MARY HOPKIN Those Were The Days RARE UK 71 Apple N/M LP

	£		90
	$		119

Artist or Band: MARY HOPKIN

Album Title: Those Were The Days.

Producer(s): Paul McCartney, Mickie Most & Tony Visconti.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Those Were the Days; Que Sera Sera; The Fields of St Etienne; Kew Gardens; Temma Harbour; Think About Your Children.

Side 2: Knock Knock Who’s There; Heritage; Sparrow; Lontano Degli Occhi; Goodbye.

Label/Format: Apple – original very dark format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: supremely clean, fresh and highly attractive with only ultra light spindle traces on side two and struggling to find any at all on side one.

Cat Number: SAPCOR 23.

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. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Very scarce: and by some distance the most elusive of the three Apple albums Mary issued. Although the cover has a little wear, the record is truly immaculate and will prove impossible to find better, such examples are iincredibly hard to find and this Apple record is connoisseur standard.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: SAPCOR 23 A-1U / SAPCOR 23 B-1U

Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 R

Brief Artist & Album Info: My first-ever copy of this highly elusive Apple album. Beautifully produced songs by McCartney, Most and Visconti, the was her and final album for The Beatles famous label, this has pristine sound and material of the highest calibre. Mary has such a wonderful voice – pretty and never twee – no wonder McCartney was so thrilled by this lady and signed her to Apple. Including her hit singles and scarcer songs, it is a surprise this did not sell in greater numbers but its scarcity within the Apple is well-known. Given its great age and delicate material, finding only the most sensational copies is mandatory for maximum pleasure and this record is quite simply unbeatable. Quite honestly, this record could pass for new and clearly rarely handled or played, it will thrill even the audiophile collector. The cover has some rubbing but being an unlaminated matt finished design, that is no real surprise. Given the facts, its still in fine condition too. The Apple inner is also included which like the record, is also in great condition. SAPCOR 23 is elusive and prized and its long overdue this lady’s music was more fully appreciated – if it thrilled Paul McCartney surely that speaks volumes for her talent? I can hardly recommend this wonderful set highly enough – ah, truly were those were the days.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+.

Cover Grade and Format: EX(-), a single unlaminated format. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.

Cover Front: Actually in fine condition given its potential for wear: Slight rubbing towards the top but avoiding ringwear which is no mean feat for a dark cover. The white spots near the hand and neck area are correct and on the printing design. Slight creasing near the corners edge edges but generally clean and the rubbing will prove less than on similar style and age covers.

Cover Back: A moderately mild stain near the top edge that appears as a toned area on the white surface. Patchy toning appears on the edges but grubbiness is modestly light in context. Minimal traces or rubbing or wear but the bottom right corner has a smallish dink, the lack of penetrating ringwear is a bonus.

Top Edge: Slight rubbing but being a white edge it has little to no visual impact.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering, slightly wavy which is only really evident when viewed ‘end-on’. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, quite straight with minimal compression. The text has largely escaped wear and is fully present and easy to read.

Corners: The spine bottom has taken a dink, more noticeable via the back but not too heavy. That apart wear is modest and the others retain fine shape.

Cover Summary: Not seen this many times and the ones I have seen have been really poor with records to match, simply copies that show their age and number of plays on less than wonderful equipment – I won’t touch such copies. With wear modest in general, this is a fine example, if the mild stain on the back is an issue, please do not bid, it’s hardly major and visibility is modest. This still attractive item should please many collectors but not the perfectionists.

The Inner: EX+ a plain white unlined inner with the Apple Recordings text. Clean with little creasing and all edges untorn or split.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Tempted to grade Mint, but no, it has been played at least twice, so my mandatory Mint(-) applies. A supreme visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed on the highest quality Apple vinyl. A copy barely even ‘run-in’ in vinyl terms, this vintage gem will never be found better and I state my reputation on it. Any ultra fine surface traces are miniscule and only under direct sunlight did I notice the faintest of removal traces. Visually a super record that will please all collectors, yes even the audophile connoisseur.

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 snippetts 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 beautiful record plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Surface sounds barely even register and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for what is a delicate and at times fragile album. Few copies will match let alone outperform this earliest pressing I feel certain. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly little and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove nigh-on impossible to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

End Piece: With a relatively short recording career from the golden era, Mary’s music output after this final Apple album was mimimal after she married Tony Visconti and concentrated on a family life. A shame for both pop and folk fans alike, this lady I feel certain could have made many more gems like this. With Paul McCartney producing four of the songs on this album which includes the Lennon/McCartney title ‘Goodbye’, another of her hit singles, this clearly will interest Beatles fans as well. With just a couple of listens, this lady’s albums have an addictive quality. I still consider her second album ‘Earth Song/Ocean Song’ a masterpiece. For those still to discover the delightful music of Mary Hopkin, well all three are recommended, but finding this one again, as an original, will prove difficult.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth 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.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I usually post on Fridays, most will arrive Saturday to make signed-for delivery easier. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.