GRAVY TRAIN Second Birth VERY RARE ORIG UK 1973 DAWN PRACTICALLY MINT LP & COVER

	£		402
	$		533

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

Artist or Band: GRAVY TRAIN

Album Title: Second Birth.

Producer(s): Jonathan Peel.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Morning Coming; Peter; September Morning News; Motorway.

Side 2: Fields And Factories; Strength of a Dream; Tolpuddle Episode; Second Birth.

Label/Format: Dawn – original mauve format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both Mint, YES TRUE. These look like they just come out of the shop back in 1973. No spindle marks on either, I even checked this with a magnifier and none whatsoever. Ultra clean, factory-fresh and stunningly attractive. You could search anywhere for years to find a copy that matches this beauty.

Cat Number: DNLS 3046.

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: 140 grams. A very good weight for this year and label. And for added good measure, this is a SUPERB pressing, never to be taken lightly for Dawn, for as many serious collectors will already know, if far from guaranteed.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: this sold in minimum numbers and is seldom seen or offered. This one also in stunning condition. The very wear-prone silver-grey cover hardly worn and cover-protected from new. The record barely played and offering probably the cleanest sound you will ever hear on this title (or label). A sublime example of this rare prog album – connoisseur collectors please apply – this could prove the ultimate upgrade.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: DNLS 3046 A-G G / DNLS 3046 B-G G (the first ‘G’ I suppose could be a ‘6’, but the characters look almost the same on each run out).

Mothers / Stampers: C 1 / B 1

Musicians: Norman Barrett - guitar, lead vocals; Barry Davenport - drums, percussion; George Lynon - guitar; J. D. Hughes - keyboards, vocals, flute, saxes; Les Williams - bass, vocals; Russ Caldwell - Drums.

Brief Info: The third and penultimate Gravy Train album, now on a new label, Dawn, after making two albums on the Vertigo Spiral label. Following the prog classic ‘Ballad of a Peaceful Man’ was never going to prove easy, but few even noticed the Vertigo pair and both sold very poorly. The title of this album was in reference to moving to a new label where they hoped to do better. Alas, not the case and this album is equally as elusive as the previous two. Gravy train play rock with progressive elements and this I feel is a somewhat underrated set. Finding it is hard enough, finding one in such supreme condition is nigh-on impossible. Then finding one near mint AND with the record pressed to the highest of standards is almost like winning the lottery for a serious vinyl collector. Dawn records were a lottery in their own right with many gems badly pressed with inherent pressing noises and crackle. Well this one plays beautifully and I could not fault it at all. With a cover of equal difficulty, this one is also in near top condition and has been carefully stored and cover-protected, hence it is barely aged or worn at all. For those collectors needing this one, well look no further, a near ultimate example is here waiting.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): and this hardly does a cover like this full justice. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England with Pye credits.

Cover Front: Large areas of any single colour are always the most difficult to find with little wear or rubbing. Silver-grey ink is one the most of all, and few will ever show less wear or blemishes than this. Any rub traces are bordering minuscule as are any of the minute creases that almost have to be searched for. Any marks or handling traces equally faint. I doubt if this one had been removed from it’s protective sleeve for decades and this front will almost set the standard these days.

Cover Back: The back has only light rim impression with the merest light rub around – how many covers of this colour with a thick record inside for over 40 years will show less or avoid it at all? With just one small tip crease (bottom left), this back is almost the match for the superb front, do not forget, the record will always press on the back as it is stored on it.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little short of pristine as made.

Top Edges: Both immaculate, dead straight, unworn and flat.

Bottom Edges: The odd tiny friction trace and gentle rubbing near the very ends, little else. Again resting edges will rarely escape unscathed, these are near exceptional given the facts.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both in supreme condition: the front has a real tucked and folded edge, this is again is practically as made and very straight. All the silver-grey ink on the end unworn and fully intact. The back entrance edges are clean, very sharp and again have avoided wear. No thickening or burring even viewed end-on. Record enters on the back edge, both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way. Such neatness of entrance edges simply reitterates what I already know, this record has barely made the trip outside this cover.

Spine and Text: Again in amazing barely worn condition: solid, very straight with no compression and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn, the fragile ink all intact on the main surface and even the folds, how many will still exist like this on this perilous area? There is not even a hint of grubbiness or fading.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and light, just one fine tip crease as mentioned already on the back bottom left. Excellent to near mint shape retained.

Cover Summary: Quite a plain cover in design, but these types always wear the most, to find one like this for all the reasons already mentioned above, goes beyond difficult. With such little ageing, blemishing or wear, this incredible cover will prove near impossible to find again. This beautifully preserved item should please most collectors and could prove a major upgrade for those who already have one.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: and only marked down for moderate age darkening. A plain solid white unlined inner with hardly any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: PRACTICALLY MINT: rarely would I even contemplate grading an over 40-year-old vinyl record as such, but this looks unplayed. Well it has been played at least once after my mandatory play-grade. The labels have no spindle marks and the playing surfaces are as close to unmarked as you will ever see, this also being scrutinised under bright angled light. A supreme visual copy that is ultra clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy barely run-in in vinyl terms and the pressing quality is equally impressive. As stated further up, not to be taken granted, I have heard many Dawn records that fail to please for clean sound. This has no pressing issues or faults at all. Visually a wonderful record that should please all collectors. Again, the ultimate upgrade.

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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quality prog-rock album plays up to it’s high visual grading with practically 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 this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will match, let alone outperform this very early pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. My first ever copy of this title and I can for sure, guarantee, I will never find another like it. This record will prove nigh-on impossible to find better and merits my highest possible recommendation. Do NOT lose this one.

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 Terrarium Black 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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 2 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). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask 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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced 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’.