McDONALD & GILES, SUPREME UK 1970 EXAMPLE, BEAUTIFUL 'DAY' COVER, GORGEOUS SOUND

	£		73
	$		97

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 will now be blocked 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: McDONALD and GILES

Album Title: McDonald and Giles.

Producer(s): Ian McDonald and Michael Giles.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Suite in C: including ‘Turnham Green’, ‘Here I Am’ and others; Flight of the Ibis; Is She Waiting?; Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today.

Side 2: Birdman: involving – ‘The Inventor’s Dream (O.U.A.T.)’, ‘The Workshop’, ‘Wishbone Ascension’, ‘Birdman Flies!’, ‘Wings in the Sunset’, ‘Birdman - The Reflection’.

Label/Format: Island - pink rim format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: a truly stunning copy of this most difficult Island album. Okay, it is not a first pink label copy, but in terms of condition, both cover and record are simply superb, practically as made. And in terms of sound quality, this is by far the very best pressing I have also heard. An album of many quiet passages with delicate material, but this barely played (if indeed ever) example offers the very best audio quality you are likely to hear.

Cat Number: ILPS 9126.

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: 144 grams. A very impressive weight for an EMI pressed pink rim Island record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: this was not a big seller and finding clean copies is never easy. The cover especially is rarely seen devoid of significant wear and a high percentage suffer heavy or significant ringwear. Well both cover and record are in supreme condition. Initially, and only very briefly available on the full pink label – indeed it proved to be one of the last original albums on the pink format as it was soon was to be changed to the new pink rim format. This is still a very earlylate 1970 or early 1971 pressed pink rim copy that plays as good as it looks. Please check out this cover: when was the last time you saw one even half this fine?

Original Year of Release: 1970 (this one pressed late in the same year or early in 1971)

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9126 A-2U / ILPS 9126 B-2U

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 P / 1 GM

Musicians: Ian McDonald - guitar, piano, organ, saxes, flute, clarinet, zither, vocals and sundries; Michael Giles: drums, percussion (including milk bottle, handsaw, lip whistle and nutbox), vocals; Peter Giles - bass guitar; Steve Winwood - organ, and piano solo; Michael Blakesley - trombone.

Brief Info: Both musicians appeared on King Crimson’s groundbreaking debut ‘In The Court of the Crimson King’, they then left the band and made this one-off album under their own names. Although some curious King Crimson fans investigated it, the album did not sell well and it never achieved the success of their former band. A highly regarded album that has elements of the Crimson sound, but far more gentle in its approach. Also like King Crimson, it is notoriously difficult to find that plays devoid of surface noise and pressing issue. This is a truly gorgeous and barely played very early pink rim example. Both cover and record are fabulous, and importantly, the record plays beautifully throughout with barely anything of any real note heard. In fact, I would say, this copy will prove beyond difficult to find better and matching it will be more than hard enough. For those who want a superb cover – which is identical to the pink label cover – they just put new pink rim copies in the same printed E. J Day batch, they hardly get better. The same for the record, this is ultimate upgrade quality and barely run-in in vinyl terms. Not an easy album to even find on Island, let alone like this, a wonderful opportunity to own what is still one of Island’s lesser-lauded prog-rock classics.

Cover Grade and Format: MINT(–): and even this hardly does it full justice. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group, includes the original plain white inner sleeve, this being made prior to the blue inners.

Cover Front: Practically as-made and looking gorgeous with stunning fresh looks and totally unaged. No rubbing, fading, creasing or blemishes worthy of mention. Try finding this better, indeed, being the same as the first shop copies, this could prove the ultimate upgrade for many as this rarely, if ever seen like this these days.

Cover Back: Same again, almost incredibly, not even a hint of ringwear, try finding this better.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Both faces immaculate and there is simply nothing to fault.

Top Edges: Both pristine: no rubbing, fading, discolouration and both very straight, also as close to flush and neat as possible.

Bottom Edges: Any rub traces to these more vulnerable storage edges are minuscule, almost as impressive as above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front closed edge has a real tucked and folded finish which again is unworn, clean and straight. The back opening is very sharp with barely any hint of wear or thickening, again this is parallel and very close to flush when closed.

Spine and Text: Immaculate: very solid and wide, still straight and uncompressed or crushed. Folded square so the edges meet up closely together and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn, just centred a little low in manufacture being critical. But no wear whatsoever to the main surface or the vulnerable fold hinges.

Corners: The spine pair are unworn, any tip rubs to the right ones are tiny, bordering on minuscule. All retain supreme shape with no dinks or even tip creasing.

Cover Summary: This is a very difficult and wear-prone cover, make NO mistake. So to find an E. J. Day printed original like this is a major find. I have never seen one that even comes close and truly, this comes as close to as-made as you are likely to ever find. A connoisseur-quality Island classic cover, this should please most-all collectors. If a better ‘Day’ example shows up, I sure would like to see it.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): just a tiny bottom central edge that is nigh-on impossible to even detect after my very careful, very neat repair. These were not lined and this again almost reminds of new being clean, fresh and unaged or creased.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): practically Mint(–) with little more than ultra fine wispy surface traces when viewed very critically under bright angled light. Any traces being even finer than hairlines and even a new copy would show little less. A superb visual copy that is very clean with impressive shine and very solidly pressed on top-quality EMI pressed vinyl. A copy barely even played on all the evidence, find a better one will prove beyond difficult. Visually a super record that should most-all collectors again, I doubt if this has light-of-day for decades.

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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This scarce Island prog gem plays up to, and even exceeds it’s high visual grading with barely anything 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. Any surface sounds barely even registered and this challenging album will seldom be heard better on such an early pressing. A gentle album, more typical of the quieter King Crimson sound like ‘Cadence and Cascade’ from the debut. Few copies will match, let alone outperform this still very early pressing I feel sure. Like the cover, this could prove a major upgrade and will please most-all collectors again.

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 Blue 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’.