KEITH CROSS & PETER ROSS BORED CIVILIANS '72 UK 1st press SKL 5129 RARE FOLK GEM

	£		231
	$		306

KEITH CROSS & PETER ROSS - BORED CIVILIANS

An overall nice condition copy with glossy vinyl (but with some light hairline scratches) of this extremely rare and sought after 1972 UK 1st press folk gem on the Decca label, SKL 5129

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   ZAL - 11350.P - 2W with stampers "1" and "D" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively and the "JT" tax code at 12 o'clock

Side 2   ZAL - 11351.P - 2W with stampers "1" and "U" at 8 o'clock and 2 o'clock respectively

The overall condition of the vinyl is very good (VG)...to be a little more precise I would state that side 1 is VG+ and side 2 as VG-. Each side of the vinyl has retained a lovely jet black sheen and in normal daylight gleams, but there are some hairlines and a few scuff marks on each side with a couple of the scuffs on side 1 being visible (just) in normal daylight. The hairlines are small and wispy and, along with the aforementioned scuffs, are non-feelable and superficial apart from x3 just feelable hairlines : on A3 a 4mm hairline though there is no resultant clicking or any other adverse affect upon the sound quality, on B1 there is a 5mm hairline resulting in in x7 light clicks, and on B3 there is a 4mm hairline resulting in light rotational clicking for most of this track. No sticks, repeats or jumps though. See below for further details of the sound quality but though the appearance of the vinyl remains impressive, because of these just feelable blemishes, and the surface only but still visible scuff marks on side 1, I can only grade the overall condition as "very good" so if it's an excellent (or better) condition of this 1st press rarity that you are after then you should not bid.

The labels are excellent (EX). All silver text upon the smooth dark blue background perfectly intact , as is the iconic boxed Decca logo (there was no release on the "unboxed" Decca label). There are some faint spindle trails on each label adjacent to the centre hole, otherwise perfect.

The front-laminated Senol Printing outer sleeve is very good plus (VG+). All edges, including the spine, remain firm with no scuffing (remarkable for a 49 year old antiquity such as this!), all spine text remains perfectly intact, each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with no rubbing (apart from the bottom right corner where there is some minor scuffing), the opening edges remain firm with no fraying or feathering, and all colours, photos, and text remain rich and vibrant and with perfect definition. The only blemishes are some faint 1cm laminate crinkles adjacent and perpendicular to the edges on the front side, a 12cm diagonal light crease mark at the top left corner on the front side, some very mild ring wear towards the top and bottom edges on the reverse side, and just the hint of a little shelf wear on the reverse side. Still very nice, still very presentable, but with minor blemishes.

The audio quality is very good (VG).  Again, to be precise : side 1 audio quality is a definite very good plus and on side 2 it is very good minus. Impressive tone and clarity throughout with no distortion even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No sticks, jumps, repeats, clicks, or interference but there are clicks. On side 1 there are jus ta few light clicks, random and non-intrusive, and some very occasional and very background light crackle - nothing to significantly deter from a great listen. On side 2 there are x7 clicks on B1. clicking on about half of B2 (I counted between x50 and x60 clicks), x5 clicks on B3, and x8 clicks on B4. This sound horrible - but it's not...the vast majority of these clicks are low level and background (just a few here and there are slightly more pronounced) and are mostly non-intrusive. There is also some occasional light, background crackle - not significantly intrusive but it does occur during a number of the quieter passages. Such an underrated and long lost folk gem, completely "under the radar" when first released 49 years ago, with every track still making for an excellent listen - no wonder these 1st pressings are now so highly sought after. BUT, again - if it is audio perfection or excellence that you are after then stop here and move on. If it is the rarity of the record that appeals to you and a good listen with some relatively minor blemishes along the way...well, this could be for you.

The track listing is :

Side 1:

1. THE LAST OCEAN RIDER

2. BORED CIVILIANS

3. PEACE IN THE END

4. STORY TO A FRIEND

Side 2 :

1. LOVING YOU TAKES SO LONG

2. PASTELS

3. THE DEAD SALUTE

4. BO RADLEY

5. FLY HOME

Comes complete with original poly-lined blue and white Decca inner, in very good condition with no tears, seam splits or obvious age discolouration and remaining fully functional. There is some creasing in the corners, a little fraying on the top edge, and the original owner's name written in the top right corner. NOTE : I always insert the vinyl into a brand new plain white poly-lined inner sleeve for shipping purposes and in order to protect the original.

A  real "must" for any serious rock/folk collection - beautiful glossy vinyl with brilliant audio reproduction and great songs, and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 66 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard mailer, along with extra protective flange edges, with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class, signed for; 

Continental Europe £13, and Rest of the World £17 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler