THE NICE Thoughts of Emerlistdavjack VERY RARE N/M MONO

	£		72
	$		95

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: THE NICE

Album Title: The Thoughts of Emerlistdavjack.

Producer(s): Glyn Johns.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Flower King of Flies; Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack; Bonnie K; Rondo.

Side 2: War and Peace; Tantalising Maggie; Dawn; The Cry of Eugene.

Label/Format: Immediate - original pale lilac format with embossed ‘K T’ tax codes on side one (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate, practically as clean and fresh as when made back in 1967. Any spindle traces barely even register and truly, I am struggling to find a discernible trace at all. Both the embossed letters on side one are as made. These rub and flatten so easily, but not on a record that has barely been played. These pale lilac labels are rarely seen this fresh and devoid of marks, being so devoid of colour, they show ever blemish freely, these have nothing on offer to show. This is vital album in the most incredible of conditions – the record of connoisseur standard – this totally blew me away.

Cat Number: IMLP 016.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 142 grams. A very good weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare as an original on the lilac label, in mono very rare indeed and to make this statement even more prevalent, this very first pressing has the 1 G / 1 G mothers and stampers and has barely been played. Only available briefly on the mono format, most seen are stereo pressings, of those, most are pink label examples. This was not a big seller, far too new and groundbreaking for most listeners of the day. This rare mono original offers the most incredible and astonishing sound you will ever hear. Another major factor is the cover: very wear-prone indeed, few survive even a solid EX, but this one has little real wear and still looks very impressive. Personally, I have seen so very few mono copies of this groundbreaking issue, all (bar one, that I sold a couple of years ago) have been in far lesser conditions, some bordering on worn-out, I will not offer such rubbish. Chalk and cheese, this is one of rarest and most beautiful originals I have ever seen from the greatest year in music – 1967 – the summer of love. For me, a five-star classic and one of the most important albums in the development of progressive rock ever. Rare?, I should say so.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: IMLP 016 A-1L / ISLP 016 B-2L

Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 G [within the first 300 ever pressed]

Musicians: Keith Emerson - organ, piano, harpsichord, vocals; Lee Jackson - bass, guitar, vocals, tympani; David O’List - guitar, trumpet, flute, vocals; Brian Davison - drums, tubular bells, tympani.

Brief Info: A world-class copy of this record and with a very strong cover too – an understated rarity – a barely played mono copy of this landmark and groundbreaking transition from psych to prog. This blends together the two genres and came up with something very new and different, it also introduced us to Keith Emerson and he, and his band created a masterpiece that almost changed the face of contemporary rock. Formed in 1967 by Andrew Loog Album as a backing band for P. P. Arnold but they established themselves in their own right. This was their first album, the title being constructed from parts of the band member's names. The Nice were amongst the very earliest pioneers of ‘progressive rock’ and this 1967 gem blended psychedelia with jazz elements and classical influences around an integral rock sound. A highly talented band with musicianship much higher than average, they made five albums before splitting at the end of the decade – Nice while it lasted. Emerson then formed ELP with Greg Lake (King Crimson) and Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster) and developed The Nice sound still further. This groundbreaking debut is regarded as a mini classic and it’s importance in the development of rock music is beyond dispute. The trend of the day was psychedelia, this Nice debut advanced this further and invented a totally new sound and opened the dawn of the prog-rock era. This very important release is never to easy to find on the original label, the number of barely played, near mint mono copies that will surface will be very, very few indeed. I actually stated a couple of year ago “I can never imagine finding this album like this again’, – well the near impossible has happened – this actual record is equally as fine as the other I sold back then, the cover marginally down, but only lightly so. For the sound purist and connoisseur, the record is audiophile territory. A mono record probably played no more than once or twice, visually it could almost pass as new and sound-quality-wise, the same. It almost seems unfair to expect a 44-year-old mono record to play on a high-end stereo turntable with anything approaching perfect sound – BUT THIS ONE DOES – YES TRUE. A remarkable example time has overlooked and no damageing old mono stylus has ruined this beauty. One that will stick in my memory long after it’s gone and even offering this one is not proving easy for me. Nice?, this is REMARKABLY NICE, this stunning album must be heard IMMEDIATELY.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): and this simply does not do this ultra fragile cover anything like full justice. A single format and unlaminated with an unforgiving matt finish, and with the correct original IMPL 016 number. It is made with typically thin card and without the support and protection of laminate, few will far well over the years. Printed and made in England.

