JONI MITCHELL Clouds RARER ORIG UK 1969 RSLP EX. HEAVY 170g RECORD, LOVELY SOUND

	£		22
	$		29

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, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled 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: JONI MITCHELL

Album Title: Clouds

Producer(s): Paul Rothchild produced ‘Tin Angel’ other tracks are uncredited.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Tin Angel; Chelsea Morning; I Don’t Know Where I Stand; That Song About the Midway; Roses Blue.

Side 2: The Gallery; I Think I Understand; Songs to Aging Children Come; The Fiddle and the Drum; Both Sides, Now.

Label/Format: Reprise – First press on the tri-coloured steamboat format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Generally clean and attractive with spindle marks very few, fine and light. Both gently aged with slight dulling.

Cat Number: RSLP 6341

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 170 grams. An astonishing weight for this record and even by Reprise standard at this time, an extraordinary weight.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce a first issue and never easy to find with a clean cover, record and sound.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: RSLP 6341 A-1 *T STEREO / RSLP 6341 B-1 *T STEREO

Stamper Codes: I 1 / B 1

Brief Info: Second album from one of the most popular and greatest female singer-songwriters of her generation. Brilliant songs and lyrics, this album has minimal backing – Clouds is predominately Joni playing acoustic guitar and singing all her own compositions – they are performed impeccably with beautiful clean and natural sound. On this first issue, the production and realism of the recording has a true in-the-room quality, the guitar has a rich twang with beautiful rich clarity and Joni could almost be there with you. All the songs are pure class and this is folk-era Joni at her very best. Always a challenging genre for vinyl with no hiding places for surface sounds and blemishes, but this copy has few – the odd sporadic click being near impossible to avoid, but this one will not prove easy to find much better. The stunning self-portrait cover is equally difficult: unlaminated, and this case, the original textured surface original, some have a smooth finish and both are rarely found devoid of ugly ringwear or major surface rubbing. So a strong example for fans and collectors.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: a single format, unlaminated with delicate textured surfaces. A gorgous colourful self-portrait, this printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse. Includes the polylined inner sleeve.

Cover Front: One of the great covers of its era with deep rich colour and clean, fresh and vibrant. Avoiding wear totally on such a fragile cover now over 45-years-old is a huge ask, consider too the fact this has had a record with a massive pressing weight of 170 grams inside all this time. But this front has stood up very well with little unwanted. Traces of rubbing near the very edges, but hardly any creasing or rubbing, the lack of ringwear is a massive plus and any marks or ageing traces are tiny and few. It does the gorgeous graphic painting near full justice and will not prove easy to find better as an original.

Cover Back: Overall, similar again with just a small few mainly fine surface creases that show little. Again, the lack of ringwear is great news and for such an uncompromising back, this again will prove hard to beat.

Top Edge: Thin, but straight with any rubbing very light, patchy and fine.

Bottom Edge: This vulnerable resting edge has moderate and quite patchy rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean with minimal wear with a little thickening seen viewed end-on, but guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A delicate spine that overall has fared quite well. Surprisingly thin, but solid, straight with minimal compression. Most of any rubbing towards the bottom and mainly on the actual corner area. The ‘JONI MITCHEL . CLOUDS’ text at the top is all present and without wear. A little clipping to the bottom number text with the ‘P’ and digits eroded on the catalogue number near the aforementioned bottom corner.

Corners: Moderate tip rubbing, but no bashes or dinks, so very fine (or better) shape is largely retained.

Cover Summary: A truly beautiful cover and very delicate of course. This early-made copy does is fine justice, not perfect with a little spine rubbing, but how many ever will be? I am simply being realistic, with records this vast weight inside, these covers took a lot stress and most will show far more wear than this. A very fine all-round example of this very colourful cover that almost has the look and feel of a canvas painting. One that could prove difficult to find much better with a first pressed record inside. This will please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a plain white polylined inner in fine condition. The lining quite clear as seen through two crisp circle windows. A little creasing and only modestly aged with a little tone spotting and seam edge darkening, but all edges solid and unsplit with no repairs. This is UK patented and has ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or close to. Even with some superficial and non-sounding surface marks, I cannot grade lower than this. Most are very wispy and super-fine as seen under bright angled light, just a couple of still light marks are seen in normal room light but still non-sounding. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with lovely fresh shine and massively pressed on extremely heavy and thick vinyl. 170 gram records do not show up too often, even on this label, this is one that makes belt-driven turntables groan to get up to speed. A very nice original to please many collectors.

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 wonderful, and very early pressed record plays even above it’s strong visual grading with little to fault. And this to on a ruthlessly revealing acoustic and vocal album played on a critically revealing Linn/Naim system. Offering strong, distortion-free sound with no tracking issues*, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is fantastic with a wide dynamic range and very detailed, real hi-fi sound. Beautifully produced, but uncredited. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, but the odd sporadic click or crackle trace is nigh-on impossible to avoid on purely acoustic and vocal albums, especially this considerable age. A small few were noted, but bothered me little. Remember also, this album was not issued in mono, so many who still used the most basic of record players only had the choice of this mode, thus many are seen totally trashed and unlistenable. This copy light-years from that, this I am certain has never been exposed to any harsh treatment, the wispy surface marks probably the result of dry-cloth cleaning that was recommended at the time. Beautifully pressed with clear, focused sound and barely any traces of actual contact surface sound. Absolute silence for these types and vintage is almost unrealistic but this record gives a very fine account of itself. Few available early copies will match or outperform this pressing significantly I feel sure. Little at all spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, still my personal favourite Joni album which I never tire of hearing again and again. Be assured, if this failed to please me, I would not offer it – many who know me well, think I am very ‘fussy’ – well I can live with that. No head in the clouds on this one, it will prove difficult to find significantly better for natural clean sound and it’s highly recommended. However, if totally pristine playing surfaces and totally unworn covers are mandatory, wait for the near impossible. For me this record really delivers, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black 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 Black 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’.