound quality has deteriorated very noticeably. The cover and contents are showing signs of folding, scuffing of edges etc.

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POSTAGE AND PAYMENT DETAILS : -

Items will be extremely well sealed and securely wrapped using the best possible packaging for safe handling and delivery. We send items all round the globe with 100% success! We sell top quality rare records to discerning buyers. We do not make money from the postage costs and aim to keep the prices at a reasonable rate while never offering a cheap or second rate service. 

IT IS AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY THAT THE RECORDS YOU BUY GET TO YOU IN PERFECT CONDITION. All RECORDS ARE REMOVED FROM THEIR MAIN COVER AND PLACED IN A BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT INNER SLEEVE TO AVOID ANY CHANCE OF EDGE SPLITS OR KNIFING. THEY ARE HELD SAFELY IN EXTRA THICK PLASTIC SLEEVES, AND THEN SECURED WITH SEVERAL EXTRA LAYERS OF REINFORCED CARD BOARD AND PADDING, DOUBLE BOXED IN EXTRA STRONG PROFESSIONAL RECORD CONTAINERS TO ENSURE THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL. WE HAVE A 100% SUCCESS RATE AND AIM TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

Example of packaging used

UK - First Class Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £5.00

UK Special Signed For Next Day Delivery with Insurance : = £8.90

EUROPE - International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £11.95

INTERNATIONAL, Non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Russia, Australia etc. International Airmail Signed For Recorded Delivery with Insurance : = £18.95

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MULTIPLE PURCHASE REDUCTION

Reduced postage for multiple records up to 30% off extra items.

POSTAGE WILL BE FIRST CLASS OR THE FASTEST AND SAFEST POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE, - RECORDED WITH TRACKING AND INSURANCE. ALL ITEMS ARE FULLY INSURED AND COVERED FOR THE SAFEST DELIVERY POSSIBLE, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. GUARANTEED!

POSTAGE RECEIPTS AND PROOF OF POSTAGE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. 

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PAYMENTS 

Payments must be made within 3 days of purchasing unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed upon. We can offer payment by instalments if discussed before purchase.

Pay Pal or bank transfers are accepted for International buyers. We accept Pay Pal, bank transfers or postal orders within the UK. Records will be sent out immediately on receipt of payment.

Please Note: If no contact is made by the winning bidder following the mandatory Ebay 3 days, we will reserve the right to offer the item to the next highest bidder, unless prior notice of any delay is arranged beforehand.  Any bidder who has missed the chance to purchase a record can still email to make a priority second chance offer.