Cover Front: In terms of real wear, this lovely cover has very little at all. Thye only reason this is not graded higher is due to the corners naturally ‘sinking’ into the void left by the record around the corner areas – this most apparent on the front. There are a couple of fine crease near the top right corner and three fine ones on the spine edge but little else. The matt black surfaces are ruthless revealing of handling, once fingermarks are applied, they are near impossible to remove, and let’s face it, covers were handled over their long existence. This front has few handling marks but three very mild dulls are seen near the top right corner edge, these [possibly] from brief application of a price stickers – this a guess. What is for certain, no damage at all has been made to the ink or the cover surface and these faint dulls, like any handling marks, are only seen under angled light. The freshness and lack of rubbing and, especially ringwear, are major pluses and the band graphic looks superb. Never underestimate how difficult this cover is, most are seen in very poor, badly worn conditions. Rife with penetrating ringwear, heavy creasing and rubbing, simply badly aged and treated. When inside a brand new cover, this front looks absolutely fantastic and will never be easy to find much better – especially an original mono one.

Cover Back: Again, massively prone to handling and general wear. This side is more flat and has little to fault with any handling marks very few and faint. I could easily grade this back as near mint and it would be justified. A couple of very faint surface marks are seen under light but just look at the lack of ringwear on a back that was made for it. Hugely impressive and as fresh as when made again, it will prove more than just difficult to find better, more near impossible truth be told.

Top Edge: Any rub traces are minute, this looks almost as made and very straight too.

Bottom Edge: Very light, somewhat patchy rubbing, more like tiny speckle than actual rubbing. No tipping-in and being the traditional storage edge, few will show less.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with barely a hint of wear and guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, mainly straight, still fresh and clean, any compression very slight, the ends are very gently tapered in manufacture. All text is perfect and unworn as can be seen on my close-up pictures.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny indeed and I can see NO evidence of any tip-ins (here or anywhere on this cover). No dinks and all retain excellent or better shape.

Cover Summary: In terms of vulnerability, they do not get too much tougher than this. A 1967 matt black unlaminated cover made from very thin card. A high percentage of covers from this era were laminated and flipbacked for more robust construction and longevity. This had no such protection and is a flatback. The perfect recipe for heavy wear and shabbiness - one in many hundreds will survive like this, but seeing is believing. With a thick record inside such flimsy card, it is no small wonder the card has compress a little around the record’s shape. Still a beautiful all-round example that will take a huge amount of beating. Mono originals are at a real premium anyway, and quite simply, there are few enough around anyway. This should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a plain white unlined inner, not the most exciting inner ever made but in very fine condition and is guaranteed the original that came with the record. Modest general and consistent darkening of the paper with mild seam gum toning in a few places. A little light creasing near the corners and all edges unsplit with no repairs. Made in Great Britain and including the original ‘Patents applied for’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): my highest grading for a record I suspect has been played at least once – and let’s be honest, how many people ever bought a record never to have played it at least one time? The fact is, any record labels with no spindle marks does not prove any record is unplayed. I could play any record 100 times and never leave a spindle mark, it simply takes care and a steady hand. The is a psych-prog classic time has forgotten, and in mono too, I doubt if this record has been removed from the cover since the 60s and has never been subjected to mono stylus abuse. It had that lovely tell-tale ‘cling’ when I removed it – but have no fear, being an unlined inner sleeve, there was no chance of any bag rash. We all know what these types look and sound like these days, but this is a copy of dreams and looks close to new. A supreme visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy barely even played, reinforced by immaculate pristine sound. Visually, up there with the very best 60s monos I have yet seen, it should please all collectors, even the highly discerning and sound purist audiophiles.

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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Historically, one of the most important records ever within the development of ‘rock’ music. Up their with the early groundbreaking classics like Floyd’s ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn’, ‘The Doors’, ‘The Velvet Underground and Nico’ and Zappa’s ‘Freak Out’. This groundbreaking, pioneering prog classic plays up to it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free mono sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Just listen to ‘Rondo’ with its pulsating and driving sound, this was way ahead of it’s time and remains, for me anyway, The Nice’s greatest ever track. No surface sounds worthy of mention, no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly challenging and complex album. All Nice albums are somewhat ‘difficult’ with quiet passages and intricate sound. So many were ruined by carefull handling and too many plays on piledriver equipment from the past – the monos especially so – what a joy to be able to offer what clearly is a hardly played copy. The mono mix is incredible with amazing sonic power and punch. To hear one as it was first pressed is a privilege not to be dismissed lightly and it remains unique to the analogue format. Few examples will get close to this, let outperform this ultimate first pressing I feel certain. Both channels are clean and sharp and devoid of mono noise from one speaker, the result of uneven wear, too heavy tracking or cartridge mislignment. I am certain this record has been played very lightly, barely even run-in in vinyl terms and has been clearly carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, only my second mono example of this album. Others seen, but rejected on grounds of condition. This record will prove near impossible to find better and is unreservedly recommended. The winning bidder will not believe their eyes or ears when this stunning record shows – at last, another that does this outstanding and historically important album full justice – do NOT lose this one.

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 programs. 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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver 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 and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap 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 less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 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. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, 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 and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). 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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.