PINK FLOYD Atom Heart Mother ORIG UK Harvest 70 N/M LP

	£		47
	$		62

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Artist or Band: PINK FLOYD

Album Title: Atom Heart Mother.

Producer(s): Pink Floyd. Executive Producer: Norman Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Atom Heart Mother (a) Father’s Shout; (b) Breast Milky (c) Mother Fore; (d) Funky Dung; (e) Mind Your Throats Please; (f) Remergence.

Side 2: If; Sumer 68; Fat Old Sun; Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast (a) Rise and Shine; (b) Sunny Side Up; (c) Morning Glory.

Label/Format: Harvest – Rare Pre-EMI original (no boxed EMI logo) with ‘The Gramophone Co Ltd’ text.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and highly attractive. The lack of the EMI logo is significant on this 1970 album as it was not available too long, as from 1971 the EMI logo was added. Spindle marks are ultra light and very light and without any doubt knowing the history of this copy, it was hardly ever played and has almost certainly not seen daylight for decades.

Cat Number: SHVL 781.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 142 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 140 to 150 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, 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 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The actual title itself is not rare, sales of this would have increased significantly by the curious after they became very popular and a household name after Dark Side of the Moon. But first pressings devoid of the EMI logo certainly are much rarer and very difficult indeed to find in top playing conditions. These were bought only by the early fans, remember, early Pink Floyd albums were far more challenging musically than the later titles and most were too obscure and experimental for most. Seldom seen now and very elusive, this for me is one of the very hardest original post ‘Saucerful’ albums to track down especially in decent condition. Not only that, this copy includes the original format cover with its original imprint line, this is quite rare to find too. One of the most distinctive sleeves ever made and this copy includes the first production format with the Garrod & Lofthouse imprint line that includes the 7010 TPS and Patent No 943,895 SHVL 781 text. Later covers omitted this extra text and is far more common. (Please see my picture of this important early cover text in my close-up picture).

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: SHVL 781 A-1G / SHVL 781 B-1G

Stamper Codes: 12 RP / 2 AO [these stampers have been error corrected]

Musicians: David Gilmour – guitars; bass guitar, drums, vocals; Nick Mason – drums, percussion; Roger Waters – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, tape effects, vocals; Richard Wright – keyboards, piano, orchestration, vocals. Other musicians: Abbey Road Session Pops Orchestra – brass and orchestral sections; John Aldiss Choir – vocals; Philip Jones Brass Ensemble – brass; Alan Stiles – voice on ‘Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast’.

