SATURNALIA Magical Love RARE UK ORIG 1971 incl N/M BOOK

	£		53
	$		70

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: SATURNALIA

Album Title: Magical Love.

Producer(s): Keith Relf.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Magical Love; She Brings Peace; And I Have Loved You; Winchester Town.

Side 2: Traitor; Soul Song; Princess & The Peasant Boy; Dreaming; Step Out of Line.

Label/Format: Matrix Records, no labels but the original picture disc.

Label Conditions: I can see no marks around the hole area.

Cat Number: TRIX 1.

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: 212 grams. A colossal weight for any record. Picture discs are usually heavy but not THIS heavy. This is without doubt the heaviest long playing record I have ever held.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity & Information: A rare first pressing that includes a practically Mint book, the price guides mention a ‘ticket’, this has no ticket but does include the original soft inner sleeve and hard transparent original cover. Most examples of this rarely include the book let alone one that looks like new. The record looks the same and none of the usual surface marks that spoils the effect of this groundbreaking release. Lastly, and I truly consider this the rarest part of this copy, this record plays really well – unbelievable but true. Pictures discs rarely, if ever, play well enough to be enjoyed. Most crackle and have inherent surface sound, pops and clicks and plays with a great deal of noise and low frequency ‘rumble’. I almost wondered if this was even worth playing expecting all of the aforementioned, that would have been no criticism of the record if it had played badly because picture discs were like that from new. But, and a significant BUT, this beautiful picture disc actually plays quite well and certainly CAN be enjoyed with minimal amounts of surface sound or noise. Okay, it had only been played once but as stated, picture records usually have less than hi-fi sound right from the outset. A little surface sound was noted but ‘little’ being the correct word here. Minor crackle is the very least that can be expected and the low frequency rumble was also far less than most pictures discs I have heard. It is rumoured a black pressing exists but I have never seen one and no mention is made in the guides. I am NOT suggesting this is an audiophile copy, that would be plain stupid, the format would not allow it. Most picture discs are made as display pieces based around a ‘standard’ black pressing, but this record was issued as a picture disc from the very start and is recognised as being the first ever produced. So this was the only way to hear the content of this album. Thus, most that are found sound really bad. Picture disc’s sound quality invariably declines with usage and finding this album sounding better will prove near impossible from a first-press copy. Saturnalia were a five piece prog-psych band, the album has an occult theme. One of boldest and daring debut albums ever issued - ALL the band appeared topless on the record and I would imagine production costs would have been high. The book is also spectacular and has 28 pages. Produced by Keith Relf, formerly of The Yardbirds, no expense was spared, the band has a similar sound to Jefferson Airplane. However success was elusive and the band split, this was their only album. The record itself is spectacular, not only a picture disc, the label area is a 3D hologram that changes patterns as the record revolves. The incredible weight is due to the production process as the pictures are sandwiched between two layers of transparent vinyl. A very important piece that set a new trend for collectors, it was soon followed by Curved Air’s debut as another spectacular picture record, but that one was commercially available in black, the picture album being a limited edition, again the sound quality was mostly very poor. A beautiful and historically important piece for the serious collector, it will prove near impossible to find better.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Musicians: Aletta Lohmeyer - vocals; Adrian Hawkins - vocals; Rod Roach - lead guitar and vocal harmonies; Richard Houghton - bass and keyboards; Tom Crompton - drums.

Cover & Inner: EX / EX++ The main ‘cover’ is like a stiff heavy duty protective sleeve used on traditional covers. It has a smallish neat split opposite the opening, clearly caused by movement, probably there from new. Very mild traces of toning on the very edges and some light surface marks and faint fogging when held to light. The inner is superb and unsplit with just mild crinkle. This is very soft and has no print.

The Book: Absolutely stunning and totally ignores its great age. Tempted to grade full Mint, this is practically as made and looks fantastic. Clean, fresh with no creasing or folds, both original staples strong and unloosened with no oxidation. A superb picture of vocalist Aletta can be seen on the inside front cover (please see photograph). There is lots of text with line-drawing graphics, I decided not to show too much to allow the winning bidder to enjoy the content exclusively. This book is very rare and will never be found better than this. Just look at that beautiful, colourful psych front cover. The back cover is total black and even this shows minimal traces of fingermarks proving it has been little handled. Once fingermarks are applied to such surfaces, they are near impossible to remove.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-) and it truly looks almost new – I can see one light surface mark under light. A superb visual item and experience especially when rotating on the turntable. Super clean, shiny, deep black and massively pressed with the most incredible weight of 212 grams. Even my Linn took a second or two extra to get up to speed for this one. A copy now played twice. Visually records rarely get more spectacular and this groundbreaking record should please all 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: I have outlined what picture discs normally sound like above. This one plays far better than I dared fear and actually can be played and enjoyed with nothing too much to spoil the experience. Some mainly minor surface sound and low frequency rumble but far less than ‘average’. No collector will expect audiophile standard sound from a picture disc - even today, it’s a near impossible ask. But this ‘prototype’ performs well and can be played and it tracks perfectly. A brave experiment, certainly, and visually it’s with few equals, but most will fall below this almost as new example for sound and I do suggest to any winning bidder to play it sparingly and maybe try to seek out a CD version (which again I have never seen). A rare, spectacular and groundbreaking issue for the connoisseur collector – do not lose this one. But do NOT expect pristine sound, if this is an issue, please do not bid.

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: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets out ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is no bad thing. Also: any item with a value over £40 will have to be insured as well, but for any item that sells for over £150, I will pay the extra insurance (then the lower shipping price applies).

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). 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 VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will be Double Boxed. 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 as well as a 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 ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not 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. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course of multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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 & 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. (Only for items under £40)

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (Compulsory for items over £40).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, [£500 Maximum]) = £11.

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, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500 Maximum) = £15.

For items that sell over £150, I will pay the insurance, so the lower shipping price will apply.

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: 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’.