TOM NEWMAN Faerie Symphony SCARCE UK 1977 Decca EX++ LP

	£		53
	$		71

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: TOM NEWMAN

Album Title: Faerie Symphony.

Producer/Engineer/Arranger: Tom Newman.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Woods of; Fordin Seachrain; Bean Si; Little Voices Of Tarans; The Fluter; The Seelie Court; The Spell Breaks.

Side 2: The Fairy Song; Dance of the Daonhe Sidh; Memories of Culchvlainn; Aillen Mac Midna; The Unseelie Court; The Woods of...

Label/Format: Decca – Blue-grey format with silver text that is never easy to show well (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in superb condition with only very light and few spindle marks. This lovely Decca record will never be found better.

Cat Number: TXS.123.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 129 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: few were buying new progressive titles at this time and this album would not have sold in any great numbers. Find a copy in much better condition will prove near impossible also.

Original Year of Release: 1977

Matrix Nos: ZAL-15323.P-1W / ZAL-15323.P-2W

Stamper Codes: 1 B / 1 M (the letters are not distinct, these are my best guess).

Musicians: Tom Newman – acoustic and electric guitars, old synthesizers, mellotron flute, soodlum, glockenspiel, bodhran, bells, tablas, bass, balalaikas, mandolins, string synth, flageolet, drums; Mike Oldfield – acoustic and electric guitars, piano; John Field – flutes, flageolets, faerie voices, bagpipes; Tom Nordon – acoustic and electric guitars, pizzicato guitars, rhythm guitar; Pete Gibson – trombones, gong, brass, percussion & drums, glissando; Neil Innes – Hammond; Debbie Hall, Jon Collins, Joe O’Donnell – violins; Tina Jones – high Pung! Voice; Geoff Westley – piano crashes; Geoff’s friend George – snare drums; Willie – bass; Ward Kelly Conover II – drums

Brief Info: Tom Newman is best know as a record producer and is jointly credited as producer of Mike Oldfield’s classic Tubular Bells – as well as many others. Hardly prolific as a recording artist himself, this was a rare venture into a full album and what a stunning set it is too. A Celtic-themed progressive set with ethereal overtones – mainly instrumental with just very occasional use of eerie atmospheric vocal that depicts the faeries. A truly beautiful, pastoral record that simply flows and allows the mind of the listener to encapture their own mystical imagery of misty forests and mythical creatures. This has elements of Mike Oldfield’s early works blended with melodic progsters, Camel, indeed Oldfield does play a typically distinctive guitar in places but appears uncredited on the cover maybe for contractual reasons. This album (as you would probably expect) has incredible sound and production and is a phenomenal high-fidelity recording that will give your system a real workout. Delicate sounds with reeds, strings, percussion, bells, winds and guitar, this amazing record has supreme atmospshere and the climax on side two takes sound levels up the highest peaks and only the best systems will cope. This is only the second time I have had this title – yes it bypassed me too – and from the very outset I knew this was a very special recording and album. Noteworthy too is the most stunning cover with truly gorgeous artwork and in such condition here that can be fully enjoyed to the maximum. This has unusual and quite interesting construction, with two proper spines. Yes the inside of the gatefold has a very distinct and ‘correctly’ made spine too with text. Whether this cover was originally intended to be a single format design I don’t know, but the inner left and back are identical bar the colour – interesting.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Grade and Format: EX+ (at least). A quite stunning cover with breathtakingly beautiful artwork that’s more than worthy of a second look. A gatefold format and unlaminated making it very delicate. This stunning sleeve was printed and made in England by Howard’s Printers.

Cover Front: Like wow!! just look at this one. Magnificent artwork by Jim Fitzpatrick of a faerie nymph sitting on a rock and viewing the colourful wood and mist shrouded castle – like the music enclosed, this cover captures the imagination too. This is a near perfect example with any marks, blemishes, creases or traces of wear hardly registering. Clean with no rubbing and as fresh as manufacture day, this truly beautiful progressive cover front is unlikely to be found much better than this – simply gorgeous.

Cover Back: The back is also very nice indeed but has a mild ring rub arc near the top and bottom edges. Also a very small rub near the top left corner. Any other rubbing is very light indeed and barely even shows. The lack of creasing and really deep penetrating ring marks is a bonus on this one.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Like wow again! – I think this cover depicts the forest ‘garden’ in day-time and at night, the faerie nymph not present in the daylight as the inside. Just look at those incredible autumn-like colours and all in near mint condition. This has to be one of Decca’s best-ever covers.

Top Edges: The odd light rub trace only.

Bottom Edges: The front is unrubbed, the back has light patchy rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering. Record entered on this right outside edge. The front edge is totally sealed and very neat.

Spine and Text: A superb spine too, thick and with little ageing or discolouration. Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up very closely together and practically parallel. All text is perfect and unworn.

Corners: Light tip rubs only and all retain strong neat shape and definition.

Cover Summary: One of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen and so perfect for the enchanting music enclosed. Delicate and fragile, I can well imagine what many of these will be seen like (if indeed you can find one). Issued when punk-rock had all but taken over the ‘fashionable’ end of the market, this record would have sold in only modest numbers. This beautiful item should please many collectors.

The Inner: This Decca record includes a lined Decca inner which is almost as new.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++, and played no more than a couple of times. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. A couple of fine and faint surface marks only that have NO sound of course. Visually a super record that should please most collectors again.

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: This supreme record plays even above its high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, sometimes powerful, sometimes delicate, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. Sound quality is astonishing, at times breathtaking, with a massive dynamic range and very detailed and intricate sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly challenging album. It has moments of quietness so the odd minuscule crackle trace is almost unavoidable but this copy is practically unbeatable and has incredible sound values and realism. The climax is stunning and gave my speakers (and ears) a thorough work-out. Oldfield’s guitar break has his trademark sound and is also noteworthy. For those who like loads of instruments and that high-end sound, this gem is unmissable. Few copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult, or near impossible to find significantly better. This beautiful set is strongly and unreservedly recommended.

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: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. 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 thick stiffners for even extra protection. 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 and well as 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 NOT surface mail abroad. I never make 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, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

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 (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£39).

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’.