KING CRIMSON In the Court of the Crimson King RARE ORIG UK 1969 PINK ISLAND EX++

	£		360
	$		477

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

I would like to wish all my customers, regulars and newcomers, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – the theme this year being ‘Rock Classics’ – ENJOY!

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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be signed and traceable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers 100% reliable service without it.

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.

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: KING CRIMSON

Album Title: In the Court of the Crimson King

Producer(s): King Crimson

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: 21st Century Schizoid Man; I Talk to the Wind; Epitaph.

Side 2: Moonchild; In the Court of the Crimson King.

Label Format: Island – original pink i format with matt lightly textured surfaces.

Label Conditions & Info: Both look superb with a lovely attractive pink colour. A copy appearing very little played with any of the few spindle marks light and faint. A quality Philips pressing that offers wonderful clean sound, few survive like this. A copy from a collection of very little used record and cover protected for most of its time.

Catalogue Number: ILPS 9111

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: 139 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity & Overview: The album itself is far from rare, even pink label copies can be found as this album sold well. Condition is always the major factor, few early copies survived those heady times and back in the late 1960s and into the 1970s, many were still using Dansettes and similar mono and very basic record players. This incredibly unforgiving and hugely complex recording is very intolerant of heavy tracking and careless usage with most early copies wrecked by distortion and scratches. So many totally unlistable with noise and clicks, and pressing quality is known to be very variable. That legendary cover so often rubbed, creased, faded and ring worn, often with sticker tears and writing – and originals must include the E. J. Day imprint or it will be a later one. Finding a copy in this beautifully preserved condition is now getting a major rarity – all elements of this copy is little short of outstanding, including the records visual, pressing quality, the fact it appears very little used and sounds amazing with no inherent pressing faults or sounds. I still think a ‘silent’ copy of this on vintage vinyl is a near impossible ask due to the lengthy quiet passages which includes virtually all of ‘Moonchild’. But this has very little at all unwanted and the Philips pressed record was a joy to play-grade. Yes, the odd faint sporadic tick, but this has amongst the very least I have ever heard on a 1969-pressed copy. Also the cover is simply outstanding as-seen, cover-protected and clearly handled little. Even its original 099 (September 1969) date-coded inner sleeve is impressive and aged little. This came direct from the owner’s collection and the difference is immediately apparent. Copies preserved to this standard for around 49 years are a thing of genuine beauty and seldom surface now. One to be cherished and can be played to almost the highest standard that can be realistically be expected from one of rock’s most difficult, complex, and sonically challenging recordings – and greatest ever albums within it’s field – this a magnificent piece.

Original Year of Release: 1969.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9111 A 2 1 1 9 / ILPS 9111 B//4 1 1 5

Musicians: Robert Fripp – guitar; Ian McDonald – reeds, woodwinds, vibes, keyboards, mellotron and vocals; Greg Lake – bass and lead vocals; Michael Giles – drums and percussion. Words written by Pete Sinfield.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Subtitled: ‘Observation by King Crimson’, this was arguably the birth of British progressive rock and rarely, if ever, was this pioneering album ever matched or bettered. Issued back in 1969, this actually charted at 5 in the UK and it’s rarity on the pink label is so often overblown. But its value and rarity is purely within its condition – and that’s all its elements as outlined above. An album of musical brilliance, nothing had been heard quite like this before and this remains the quintessential title within this genre. Even the cover design and artwork was radical and visually stunning, it can hardly go unnoticed can it? It was designed and created by Barry Godber. A somewhat sad story, it was his only record cover and the man died at the young age of 24. His legacy to the world of rock is one of the most famous and visually stunning covers of all-time. It just makes you what other amazing covers he could have produced?

The excellence of the music lays within the band personnel with highly skilled and talented musicians, also meticulous production and engineering by the band themselves. Robert Fripp always a sound perfectionist, this album has the most sublime audio quality. Comprising of just five songs, this groundbreaking, and at times ear shattering, rock masterpiece – an album that more than justifies this word – still sounds fresh and is still eagerly searched for as ever. As far as vinyl goes this has to be one of the hardest albums to ever find that plays well throughout, for me, far more significant than ‘rarity’. A record I have had several times on different label variations and most all had varying degrees of surface sound and sometimes even pressing flaws – these are far from unusual, especially on the pink pressings. But this beautiful example has little to fault with amongst the least unwanted contact sounds I have heard, even on the impossibly fragile ‘Moonchild’. For me, and many others, the premier progressive rock album ever issued, and a copy that does it near maximum justice.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): grading this less would not be doing this impressive example full justice. Probably like many reading this, I have seen horrendous examples that are barely worth a second look. This is a beauty as can be clearly seen. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt quite smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by E. J. Day (a crucial factor for the earliest copies and seen in close-up). This includes its original Philips-style 1969 date-coded inner sleeve.

