GROUNDHOGS Scratching the Surface RARE ORIG UK 1968 N/M LP. HARDLY PLAYED STEREO

	£		243
	$		321

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 arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details 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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for 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.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: GROUNDHOGS

Album Title: Scratching the Surface.

Producer(s): Mike Batt.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Rocking Chair; Early in the Morning; Waking Blues; Married Men; No More Doggin’.

Side 2: Man Trouble; Come Back Baby; You Don’t Love Me; Still a Fool.

Label/Format: Liberty - original blue format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both in truly stunning conditions. I am struggling to find a single spindle trace at all. Both very clean, fresh and attractive – practically as made with beautiful deep colour. This incredible original appears hardly even handled, let alone played.

Cat Number: LBS 83199.

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: 134 grams. A very good weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce and seldom seen this clean. Soon to be repressed by EMI on the black Liberty format, the blue label originals are most prized.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: LBS 83199 A//1 420 & LBS 83199 B//1 420

Musicians: Tony McPhee - guitar, vocals; Steve Rye - harmonica, vocals; Peter Cruickshank - bass; Ken Pustelnik - drums.

Brief Info: The debut album by the then four member band – Steve Rye left before the second album ‘Blues Obituary’. This is a more blues-based rock album, the material then changed to more progressive orientated sound and slowly they became quite popular within the rock market. But ‘Scatching the Surface’ sold in very small numbers and is seldom seen or offered as an original pressing on the blue format Liberty label. This is a beauty and looks hardly even played. It has a super cover and the record plays beautifully. The original owner purchased this as an import in Germany, hence it included a couple of rare vintage Liberty flyers as seen in the pictures. I have never seen either of these before and I doubt many have. One for fans to cherish.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single fully laminated format. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press. Although a correct LBS stereo cover, this also has a stereo sticker on the back to emphasise careful usage on mono record players. This includes the Polydor style inner sleeve and also two German Liberty Records promotional sheets, one being a thin postcard. The record being a full original UK copy, but bought in Germany as an import.

Lamination – Front & Back: This is a superb, ultra fresh looking cover that has hardly aged at all. The only issue is a natural lift on the spine edge, probably present from new as some were. I do not degrade for this as it is largely unavoidable on some covers. Even if not present from new, laminate will contract over time and can either lead to natural lifting or bowing of the card. The lift is moderate, most near the top of the spine, but when viewed normally full-on, it shows far less than under light. It is totally uncracked of weakened. There is only gentle traces of this on the back. The real factor is the incredible shine, truly this gleams like a new cover with barely any hint of dulling at all. Hardly any creasing either, the back has one but little else, also the sticker is pristine. Both graphics looks amazing, the deeply coloured front especially – notice the vintage – Tony McPhee even has hair. Age defyiing and impressive, this will rarely be found much better.

Top Edge: Thin, but still quite straight without any significant bowing. The laminate is smooth and solid, almost as made.

Bottom Edge: Even better if anything.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with barely any wear or thickening, also guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. The tell-tale fine exposed strip on the both sides where the laminate ends naturally short of full width, fully present with no grubbiness or wear. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, mainly straight with barely any compression. All text is fully present and totally unworn under the fresh, solid laminate. Also very well centred for good measure with no toning.

Corners: All retain excellent (or better) shape with just the odd small, gentle crease. Barely any tip rubbing at all.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this colourful late 1960’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. Few of these will avoid some spine lifting which seems to be a trait of this one. This beautiful item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: AROUND EXCELLENT: a mildly aged Polydor-style polylined inner with two crisp undamaged window circles and clear lining. A small stain on one corner only, hardly any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs. This date-coded 109 (October 1969)

The Liberty Flyers: Both practically Mint as made, also guaranteed genuine, NOT reproductions. These came from Germany, as this copy was purchased there as an import back in 1969. Two rare Liberty promotional pieces in German – ‘Sie Fliegen Nach London’ – ‘They Fly to London’– one promotes Liberty underground albums from around 1968-69. The other being a postcard. A nice pair of extras to add to this superb UK original album, these will rarely be seen or offered.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(–): a supreme visual copy that is ultra clean with excellent shine and solidly pressed. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence with any surface traces minuscule – I am highly unlikely to see or find a better original copy. Visually a super record that should please all collectors – this has ultimate upgrade potential.

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 beautiful and very early pressed Liberty record plays up to it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. It offers 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. Few copies will match, let alone outperform this top-quality pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has barely been played and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove near impossible to find better and merits my highest possible recommendation.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.