SUPERB FAIRPORT CONVENTION UNHALFBRICKING Island A1 B1 69 Pink Block Label 1st

	£		95
	$		126

For Sale FAIRPORT CONVENTION album in excellent all-round condition

Album Title: Unhalfbricking

Producer(s): Joe Boyd, Simon & Fairport Convention

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Genesis Hall; Si tu Dois Partir; Autopsy; A Sailor’s Life.

Side 2: Cajun Woman; Who Knows Where The Times Goes?; Percy’s Song; Million Dollar Bash.

Label/Format: Island, first issue format on the black ‘block’ pink label, these have matt, gently textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both in really nice condition, very clean, fresh and highly attractive with only a few faint spindle traces, appearing hardly played.

Vinyl itself apart from 1 sleeve removal mark is in excellent condition

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Rare, and one of the very few new original albums issued on this particular Island pink format. This black block format was only available for a few weeks with very limited runs of mostly albums issued already on Island. But Unhalfbricking first pressings were only on this label before the format was again changed to the more familiar full pink ‘i’ format, then the pink rim. Along with Nick Drakes debut ‘Five Leaves Left’, this was pressed in very small numbers prior to being repressed and few will survive in this hardly played condition. I have never seen or heard a genuine UK first pressing like this before.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9102 A-1 1 1 & ILPS 9102 B-1 1 1 [a top quality pressing by Philips]

Musicians: Sandy Denny – vocals, Harpsichord; Richard Thompson – electric and acoustic guitars, electric dulcimer, piano accordion, organ, backing vocals; Ashley Hutchings – bass, backing vocals; Simon Nicol – electric and acoustic guitars, electric dulcimer, backing vocals; Martin Lamble – drums. Guest:Iain Matthews – backing vocals; Dave Swarbrick – fiddle, Mandolin; Trevor Lucas – triangle; Marc Ellington – vocals.

Brief Artist & Album Info:
The second of three classics that featured Fairport Convention with the wonderful, and sadly missed Sandy Denny. Unhalfbricking – a strange title was thought of by Sandy during a word game in the group van while travelling – her parents are the couple on the front cover. This a genuine folk-rock classic, the quality of the songs is astonishing from the very beginning, ‘Genesis Hall’, a catchy short song with a lovely haunting quality, then ‘Si su dois partir’, a surprise hit single which features Dave Swarbrick on fiddle, he actually features on half the album and his influence is highly important for this album’s quality and sound. Two more legendary Fairport titles are also included: the traditional ‘A Sailor’s Life’ which is embolded as one of the greatest folk-rock songs of all time. It features beautiful vocals by Sandy complemented perfectly with Thompson’s distinctive guitar and then ending with a blistering fiddle frenzy by Swarbrick. And of course Sandy’s tour de force the majestic ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’, not just a classic within this genre, but for me, one of the greatest songs ever written – once heard, never forgotten. This wonderful song, like the lady herself is written in folk history as one of the true greats. Also featured are three of Bob Dylan’s lesser known songs, and again are beautifully performed. This a first issue pressing and the first I have had for some considerable. Most that surface ruined by heavy, and often careless playing and now unlistenable. This beauty very much the opposite, hardly played, and looking fantastic with wonderful clean, detailed sound. One for the connoisseur collector, few survive like this. The fragile and uncompromising matt cover is almost the same, just a tiny text rub on the spine, but still one of the finest originals I have also seen in years. A rare opportunity and one not be lost lightly, I doubt if I will see or hear a better one.

Cover: a single unlaminated format with matt smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Ernest J Day this includes the Philips style polylined inner sleeve, date-coded 069 (June 1969). Note the large type ‘ERNEST J DAY & CO LTD’ text which is correct for first printing of this cover.

All in all a great addition to the collection.

*PLEASE NOTE COMBINED POSTAGE DISCOUNT DOES NOT APPLY TO LOCATIONS OUTSIDE THE UK DUE TO EBAY GLOBAL SHIPPING RULES*