Brief Artist & Album Info: This has to Pink Floyd’s most underrated work, Atom Heart Mother was a very brave project, partially written with avant-garde composer, Ron Geesin and produced by Norman Smith. It featured the first in a series of impressive album covers, designed by the Hipgnosis studio, none of which featured photographs of the band on the front. This is probably one of the most ‘swapped over’ covers ever issued as they wear very badly if not treated with all due respect. This one has a couple of small surface pulls on the front but importantly, IS the very first made making it rare and extra special - proof can be found on the close-up imprint inside. This beauty came from a lovely collection and were very carefully looked after and hardly even played. But the covers were not kept inside protective sleeves and I am sure the small pull marks were the result of being up against a flipbacked cover and it stuck to the sticker end. Ofter a problem as these sticky flipback ends could even adhere themselves to protective covers and make removal a more than perilous and dangerous challenge. Still the marks are small and light and I am still loathe to swap album covers and substituting a later cover for this original would be totally the wrong thing to do as there are subtle differences in that imprint line. The album’s first side is taken up with the title track broken down into six segments. Brass, choir and sound effects are used throughout including a high powered motorbike near the beginning which roars from speaker to speaker, horses and a high-speed train – all serious hi-fi workouts. Side two, still with only four songs is more usual period piece Floyd, but ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’ is pretty strange too – a full English with a difference. The run-outs have the dripping tap sound that loops, but every copy I have ever heard has them too but wanted to be clear, this is no different. Now this copy on offer is special, it has the 1G matrix on both sides and is a pre-EMI label copy, this vintage first pressing is truly getting quite rare especially in top conditions. This copy has immaculate clean playing surfaces that has no noteworthy marks or blemishes at all. So-much-so, this 40-year-old record could practically pass for new, the few light spindle marks the only real giveaway that this has even been played at all. A highly challenging record with so many quiet passages, clean early copies do not come available often and this record suffers very badly if overplayed or subjected to thick heavy pickups from yesteryear. It plays with truly breathtaking sound. I thought it unlikely I could ever ever say a copy of this title will play ‘perfect’, the vinyl format will always be challenged by this title. But this amazing copy really gets as close as it ever will. This was owned by a discerning collector who played his albums sparingly on a high quality system. The groove patterns are ultra complex with varying dark and light bands, wide and narrow groove widths. All telling any vinyl ‘reader’ it has varying degrees of volume, intensity and importantly, likely real hi-fi sound – an album that’s hugely challenging to any record player. The early mono players could destroy these vintage classics very quickly especially if the stylus was not up to standard. This album was not issued in mono but that did not stop owners of the early copies playing them on Danssettes and other similar mono machines, often with disastrous results. Finding the original cover even excellent is a challenge also, there is no faking the age of this one with the rare original imprint. Overall a strong contender for the most ‘difficult’ Pink Floyd album on vinyl ever. The cover has a minor blemishes on the front but the vinyl will probably never be beaten for looks and sound and even the Harvest promotional inner is in superb condition with only minimal traces of ageing. The record especially in this set will delight even the most discerning audiophile collector.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High. Please be aware of substutions on this rare cover. Orignals MUST have the inside imprint as per my close-up picture.

Cover Grade and Format: Slightly difficult to grade this definitively as it has a small pull mark near the front top and a couple of very small ones near the bottom edge. That apart is has little else of major note to really fault. Without these relatively small blemishes on the front, I would have graded as EX++, so you, the collector decide how much these small surface marks degrade because everyone will have their own opinion. This is a gatefold format and unlaminated. It was printed on the slightly thinner, less rigid card that makes these early originals far harder to find looking attractive. Designed by Hipgnosis, made and printed in Great Britain by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. At 39-years-old and a non-laminate, this is very prone to all the usual hazards of rubbing, fading, grubbiness, indentations and ringwear – even with the small surface pulls, this is a still an attractive example and the most important factor is - IT’S AN ORIGINAL.

Cover Front: This famous old cow is still looking in fine shape on this one. Generally clean and with little real wear but has the small pull marks as mentioned a few already. There is very mild toning traces on the spine edge but hardly any traces of grubbiness or other marks. This earliest example has a flatt matt finish, later copies became varnished and more shiny and for a change, this one has practically avoided any creasing worthy of note. Lovely rich colour has been retained and if the small pull marks an be lived-with, this is a really lovely example. Clearly not for the perfectionist but the LP might well be.

Cover Back: Even more wearprone with obviously ringwear being a major factor. Glad to state this has avoided any and any wear on this splendid back lies just near the bottom edge that has lightly rubbed near the centre. NO sticker pulls on this side at all and barely a crease or noteworthy marks at all.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Both faces practically as made and again, please not the correct original imprint line proving this is an original format printing.

Top Edges: No rubbing on the back edge but the front has rubbed, less than moderately.

Bottom Edges: Light, patchy rubbing only.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and quite sharp with little wear and no feathering – which again is very unusual. Odd minor burr trace when viewed end-on. Record is stored on this back edge

Spine and Text: A fine spine too, often rubbed and eroded and tatty. Solid, dead straight and square, both right edges meet up together very closely and parallel too – this is a cover I have seen many times folded off-square which never helps its appearance. Barely any wear at all, just the mildest hint of age darkening, and this being critical. All text pristine perfect and fully present, bold and strong.

Corners: Minimal corner wear, just tiny tip rubs on a couple and all retain fine shape and definition.

