MILES DAVIS Bitches Brew UK CBS 1st Press MINT LPs

	£		127
	$		152

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. 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, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

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. 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. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: MILES DAVIS

Album Title: Bitches Brew.

Track Listing: Pharoah’s Dance; Bitches Brew; Spanish Key; John McLaughlin; Miles Runs the Voodoo Down; Sanctuary.

Label/Format: CBS (Full orange original format).

Label Condition: Four absolute stunning, virtual mint ‘as new’ labels. This astonising first press copy has been played only once by the original owner. Just the odd faint spindle trace on each label, well has none and I can never imagine finding these better. (Please see label scan for all information needed, these are all pretty much the same - immaculate!).

Cat Number: S 64011.

Mono or Stereo: Stereo.

Country of Manufacture: England, UK

Rarity: A genuine first pressing of this monster jazz classic is pretty rare these days, two records that appear like new and feel as heavy as marble with a thickness of vinyl so thick they could have made four ‘normal’ thickness records from this pair.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: A1, B1, C1 and D1. The faint stampers are all A 0 or 1s. A first of the pressing line for sure.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Is this the greatest jazz album of all time? Well only Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and Davis’s are serious contenders for me to challenge this crown. This is a stunning double set and was as pioneering in the field of modern music as any ever made. Its influences can still be heard today and this massive set should even appeal to non-jazz fans. This long album has only five tracks - awesome sound with a distinctly cutting edge, this includes Bennie Maupin’s distinctly eerie bass clarinet that sends shivers down the spine. Davis plays at times a fragmented trumpet that shreiks and rips through the speaker cloth with an unusual feriosity - this is pioneering electric jazz fusion that almost single handedly invented a few form of music. The backing is of the highest quality imaginable, the players were: Davis - trumpet; Wayne Shorter - soprano saxophone; Lenny White - drums; Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet; Chick Corea - electric piano; Jim Riley - percussion; Jack DeJohette - drums; Harvey Brooks - Fender bass; Charles Alias - drums; Dave Holland - bass and John McLaughlin - electric guitar. Larry Young played electric piano as does Joe Zawinul on some tracks. What makes this copy that extra bit special is its a very first pressing, two records so heavy and thick they almost slow down the deck, mine certainly took a few extra seconds to get up to speed and I swear the belt actually groaned in doing so. Later copies were distinctly thinner, I know, I have another copy in stock as well. The sound is astonishing, clean and breathtakingly clear and will make even a high end deck sing with joy. If anyone, anywhere has these two records better I would love to see them. I will confess to not having time to play all these right through in their entirity, time ran out on me, but I played most of each side and the sound was near faultless and I am confident there will be no problems at all. Records this clean and fresh especially for a classic set like this are a rare and beautiful thing.

Cover Grade and Format: Strong EX, a gatefold format, not laminated. Printed and made by the E. J. Day Group, London and Bedford.

Cover Front: A splendid front with stunning artwork, even this design entered Davis into new realms of excellence for his covers - this was nearly as groundbreaking as the music enclosed. With such strongly coloured artwork and lack of protection this is prone to wear, grime, rubbing and ringwear - happy to say this front has very little of any of that. This is clean, with miniscule amounts of rubbing and no ringwear - double sets with heavy records rarely escape this unsightly form of wear. Creasing is confined to just the two bottom corners and these are only relatively light. A few odd general light marks but little spoils this glorious front and it should please most collectors.

Cover Back: Pretty much the same again.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Very clean and little to fault again, classic picture of Davis too.

Top Edge: Very light rub traces.

Bottom Edge: Light(+) rubbing, confined just to the edges, nothing encroaches the important main faces.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear. Records entered on right outside edges.

Spine and Text: Solid and square with little wear, all text is close to perfect and unworn.

Corners: All four show a little wear, nothing heavy and most around the tip areas. All retain fine shape.

Cover Summary: A lovely all round example of this fragile early 70’s cover, one that could prove hard to find significantly better. This strong item should please many, if not most collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Anything much less than a Mint grading would be an insult to this pair. I have never seen an original pressing better. A superb visual copy. Super clean, shiny, jet black and very heavily pressed. Barely a mark to be seen, this looks really lovely. A pair not even ‘run-in’ and how many will be found like this? Visually super records that should please every collector around.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super pair play up to their high visual grading with little to nothing to fault. Powerful, undistorted sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear, including that awesome trumpet and bass clarinet - sound quality is astonishing with a massive dynamic range and very full sound and detail. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, all what I played was near perfect and I heard nothing unwanted, and few copies will play better than this. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel totally sure these records have been on a deck and have been generally well stored and looked after, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little, if anything spoilt my pleasure when partially play-grading this pair. This copy could prove near impossible to find better and I mean that with all sincerity.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Most.

Final Summary: This is my favourite era of Miles Davis work - the modern ‘electric’ period. The previous album In a Silent Way was almost a prelude this stunning, earthshattering Bitches Brew double set. This album and the ones that followed should appeal to fans of rock music too, not just jazz connoisseurs. This is a work of true beauty and has a sound and atmosphere that few records could ever match. Dark, brooding with real menace, that bass clarinet growls below the surface and when the full band get into gear all hell lets loose. An ear shattering and blistering set that took the jazz world by storm - a massive departure from his early acoustic material. I strongly recommend this classic album and copy , I am unlikely to ever find this pair looking and sound better – Mike.

Having the Powerseller Logo: This is recognition from Ebay for the highest possible customer services, satisfaction and quality, it should reassure any potential bidder that all items are described, graded and shipped to the highest standards possible. Customer care of the highest order is a standard feature here and I am proud to have achieved this recognised standard of excellence from Ebay with help from collectors and buyers from all over the World - I thank you all.

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3.00; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £5.50 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

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 (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOTprofit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more and I often actually lose money on this part of service - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be worthwhile.

I can accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders OWN risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear 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. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.