JOHN MAYALL BLUESBREAKERS Bare Wires SCARCE UK 68 EX++

	£		32
	$		42

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Artist/Band: JOHN MAYALL’S BLUESBREAKERS.

Album Title: Bare Wires.

Producer(s): Mike Vernon and John Mayall.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Bare Wires; Where Did I Belong; Start Walking; Open a New Door; Fire; I Know You; Look in the Mirror.

Side 2: I’m a Stranger; No Reply; Hartley Quits; Killing Times; She’s Too Young; Sandy.

Label/Format: Decca – Large original unboxed blue label format.

Label Conditions: Beautiful examples, they rarely get better than this. Deep rich blue and super clean, these look hardly handled with almost the freshness of a new record. Any of the tiny few spindle traces barely even show and this supreme record has clearly been little handled or likely played – confirmed by outstanding clean sound which will please most-all collectors and even the most discerning fans of this great bluesman.

Cat Number: SKL.4945.

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: 150 grams. A very impressive weight for this early-made record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarcer in stereo and in this condition it will never be easy to find and this example is exceptional and offers pristine audio quality.

Original Year of Release: 1968: this a copy from 1969 with the peep-hole mono/stereo cover indicator. But this record still has the prized -1W/-1W matrixes.

Matrix Nos: ZAL-8340-1W / ZAL-8341-1W.

Musicians: John Mayall - vocals, harmonica, piano, harpsichord, organ, harmonium, assorted guitars; Chris Mercer - tenor, baritone saxes; Dick Heckstall-Smith - tenor, soprano saxes; John Hiseman - drums, percussion; Henry Lowther - cornet, violin; Mick Tyalor - guitar, Hawaiian guitar; Tony Reeves - string bass, bass guitar.

Brief Artist & Album Info: One of John Mayall’s finest ever albums which is more experimental than previously. Electric blues with a strong blend of jazz fusion - the man rarely sounded more inspired - even non-blues fans loved this one. For me the greatest ever bluesman, his Decca catalogue is consistently brilliant with the Polydor years little short either. Featuring a host of top musicians (listed above) including two reed players, this is a thrilling recording. This scarce unboxed stereo record is in lovely, barely-played condition and plays with pristine sound. The cover is strong too with few blemishes. For a record now over forty, this will prove very difficult to beat and my play-grade was a thrill. This is a class album and it should please all electric blues fans.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): laminated with Clarifoil front and back and includes the peep-hole mono/stereo indicator. This inner is the blue style to denote a stereo copy. This was printed and made by Robert Stace in England. This fine looking cover sets the bar high.

Lamination: Front & Back: Both sides look very attractive with barely any ageing or blemishes. The laminate is fresh, clean and clear, the artwork bright and vibrant. With barely any noteworthy creases and all fully adhered bar two small lifts on the front spine edge near the top – few escape this – Clarifoil particularly vulnerable, this is an exceptional cover. Given the front is single thickness, finding this cover with so few laminate issues is unusual. Even under light there are hardly any traces of friction rubs or dulling and the rear peep-hole is immaculate and crisp. Every edge bare the spine sees the laminate end short of full width (or depth), but these fine exposed strips are equally immaculate with no grubbiness, rubs or chips. A much better ‘Bare Wires’ cover will not be found easily and I actually wondering if this deserves an even higher grading.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Odd small tip crease and minor rub trace, but again, this will be hard to find much better.

Top Edges: Any surface rubbing minor and light and any thickening to the fine edges hardly registers.

Bottom Edges: Very similar to above with even less rubbing. These ‘resting’ edges will seldom be found neater than this.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear and no feathering, both guaranteed untrimmed. Record entered on the back edge.

Spine and Text: A fantastic spine, little short of as-made. Strong, very straight, barely any compression with fantastic shape and definition, all text is pristine under solid unpeeled laminate that has little more than the odd ultra fine hairline crease.

Corners: One or two very small tip creases but little else and all retain superb shape.

Cover Summary: A highly attractive example of this genuine late 60s printed cover. It will please most-all collectors wanting this one.

EXCELLENT: the only reason marked down from a still higher grading is for some corner area creasing. This is the typical Decca inner of the time, coloured blue to fill the cover peep-hole to denote a stereo copy inside. This is polylined and this is ultra clear and fresh as seen through two immaculate crisp and totally undamaged window circles. Slight glue darkening on the seams which all remain unsplit. Importantly for the discerning collector, this is date-coded 43212/68.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a superb visual copy that’s very clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. Without any doubt, a copy hardly even played and from a supreme collection of records that went directly to tape and stored away. With any surface marks ultra few and super-faint, the only minor visual blemishes are tiny traces from poly-lined inner. These being as light as they ever get with NO affect on sound whatsoever. Records left inside Decca or Polydor inners for decades undisturbed can sometimes get moderate or even severe ‘bag rash’, but this is light years from that and any tiny traces only seen with scrutiny under angled light. Visually a gorgeous record that should please most-all collectors, yes even the discerning fans can consider this one.

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 fantastic record plays even above it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Sound is crystal clear and perfectly focused and totally distortion-free. All frequencies are sharp and precise and sound quality is astonishing with a very detailed and very rich sound. Practically devoid of surface sounds, few copies will ever play better than this - the lack is distortion is always a massive bonus on vintage 60s classics that were so often overplayed, scratched and noisy. This album has moments of quietness but plays supremely well and quiet. The track ‘No Reply’ is a notoriously difficult song, it most often has some clipping or crackle, often moderate or worse. Any overplayed or worn example will find this song sounding poor with noise and high frequency clipping, but here it plays beautifully – even exceptional. Both channels are clean and sharp and the stereo mix and imagery is immaculate. A fantastic test for any quality hi-fi system: how long can your system reveal that gong resonance on the final seconds of ‘Look in the Mirror’? It should go on for several seconds just before the run-out grooves, it fades very slowly into the background, but only the most revealing of systems will make it audable. Also listen to those dual saxophones also on this song, they image with precise clarity with in-the-room depth and power – totally believable sound that only an original analogue record can give. I know for certain this record has been hardly played and has been clearly lightly and carefully handled. Nothing whatsoever spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this landmark and exhilerating John Mayall album. This unboxed stereo copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and is strongly recommended – do NOT lose this electrifying album.

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.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

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 stiffners 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: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, 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’.