PANAMA LIMITED Indian Summer 1970 UK Harvest RARE 1st press superb vinyl + audio

	£		292
	$		386

PANAMA LIMITED - INDIAN SUMMER

A truly impressive copy of this extremely rare and highly sought after 1970 UK original, first pressing rock/folk/psych gem, on the Harvest label, STEREO SHVL 779

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  SHVL 779 A - 1 G with stampers "1" and "P" at 2.30 o'clock and 4.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2  SHVL 779 B - 2 G with stampers "1" and "M" at 2.30 o'clock and 4.30 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the flat, thick vinyl is truly excellent plus (EX+). Gleaming vinyl with jet black lacquering and in normal daylight no obviously detectable marks at all. Even with close scrutiny and under an intense light I could only identify a some small, very faint paper scuffs and the wispiest of wispy hairlines...purely superficial and virtually insignificant. Truly brilliant condition vinyl and clearly having been played sparingly. It is now very rare to come across original UK 1st pressings of this prog/folk/psych gem, especially in condition as good as this for which I am sure many would grade as "near mint"...personally I believe that "excellent plus" is the correct grading.

The labels are excellent+. Beautiful smooth textured labels with no unwanted writing or marks, and the iconic Harvest logos, on both the side 1 and side 2 labels, perfectly intact, as is all of the black text. If it wasn't for the fact that a couple of very light, small spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each are just detectable under a bright light, I would grade the labels as "near mint". 

The non-laminated Garrod & Lofthouse gatefold outer sleeve is very good plus (VG+), verging on excellent. Such an iconic sleeve, and so rare to come across a true UK original pressing in condition as impressive as this especially considering it's un-laminated fragile nature. All edges remain firm with no cardboard creasing but there is some mild, noticeable scuffing on the bottom and top edges, and some further intermittent scuffing on the spine (more pronounced towards the corners) where all text nevertheless remains perfectly legible. Each corner remains a nicely defined right angle but there is some rubbing and scuffing on each. Towards the top edges (front and back) there is some very mild ring wear in the form of some very mild abrasions (see photos), and on the inside (left) of the gate fold there are some light marks (a hint of grubbiness) towards the top edge (again, see photo). The opening edges remain firm with no obvious feathering though there is just the slightest hint of a little mild fraying on the front opening edge (almost negligible). These blemishes are each minor (in my opinion) and do little to diminish the overall impressiveness of this iconic cover, where all of the colour, art work, and photography remain beautifully intact along with the delicate matt texture of the outside of the gate fold itself. Very impressive...not quite excellent, but almost and there can't be too many in better condition than this, especially for this 1st pressing Harvest LP which sold so few copies first time round.

Finally, the quality of the audio is simply brilliant. No nasty clicks, no skips, repeats or jumps, and no background cracklel; just great stereo audio reproduction with brilliant tone and clarity throughout even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. The single exception to this is a single, very mild click towards the beginning of track 4, side 2 for which I can see no obvious cause (even upon close inspection under a bright light - frustrating)...this single click is mild and does not impinge upon the overall superb sound quality, but I mention it for completeness and I suspect that the cause is is a speck of dust stuck in the grooves through decades of storage and for which a proper clean would cure. It is clear from the sparkling condition of this record that each side has only been played sparingly. Rock/prog/folk/psych...there's a bit of everything here with every track making for a great listen. Enjoy!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. MOONSHINE

2. SET ME FREE

3. CITADEL CHAPTERS

4. WOMAN I LOVE

5. DANGLE WILD

Side 2 :

1. EASTERN MAN

2. INDIAN SUMMER

3. FUTURE

4. DARKNESS BRINGS

5. LAUGHING

Comes with original plain white inner sleeve, with the original "PATENT NO....." and  "MADE IN ENGLAND" texts, and with a 3cm split in the middle of each of the right and bottom edges but remaining fully functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary an excellent copy of this seldom seen, extremely rare, and highly sought after 1970 UK original 1st press rock/folk/psych gem - worthy of gracing any vinyl collection 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 almost 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 64 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 "crucifix" style mailer along 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 Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for : UK £5.00, continental Europe £10 and Rest of the World £14. 

 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