QUINTESSENCE IN BLISSFUL COMPANY EXCELLENT 1st UK PRESSING, A1 B2 PINK LABEL

	£		23
	$		30

QUINTESSENCE IN BLISSFUL COMPANY EXCELLENT FIRST UK PRESSING, A//1 B//2

Matrix/Run-Out Side A, Stamped: Ilps 9110 V A//1 1 1 2  Run-Out Side B, Stamped: Ilps 9110 V B//2 1 1 2
Catalogue Number Ilps 9110 Q  Original UK release 1969
Pink  Island Records Label
Gatefold Sleeve With With 12 Page Booklet

Overall condition is EXCELLENT

Sleeve EXCELLENT
The unlaminated gatefold sleeve has some very light wear to some corners but otherwise is in EXCELLENT condition with the colours still very bright there isn’t any writing, taping or stickers. The inner leaves of the cover are in an equally  EXCELLENT condition.

Spine EXCELLENT there’s only minimal wear and the spine is firm and totally legible

Booklet  EXCELLENT
The beautiful twelve page booklet is a work of some wonder. Not only are there dramatic black and white photos of the band in action, as well as a double page spread of them with their extended family/commune, but also there are cleverly placed holes, forming mandalas, that encourage deeper involvement with  the spiritual aspect of the record. The booklet is free from creasing, tears, writing or stickers. HOWEVER: please be aware, the centre two sheets have come adrift from the spine, but have suffered no damage and could be re-glued with a steady hand.

I will also include the original plastic outer that I bought with it, although it is starting to split slightly at the top, it still fits tightly and has successfully kept the dust off for all these years

Record EXCELLENT The record itself is clean and glossy and the disc retains its deep, black vinylsheen.
There are some faint hairline marks on both sides but nothing ugly or deep to affect the sound quality

Labels EXCELLENT The original pink Island labels show some minimal signs of use, have no writing and are clean with minimal spindle marking.

Audio Quality EXCELLENT It plays well apart from some of the usual vinyl hiss and crackle between tracks that unfortunately are noticeable in some of the quietest passages but vanish after a few seconds and don’t detract from the overall sound, which is still amazing although deep cleaning would probably remove them.
It lays flat on the turntable and plays without the needle sticking or jumping.
(Please remember even new, factory fresh vinyl is likely to have some   clicks and pops, but the richness of sound will always be better than digital. OK eventually the robots and aliens will make digital sound as good, but until then, it’s a compromise, you have to choose; deep rich tones and a beautiful sleeve (often with lyrics or other notes) or clinical sterility with nothing to see and a narrow frequency range.)

Until 1970 I only ever played my albums on a Garrard Sp25 Mk11 with a Sonotone 9TAHC cartridge and from 1970 onwards on a Pioneer PL12D with a Shure N75 ED-T2 cartridge and stylus, tracking at 1.5 grams which I continue to use today – although the stylus has been replaced regularly

Tracks: 1. Giants  2. Manco Capac  3. Body 4. Gange Mai 5. Chant
6. Pearl And Bird 7. Notting Hill Gate 8. Midnight Mode

Summary: this ICONIC, progressive rock masterwork  album is a lovely piece of genuine memorabilia from a bygone time that changed the world, as well as the way that music is made, and would grace any collection. If you haven’t heard it on vinyl this could be for you. It certainly doesn’t sound 51 years old. If any record was said to typify the whole Underground/Counter Culture movement in the UK in the late 1960s it would be this one. Even though the booklet has come adrift, I feel very confident in saying that the album overall counts as EXCELLENT, but that is why I’m starting at a sensible price so a genuine fan or collector can enjoy it without paying rip off prices. If you check my feedback you will see many people think my grading is spot on.
I’m not a dealer of any sort, but am just downsizing and having to clear things out and trying to survive on a poxy pension. Good luck with your bidding and feel free to ask any question.


A Word About Payment and Postage - Sorry but I accept Paypal only and it will be posted as soon as payment has cleared, which must be paid within 24hours of the end of the auction. This may seem harsh but I’m fed up with time wasters!
I use 12" Vinyl LP Record Cruciform postal mailers and protect them with an additional layer of bubblewrap. In the UK I use Royal Mail Signed For. If you require some other form of postage/delivery, I’m more than happy providing you meet the extra costs. If you are outside the UK, I will use Ebay’s Global Shipping Program and you are therefore accepting their shipping terms and charges over which I have no control.

Record Collector grading system used
MINT: The record 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 will be torn, stained and / or defaced.
POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.
As well as the above grades, Near Mint is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading.