THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND The 5000 Spirits… SUPERB 1970 UK EX+ LP, GREAT SOUND.

	£		58
	$		77

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND

Album Title: The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of an Onion

Producer(s): Joe Boyd

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Chinese White; No Sleep Blues (‘Sleeping’ on label); Painting Box; The Mad Hatter’s Song; Little Cloud; The Eyes of Fate.

Side 2: Blues for the Muse; The Hedgehog’s Song; First Girl I Loved; You Know What You Could Be; Me Name is Death; Gently Tender; Way Back in the 1960s.

Label/Format: Elektra – second issue red label format from 1970. The have matt surfaces with a gentle hint of texturing.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only light, fine and faint spindle marks seen with scrutiny under angled light.

Cat Number: EUKS 7257

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: 133 grams. A very good weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce, and not seen so often on this red label variant which was not around for long.

Original Year of Release: 1967 [this copy from 1970]

Matrix Nos: EUKS 7257 A1/2 2 & EUKS 7257 B2 1

Musicians: Mike Heron – vocal, and multi-instruments; Robin Williamson – vocal and multi-instruments; Danny Thompson – double bass; Licorice – vocal; John Hopkins – piano.

Brief Info: The second ISB album, an acid-folk classic with the Scottish pair in tremendous vocal and instrumental form – female backing vocals are from Licorice McKechnie. Uniquely eccentric British folk, Heron and Williamson were true originals and few others sounded quite like them, this must rank as one of their finest works. Bass rhythm is provided by the wonderful Danny Thompson of Pentangle, unique in his own right too. This a lovely, and still early example on the more elusive red Elektra label format, it still includes the fully laminated cover which is simply gorgeous as seen. First issue copies often included a matt imported cover which hardly even compare to this stunning Senol printed laminated version. The acoustic material album plays beautifully and is pressed to the highest standards, again, for me, surpassed many first pressings. A legendary band and album within the golden era of folk and folk-rock, this classic will prove immensely difficult to find better.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): and arguably undergraded as such. This is simply a stunning piece of art. A fully laminated example made with very thin card and delicate. Printed and made in England by Senol Printing Ltd, one of the lesser-seen manufacturers. Includes a plain white inner sleeve.

Laminate Front & Back: What an absolute joy this cover, beautiful artwork seen to nigh-on maximum advantage beneath super-shiny, fresh, clear laminate. There is barely any dulling, marks or creases at all, any ultra fine edge types that any cover will find it hard to avoid totally. There is a spine lift each side, but viewed full-on, these have modest to minimal visibility. With such thin card and construction, these were probably present from new, and I never really consider these as wear (unless a bash or knock is evident, and here, there are none whatsoever]. Both sides simply exude class and its overall beauty will be hard to match or find again, indeed this could prove a massive upgrade for some fans and collectors.

Top Edge: All edges on this cover are very narrow. This top edge is ultra smooth and unworn, and even still quite straight given just how thin the edge is.

Bottom Edge:Exactly as above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with barely any thickening or burring. Record entered on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. The laminate end on both front and back still clearly seen, the fine exposed strip being clean with minimal hint of any rubbing to emphasise the fact.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with negligible compression. Possible narrow in manufacture to match other edges, but that I cannot state definitively. I suspect however that to be the case as the lower fold is somewhat higher than the actual white spine area. What is certain, is the lack of wear again. The edge perfectly smooth and scuff-free, all text is perfect and totally unworn, but some seen via the back.

Corners: All corners and tips are superb again with no knocks or dinks. Barely rubbed and retaining better than excellent shape.

Cover Summary: Covers of this era are seldom seen much better. The colourful psychedelic artwork is simply breathtaking in its beauty, and this one has been cover-protected from new by just the original owner. Quite honestly, I can hardly stop looking at it as I type this listing. One to view and admire, a near ultimate upgrade and it should please most-all collectors. When gems like this appear, they are not to be dismissed lightly.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a basic plain white solid unlined inner. Minimal creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs, the paper only gently aged. It still includes the ‘PATENTS APPLIED FOR’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): and this hardly does this little played record full justice, an extra (+) is arguably justified. With nothing more than very fine, faint surface traces or hairlines seen critically under bright angled light – and modestly few of either, a better copy of this vintage record will prove difficult to find. An impressive example that is very clean with excellent shine and solidly pressed. No penetrating stylus scratches and without doubt, little used with due care. A more than worthy record for the beautiful original cover, it again should please many, if not most 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 snippets 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This scarce stereo Elektra record plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. A record with clear, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and great detail with no tracking issues*. Any surface sound is minimal to none, overall, an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly challenging acoustic album. With has next to no hiding places for blemishes or issues, so confirm this has hardly anything to fault is an unusual pleasure. Acoustic folk albums are always more challenging, they do not tolerate heavy-handling or old stylus abuse well, but nothing to worry about here. Nothing spoilt my pleasure play-grading this evergreen psych-folk classic, along with ‘The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter’, these are my absolute favourite ISB albums, this merits my highest recommendation.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 programs. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. 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. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14­ years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

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: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

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 necessarily 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’.