Cover – Front & Back: Both sides are exceptional, being cover-protected for most of its history means the surfaces are little short of as-issued. There is hardly a crease to be seen, any trace being ultra light and faint with utmost scrutiny. The colour depth is magnificent and with no ageing or fading at all. A very small adhesive mark near the bottom right corner of the front registers little, and is purely a tiny manufacturing blemish. No rubbing, sticker marks, rim impression or even a trace of ring wear, even under light, hardly even a trace of surface blemishes or marks, this legendary and magnificent cover will prove immensely difficult to find better.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Fantastic artwork again, the only tiny blemish being a fine small rub on the right bottom edge towards the right. The surfaces are simply pristine apart. One think I will note: these covers were most likely constructed by hand, and folding was not always perfect. The top panel right is not constructed square, but still very neat, I always feel it fair to mention all aspects that could be deemed important. Anyway, hardly an uncommon trait on many gatefold covers and totally natural and in this case – in my opinion anyway – not affecting the beauty of this inner gatefold.

Top Edges: Both straight and flat, although not quite parallel they are still neat. The front has one tiny rub, the back with only a little gentle very patchy rubbing.

Bottom Edges: Largely the same again, the back with hardly any wear, the front with light patchy rubbing. These storage edges have fared well put in context.

Right Edge(s), and Type: These edges are sharp with minimal traces of thickening. These are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced, to reiterate the fact, the back entrance edges are not cut perfectly flush in manufacture, but all edges meet up parallel, so the cover looks very crisp and neat indeed.

Spine and Text: A magnificent spine and truly exceptional as seen. Unlike so many, this has not faded and retains deep, rich colour. In fact, I can hardly believe how dark and totally unaged or worn this spine surface is – this is always a fragile area and very prone to rubbing, grubbiness and natural light bleaching. Very solid, straight with no compression. The artwork and text has avoided rubbing and finding a better one on a EJD original cover will never prove easy.

Corners: Any tip rubbing tiny and light with better than excellent shape retained with no knocks or dinks. Few will better these either.

Cover Summary: Cleaner, neater, lesser-worn E. J. Day printed original covers are immensely difficult to find. This truly gives scant clues of its true vintage and its a delight to hold and view. It does this album’s importance excellent justice and will please many, if not most collectors wanting a genuine ‘first’.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): the careful owner retained its original Philips-style polylined inner sleeve and is date-coded /099 (September 1969). This has aged very little with minimal discolouration of the white paper, traces around the seam area adhesive nearly impossible to avoid as the barest minimum. It has two neat undamaged window circles, the lining still attached and clear. Any creasing little and light, all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): again, grading less would not be doing this splendid record justice. A really lovely visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite heavily pressed. A copy with very few plays on all the evidence. There is a very small mark at the very beginning of side one, but this does nothing whatsoever, even that very quiet introduction to ‘Schizoid Man’ is quiet and impressive. Only the odd other light surface mark seen under light, but little to fault on these complex, often compact grooves with most wispy and faint – and importantly superficial with no audio or sound issues. No The lack of penetrating stylus scratches and offering the highest pressing quality means this unforgiving record has the very best chance of offering the best sound – and does. Visually a very well preserved record that should please many, if not most 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: Most rock and progressive rock fans will know this legendary album well enough. Like so many within this challenging genre, this has moments of ear-shattering volume and quiet passages. This has both in abundance making it one of most difficult rock albums issued on vinyl. Overall this plays up to, and most even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. ‘Moonchild’ is ultra quiet for most of its 12 minute duration with sparse instrumentation, and at times almost silent. You can imagine what old record players did to this song in most cases. Firstly, you need a high quality pressed record to even have a chance of better sound, and importantly, one that appears little used, this certainly is that. But the odd crackle hint or sporadic tick is near impossible to avoid totally, that is simply being realistic, this has very few indeed. My mandatory clean on my superb Nessie German-manufactured cleaning machine will always remove any debris in these fine grooves, thus reducing any contact sounds considerably – I can hardly recommend this brilliant machine enough. This copy offers strong, totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – compared to most I have heard – EXTRA clear, with superb dynamics, clarity and detail. Sound quality is immensely high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound, the mixing, engineering and production is like the album itself, ahead of its time, and still makes any worthy system excel. The drum crash on the title track after the quiet flute part is simply breathtaking with immense slam and power – and then the mellotron kicks in – HARD. Any surface sounds are minimal, but silence, as stated, is close to impossible on those utmost quiet passages. But this has no inherent crackle or repetitive clicks, and if anyone has a truly silent copy of this, well treasure it because few will exist. Overall I consider this an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*, or inherent pressing noises or flaws. Few available copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – I always expect the odd tiny blemish on ‘Moonchild’ as the barest minimum and few will offer less than this – but never espect ‘silence’. This has up there with the best I have personally heard to date, this played on very revealing equipment including my Linn LP12 Sondek which gleams all information ruthless – good and bad – but there is nothing bad on this record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended unless ‘silence’ is mandatory, and on this album, good luck finding one.

* 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. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. 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. 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 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Nessie 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 latest Nessie 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 17­ 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. 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’.