Ian Carrr Nucleus BELLADONNA UK LP VERTIGO SWIRL EX+

	£		51
	$		68

Ian Carr's Nucleus - Belladonna

Vertigo Records: catalogue: 6360 076

Matrix Numbers: 6360 076-1/1 / 6360 076 2/1

Genuine 1st Press stampers

Superb example of this very rare and sought after LP. Genuine 1st press on the Spiral label

The Sleeve

Non laminated gatefold sleeve. Unlike most gatefolds this sleeve is designed to be looked at when opened in the portrait position, much like the Hendrix Lp Axis bold as Love, and the Uriah Heep LP Salisbury.The image shows a girl and a man in a field and most of the sleeve is taken up with the field. Not the most striking artwork, but very typical of the time. The condition of the sleeve is overall VG+ and would be better if it were not for the very thin line of tape residue that is visible around three sides of the top half of the sleeve. Having said that, the residue only protrudes about 1/8th of an inch, but nevertheless is still there, obviously the original owner sought to protect the edges with sellotape, and later removed it. Without this the sleeve woyuld have justified an EX+. The sleeve otherwise displays none of the characteristics of most non laminated gatefolds. Firstly there is no ringwear at all, and no creasing or bending to the surface. There is a little shelf wear to the spine and top edge but this is minimal. The inner gatefold image is all in green background and is perfect.

THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER IN THE PIC IS FLASH GLARE AND NOT THE SLEEVE

The original Vertigo spiral inner sleeve is present however it is a little creased and slightly browned with age, and has one tiny split along the bottom edge

The Labels

The famous vertigo Spiral label, reserved for the new and upcoming bands of the early 70's from the parent company Phonogram.

I believe there were 87 Lp's only made on this label, and there are a lot of Vertigo swirl collectors out there.

This particular LP was pressed at the time of the transition from the Spiral label to the Spaceship label, and therefore only genuine first presses will be found on the spiral label. This also makes it a far rarer collectible as fewer copies on the Spiral label were issued.

The label shows the hypnotic swirl on the A side, abd the B side has the white label with the track listing. It is on this side that I can make a proper judgement about the handling of the LP. Firstly the whiteness of this side, is whilst not 100% perfect, is just about there. No dirty fingerprint marks,and retaind about 95% of its original pure whiteness. The spindle hole is unworn, and I count about half a dozen spider lines one of which is quite long. This means that one time the original owner or soemone who borrowed the original owners Lp was not as carefull in the handling of the lp. The Lp was placed onto the turntable by feel rather than sight, where the spindle is found by moving the label accross it until it drops into place. Very infuriating for most of us perfectionists. having said that it would appear it happened just the once to this LP. therefore for most of its approximately 10 plays lifetime it was handled with great care

The Vinyl

The vinyl has retained it's as new appearance which backs up the careful handling theory I aluded to above. There are no visible handling marks and the LP looks stunning. Only when you scrutinise it under intense illumination are there and whispy hairlines to be seen, but these are few and far between

The Sound

The three tests I always run on any LP I list should give the buyer a great insight into the reproduction of the record.

Distortion Test:

Pushing the volume up when playing any LP will tell you a lot about the use the LP has had. For example it will show immediately if the groove has suffered any wear through having been subjected to a worn or damaged stylus, or indeed one that was too heavy and caused wear. many people confuse background noise from scratches, and lines with distortion from groove wear. they are very different, and in my opinion I can put up with the odd bit of crackle or light pop, but the sound of a worn record is unacceptable to me. The loud volume ensures that all this is detected because the vibration of the stylus is more pronounced at higher volumes.

I Use A Rega Plannar Deck for these tests!

Absolutely perfect. No distortion whatsoever anywhere on the LP.

Production Test:

Not so much of a test, but a report on the quality of the recording and the clarity of the sound.

Like most Psych LP's of it's era the music relies a lot on single instruments, and quiet passages, mixed with full on what can only be described as jamming. Whilst not personally a big fan of this style the production of the sound is superb. Each note is picked out with perfection in the mix, and the stereo split is magnificent

Unwanted Noise Test:

This concentrates on the noise in the run in groove, the linking groove between the tracks, background crackle, hisses, and pops. I wont mention jumps or sticking as I wouldn't list a record that did either. This is what you can expect to hear on your system, and along with the distortion test form the basis of my overall sound grading.

Again because of the style of music on this Lp it is more than important to have a noise free experience. far to many of this type of LP have been abused and sound awful. Due to the very careful handling by the original owner however this LP is a pure delight to listen to. The LP plays superbly and it is vital to have this without any backgound crackle. for all the reasons mentioned above. I am delighted to say that this fits the bill. No background noise, no hissing and near silent linking grooves, just the occasional light pop here and there from a bit of dust trapped in the groove. The only exception is right at the beginning of each side. Whilst the run in groove has no crackle, there are some very light pops for about 15 seconds. Irregular so not caused by a mark on the vinyl and I cannot see why even under amagnifying glass. I think a deeper clean might resolve this. I would have graded this NMINT without these little pops. Having said that it is very minor indeed compared to the rest of the LP.

It is without a doubt a very high grade collectible copy

I have been selling vinyl on Ebay now for 7 years and have built up a good reputation for offering quality vinyl, and in the main this has always been Classic and Prog Rock and Pop from the early 60's through the mid 70's. I would ask that you look at my feedback if in any doubt. I always conduct 3 vital tests on any vinyl that I list, which includes Distortion, Production, and Background Noise. All of which you will find detailed in the listing. I also always offer a full refund if the purchaser is not happy.