Cover Summary: Even with the small surface pulls on the front, this is still one of the best original AHM covers I have had. So few will escape unblemished and that’s the reason so many are switched to slightly later or much later examples, that at first glance appear the same, but the inside imprint text is a sure-fire way of spotting the difference and weeding-out the substitutions. I would rather offer a blemished, rare original cover than a practically Mint reprinting. Clearly this has a couple of imperfections and fairly minor edge rubs but it still sets a very high standard and most collectors will enjoy owning it.

The Harvest Inner: EX++, even these are getting quite scarce now in nice condition. This is a lovely example and guaranteed the one that came with this original record. Still fully and solidly lined this famous inner advertises the early (and mostly rare) early Harvest albums. It has aged a little with some gum browning around the seams, most have this, few escape totally. All seam edges are unsplit and sound, flipback construction always helps of course. Barely a crease to be seen and even ruffling is minimal and light, the bottom corners are vented in manufacture and remain neat also.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: I have no hesitation whatsoever in grading this quite beautiful record Mint(-) and is I feel certain the only original Atom Heart Mother I have ever graded as high. A simply outstanding example that has to be seen (and heard) to be fully appreciated. Without doubt the cleanest and most unmarked pre-EMI original I have ever seen. I can only tip-my-hat to the original owner who clearly treasured these records. These stunning clean grooves look magnificent, with barely a noteworthy mark or blemish to be seen to the music areas. A few tiny surface marks can just be seen on the run-in grooves on side one - even these have no sound. Super clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed, this Floyd classic has hardly been played and only a few spindle marks on the beautiful labels will convince it’s been played at all. Visually a beautiful record that should please all discerning 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 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 super record plays up to its high visual grading with practically nothing to fault.A massively challenging record for vinyl with so many quite passages and complex sounds – brass and choir is very difficult to track especially. The suite plays to a standard I hardly thought achievable and this too on a very revealing system. A thrilling experience with details and sonic delivery I am sure I have not experienced before. The sound being clean with details that take you virtually into the recording studio itself. Many copies fail miserably with constant surface noise, loud crackle, pops and clicks throughout – I have heard even cleanish looking copies play badly, a notoriously difficult record and not always well-pressed either. This fine original has strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear throughout including the brass, strings and choir - sound quality is very high with real high fidelity sound values, a massive dynamic range and very full and detailed sound (as you expect from any Pink Floyd production). A near reference quality copy of audiophile standard. Of course there will be the odd minor surface blemish on the near silent passages at times, it’s vinyl, its old, the format dictates blemishes on records like this. But this record plays plays to a standard that sets the standard and if anyone has a better one, well I would love to see and hear it. The most crackle on this album is heard from the frying bacon on ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’. I prefer their experimental, more ‘difficult’ era, it challenges and thrills – this has taken time, but perseverance is well worth the effort on this progressive classic. I just love that lovely brass ‘riff’ on the title song and that eerie compelling choir. I feel certain this record has been played no more than a couple of times and even after nearly forty years, that drip drip drip tap is dripping with the cleanest sound possible.

End Piece: One for the serious Floyd and Harvest collector, its a very difficult album to find that plays to the highest standards. Only one that has barely been out-of-the-cover has any real chance these days - one that has avoided the traumas of heavy handling and needle abuse from its early days. This is a more challenging and experimental early work rather than the huge stadium rock epics they produced after Wish You Were Here. The title song is eerily haunting and a beautiful piece of work that remains unique in their catalogue, the use of the choir and brass was inspired (even though not to everyone’s personal taste). Side two is easier, mostly acoustic and all magnificent. This groundbreaking work has slowly won over more fans over the years and now become a highly respected work, this vintage original should please most Floyd fans and even interest the specialist collectors who demand only the real early pressings that sound superb. Just the small blemishes on cover may be an issue, if so, please do not bid - I have mentioned them several times so if this detail has been missed it’s because the advert has not been read properly. I have stated before on this album ‘a perfect playing copy may come along one day’, well that day is probably here, I can hardly imagine ever finding one that will exceed this for the highest quality of sound. With only the smallest reservation on the front cover, it’s a copy I can still strongly recommend… drip, drip, drip, drip, drip…

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 now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. 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 (£39).

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’.